Tag: inflammation

7 Secret Weapons to Win the War of Arthritis Inflammation

7 Secret Weapons to Win the War of Arthritis Inflammation and Pain
Rita Kennon

Arthritis is the #1 cause of disability in America today,
impacting approximately seven million people. It is now one of
the most prevalent chronic health problems.

The estimated annual costs of arthritis to Americans are $15
billion in direct medical costs and $49 billion in indirect
costs such as lost wages. Nearly 40 million Americans have
arthritis, with 24 million of them being under 65 years old.
Projected increase of arthritis by 2020 is 60 million in the
U.S. alone.

With over a hundred variations of arthritis, the most common one
is osteoarthritis. It is a degenerative joint disease which is
related to aging. The deteriorated cartilage that covered the
ends of the bone in the joint cause’s loss of movement as the
bone rubs against bone. It causes the bones to change shape, the
muscles to weaken and the reflexes to slow.

Osteoarthritis most commonly occurs in the weight-bearing
joints. Severe trauma to a joint can precipitate arthritis,
sometimes years after the initial injury. Painkillers are
effective for a while, but when the drugs no longer ease the
pain some physicians recommend surgery. Americans undergo lower
back surgery, and knee and hip replacement surgery mostly
because of osteoarthritis.

Another common arthritis known as rheumatoid arthritis is an
autoimmune disease. In autoimmune disease, the body’s immune
system actually attacks its own tissue. The joints and cartilage
are normally surrounded by protective tissue called synovium
which produces a fluid that nourishes and lubricates the bones
and cartilage.

A rheumatoid arthritic patient’s immune system produces white
blood cells that attack the synovium. This is what causes the
inflammation, and painful swollen joints. When the inflamed
synovium attacks the joint, bone, and cartilage it causes the
muscles around the joint to become too weak to support it
properly. Therefore chronic inflammation is the culprit that may
eventually cause damage to the cartilage and bone.

Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most serious and disabling
types of arthritis. Severe joint pain, fatigue fever, and
inflammation are the first symptoms most people notice. In more
serious cases, the autoimmune response involves other areas of
the body such as the heart, lungs, kidney or liver. Gout is
characterized by monosodium uric crystals in the joints or
tissue. It generally occurs in patients 30 to 50 years old after
many years of eating an over rich diet of purine foods. When the
kidneys can not eliminate the over production of uric acid from
the body, levels build up causing the needle like crystals to
form on the joints.

This painful disease mostly attacks small joints. The frequency
of subsequent acute attacks of gout usually increases over time.
A diet of fatty protein rich foods, excessive alcohol
consumption, and obesity are contributing factors of gout
attacks.

It is important that you take an active role in the prevention
and treatment of joint damage. There are many steps you can take
to lower your risk for developing arthritis, as well as natural
remedies to help reduce inflammation, and other symptoms.

The conventional treatment includes the use of painkillers, and
anti-inflammatory drugs. While these drugs are often helpful in
alleviating the pain, they may accelerate the degeneration of
articular surfaces thereby destroying the body’s ability to
repair cartilage. Several thousand patients are admitted to
hospitals every year for complications associated with
anti-inflammatory medications.

Now that you understand that controlling inflammation is the
biggest step in combating arthritis- here are my secret
arthritis weapons:

1. Foods to avoid- eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, wheat,
corn, beef, pork, eggs, dairy, fried foods, sugar products,
refined carbohydrates and foods high in gluten which tends to
intensify inflammation.

2. Foods to eat- foods high in sulfur such as asparagus,
cabbage, garlic, and onions which may help repair cartilage and
bone. Also include fish, flax (omega-3 fatty acids), and borage
oil (omega-6 fatty acids) which can help decrease inflammation.

3. Multivitamin- including antioxidants such as vitamin E, C, A,
selenium, and zinc because we no longer get optimum amounts from
our daily diet to fight free radical attacks on the joints.

4. Exercise- beneficial in helping to reduce stiffness, and
maintain an optimum weight to help ease the pressure on those
weight bearing joints.

5. Celery seed- this wonderful natural spice contains nearly two
dozen anti-inflammatory compounds known for decreasing
inflammation.

6. Glucosamine supplement- the joints stop producing this
necessary substance that helps alleviate stiffness.

7. Chondroitin supplement- the body stops producing chrondocytes
which help maintain healthy joints.

Incorporate these 7 non-biochemical (natural) weapons into the
battlefield, and the war against arthritis will be much more
attainable- naturally.

About the author:
Rita Kennon http://www.AlternativeHealthReporter.com Natural
arthritis remedy with a 12 month guarantee
http://www.AlternativeHealthReporter.com/arthritest.html

Have You Heard Of This Acne Cure?

People have been trying for centuries to tame the evils of a bad complexion. The nice thing about the methods of acne cure that are offered at present is that they do not involve monkey feces, or pig blood, etc.

However the problem with most of the available cures offered is that they still don’t work. You could spend 8 hours a day for 3 weeks researching and sifting through all of the mumbo-jumbo, namby-pamby claims to secrets for a smooth face and you would still be sitting there with unwanted zits and no real solutions.

So what do you do? Well you look for people who actually have credible success with acne cure and good scientifically based evidence to back it up OR you try all of the things you can find and hope that one day you will stumble upon the truth. I for one recommend the former.

But you still have a problem and that is where do if find a person who really has success with good research to prove it. Well start with your doctor for one. They have access to lots of valuable information and the expertise to help you sift through the evidence. They also can refer you to a skin expert or dermatologist who spends a large part of their life training and then most of their time after that “practicing” helping people in their quest for an acne cure.

