Shingles Cures Tips - Let's reduce pain and Anxiety from it

To contact us Click HERE



You will have to deal with painful rashes that keep on appearing from time to time whenever you are suffer from it because of Your doctor will be unable to give you a permanent cure of them and will only be able to give you medications that treat your symptoms.

Shingles Treatments are not always the best thing for you because they consist of powerful antiviral medications as well as antihistamines and corticosteroids also might find the side effects of these drugs as hard to bear as the symptoms of them.

Skin Balm is one of the most effective remedies for it which you can easily make out of ingredients easily available at home or at health food stores.

You need good quality olive oil to start with, to which you should add drops of lavender, tea tree oil, geranium and oregano.

Peppermint oil also has excellent pain killing properties. The combination of essential oils helps to kill viruses and bacteria on the skin while the olive oil soothes the itching on the skin and helps to trap in moisture.

It will help prevent you scratching your rashes. This is one of the biggest reasons for a secondary bacterial infection taking place, leading to scarring. This mixture of oils is extremely fragrant and will also help put you in a good mood.

Another simple way of reducing your itching, and therefore your irritation and anxiety, is to apply petroleum jelly to the areas that have rashes.

This is an inexpensive solution to the problem of itching. These tips will help reduce your dependence on medication by giving you lots of comfort and peace of mind.

Day 1285 - It's All In Your Head

To contact us Click HERE

"Many people know about other contributing factors such as heredity, food triggers, lack of sleep, poor posture, etc., but are not aware of any psychological connection.
Headache specialists report that many of their patients resist any discussion of emotional or psychological contributors to their recurrent headaches. Some people fear that pursuing this avenue could uncover evidence of "mental illness." Others feel that the existence of these factors would make their pain less real because it would then be "all in their heads". In just about all cases, neither of these 2 things is true!
Headache is definitely a biological disorder. However, since the body and the mind are interconnected, your emotional and psychological states can have an effect on your overall health, including your headaches. Here's why:
- When your emotional and psychological systems are in good working order, they help to create a positive environment that contributes to the health of your body.
- When these systems aren't working so well...for example, if you feel anxious, depressed or angry on a frequent basis — and especially if you find it difficult to shake these feelings — a negative environment can be created in your body that may contribute to a specific headache episode or create a fertile breeding ground for headaches to occur.
The relationship between anxiety, depression and headache is not fully understood. However, it is known that the brain chemical serotonin plays a role in all of them. Some headache specialists have theorized that these disorders may share a common mechanism in the brain.
Research has shown that some chronic headache sufferers also suffer from depression and/or anxiety. It is important to note that these sufferers' psychological conditions may not be caused by their headaches. Rather, tendencies towards depression or anxiety may be inherent in their personalities or ways of thinking. Or, they may be the result of an intense and prolonged level of stress which may lead to psychological conditions such as anxiety or depression. Regardless of the cause, having frequent headaches and feeling a lack of control over them may cause an existing condition of depression or anxiety to worsen. This situation can easily snowball, creating a vicious cycle of headache and emotional distress.
Unfortunately, emotional and psychological factors are often not considered in the treatment of headache. Doctors (especially those who are not headache specialists) tend to emphasize medical treatment — and rightly so. This is the traditional "first line of defense" and is effective for most headache patients. So is appropriate to start — and, for most, to stop — there. Also, some doctors today are cautious not to focus on psychological factors during the earlier stages of headache treatment — possibly overcompensating for the days when many doctors treated patients as if the pain was "all in their heads."

Doctors who do bring up psychological contributors as a possibility often find that their patients want to avoid psychological treatment, fearing a "mentally ill" diagnosis or having a concern that the presence of these factors would mean that their headaches are not a serious medical problem. This is very unfortunate because nothing could be farther from the truth!"*

*http://www.excedrin.com/psychological-contributors-to-headaches.shtml

It has taken me over three years to write this post.

When the headache started - which now seems all those years ago - I went to see a psychologist about it. The headache had exacerbated to such a degree that I was unable to work and felt completely depressed about my situation. After telling her about the distress that the headache had caused, she looked at me, arms gently folded over her lap, and stated “It must be such a headache having this pain!” and gave a little chuckle. I brushed aside this silly joke, ignoring it and thinking that maybe she had unintentionally let it out. However, when the very same joke repeated itself over the course of the next sessions, I felt hurt, frustrated and angry that a person contending to be there to help could actually end up aggravating a situation. I could bear it no longer and after a few sessions I left. That was the last of any psychological treatment I have undergone.

The possibility of the headache being related to a close friend’s death which took place a few months before the onset of my headache, has crossed my mind more than once. But nearly four years down the line I do not think the headache is related to this, or at least entirely to this. It is possible that I have not yet recovered from the shock of losing such a close friend. I truly believe there is a strong link between body and mind and that a traumatic event can undoubtedly have consequences on one’s body. The passage above taken from a Headache Centre webpage discusses this in further detail. Just today I also came across an article on the BBC website on a similar topic.

The reason it has taken me so long to write anything on this is that I am unable to draw the line between the “it could be a psychologically caused headache ” to a “it’s all in your head” (i.e. fictional). I am certain, from the manner in which this question is usually addressed to me, that by ‘psychological’ the word ‘fictional’ is intended. Does anyone feel the same?

Detrimental effects on bronchoprotection starts after the 5th dose of albuterol, worsens after 7 doses

To contact us Click HERE
Regular use of inhaled β-agonist leads to tolerance to its bronchoprotective effect. This occurs within 12 hours with salmeterol and has been documented at 1 week for salbutamol (the medication name albuterol is used in the U.S).

This study aimed to determine the course of onset of tolerance to the bronchoprotective effect of salbutamol against methacholine. It was designed as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial and included 13 patients with mild asthma. Each treatment period consisted of 7 twice-daily doses (2 puffs of 100 μg of salbutamol or placebo). Methacholine challenges were conducted 24 hours apart on 4 consecutive days, 10 minutes after the first, third, fifth, and seventh doses.

A single dose of salbutamol shifted the methacholine PC20 approximately 5-fold from a geometric mean of 2.1 mg/mL to 10.7 mg/mL. Maximal bronchoprotection after the active treatment occurred on day 2 after the third dose. After the fifth dose the methacholine PC20 was trending downward, and on day 4 the bronchoprotective effect of salbutamol had significantly decreased from its peak protection.

The authors concluded that the detrimental effects on bronchoprotection after regular use of salbutamol manifest after 5 doses and are significantly reduced from peak protection after 7 doses.



Asthma Inhalers (click to enlarge the image).

References:

Salbutamol tolerance to bronchoprotection: course of onset. Sarah L. Stewart, BSc, Alexandra L. Martin, BSc, Beth E. Davis, BSc, PhD, Donald W. Cockcroft, BSc, MD, FRCP(C). Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, Volume 109, Issue 6 , Pages 454-457, December 2012.

