Garlic Benefits

Allium sativum, camphor of the poor, clove garlic, nectar of the gods, poor man’s treacle, rustic treacle, stinking rose

Garlic was valued as an exchange medium in ancient Egypt and its virtues were described in inscriptions on pyramids. The folk uses of garlic have ranged from the treatment of leprosy in humans to managing clotting disorders in horses.

Healers prescribed the herb during the Middle Ages to cure deafness, and the Native Americans used garlic as a remedy for earaches, flatulence, and scurvy.

Medicinal ingredients of garlic are obtained from the bulb of the A. sativum plant. The aroma, flavor, and medicinal properties of garlic are primarily the result of sulfur compounds including alli-in, ajoen, and allicin. Also found in garlic are vitamins, minerals, and the trace elements germanium and selenium.

Garlic may act as an HMG-reductase inhibitor, thus moderately decreasing cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It can increase fibrinolytic activity and inhibit platelet aggregation, which is probably the work of allicin and ajoene. (Garlic oil used alone does not have this effect.) Garlic lowers blood pressure and may lower blood glucose level by increasing the body’s circulating insulin and by increasing glycogen storage in the liver. It works as an antibacterial against both gram-positive and gram-negative organisms, including Helicobacter pylori (the causative organism in many peptic ulcers and in certain gastric cancers). It may also have antifungal, antiviral, and antitumorigenic effects. Garlic prevents endothelial cell depletion of glutathione, which is thought to be responsible for its antioxidant effects.

Garlic is available as aqueous extract (1:1), capsules, fresh cloves, garlic oil, powdered cloves, softgel capsules, solid garlic extract, tablets, cream (ajoene 0.4%), and gel (ajoene 0.6%). Common trade names include Garlicin, Garlic Powermax, Garlinase 4,000, GarliPure, Garlique, Garlitrin 4,000, Kwai, Kyolic Liquid, and Wellness Garlicell.

Reported uses

Garlic is used most commonly to decrease total cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and to increase HDL cholesterol level. It’s also used to help prevent atherosclerosis because of its effect on blood pressure and platelet aggregation. Garlic is used to decrease the risk of cancer, especially cancer of the GI tract. In traditional medicine it’s used to treat cough, colds, fevers, and sore throats. Garlic is also used orally and topically to fight infection through its antibacterial and antifungal effects.

Administration

Garlic is taken as 900 mg of dried powder, 2 to 5 mg of allicin, or 2 to 5 g of fresh clove. The average dose is 4 g of fresh garlic or 8 mg of garlic oil every day.

Hazards

Adverse reactions associated with garlic include headache, insomnia, fatigue, vertigo, tachycardia, orthostasis, halitosis, heartburn, flatulence, GI distress, nausea, vomiting, bloating, diarrhea, asthma, shortness of breath, contact dermatitis, burns, facial flushing, and body odor.

When taken with anticoagulants, NSAIDs, antiplatelet agents, or other herbs that exert anticoagulation effects such as feverfew and ginkgo, garlic may increase bleeding time, PT, and INR. Blood glucose level may be decreased with hypoglycemics and herbs that exert hypoglycemic effects, like glucomannan. Acetaminophen and other drugs metabolized by the cytochrome P450 enzymes 2E1, 2B1, and 2D6 may be altered by garlic. Garlic can lower serum cholesterol concentrations and test results.

Patients allergic to garlic should avoid use. Pregnant and breast-feeding patients should avoid use if consuming it in amounts greater than used in cooking. Should be used with caution in young children and in those with severe hepatic or renal disease.