They will be able to help you understand the root physiological processes that cause acne including the skin cells and layers involved, hormones, stress, the reason for the inflammation, what inflammation involves and the available anti-inflammatories. They will also be able to offer suggestions on what you can do to prevent exacerbations in the future, as well as how to deal with current eruptions, what medications and products are best for acne cure and which ones are a waste of time.

You can be sure that there is such a thing as an acne cure. After all how many people with perfect complexions do you see in magazines, and on tv, and the big screen. There skin isn’t any different than yours but their lives depend on good complexions and they can pay other people to search for an acne cure for them.

This isn’t to scare you off–you don’t need millions to have a pimple free photo! All you need is a little direction and some basic medical principles and medications and you too can be zit free! So don’t waste a second call your doctor and start out running on the road to improved self image and social confidence.

Solve Acne Problems Now!

Indeed, everybody wants to be beautiful in his or her own concept of beauty. Although there is much more to being beautiful than having a charming face, good skin, striking posture, and youthfulnesswe cannot blame those who are looking for ways to enhance their physical beauties.

Since various skin problems are among those that create physical flaws, more and more people would want to get rid of the skin disorder fast.

Finding a Solution to Acne

Since acne bacteria exist on every persons skin, acne has become one of the most common skin problems people experience. Contrary to common belief, there are many ways to solve acne problems and infections. But, the very first thing to do to solve acne problems is to trace the causes of acne for you to understand what should be done about it.

Make a little review of your lifestyle for the past few years or months. If you havent been sleeping at least 8 hours, eating three hearty meals, or drinking 8 glasses of water each daythen these are possible causes of your discomfort. Try to relax and live a healthy lifestyle. If your acne problem doesnt get any better, its now time to find solution to your problem.

Basically, home treatment and prescription therapy aims to unclog pores, kill bacteria, and minimize oil. But before you delve deeper into these acne solutions, take note how each process works:

1. Opening or unclogging of pores. The easiest solution to acne is by cleansing the skin and proper skin care. Since the opening or unclogging of pores plays an important role to that ultimate acne solution, try different alternatives in doing the process.

You can open or unclog your pores by washing once or twice daily with a mild cleansing liquid or bar. Cleansing will keep your skin clear and clean while minimizing possible irritation and inflammation. Another way to open pores is by using exfoliating cleansers and masques. Since majority of these products contain salicylic acid that act as peeling agents, the outer layer of your skin can be removed which will lead to the opening of pores.

2. Killing the acne-causing bacteria. One of the acne solutions recommended by most dermatologists is the elimination of the acne-causing bacteria. You can do this acne by using antibacterial cleansers especially those that contain benzoyl peroxide. An acne patient can also kill the bacteria by using topical or external medications that come in the form of creams, gels, and lotions applied in the area affected.

3. Reduction of oil. Excessive production of oil is one of the factors that aggravate acne cases. Since oil is normal, you cant do anything to eliminate it for good. What you can actually do is get rid of it on the surface of the skin by using gentle astringents or toners.

You can look for acne products that contain glycolic acid that exfoliates the skin. You may also use facial masques that have sulfur and antibacterial pads that have benzoyl peroxide that are effective to draw out the oil.

Other acne solutions include the use of water-based or oil free cosmetics to conceal the acne affected area. You may also administer facials or the use of pore strips to cleanse your skins pores.

Aside from these, the ultimate acne solution is developing a good skin regimen. Most dermatologists suggest that a basic skin routine may include twice a day cleansing using products that have benzoyl peroxide wash or salicylic acid. It should be followed by the application of benzoyl peroxide gel or cream.

At day, you also use light skin moisturizers or oil-free makeup just make sure that you apply a sulfur-containing cream at night.

How Do I Relieve Knee Swelling

It doesn’t matter if you recently suffered a knee injury or if you have had a problem knee for a long time; swelling in and around the knee causes a fair amount of pain and discomfort. Chances are that every time it flares up you are asking yourself “how do I relieve knee swelling”. That may seem like a tricky question on the surface, but the truth is that there are effective remedies that can help.

Though it may sound rather obvious, the quickest way to get some relief is to take your weight off your knee. Extra pressure and strain isn’t going to do anything but make the problem worse. Resting your leg doesn’t always cure the swelling, but it doesn’t hurt either. So go ahead and sit or lie down and relax and take a load off your knees. The longer you can stay off your knee the better; a full day would be ideal.

Now that you are resting your knee, you should elevate your legs. Use pillows, the arm of a comfy couch, or even a stack of books to get your legs as high as you comfortably can. This draws blood away from the inflamed area and helps to reduce swelling.

Put an ice pack (or bag of frozen vegetables) on the knee right after swelling begins. Do 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off for 1 to 2 hours. You need to take the ice off for a while to prevent frostbite. The cold will help to reduce swelling and will also numb the area so it’s more comfortable. However, do not apply heat. You may think heat would feel good, but heat is a big no-no because it potentially leads to even worse problems; therefore it’s best to only apply cold to your swollen knee.

Anti-inflammatory medications can help to bring the swelling down. Aspirin and ibuprofen, as well as other products, can be purchased at the store. You can also check with your doctor to see if they are able to prescribe a good medication to reduce the inflammation.

Once you are back on your feet, you should do what you can to support your knee and keep some of your weight off of it. Winding a stretchy fabric bandage around will help. Also, using crutches or a cane, if the swelling and pain are moderate to severe, will put less strain on your knee.

There is a centuries-old answer to the question of how do I relieve knee swelling, and that is Epsom salts. Applying a wet towel that has been soaked in Epsom salts or taking a bath in them can help because they contain a fair amount of magnesium; thereby reducing swelling. Another benefit is that the salts can help to soothe your stress as well.

Regardless of which methods you use, it is very important that you see your doctor if the swelling doesn’t go away, or if it’s a recurring problem. Either way, there are things you can do to relieve knee swelling.