Day 1285 - It's All In Your Head

To contact us Click HERE

"Many people know about other contributing factors such as heredity, food triggers, lack of sleep, poor posture, etc., but are not aware of any psychological connection.
Headache specialists report that many of their patients resist any discussion of emotional or psychological contributors to their recurrent headaches. Some people fear that pursuing this avenue could uncover evidence of "mental illness." Others feel that the existence of these factors would make their pain less real because it would then be "all in their heads". In just about all cases, neither of these 2 things is true!
Headache is definitely a biological disorder. However, since the body and the mind are interconnected, your emotional and psychological states can have an effect on your overall health, including your headaches. Here's why:
- When your emotional and psychological systems are in good working order, they help to create a positive environment that contributes to the health of your body.
- When these systems aren't working so well...for example, if you feel anxious, depressed or angry on a frequent basis — and especially if you find it difficult to shake these feelings — a negative environment can be created in your body that may contribute to a specific headache episode or create a fertile breeding ground for headaches to occur.
The relationship between anxiety, depression and headache is not fully understood. However, it is known that the brain chemical serotonin plays a role in all of them. Some headache specialists have theorized that these disorders may share a common mechanism in the brain.
Research has shown that some chronic headache sufferers also suffer from depression and/or anxiety. It is important to note that these sufferers' psychological conditions may not be caused by their headaches. Rather, tendencies towards depression or anxiety may be inherent in their personalities or ways of thinking. Or, they may be the result of an intense and prolonged level of stress which may lead to psychological conditions such as anxiety or depression. Regardless of the cause, having frequent headaches and feeling a lack of control over them may cause an existing condition of depression or anxiety to worsen. This situation can easily snowball, creating a vicious cycle of headache and emotional distress.
Unfortunately, emotional and psychological factors are often not considered in the treatment of headache. Doctors (especially those who are not headache specialists) tend to emphasize medical treatment — and rightly so. This is the traditional "first line of defense" and is effective for most headache patients. So is appropriate to start — and, for most, to stop — there. Also, some doctors today are cautious not to focus on psychological factors during the earlier stages of headache treatment — possibly overcompensating for the days when many doctors treated patients as if the pain was "all in their heads."

Doctors who do bring up psychological contributors as a possibility often find that their patients want to avoid psychological treatment, fearing a "mentally ill" diagnosis or having a concern that the presence of these factors would mean that their headaches are not a serious medical problem. This is very unfortunate because nothing could be farther from the truth!"*

*http://www.excedrin.com/psychological-contributors-to-headaches.shtml

It has taken me over three years to write this post.

When the headache started - which now seems all those years ago - I went to see a psychologist about it. The headache had exacerbated to such a degree that I was unable to work and felt completely depressed about my situation. After telling her about the distress that the headache had caused, she looked at me, arms gently folded over her lap, and stated “It must be such a headache having this pain!” and gave a little chuckle. I brushed aside this silly joke, ignoring it and thinking that maybe she had unintentionally let it out. However, when the very same joke repeated itself over the course of the next sessions, I felt hurt, frustrated and angry that a person contending to be there to help could actually end up aggravating a situation. I could bear it no longer and after a few sessions I left. That was the last of any psychological treatment I have undergone.

The possibility of the headache being related to a close friend’s death which took place a few months before the onset of my headache, has crossed my mind more than once. But nearly four years down the line I do not think the headache is related to this, or at least entirely to this. It is possible that I have not yet recovered from the shock of losing such a close friend. I truly believe there is a strong link between body and mind and that a traumatic event can undoubtedly have consequences on one’s body. The passage above taken from a Headache Centre webpage discusses this in further detail. Just today I also came across an article on the BBC website on a similar topic.

The reason it has taken me so long to write anything on this is that I am unable to draw the line between the “it could be a psychologically caused headache ” to a “it’s all in your head” (i.e. fictional). I am certain, from the manner in which this question is usually addressed to me, that by ‘psychological’ the word ‘fictional’ is intended. Does anyone feel the same?

Shingles Cures Tips - Let's reduce pain and Anxiety from it

To contact us Click HERE



You will have to deal with painful rashes that keep on appearing from time to time whenever you are suffer from it because of Your doctor will be unable to give you a permanent cure of them and will only be able to give you medications that treat your symptoms.

Shingles Treatments are not always the best thing for you because they consist of powerful antiviral medications as well as antihistamines and corticosteroids also might find the side effects of these drugs as hard to bear as the symptoms of them.

Skin Balm is one of the most effective remedies for it which you can easily make out of ingredients easily available at home or at health food stores.

You need good quality olive oil to start with, to which you should add drops of lavender, tea tree oil, geranium and oregano.

Peppermint oil also has excellent pain killing properties. The combination of essential oils helps to kill viruses and bacteria on the skin while the olive oil soothes the itching on the skin and helps to trap in moisture.

It will help prevent you scratching your rashes. This is one of the biggest reasons for a secondary bacterial infection taking place, leading to scarring. This mixture of oils is extremely fragrant and will also help put you in a good mood.

Another simple way of reducing your itching, and therefore your irritation and anxiety, is to apply petroleum jelly to the areas that have rashes.

This is an inexpensive solution to the problem of itching. These tips will help reduce your dependence on medication by giving you lots of comfort and peace of mind.

7 Tips for Allergy-free Winter (Video)

To contact us Click HERE
7 Tips for Allergy-free Winter by the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI):

1. Reduce humidity (moisture) in your home to keep dust mites in check. Maintain humidity below 50-55%. Don’t use a humidifier or a vaporizer.

2. Filter out dust and other allergens by installing a high efficiency furnace filter with a MERV rating of 11 or 12. Change it every 3 months.

3. Banish allergens from the bedroom (where you spend a third of your life). Keep pets and their dander out, and encase mattresses and pillows with dust-mite proof covers. Limit curtains – use blinds that can be washed instead.

Tips for Indoor Allergy-free Winter - National Jewish video:



4. Keep your home clean. Wear a NIOSH-rated N95 mask while dusting. Wash bedding and stuffed animals in hot water every 14 days and use a vacuum with a HEPA filter.

5. Turn on the fan or open the window to reduce mold growth in bathrooms (while bathing) and kitchens (while cooking). Wear latex-free gloves and clean visible mold with a 5% beach solution and detergent.

6. Don’t overlook the garage if it’s attached to the house - noxious odors or fumes can trigger asthma. Move insecticides, stored gasoline and other irritants to a shed. Don’t start the car and let it run in the garage.

7. Box up books and knick-knacks and limit the number of indoor plants. When you are buying new furniture, like chairs or sofas, opt for leather or other nonporous surfaces to make cleaning easier.

Winter skin care for eczema (atopic dermatitis) (video)

The falling temperatures of winter can be stressful for the largest organ of our body - our skin. Mayo Clinic experts offer some timely reminders for staying comfortable and healthy:



I recommend the following approach to the treatment of atopic dermatitis:



Atopic Dermatitis Treatment - Illustrated (click to enlarge the image).

Allergic rhinitis - top articles for December 2012

To contact us Click HERE
Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles about allergic rhinitis for December 2012:

Evaluation of a skin test device designed to be less painful - MultiTest PC ("Pain Control") http://buff.ly/YzXFg0

Clinical efficacy of 300IR 5-grass pollen sublingual tablet: The importance of allergen-specific serum IgE http://buff.ly/VbKoUw

Sleep-disordered breathing is more common in patients with allergic diseases http://buff.ly/VbKwDo

Impact of Allergic Rhinitis Symptoms on Quality of Life - ocular symptoms and, to a lesser degree, nasal obstruction http://buff.ly/VcEFxR

83% of children (younger than 4 yrs) receiving weekly SCIT lose their fear of injections during the treatment course http://buff.ly/Vhuc4g

When do allergy skin test extracts need to be replaced? http://buff.ly/VkmYfG

Oral steroids do not normally affect allergy prick or intradermal tests. http://buff.ly/VkptPi

Immunotherapy to molds - the only two molds which have been studied extensively are Alternaria and Cladosporium http://buff.ly/VkpH8Y

Anaphylactic events due to immunotherapy are probably not completely preventable http://buff.ly/RQ50pY

Comparison of intranasal azelastine to fluticasone for allergic rhinitis: no significant difference (mostly) http://buff.ly/U5tnOD

"Tooth lodged in boy's ear, doctors blame tooth fairy" - an allergist solved the mystery http://buff.ly/U5uWfy

A multicenter, randomized, controlled trial testing the effects of acupuncture on allergic rhinitis: safe and effective http://buff.ly/UXO8KE

Efficacy of single-allergen-specific immunotherapy in polysensitized subjects is a matter of debate. No difference in efficacy and safety of single-allergen grass AIT was observed between mono- and polysensitized subjects (6 trials). The tablet was allergy immunotherapy tablet (AIT), Grazax (Phleum pratense 75 000 SQ-T/2800 BAU, ALK, Denmark) http://buff.ly/UXPg0S

A Rhinitis Primer for Family Medicine - from the Kaiser Permanente Journal http://buff.ly/UtRc41

The articles were selected from my Twitter stream @Allergy and Google Reader RSS subscriptions. Some of the top allergy accounts on Twitter contributed links. I appreciate the curation provided by @JuanCIvancevich @AllergyNet @IgECPD4 @DrAnneEllis @AACMaven @AllergieVoeding @allergistmommy @mrathkopf @wheezemd.

