Natural medicine can significantly strengthen immune function, preventing asthma attacks and even curing the underlying cause of symptoms.
Oriental medicine and Chinese herbs have the ability to directly strengthen immune function. The disadvantage of herbs is their bad taste, and the most effective strategy for children is to mix liquid extracts of herbs with juice to improve their taste.
A licensed acupuncturist experienced in the treatment of children can assess an individual child's needs and prescribe an herbal formula to relieve congestion and build immune function.
Massaging specific points on a child's body during asthmatic episodes helps to relieve cough, induce relaxation, and decrease wheezing. The techniques fall into two categories: pressing on acupuncture points and massage of acupuncture channels. Both are simple, straightforward, and require no training.
Lung 1 opens blocked energy in the lungs; located on either side of the chest in the soft space just under the lateral head of the clavicle (collarbone). Ding chuan is a specific point to relieve asthma; located on the back, just below and lateral to the most prominent vertebra at the base of the neck (at T7).
A new Canadian-led study concludes that immunizing nursing-home workers does nothing to cut the number of confirmed influenza cases among the homes' elderly residents.
Coming at the end of the largest flu-vaccination campaign in Canadian history, the review of previous studies calls for stepped-up research into alternative, lower-tech ways to combat the virus, such as improved hand washing.
The new paper's co-author is Dr. Tom Jefferson, a British epidemiologist who heads vaccine research for the respected Cochrane Collaboration -- and who has earned a reputation as a scientific dissident for his outspoken criticism of flu vaccination. In media interviews last year, Dr. Jefferson was quoted as saying he "can't see any reason" for vaccinating anyone against flu -- arguing the shots did nothing to save lives -- and that most influenza-vaccine studies are "rubbish."
As parents know, middle-ear infections are one of the most common and painful afflictions of childhood, striking three-quarters of children.
One suggested remedy is zinc, which has a long history as a cold-fighting supplement. Zinc is said to help strengthen the immune system and to help ease and prevent infections. But in recent studies, scientists have failed to find much support for its effectiveness.
One team of researchers combined data from 10 different randomized, placebo-controlled trials. Over all, they found “no convincing evidence” that those children fared any better than those given a placebo.
One exception was in children who were malnourished; a study found that they had a lower risk of middle-ear infection after receiving zinc. But in otherwise healthy children the evidence was weak.
The blockbuster anti-clotting drug Plavix will carry a new warning about patients who have a poor response to the drug because they do not break it down well.
The Food and Drug Administration said it was adding a new boxed warning to Plavix, an $8-billion-a-year drug. Poor metabolizers are people whose bodies do not effectively convert Plavix to its active form.
Plavix is the second-best selling drug in the world. It loses patent protection in 2012.
Intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages may increase levels of uric acid, a compound linked to decreased kidney function, says a new study.
A cross-sectional analysis of data from almost 16,000 people found that the risk of chronic kidney disease increased by over 150 percent in those who more than one soda per day and had high levels of uric acid.
The metabolization of fructose leads to increased production of uric acid, a compound linked to kidney disease when detected in high levels.
Mark Roth studies suspended animation -- the art of shutting down life processes and then starting them up again. Induced by careful use of an otherwise toxic gas, suspended animation can potentially help trauma and heart attack victims survive long enough to be treated.
An investigation is under way after a newborn baby was given 10 times the normal dose of a tuberculosis vaccine at Scunthorpe General Hospital. The boy was injected with 0.5 mg of the BCG vaccine instead of the usual 0.05 mg dose.
The four-week-old boy is in a stable condition at Sheffield Children's Hospital where doctors are working in conjunction with the National Poisons Information Service.
Bear in mind that vaccine industry shill Dr. Paul Offit said not long ago that a baby's immune system could handle as many as 10,000 vaccines. Then he upped the ante, saying it was probably "closer to 100,000." That’s more than 3,500 times the amount of vaccine the CDC schedule claims a baby should have -- but here’s a case of a child being hospitalized for getting TEN times the amount of ONE vaccine.
I'd like to see Offit stand behind his word and take 100,000 vaccines himself before endangering the public with such sloppy and unsupported comments.
Back pain affects about 8 out of 10 people. But there are many steps you can take to avoid it. One of the best things you can do to prevent back pain is to exercise regularly and keep your back and abdominal muscles strong.
Here are some quick pointers to prevent back problems:
Always stretch before any strenuous physical activity
Don’t slouch when standing or sitting
Sit in chairs or car seats with good lumbar support
Switch sitting positions often and periodically walk around or gently stretch muscles to relieve tension
Don’t bend over without supporting your back
Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes
Sleep on your side to reduce any curve in your spine, and always sleep on a firm surface
Lift with your legs, keeping your back straight
Try to control your weight
If you smoke, quit; smoking reduces blood flow to the lower spine and causes the spinal discs to degenerate
Also, to keep your spine strong, as with all bones, you need to get enough vitamin D every day.
