Tag: Digestive System

Is an Eczema Treatment Using Antihistamines the Best for You?

Is an Eczema Treatment Using Antihistamines the Best for You?

Antihistamines are used to suppress the bodys natural production of histamines. When one is exposed to certain allergens substances that cause allergic reactions the body produces histamines as part of its defense systems. This is why an eczema treatment may sometimes include antihistamines to lessen the symptoms of the skin disease, such as inflammation, reddening and itching of the affected areas.

However, antihistamines interfere with the role of histamines in suppressing allergic reactions. So if you are suffering from eczema, you might as well give scrambling to your doctors clinic right away to get a prescription a second thought. Antihistamines may give you side effects even worse than the eczema symptoms you are trying to do away with. This is why many doctors recommend other forms of topical treatments for flare ups, such as ointments, foams, lotions and gels.

How do antihistamines work?

Certain organs in the body the skin, lungs and the length of the digestive system naturally contain high amounts of histamines. In fact, almost any of your bodily organs have them for defense. Aside from immune regulation, histamines also play other roles in the body such as:

* Secretion of digestive acids in the stomach
* Regulation of sexual response
* Regulation of sleep
* Relay and modulation of signals from one neuron cell to the other

As part of the bodys immune system, histamines trigger the pooling of blood supply in areas where foreign or invading organisms are present, such as in injured body parts like wounds. This is to supply larger concentrations of everything needed for the bodys efficient healing. However, large concentrations of histamines in a given area also results to inflammation, reddening and itching yes, just like the symptoms present during eczema flare ups. That is why certain treatments for eczema make use of antihistamines to get rid of such symptoms.

Can I use eczema medications with antihistamines?

Not just about everybody can take antihistamines. Many doctors advise people to steer clear of antihistamines if they have:

* Asthma
* Chronic bronchitis
* Hypertension
* Glaucoma
* Problems with the liver or kidney and other organs
* Any chronic illness

Histamines are also contraindicated for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, or if one is currently taking medications, be it conventional or all-natural. If you suffer from eczema and have one of the things mentioned earlier, then you should consider resorting to other modes of treatment for eczema, the ones that do not contain antihistamines.

Taking antihistamines for a long period of time can actually do more harm than good. It can cause histamine deficiency, which contributes to:

* Mouth ulcers
* Headaches
* Excessive hair growth
* Ringing in the ears
* Eye and ear problems
* Mental and emotional disorders such as schizophrenia

Half of the people classified as having schizophrenia, according to studies conducted, have low levels of histamines circulating in their blood stream. The depletion of histamines may be due to certain antipsychotic drugs prescribed for them. However, increasing the levels of histamines in their blood stream significantly improved their condition. Also, it is said that people with low levels of histamines usually experience anxiety, paranoia and hallucinations.

If you suffer from eczema at the same time with other conditions such as difficulty in breathing, you should consult your doctor for an eczema treatment other than that with antihistamines.

Eczema Treatment Cannot Begin Without Knowing What Caused It

Eczema is a skin disorder. It is one of those problems that has no cure and can return and you cannot undergo eczema treatment without knowing first what caused it.

Some doctors believe that there is an imbalance in the body which is why you have eczema. In some cases, the body is producing too many or too few hormones. One example is when you have low thyroid function. When this happens, you will also have poor blood circulation and your skin will now develop the symptoms of eczema such as blistering, itching, oozing and swelling.

Eating also causes some people to have eczema. In fact, some patients have complained of certain food allergies before the flare-ups occur.

We all know that if we sustain an infection, the immune system will not work properly and your body will shut down. When this happens, we are also vulnerable to this skin disorder. A casing point is the growth of Candida albicans which is a yeast type infection.

Aside from ingesting something that may soon make you give you eczema, it is also possible that you either inhaled it or this was absorbed by your skin. This can happen if something overloaded your kidney and liver.

Believe it or not, stress has also been known to cause eczema because the body produces cortisol, a hormone that affects the intestinal tract by destroying friendly bacteria. As a result, your digestive system becomes impaired. You will feel pain in your stomach and when it happens more often, you may soon develop ulcers. This will soon affect other systems in the body and then make you vulnerable to eczema.

Eczema is also hereditary. This means if someone in your family like your parents or grandparents had this before, there is the possibility that you will also have it.

So now what? Well, knowing what caused eczema will make it easier for doctors to figure out how to help you. If the trigger factors were determined, you will be advised to stay away from it so that after you have undergone treatment, you will not encounter flare-ups.

Should eczema be stress related, you will be advised to stay away from activities that make it come back. You could talk to your boss and tell them about your condition. This will allow him or her to lessen your workload and give this to someone else rather than seeing you in such terrible shape.

Sadly, there is nothing you can do if it is genetic. The only thing doctors can do is tell you what to do when it happens and how to prevent it from recurring. Proper hygiene is probably the best advice because with the help of moisturizers, you will be able to keep your skin healthy.

There are also supplements you can take to help fight against eczema and you can get this over the counter at the drug store.

Based on the different causes mentioned, you can say that doctors have not really pinpointed the exact cause of eczema. Yes there is speculation that certain abnormalities may have caused this but this is different for each person who has even been diagnosed with it.

The only good news is that there is eczema treatment available. Before you try anything, it is best to get yourself diagnosed rather than self-medicating because you could only make matters worse.