Please feel free to send suggestions for articles to allergycases@gmail.com and you will receive acknowledgement in the next edition of this publication.

Food allergy - top articles for December 2012

To contact us Click HERE
Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles about food allergy for December 2012:

We must create a national policy to protect and manage food allergic students at school http://buff.ly/Qk5FcL

Predicting food challenge outcomes for baked milk: skin prick testing is better than sIgE http://buff.ly/Qk5VZj

Among visitors to a food allergy website, 16% of surveyed parents had discussed food oral immunotherapy (OIT) with their allergy provider, and 5% of their children were already on OIT http://buff.ly/PyJfKd

Effect of oral immunotherapy to peanut on food-specific quality of life (study) http://buff.ly/PyJsgs

IgE antibodies to Ara h 2 distinguish peanut allergy from asymptomatic peanut sensitization http://buff.ly/RMOZwu

Anaphylaxis caused by hidden soybean allergens in pillows http://buff.ly/SJdrSG

Adult Food Allergy: Guidance for Clinicians - a Medscape interview with expert allergist http://buff.ly/SFKKmY

Advances in food allergy - 2012 Article collections in BioMed Central http://bit.ly/RDWHLF

Excessive use of dichlorophenol pesticides may contribute to the increasing incidence of food allergies http://buff.ly/UYEbLz

Identifying infants at high risk of peanut allergy: risk factors include egg allergy and severe eczema http://buff.ly/YlyWvU

Evaluation of a skin test device designed to be less painful - MultiTest PC ("Pain Control") http://buff.ly/YzXFg0

Anaphylaxis from ingestion of mites: Pancake anaphylaxis [J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2012] http://buff.ly/VcEthS

Trivalent influenza vaccine is safe even in children with histories of severe egg allergy, single dose well tolerated http://buff.ly/YJL9dZ

3.4% prevalence of food allergy in urban minority children http://buff.ly/VhtvYD

Anaphylaxis following cilantro ingestion http://buff.ly/VhujMY

Dr. Matthew Greenhawt: I think that we can confidently say that the injectable trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) is safe for egg allergic individuals, irrespective of a past severe reaction to egg. These individuals can receive the vaccine without vaccine skin testing, and as a single dose. http://buff.ly/YOXdKQ

The articles were selected from my Twitter stream @Allergy and Google Reader RSS subscriptions. Some of the top allergy accounts on Twitter contributed links. I appreciate the curation provided by @JuanCIvancevich @AllergyNet @IgECPD4 @DrAnneEllis @AACMaven @AllergieVoeding @allergistmommy @mrathkopf @wheezemd.

Please feel free to send suggestions for articles to allergycases@gmail.com and you will receive acknowledgement in the next edition of this publication.

Shingles Cures Tips - Let's reduce pain and Anxiety from it

To contact us Click HERE



You will have to deal with painful rashes that keep on appearing from time to time whenever you are suffer from it because of Your doctor will be unable to give you a permanent cure of them and will only be able to give you medications that treat your symptoms.

Shingles Treatments are not always the best thing for you because they consist of powerful antiviral medications as well as antihistamines and corticosteroids also might find the side effects of these drugs as hard to bear as the symptoms of them.

Skin Balm is one of the most effective remedies for it which you can easily make out of ingredients easily available at home or at health food stores.

You need good quality olive oil to start with, to which you should add drops of lavender, tea tree oil, geranium and oregano.

Peppermint oil also has excellent pain killing properties. The combination of essential oils helps to kill viruses and bacteria on the skin while the olive oil soothes the itching on the skin and helps to trap in moisture.

It will help prevent you scratching your rashes. This is one of the biggest reasons for a secondary bacterial infection taking place, leading to scarring. This mixture of oils is extremely fragrant and will also help put you in a good mood.

Another simple way of reducing your itching, and therefore your irritation and anxiety, is to apply petroleum jelly to the areas that have rashes.

This is an inexpensive solution to the problem of itching. These tips will help reduce your dependence on medication by giving you lots of comfort and peace of mind.

Day 1285 - It's All In Your Head

To contact us Click HERE

"Many people know about other contributing factors such as heredity, food triggers, lack of sleep, poor posture, etc., but are not aware of any psychological connection.
Headache specialists report that many of their patients resist any discussion of emotional or psychological contributors to their recurrent headaches. Some people fear that pursuing this avenue could uncover evidence of "mental illness." Others feel that the existence of these factors would make their pain less real because it would then be "all in their heads". In just about all cases, neither of these 2 things is true!
Headache is definitely a biological disorder. However, since the body and the mind are interconnected, your emotional and psychological states can have an effect on your overall health, including your headaches. Here's why:
- When your emotional and psychological systems are in good working order, they help to create a positive environment that contributes to the health of your body.
- When these systems aren't working so well...for example, if you feel anxious, depressed or angry on a frequent basis — and especially if you find it difficult to shake these feelings — a negative environment can be created in your body that may contribute to a specific headache episode or create a fertile breeding ground for headaches to occur.
The relationship between anxiety, depression and headache is not fully understood. However, it is known that the brain chemical serotonin plays a role in all of them. Some headache specialists have theorized that these disorders may share a common mechanism in the brain.
Research has shown that some chronic headache sufferers also suffer from depression and/or anxiety. It is important to note that these sufferers' psychological conditions may not be caused by their headaches. Rather, tendencies towards depression or anxiety may be inherent in their personalities or ways of thinking. Or, they may be the result of an intense and prolonged level of stress which may lead to psychological conditions such as anxiety or depression. Regardless of the cause, having frequent headaches and feeling a lack of control over them may cause an existing condition of depression or anxiety to worsen. This situation can easily snowball, creating a vicious cycle of headache and emotional distress.
Unfortunately, emotional and psychological factors are often not considered in the treatment of headache. Doctors (especially those who are not headache specialists) tend to emphasize medical treatment — and rightly so. This is the traditional "first line of defense" and is effective for most headache patients. So is appropriate to start — and, for most, to stop — there. Also, some doctors today are cautious not to focus on psychological factors during the earlier stages of headache treatment — possibly overcompensating for the days when many doctors treated patients as if the pain was "all in their heads."

Doctors who do bring up psychological contributors as a possibility often find that their patients want to avoid psychological treatment, fearing a "mentally ill" diagnosis or having a concern that the presence of these factors would mean that their headaches are not a serious medical problem. This is very unfortunate because nothing could be farther from the truth!"*

*http://www.excedrin.com/psychological-contributors-to-headaches.shtml

It has taken me over three years to write this post.