Amnesty International has issued a new report on pregnancy and childbirth care in the U.S., citing the maternal-health care crisis as part of a systemic violation of women's rights.
The report, titled "Deadly Delivery," notes that the likelihood of a woman's dying in childbirth in the U.S. is five times as great as in Greece, four times as great as in Germany and three times as great as in Spain. Every day in the U.S., more than two women die of pregnancy-related causes, with the maternal mortality ratio doubling from 6.6 deaths per 100,000 births in 1987 to 13.3 deaths per 100,000 births in 2006.
The actual number of maternal deaths in the U.S. may be even higher, since there are no federal requirements to report these outcomes.
Approximately half of the pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are preventable, the result of systemic failures, including barriers to accessing care, inadequate or neglectful care, and overuse of risky interventions like inducing labor and delivering via cesarean section.
PopSci, the website of Popular Science magazine, has scanned its entire 137-year archive and put it online for you to read, absolutely free. The archive was made available in partnership with Google Books, and even has the original period advertisements.
Head over to the site and you’ll see a simple search box. You can’t go directly to an issue to browse, but once you have arrived somewhere by search, there are no restrictions on scrolling around.
You’ll also find a properly hyperlinked table of contents in each magazine. Try starting in the optimistic, tech-loving 1950s.
Pointing out that "aging is the largest demographic trend of our time," Michael West discusses Regenerative medicine -- therapies based on human embryonic stem (hES) cell technology that are designed to rebuild cell and tissue function lost due to degenerative disease or injury.
Researchers have identified cloves (
Syzygium aromaticum) as the best antioxidant spice, due to the fact they contain high levels of phenolic compounds, as well as having other properties.
Out of five antioxidant properties tested, cloves had the highest capacity to give off hydrogen, reduced lipid peroxidation well, and was the best iron reducer.
The research team also evaluated the antioxidant effect of the essential oils from other spices -- oregano (Origanum vulgare), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), rosemary, (Rosmarinus funcionarios cinalis) and sage (Salvia funcionarios cinalis).
Here's what scientists are finding are top risks for a stroke:
Being single
A study of more than 10,000 men found that those who were married at midlife were 64 percent less likely to die of a stroke during the next 34 years than single men. The marriage has to be a happy one; men who reported dissatisfying marriages were just as likely as single men to die of a stroke.
Being unhappy
Among older individuals, positive moods and attitudes protect against strokes. Even incremental increases in happiness help.
Being obese
More weight means a higher risk of stroke. In fact, the risk of stroke in people with the highest body mass index (BMI) was 1.43 to 2.12 times higher.
Smoking
Lighting up nearly doubles your risk of stroke. Fortunately, quitting can drop that risk back down.
Being a born-and-bred Southerner
The swath of stroke-prone states across the Southeastern United States -- generally including North and South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama -- have long been known as the "Stroke Belt." Recent research suggests that just being born and spending your childhood in one of these states raises your risk for stroke, even if yo...
In this 60 Minutes report, you’ll learn about a handful of Wall Street outsiders who realized the subprime mortgage business was a house of cards and found a way to bet against it. Michael Lewis talks about the current situation on Wall Street, the large bonuses still being paid and his predictions for the future of the industry.
Michael Lewis was also interviewed on Charlie Rose on March 16th. To see that video, please see thislink.
I’d like to note that the report was sponsored by Pfizer, and features a prominent ad for Lipitor off to the side of the Web page. Isn't it interesting that one of the largest industries responsible for the collapse of the economy is sponsoring this?
This is the company that has distorted and manipulated the truth so that people will pay hundreds of dollars for worthless and dangerous drugs that in no way shape or form address their health issue, yet they are hoodwinked into believing that if they don't take them their life is at stake. So they have to sacrifice in many cases purchasing wholesome foods and even paying their mortgage as they believe they will do if they fail to take their drugs.
The ad claims that “when diet and exerci...
More than 1 in 10 American adults have diabetes. But the multibillion-dollar blockbuster drugs marketed as treatment for diabetes haven't proved to be so successful against the biggest cause of death related to it: heart disease.
Four new studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine are a stark warning to diabetics who rely on drugs to lower their risk of heart attacks and strokes. One found that using antihypertensives to lower systolic blood does nothing to lower risk of heart complications; another found no benefit to adding a drug to raise HDL ("good") cholesterol. And no heart benefits were associated with two drugs given to lower high blood sugar levels.
Evidence is accumulating that diabetics may not benefit -- and may even be worse off -- when they're treated with a number of diabetes medications. The real take-home message here is that those with diabetes shouldn't forget about the importance of lifestyle factors. Losing excess weight, increasing activity levels, and improving nutrition habits will lead to better control of diabetes and lower risks of heart disease.
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