How foods affect you to get better sleep

People who are busy with their work are usually the ones who are having problems in sleeping. This is because the exhaustion and their hectic schedule keeps them from getting better sleep on daily basis. If you are one of those who are having trouble sleeping due to too much work, it is now time to reflect what might be causing these and address it properly.

One of the things that hinder people from getting better sleep is the set of foods that they eat. This is because these foods might contain ingredients and other properties that can really affect the person’s chemical balance. If you think that the foods that you are eating affects you in getting better sleep, try assessing your food intake for one day.

What you can do is list down all the foodsincluding the drinksthat you have taken in for one day and make an assessment after that day. In this way, you can track down which are the foods and drinks you have taken affect your sleeping habits especially at night. The following are just some of the list of foods that might lead one to troublesome and uncomfortable sleeping at nighttime:

1. Too much food intake. This is considered as the major culprit why many peopleespecially those who dont have sleeping problems beforeare having a hard time sleeping all of a sudden. Experts say that if a person have overeaten, the tendency is that the stomach will have a hard time digesting it. Too much food may also affect the how the digestive system work and may even cause clinical conditions such as ulcer if done regularly.

2. Foods that contain too much fat. Experts say that people are eating foods that have too much fat are prone to not sleeping well at night because it creates a lot of digesting work for the stomach. If one wants to get better sleep, he or she should cut down on foods that are too rich or fatty so there will be lesser work for the stomach especially at nighttime.

3. Too much spicy or acidic foods. These sets of foods can very much affect one’s sleeping habits especially at nighttime. If one eats too many sets of spicy foods especially at night, it can lead to troubles in the stomach and even heartburn which makes it harder for you to lie down and get better sleep at night.

4. Too much alcohol intake. Some people say that alcohol may help one to get better sleep but on the contrary, it doesnt especially if he or she has taken too much of it.

5. Foods that contain caffeine. These are another set of culprits for people who are having trouble sleeping. If you are prone to not sleeping, it is best to avoid foods as well as drinks that have high caffeine content such as coffee, chocolates, sodas that are caffeinated as well as teas. To get better sleep, it is best to not consume these for a while. Or if you really cannot do without these, try minimizing your consumption even for a couple of days. Once you get your sleeping pattern back, you may go back to consuming these but only to limited content so you would not go back to having sleeping problems again.

Healthy Eating with Detox Recipes for your Body

You probably know by now what detoxification is and the ways that it can be done. A detox diet provides the simplest way to detoxifying yourself. A rule of thumb in detox diets: the more fiber and water, the better. Eat lots of vegetables and fruits, beans and nuts. On the other hand, steer clear of caffeine, carbonated drinks, sugars like chocolates, alcohol and yeast.

Dr. Kiki Sidhwa recommends going on a monotrophic diet after a three-day fast. By monotrophic, we mean eating only one type of fruit for every meal. Example, for breakfast, you can eat apple. For lunch, try out oranges or pineapples. Eat until your hunger is satisfied. You can squeeze in a grapefruit juice at around 4 pm for your snack. And in the evening, eat only apples, pears, grapes or bananas.

Of course, this is just one of those do-it-yourself diet plans that you can take on when youre on a detox program. For most people, however, detox recipes are the best way to go. These detox recipes are especially designed to provide you with the necessary nutrient in the body and at the same time, providing you with the necessary antioxidants and substances that will cleanse your body from toxins.
For more fluid intake, you can try Ginger Healing Tea with Turmeric. What you need are the following: 2 cups of water, teaspoon of powdered ginger, teaspoon of tumeric, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and lemon extract. To make your special healing tea, add powdered herbs to boiling water and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the tea into a mug and add maple syrup and lemon extract. Stir and whalaaah— you can start drinking!

For breakfast, you can try the vegetable super juice. This juice gives you the needed energy boost for your senses, wakens your digestive system and can keep you going until lunchtime. For starters, you need 1 whole cucumber, 4 celery sticks, 2-4 handfuls of spinach, 8 lettuce leaves. You can also add other green vegetables like parsley and fresh alfalfa sprouts. The process is easy and simple, juice all ingredients and add distilled water. You can also add lemon juice for better taste.

And now for lunch, try the Alkalising RAW Soup. All you need are 1 avocado, 2 spring onions, red or green pepper, 1 cucumber, 2 handfuls of spinach, clove of garlic, 100 ml of light vegetable Bouillon, lemon or lime juice and Bragg Liquid Aminos for added taste. Just like our vegetable juice, the recipe is simple and easy to do. Blend the avocado and stock to form a light paste. Add other ingredients and blend. And then you can start eating!

Our dinner treat is Warm Broccoli Soup. All you need is avocado, 6-8 broccoli heads, 1/3 red onion, 1 celery stick, a big handful of spinach, inch of root ginger, cumin and bragg liquid amino for added taste. Lightly steam the broccoli for 5-6 minutes. After steaming, blend all the ingredients together and add garlic and pepper to taste. This is perfect for a cold winter night.

Feeling hungry still? These recipes are just few of the hundred other detox recipes available on the net. The key here is to pack yourself with enough water and nutrients to keep you going without ingesting a plateful of additives, sugars and food preservatives. So what are you waiting for? Start eating healthy!