When the headache started - which now seems all those years ago - I went to see a psychologist about it. The headache had exacerbated to such a degree that I was unable to work and felt completely depressed about my situation. After telling her about the distress that the headache had caused, she looked at me, arms gently folded over her lap, and stated “It must be such a headache having this pain!” and gave a little chuckle. I brushed aside this silly joke, ignoring it and thinking that maybe she had unintentionally let it out. However, when the very same joke repeated itself over the course of the next sessions, I felt hurt, frustrated and angry that a person contending to be there to help could actually end up aggravating a situation. I could bear it no longer and after a few sessions I left. That was the last of any psychological treatment I have undergone.

The possibility of the headache being related to a close friend’s death which took place a few months before the onset of my headache, has crossed my mind more than once. But nearly four years down the line I do not think the headache is related to this, or at least entirely to this. It is possible that I have not yet recovered from the shock of losing such a close friend. I truly believe there is a strong link between body and mind and that a traumatic event can undoubtedly have consequences on one’s body. The passage above taken from a Headache Centre webpage discusses this in further detail. Just today I also came across an article on the BBC website on a similar topic.

The reason it has taken me so long to write anything on this is that I am unable to draw the line between the “it could be a psychologically caused headache ” to a “it’s all in your head” (i.e. fictional). I am certain, from the manner in which this question is usually addressed to me, that by ‘psychological’ the word ‘fictional’ is intended. Does anyone feel the same?

Day 1460 - Electro Smog / Electromagnetic Sensibility

To contact us Click HERE

Due to the introduction of mobile phones, computers, CCTV cameras, satellite televisions and digital radios, our lives are enveloped in electronic radiation. This phenomenon has been described as 'electro smog', so all-pervasive are the pulsing microwave signals that surround us on a daily basis. 

Of course, we cannot see all this electronic activity, but if we could, the sight would be dramatic. Stepping from somewhere free of modern electronic gadgetry into a Wi-Fi active zone would be the equivalent of walking from a peaceful country lane onto the hard shoulder of Spaghetti Junction. 

EMF Sensitivity is an adverse health reaction, similar to an allergy, caused by the radiation emitted from cell phones, microwave or cell phone towers, radar, satellite, infrared, ultrasonic devices, Wifi, WiMax, GPS, RFID tags, computers, power lines, and other electrical equipment.

Some studies suggest that as much as five per cent of the population may already be suffering from headaches, concentration difficulties, chronic fatigue, irritability and behavioural problems because of this electro smog.*

*http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1229069/Is-electro-smog-causing-headache.html#ixzz2CEgLQkSF
*http://www.emfsensitivity.org/

I remember watching a documentary a while back on wifi radiation. Those interviewed were Scandinavian women who were severely affected by wifi radiation. This caused them all manner of ills, from a general feeling of malaise to more severe aches and pains. As a result of their sensitivity to radiation, they had to entirely plaster their house with what was effectively tin foil which, as far as I understood, would prevent the radiation from entering the interior of the household.

It has crossed my mind that my headache may be due to wifi sensitivity. However, I haven’t noticed any difference in the headache when travelling to remote areas with no wifi or mobile phone signal. I wonder if the effects are immediate? Do those with wifi sensitivity notice an immediate headache when they are in an area with radiation and does it ‘switch off’ as soon as they are away from it?

Natural history of peanut allergy: strong association between high peanut-specific IgE and reaction severity

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Peanut allergy affects 1% of children.

This study from Johns Hopkins University included 780 patients, mostly children, with peanut allergy. The median age at initial observation was 1.4 years. There was a classic expression of the allergic (atopic) march in that cohort:

- 93% were avoiding other foods
- 71% had atopic dermatitis
- 57% had allergic rhinitis
- 56% had asthma

Allergic (atopic) march (click here to enlarge the image):



The median initial peanut-specific immunoglobulin E (P-IgE) was 28 kU/L, and the median peak P-IgE was 68.

The exposures to peanuts consisted mostly of ingestion (76%), and much less frequently to contact (14%), and 4.5% airborne.

Symptoms after exposure consisted of:

- 74% urticaria/angioedema
- 22% lower respiratory symptoms
- 21% gastrointestinal symptoms
- 8% oral erythema/pruritus

Treatment of allergic reactions included mostly antihistamines (33%). Emergency department visits was required in 16%, and epinephrine was administered only in 13%. Albuterol was needed only in 3% of reactions.

Reaction severity did not change with repeated exposure. Severe reactions were associated with higher P-IgE, but not with age, sex, or asthma.

There was a strong association between higher peanut-specific immunoglobulin E (P-IgE) levels and reaction severity.

References:

The natural history of persistent peanut allergy. Neuman-Sunshine DL, Eckman JA, Keet CA, Matsui EC, Peng RD, Lenehan PJ, Wood RA. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2012 May;108(5):326-331.e3. Epub 2011 Dec 23.

Image source: Roasted peanuts as snack food, Wikipedia, public domain.

Shingles Cures Tips - Let's reduce pain and Anxiety from it

To contact us Click HERE



You will have to deal with painful rashes that keep on appearing from time to time whenever you are suffer from it because of Your doctor will be unable to give you a permanent cure of them and will only be able to give you medications that treat your symptoms.

Shingles Treatments are not always the best thing for you because they consist of powerful antiviral medications as well as antihistamines and corticosteroids also might find the side effects of these drugs as hard to bear as the symptoms of them.

Skin Balm is one of the most effective remedies for it which you can easily make out of ingredients easily available at home or at health food stores.

You need good quality olive oil to start with, to which you should add drops of lavender, tea tree oil, geranium and oregano.

Peppermint oil also has excellent pain killing properties. The combination of essential oils helps to kill viruses and bacteria on the skin while the olive oil soothes the itching on the skin and helps to trap in moisture.

It will help prevent you scratching your rashes. This is one of the biggest reasons for a secondary bacterial infection taking place, leading to scarring. This mixture of oils is extremely fragrant and will also help put you in a good mood.

Another simple way of reducing your itching, and therefore your irritation and anxiety, is to apply petroleum jelly to the areas that have rashes.

This is an inexpensive solution to the problem of itching. These tips will help reduce your dependence on medication by giving you lots of comfort and peace of mind.

Day 1285 - It's All In Your Head

To contact us Click HERE

"Many people know about other contributing factors such as heredity, food triggers, lack of sleep, poor posture, etc., but are not aware of any psychological connection.
Headache specialists report that many of their patients resist any discussion of emotional or psychological contributors to their recurrent headaches. Some people fear that pursuing this avenue could uncover evidence of "mental illness." Others feel that the existence of these factors would make their pain less real because it would then be "all in their heads". In just about all cases, neither of these 2 things is true!
Headache is definitely a biological disorder. However, since the body and the mind are interconnected, your emotional and psychological states can have an effect on your overall health, including your headaches. Here's why:
- When your emotional and psychological systems are in good working order, they help to create a positive environment that contributes to the health of your body.
- When these systems aren't working so well...for example, if you feel anxious, depressed or angry on a frequent basis — and especially if you find it difficult to shake these feelings — a negative environment can be created in your body that may contribute to a specific headache episode or create a fertile breeding ground for headaches to occur.
The relationship between anxiety, depression and headache is not fully understood. However, it is known that the brain chemical serotonin plays a role in all of them. Some headache specialists have theorized that these disorders may share a common mechanism in the brain.
Research has shown that some chronic headache sufferers also suffer from depression and/or anxiety. It is important to note that these sufferers' psychological conditions may not be caused by their headaches. Rather, tendencies towards depression or anxiety may be inherent in their personalities or ways of thinking. Or, they may be the result of an intense and prolonged level of stress which may lead to psychological conditions such as anxiety or depression. Regardless of the cause, having frequent headaches and feeling a lack of control over them may cause an existing condition of depression or anxiety to worsen. This situation can easily snowball, creating a vicious cycle of headache and emotional distress.
Unfortunately, emotional and psychological factors are often not considered in the treatment of headache. Doctors (especially those who are not headache specialists) tend to emphasize medical treatment — and rightly so. This is the traditional "first line of defense" and is effective for most headache patients. So is appropriate to start — and, for most, to stop — there. Also, some doctors today are cautious not to focus on psychological factors during the earlier stages of headache treatment — possibly overcompensating for the days when many doctors treated patients as if the pain was "all in their heads."

Doctors who do bring up psychological contributors as a possibility often find that their patients want to avoid psychological treatment, fearing a "mentally ill" diagnosis or having a concern that the presence of these factors would mean that their headaches are not a serious medical problem. This is very unfortunate because nothing could be farther from the truth!"*

*http://www.excedrin.com/psychological-contributors-to-headaches.shtml

It has taken me over three years to write this post.

When the headache started - which now seems all those years ago - I went to see a psychologist about it. The headache had exacerbated to such a degree that I was unable to work and felt completely depressed about my situation. After telling her about the distress that the headache had caused, she looked at me, arms gently folded over her lap, and stated “It must be such a headache having this pain!” and gave a little chuckle. I brushed aside this silly joke, ignoring it and thinking that maybe she had unintentionally let it out. However, when the very same joke repeated itself over the course of the next sessions, I felt hurt, frustrated and angry that a person contending to be there to help could actually end up aggravating a situation. I could bear it no longer and after a few sessions I left. That was the last of any psychological treatment I have undergone.

The possibility of the headache being related to a close friend’s death which took place a few months before the onset of my headache, has crossed my mind more than once. But nearly four years down the line I do not think the headache is related to this, or at least entirely to this. It is possible that I have not yet recovered from the shock of losing such a close friend. I truly believe there is a strong link between body and mind and that a traumatic event can undoubtedly have consequences on one’s body. The passage above taken from a Headache Centre webpage discusses this in further detail. Just today I also came across an article on the BBC website on a similar topic.

The reason it has taken me so long to write anything on this is that I am unable to draw the line between the “it could be a psychologically caused headache ” to a “it’s all in your head” (i.e. fictional). I am certain, from the manner in which this question is usually addressed to me, that by ‘psychological’ the word ‘fictional’ is intended. Does anyone feel the same?

Top Asthma Articles for December 2012

To contact us Click HERE
Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles about asthma for December 2012:

Inhaled steroids increase the risk of oropharyngeal colonization by Streptococcus pneumoniae in children with asthma http://buff.ly/R8WWOI

The united allergic airway: connections between allergic rhinitis, asthma, and chronic sinusitis http://buff.ly/QaASQQ

Comparison of two twice-daily doses of budesonide/formoterol as single maintenance and reliever therapy (SMART) http://buff.ly/QaC2fa

Albuterol use predicts asthma outcomes: Each additional SABA canister linked to 8-18% increase in asthma exacerbations http://buff.ly/QaOko2

Lung function declines in volunteers after exposure to trichloramine (NCl3) in indoor pool http://buff.ly/QjZiHE

Should exhaled nitric oxide measurement be part of routine asthma management? Not enough evidence, says Dr. Bahna: http://buff.ly/Qk5q1k

Once-daily fluticasone furoate is efficacious in patients with symptomatic asthma on low-dose inhaled corticosteroids http://buff.ly/Qk7nuF

Can a school-based hand hygiene program reduce asthma exacerbations among elementary school children? No: http://buff.ly/QL0e70

Many women stop or reduce their use of asthma medications when they become pregnant (study) http://buff.ly/PLa2TJ

The ACT is preferable to the ACQ. However, neither ACT nor ACQ is useful for assessment of uncontrolled asthma http://buff.ly/PLabqe

Work-exacerbated asthma and occupational asthma: Do they really differ? http://buff.ly/PLajpw

Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA): Achievements in 10 years and future needs. ARIA has reclassified AR as mild/moderate-severe and intermittent/persistent. This classification closely reflects patients' needs and underlines the close relationship between rhinitis and asthma. http://buff.ly/QL1eYI

High inhaled corticosteroids adherence in childhood asthma linked to parent/patient education and understading http://buff.ly/SFMe0C

The articles were selected from my Twitter stream @Allergy and Google Reader RSS subscriptions. Some of the top allergy accounts on Twitter contributed links. I appreciate the curation provided by @JuanCIvancevich @AllergyNet @IgECPD4 @DrAnneEllis @AACMaven @AllergieVoeding @allergistmommy @mrathkopf @wheezemd.

Please feel free to send suggestions for articles to allergycases@gmail.com and you will receive acknowledgement in the next edition of this publication.

Shingles Cures Tips - Let's reduce pain and Anxiety from it

To contact us Click HERE



You will have to deal with painful rashes that keep on appearing from time to time whenever you are suffer from it because of Your doctor will be unable to give you a permanent cure of them and will only be able to give you medications that treat your symptoms.

Shingles Treatments are not always the best thing for you because they consist of powerful antiviral medications as well as antihistamines and corticosteroids also might find the side effects of these drugs as hard to bear as the symptoms of them.

Skin Balm is one of the most effective remedies for it which you can easily make out of ingredients easily available at home or at health food stores.

You need good quality olive oil to start with, to which you should add drops of lavender, tea tree oil, geranium and oregano.

Peppermint oil also has excellent pain killing properties. The combination of essential oils helps to kill viruses and bacteria on the skin while the olive oil soothes the itching on the skin and helps to trap in moisture.

It will help prevent you scratching your rashes. This is one of the biggest reasons for a secondary bacterial infection taking place, leading to scarring. This mixture of oils is extremely fragrant and will also help put you in a good mood.

Another simple way of reducing your itching, and therefore your irritation and anxiety, is to apply petroleum jelly to the areas that have rashes.

This is an inexpensive solution to the problem of itching. These tips will help reduce your dependence on medication by giving you lots of comfort and peace of mind.

Day 1285 - It's All In Your Head

To contact us Click HERE

"Many people know about other contributing factors such as heredity, food triggers, lack of sleep, poor posture, etc., but are not aware of any psychological connection.
Headache specialists report that many of their patients resist any discussion of emotional or psychological contributors to their recurrent headaches. Some people fear that pursuing this avenue could uncover evidence of "mental illness." Others feel that the existence of these factors would make their pain less real because it would then be "all in their heads". In just about all cases, neither of these 2 things is true!
Headache is definitely a biological disorder. However, since the body and the mind are interconnected, your emotional and psychological states can have an effect on your overall health, including your headaches. Here's why:
- When your emotional and psychological systems are in good working order, they help to create a positive environment that contributes to the health of your body.
- When these systems aren't working so well...for example, if you feel anxious, depressed or angry on a frequent basis — and especially if you find it difficult to shake these feelings — a negative environment can be created in your body that may contribute to a specific headache episode or create a fertile breeding ground for headaches to occur.
The relationship between anxiety, depression and headache is not fully understood. However, it is known that the brain chemical serotonin plays a role in all of them. Some headache specialists have theorized that these disorders may share a common mechanism in the brain.
Research has shown that some chronic headache sufferers also suffer from depression and/or anxiety. It is important to note that these sufferers' psychological conditions may not be caused by their headaches. Rather, tendencies towards depression or anxiety may be inherent in their personalities or ways of thinking. Or, they may be the result of an intense and prolonged level of stress which may lead to psychological conditions such as anxiety or depression. Regardless of the cause, having frequent headaches and feeling a lack of control over them may cause an existing condition of depression or anxiety to worsen. This situation can easily snowball, creating a vicious cycle of headache and emotional distress.
Unfortunately, emotional and psychological factors are often not considered in the treatment of headache. Doctors (especially those who are not headache specialists) tend to emphasize medical treatment — and rightly so. This is the traditional "first line of defense" and is effective for most headache patients. So is appropriate to start — and, for most, to stop — there. Also, some doctors today are cautious not to focus on psychological factors during the earlier stages of headache treatment — possibly overcompensating for the days when many doctors treated patients as if the pain was "all in their heads."

Doctors who do bring up psychological contributors as a possibility often find that their patients want to avoid psychological treatment, fearing a "mentally ill" diagnosis or having a concern that the presence of these factors would mean that their headaches are not a serious medical problem. This is very unfortunate because nothing could be farther from the truth!"*

*http://www.excedrin.com/psychological-contributors-to-headaches.shtml

It has taken me over three years to write this post.

When the headache started - which now seems all those years ago - I went to see a psychologist about it. The headache had exacerbated to such a degree that I was unable to work and felt completely depressed about my situation. After telling her about the distress that the headache had caused, she looked at me, arms gently folded over her lap, and stated “It must be such a headache having this pain!” and gave a little chuckle. I brushed aside this silly joke, ignoring it and thinking that maybe she had unintentionally let it out. However, when the very same joke repeated itself over the course of the next sessions, I felt hurt, frustrated and angry that a person contending to be there to help could actually end up aggravating a situation. I could bear it no longer and after a few sessions I left. That was the last of any psychological treatment I have undergone.

The possibility of the headache being related to a close friend’s death which took place a few months before the onset of my headache, has crossed my mind more than once. But nearly four years down the line I do not think the headache is related to this, or at least entirely to this. It is possible that I have not yet recovered from the shock of losing such a close friend. I truly believe there is a strong link between body and mind and that a traumatic event can undoubtedly have consequences on one’s body. The passage above taken from a Headache Centre webpage discusses this in further detail. Just today I also came across an article on the BBC website on a similar topic.

The reason it has taken me so long to write anything on this is that I am unable to draw the line between the “it could be a psychologically caused headache ” to a “it’s all in your head” (i.e. fictional). I am certain, from the manner in which this question is usually addressed to me, that by ‘psychological’ the word ‘fictional’ is intended. Does anyone feel the same?

Shelter Yourself and Your Household From Mosquito Bites

To contact us Click HERE
Be mindful intended for mosquito bites. Mosquitoes abandon itchy and also not comfortable welts after they catch and pull a person's blood. They may not be only unpleasant along with uncomfortable. But whether or not they are merely moment physical penalties on you, you have got to be able to fret. They will likely be dangerous. Through them, mosquitoes multiply illnesses. Its therefore always protect oneself whilst your spouse and children that will make certain an added helpful point in time outside. In North America, where by there are a lot of moist and also soaked zones, concerning 10 per-cent about the 2000 kinds of mosquitoes stay. They reproduce speedy with most of these places. Pools connected with trifling seas are their preferred procreation grounds. Most involving these mosquitoes lay here hatch speedy as well as increase adult mosquitoes that is certainly often providers associated with life-threatening sicknesses. An {example would be your heartworm condition. Heartworm larvae are usually transported that will puppies as well as cats through mosquito bites. As it has the name proposes, heartworm infects the actual animal's hearts. It professional clogs the idea up and ends up with serious aerobic challenges then death. An extra is definitely the particular Yellow fever. sickness This health problem is frequently within South America plus Africa. But your vaccine prevails to cope with it. Nonetheless, chances are you'll even now uncover spots the actual vaccine is actually unavailable. As a result, appreciable populations will be degraded and some of the practical experience from it in addition to die. Always the notorious Dengue curse is definitely extra illness you may mistake those people mosquitoes for. It is usually prevalent with tropical countries. It's attributable to distinct variety of mosquito which can be dynamic during time time. Now you can find furthermore the chance to get Malaria. google_ad_client = "pub-2311940475806896"; /* 300x250, created 1/6/11 */ google_ad_slot = "0098904308"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; Mainly within Central plus South America, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, as well as the South Pacific, their signs differs through anyone to another. Even therefore the normal symptoms include such things as temperature and also body pains that may bring about coma, and quite a few unfortunate, death. Then a single more one with my own list, if you want bunch of some other mosquito-caused problems around, is a West Nile Virus. Taken straight into consideration today like a seasonal epidemic throughout North America, West Nile virus helps make prospects in order to swelling in the brain. With not any treatment, additionally , it might have deadly results. There will be several tactics to defend your family and also house animals from mosquito bites plus their consequences. Just a single method of insect control will probably be to help with pride pick out the particular model of attire anyone wear with the selected moment of day. When you are out there throughout dark or dawn, just one ought to dress yourself in clothing which covers a lot of components within your physique to be qualified to prevent mosquito bites. Dusk and also dawn are generally prime occasions regarding mosquito presence. Essential work with mosquito repellents and traps. Consider and utilise this specific nicely once you 're going out. Special things usually are available in market trends which will protect babies plus pets. Buying in addition to employing a mosquito trap will in addition aid in mosquito control. Also, the idea will definitely allow you to into a whole lot if you ever before might consider prompting the assistance of the specialist pest provider control. Also consider confining this propagation zones associated with all these pesky creatures. Shallow even now seas usually are mosquitos' ideal proliferation grounds. Clean out and about this type of waters inside house. Keep fish inside your ponds in addition to preserve that mosquito-free. The fish will attempt to help take in mosquito larvae. Also place stagnant water in containers stacked in just your yard. If you implement proper mosquito control, you'll be able to ensure the protection of your family. Really never risk phone along with mosquito-borne conditions through neglecting mosquito attacks while minimal matters.

Causes To Avoid The Little But Destructive Mosquitoes

To contact us Click HERE
Be conscious along with regard to help mosquito bites. Mosquitoes depart itchy including extremely troubling welts once they mouthful and also push ones blood. They will not be only painful along with troublesome. But though they're only infinitesimal physical outcome with you, you should become concerned. They'll in addition be damaging. Through them, mosquitoes distributed healthcare conditions. For the following purpose you must often give protection for a private do it yourself along with your loved ones to make certain a more pleasant time frame out-of-doors. In North America, exactly where there are a whole lot with humid not to mention moist regions, regarding 10 per cent about the 2000 type mosquitoes live. They recreate quickly by way of these types of spots. Pools with trivial rich waters will be their most-loved breeding grounds.Most of these eggs mosquitoes lay here hatch out easy and transform into adult mosquitoes this is certainly carriers with severe disorders. An example absolutely is actually the heartworm illness. Heartworm larvae are carried to canines in addition to cats and kittens due to this fact of mosquito bites. As their name indicates, heartworm infects the animal's hearts. It shoes it as long as lead to critical cardiovascular troubles then death. An more will be the Yellow fever. This disorder can be generally seen in South America and Africa. But a vaccine is obtainable to treat it. However, anyone might however uncover areas the location where the vaccine will be unavailable. As a new result, large populations usually are attacked and a lot of of which endure from the idea and die. Likewise the respected Dengue intense is actually one more ailment you might wrong doing those people mosquitoes for. This is definitely more readily available with exotic countries. Its as a result of a number of sort of mosquito which may end up being effective while in morning. At this specific time frame there exists typically the chance associated with getting Malaria. google_ad_client = "pub-2311940475806896"; /* 300x250, developed 1/6/11 */ google_ad_slot = "0098904308"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; Largely inside of Central and also South America, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the South Pacific, it has the signs and symptoms varies from one particular person that will another. Although the standard signs or symptoms contain a fever plus the human body aches that can finish up around coma, and a lot ill-fated, death. And subsequently one more just one on my list, between your plethora with different mosquito-caused ailments around, is the West Nile Virus. Taken directly into thing to consider right now being a seasonal epidemic within North America, West Nile strain makes causes infection on the brain. With available treatment, this could possilby possess significant issues. You discover lots of solutions to protect your current treasured types and animals from mosquito attacks and their consequences. One technique involving pest command must be to mindfully discover the variety associated with wardrobe anyone dress yourself in with a distinct time frame of day. When you go forth when it's in dark or perhaps dawn, you'll need to have on clothes of which insure many locations of one's body in order to prevent mosquito bites. Dusk plus daybreak are generally excellent things through the mosquito presence. Also employ mosquito repellents in addition to traps. Consider plus utilize this well when you are holding out. Special pieces are usually accessible in market trends that can protect children in addition to pets. Buying and also having a mosquito trap will additionally facilitate mosquito control. Also, may likely absolutely assist you in preparing very much for those who could consider wanting to know help from a expert pest provider control. Also consider decreasing the breeding places worth mentioning pesky creatures. Shallow nevertheless oceans are mosquitos' perfect breeding grounds. Clean out there which associated with rich waters in the residence. Keep species of fish in your ponds to hold on to it mosquito-free. The perch will try to help take mosquito larvae. Also toss stagnant drinking water within containers stacked within your yard. If people come about to handle correct mosquito control, it's achievable to make sure the safety of the family. Tend to never threat phone along with mosquito-borne disorders by simply neglecting mosquito gnaws as tiny matters.

Shingles Cures Tips - Let's reduce pain and Anxiety from it

To contact us Click HERE



You will have to deal with painful rashes that keep on appearing from time to time whenever you are suffer from it because of Your doctor will be unable to give you a permanent cure of them and will only be able to give you medications that treat your symptoms.

Shingles Treatments are not always the best thing for you because they consist of powerful antiviral medications as well as antihistamines and corticosteroids also might find the side effects of these drugs as hard to bear as the symptoms of them.

Skin Balm is one of the most effective remedies for it which you can easily make out of ingredients easily available at home or at health food stores.

You need good quality olive oil to start with, to which you should add drops of lavender, tea tree oil, geranium and oregano.

Peppermint oil also has excellent pain killing properties. The combination of essential oils helps to kill viruses and bacteria on the skin while the olive oil soothes the itching on the skin and helps to trap in moisture.

It will help prevent you scratching your rashes. This is one of the biggest reasons for a secondary bacterial infection taking place, leading to scarring. This mixture of oils is extremely fragrant and will also help put you in a good mood.

Another simple way of reducing your itching, and therefore your irritation and anxiety, is to apply petroleum jelly to the areas that have rashes.

This is an inexpensive solution to the problem of itching. These tips will help reduce your dependence on medication by giving you lots of comfort and peace of mind.

What is the role of allergy in severe asthma?

To contact us Click HERE
Most physicians know that asthma is not one disease. Many forms of asthma can occur, and complex mixtures are not uncommon.

There are at least 4 broad categories of asthma related to the following conditions:

- inhalant allergy
- fungal sensitization with or without colonization (including ABPA)
- severe sinusitis with or without aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD)
- non-inflammatory cases, including those associated with severe obesity and vocal cord dysfunction (VCD)

Severe asthma - differential diagnosis and management (click to enlarge the image):



Inhalant allergy can present as chronically severe asthma. However, severe attacks of asthma requiring hospital admission can occur in cases which are generally only mild or moderate. The best recognized and probably the most common cause of these acute episodes is acute infection with a rhinovirus. High titre IgE, particularly to dust mite, correlates to exacerbations of asthma related to rhinovirus infection.

The fungus Aspergillus can colonize the lungs and cause severe disease, but it is less well recognized that those cases may not have full criteria for diagnosis of ABPA or may involve other fungi. Identifying fungal cases is important, because treatment with imidazole antifungals can provide significant benefit.

Taken together, specific treatment using allergen avoidance, immunotherapy, anti-IgE, or antifungal treatment is an important part of the successful management of severe asthma, and each of these requires correctly identifying specific sensitization.

References:

The role of allergy in severe asthma. Kennedy JL, Heymann PW, Platts-Mills TA. Clin Exp Allergy. 2012 May;42(5):659-69. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2011.03944.x.

FENO level greather than 39.5 p.p.b. has 67% sensitivity and 76% specificity for identifying uncontrolled asthma

To contact us Click HERE
The fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) is reduced by anti-inflammatory treatment in asthma. However, some demographic characteristics may cause persistent FENO elevation despite inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) therapy.

This prospective observational study from Japan included 230 patients with stable asthma at baseline. They were evaluated again 3 months later.

A FENO level greater than 39.5 p.p.b. yielded 67% sensitivity and 76% specificity for identifying the patients with poorly controlled asthma.

The persistent high FENO group (higher than 40 p.p.b.) was more likely to have the following characteristics:

- ex-smokers
- atopy (positive specific IgE, higher serum IgE and blood eosinophils)
- allergic comorbidities

Past smoking history, blood eosinophils, and chronic rhinosinusitis were identified to be independent predictors of high FENO.

These results suggested that past smoking history, blood eosinophilia, and chronic rhinosinusitis are involved in the persistent airway inflammation detected by FENO.

This article was included in my monthly review of the top asthma articles at the website of the World Allergy Organization (WAO).

References:

Associated demographics of persistent exhaled nitric oxide elevation in treated asthmatics. Clin Exp Allergy. 2012 May;42(5):775-81. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2011.03945.x.
Image source: Wikipedia.

Day 1285 - It's All In Your Head

To contact us Click HERE

"Many people know about other contributing factors such as heredity, food triggers, lack of sleep, poor posture, etc., but are not aware of any psychological connection.
Headache specialists report that many of their patients resist any discussion of emotional or psychological contributors to their recurrent headaches. Some people fear that pursuing this avenue could uncover evidence of "mental illness." Others feel that the existence of these factors would make their pain less real because it would then be "all in their heads". In just about all cases, neither of these 2 things is true!
Headache is definitely a biological disorder. However, since the body and the mind are interconnected, your emotional and psychological states can have an effect on your overall health, including your headaches. Here's why:
- When your emotional and psychological systems are in good working order, they help to create a positive environment that contributes to the health of your body.
- When these systems aren't working so well...for example, if you feel anxious, depressed or angry on a frequent basis — and especially if you find it difficult to shake these feelings — a negative environment can be created in your body that may contribute to a specific headache episode or create a fertile breeding ground for headaches to occur.
The relationship between anxiety, depression and headache is not fully understood. However, it is known that the brain chemical serotonin plays a role in all of them. Some headache specialists have theorized that these disorders may share a common mechanism in the brain.
Research has shown that some chronic headache sufferers also suffer from depression and/or anxiety. It is important to note that these sufferers' psychological conditions may not be caused by their headaches. Rather, tendencies towards depression or anxiety may be inherent in their personalities or ways of thinking. Or, they may be the result of an intense and prolonged level of stress which may lead to psychological conditions such as anxiety or depression. Regardless of the cause, having frequent headaches and feeling a lack of control over them may cause an existing condition of depression or anxiety to worsen. This situation can easily snowball, creating a vicious cycle of headache and emotional distress.
Unfortunately, emotional and psychological factors are often not considered in the treatment of headache. Doctors (especially those who are not headache specialists) tend to emphasize medical treatment — and rightly so. This is the traditional "first line of defense" and is effective for most headache patients. So is appropriate to start — and, for most, to stop — there. Also, some doctors today are cautious not to focus on psychological factors during the earlier stages of headache treatment — possibly overcompensating for the days when many doctors treated patients as if the pain was "all in their heads."

Doctors who do bring up psychological contributors as a possibility often find that their patients want to avoid psychological treatment, fearing a "mentally ill" diagnosis or having a concern that the presence of these factors would mean that their headaches are not a serious medical problem. This is very unfortunate because nothing could be farther from the truth!"*

*http://www.excedrin.com/psychological-contributors-to-headaches.shtml

It has taken me over three years to write this post.

When the headache started - which now seems all those years ago - I went to see a psychologist about it. The headache had exacerbated to such a degree that I was unable to work and felt completely depressed about my situation. After telling her about the distress that the headache had caused, she looked at me, arms gently folded over her lap, and stated “It must be such a headache having this pain!” and gave a little chuckle. I brushed aside this silly joke, ignoring it and thinking that maybe she had unintentionally let it out. However, when the very same joke repeated itself over the course of the next sessions, I felt hurt, frustrated and angry that a person contending to be there to help could actually end up aggravating a situation. I could bear it no longer and after a few sessions I left. That was the last of any psychological treatment I have undergone.

The possibility of the headache being related to a close friend’s death which took place a few months before the onset of my headache, has crossed my mind more than once. But nearly four years down the line I do not think the headache is related to this, or at least entirely to this. It is possible that I have not yet recovered from the shock of losing such a close friend. I truly believe there is a strong link between body and mind and that a traumatic event can undoubtedly have consequences on one’s body. The passage above taken from a Headache Centre webpage discusses this in further detail. Just today I also came across an article on the BBC website on a similar topic.

The reason it has taken me so long to write anything on this is that I am unable to draw the line between the “it could be a psychologically caused headache ” to a “it’s all in your head” (i.e. fictional). I am certain, from the manner in which this question is usually addressed to me, that by ‘psychological’ the word ‘fictional’ is intended. Does anyone feel the same?

Shingles Cures Tips - Let's reduce pain and Anxiety from it

To contact us Click HERE



You will have to deal with painful rashes that keep on appearing from time to time whenever you are suffer from it because of Your doctor will be unable to give you a permanent cure of them and will only be able to give you medications that treat your symptoms.

Shingles Treatments are not always the best thing for you because they consist of powerful antiviral medications as well as antihistamines and corticosteroids also might find the side effects of these drugs as hard to bear as the symptoms of them.

Skin Balm is one of the most effective remedies for it which you can easily make out of ingredients easily available at home or at health food stores.

You need good quality olive oil to start with, to which you should add drops of lavender, tea tree oil, geranium and oregano.

Peppermint oil also has excellent pain killing properties. The combination of essential oils helps to kill viruses and bacteria on the skin while the olive oil soothes the itching on the skin and helps to trap in moisture.

It will help prevent you scratching your rashes. This is one of the biggest reasons for a secondary bacterial infection taking place, leading to scarring. This mixture of oils is extremely fragrant and will also help put you in a good mood.

Another simple way of reducing your itching, and therefore your irritation and anxiety, is to apply petroleum jelly to the areas that have rashes.

This is an inexpensive solution to the problem of itching. These tips will help reduce your dependence on medication by giving you lots of comfort and peace of mind.

Day 1285 - It's All In Your Head

To contact us Click HERE

"Many people know about other contributing factors such as heredity, food triggers, lack of sleep, poor posture, etc., but are not aware of any psychological connection.
Headache specialists report that many of their patients resist any discussion of emotional or psychological contributors to their recurrent headaches. Some people fear that pursuing this avenue could uncover evidence of "mental illness." Others feel that the existence of these factors would make their pain less real because it would then be "all in their heads". In just about all cases, neither of these 2 things is true!
Headache is definitely a biological disorder. However, since the body and the mind are interconnected, your emotional and psychological states can have an effect on your overall health, including your headaches. Here's why:
- When your emotional and psychological systems are in good working order, they help to create a positive environment that contributes to the health of your body.
- When these systems aren't working so well...for example, if you feel anxious, depressed or angry on a frequent basis — and especially if you find it difficult to shake these feelings — a negative environment can be created in your body that may contribute to a specific headache episode or create a fertile breeding ground for headaches to occur.
The relationship between anxiety, depression and headache is not fully understood. However, it is known that the brain chemical serotonin plays a role in all of them. Some headache specialists have theorized that these disorders may share a common mechanism in the brain.
Research has shown that some chronic headache sufferers also suffer from depression and/or anxiety. It is important to note that these sufferers' psychological conditions may not be caused by their headaches. Rather, tendencies towards depression or anxiety may be inherent in their personalities or ways of thinking. Or, they may be the result of an intense and prolonged level of stress which may lead to psychological conditions such as anxiety or depression. Regardless of the cause, having frequent headaches and feeling a lack of control over them may cause an existing condition of depression or anxiety to worsen. This situation can easily snowball, creating a vicious cycle of headache and emotional distress.
Unfortunately, emotional and psychological factors are often not considered in the treatment of headache. Doctors (especially those who are not headache specialists) tend to emphasize medical treatment — and rightly so. This is the traditional "first line of defense" and is effective for most headache patients. So is appropriate to start — and, for most, to stop — there. Also, some doctors today are cautious not to focus on psychological factors during the earlier stages of headache treatment — possibly overcompensating for the days when many doctors treated patients as if the pain was "all in their heads."

Doctors who do bring up psychological contributors as a possibility often find that their patients want to avoid psychological treatment, fearing a "mentally ill" diagnosis or having a concern that the presence of these factors would mean that their headaches are not a serious medical problem. This is very unfortunate because nothing could be farther from the truth!"*

*http://www.excedrin.com/psychological-contributors-to-headaches.shtml

It has taken me over three years to write this post.

When the headache started - which now seems all those years ago - I went to see a psychologist about it. The headache had exacerbated to such a degree that I was unable to work and felt completely depressed about my situation. After telling her about the distress that the headache had caused, she looked at me, arms gently folded over her lap, and stated “It must be such a headache having this pain!” and gave a little chuckle. I brushed aside this silly joke, ignoring it and thinking that maybe she had unintentionally let it out. However, when the very same joke repeated itself over the course of the next sessions, I felt hurt, frustrated and angry that a person contending to be there to help could actually end up aggravating a situation. I could bear it no longer and after a few sessions I left. That was the last of any psychological treatment I have undergone.

The possibility of the headache being related to a close friend’s death which took place a few months before the onset of my headache, has crossed my mind more than once. But nearly four years down the line I do not think the headache is related to this, or at least entirely to this. It is possible that I have not yet recovered from the shock of losing such a close friend. I truly believe there is a strong link between body and mind and that a traumatic event can undoubtedly have consequences on one’s body. The passage above taken from a Headache Centre webpage discusses this in further detail. Just today I also came across an article on the BBC website on a similar topic.

The reason it has taken me so long to write anything on this is that I am unable to draw the line between the “it could be a psychologically caused headache ” to a “it’s all in your head” (i.e. fictional). I am certain, from the manner in which this question is usually addressed to me, that by ‘psychological’ the word ‘fictional’ is intended. Does anyone feel the same?