Safety Risk Garlic has been associated with hypersensitivity reactiOns. Clinical considerations

  • Therapeutic doses of garlic aren’t recommended for patients with diabetes, insomnia, pemphigus, organ transplants, or rheumatoid arthritis, or for post-surgical patients.
  • Monitor patient for signs and symptoms of bleeding.
  • Garlic may lower blood glucose level. If patient is taking an antihyperglycemic, watch for signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia and monitor his serum glucose level.
  • Advise patient not to delay seeking appropriate medical evaluation because doing so may delay diagnosis of a potentially serious medical condition.
  • Advise patient to consume garlic in moderation, to minimize the risk of adverse reactions.
  • Discourage heavy use of garlic before surgery.
  • Advise patient that using garlic with anticoagulants or antiplatelet agents like NSAIDs may increase the risk of bleeding.
  • Caution patient using garlic as a topical antiseptic to avoid prolonged exposure to the skin because burns can occur.
  • Tell patient to remind pharmacist of any herbal or dietary supplement that he’s taking when obtaining a new prescription.
  • Advise patient to consult his health care provider before using an herbal preparation because a treatment with proven efficacy may be available.

Safety Risk Garlic oil shouldn’t be used to treat inner ear infections in children.

Research summary

Garlic and its extracts have a long history of folk use and recent research has indicated that the herb has significant pharmacologic activity when administered even in small doses. These include effects on blood sugar, cholesterol and lipid levels, and a distinct antithrombotic effect.

Research In one study, 432 individuals who had suffered a heart. attack were given either garlic oil extract or no treatment over a period of 3 years. (Bordia, 1989) The results showed a significant reduction of second heart attacks and about a 50% reduction in death rate among those taking garlic.

Home Remedies To Clean Mold

If you are attempting to clean up a mold problem you can use home remedies instead of hazardous store-bought solutions. The safe home solutions you use will help you, but still you should take proper precautions when attempting to get rid of mold in your house.

Initial Preparation (Precautions)

In order to prepare for your job of cleaning out mold you should use gloves, face, mask, and eye protection. However, before you even start trying to tackle this mold problem you might want to have it assessed by a professional in case of a possible health hazard.

In any case, you should always practice allowing proper ventilation into the spots where mold has taken root. This can be a challenge as mold often grows in enclosed, moist areas of a home.

However, any way you can allow air in would be helpful. Further explanation is provided in the next section entitled “Ways to Remove Mold.”

Ways to Remove Mold

There are several ways to remove mold. The first method about ventilation is a continuation of a description provided above.

Ventilation-If you allow air into a place where mold has started to grow, the mold will start to die. This is because this living substance usually only grows in areas where air is trapped and where oxygen levels are lowest. Therefore, the most basic step would be to open the windows.

However, mold can be stubborn and it can still remain in an area even if you try to manually remove it. Therefore, you might need to find another method as described next in this list.

However, before we move on from this you should know that you can prevent further mold growth by opening the windows frequently. You can also put in exhaust fans in certain locations of the home, such as the bathroom, kitchen, or basement.

Plumbing repair-If you want to get rid of molds it might be time for you to inspect your indoor piping. You are advised to look for structural leaks as well as signs of water damage. You should also prevent water from collecting and remaining in areas where no proper drainage exists. All of this can help prevent mold.

Direct sunlight-If the sun shines right on a moldy spot it can help slow or stop mold growth. Therefore, if you are dealing with this problem that typically occurs in moist, dark, areas you should consider finding a way to expose the area to the sun. This includes any and all dark and moist nooks, corners, cracks, and crevices.

Bleach and water-A mixture of 1 part bleach to 16 parts water can do wonders when you are trying to get rid of mold. It will not only eliminate the mold but it will also kill any odor resulting from the presence of mold. Before you use this bleach and water solution, however, you should first clean the area with mild dish soap and water. Then allow the area to dry completely.

Vinegar or other not-toxic ingredient-Vinegar directly applied to the mold can really do the trick. For easy application you might want to put some pure vinegar in a spray bottle and then apply it. Then, scrub off this substance.

An alternative to using vinegar would be to fill a spray bottle with grapefruit seed extract diluted in water. You might also find that regular grapefruit juice helps. Tea tree oil diluted in water might also help immensely.

Flower Remedies

Although many cultures have used flower remedies for healing purposes over the centuries, the practice didn’t emerge in the West until the early 1920s with the research of Edward Bach, a pathologist, immunologist, and bacteriologist. Prepared from the flowers of wild plants, bushes, and trees, flower remedies are used to help stabilize emotional stresses that reflect the root cause of disease. Bach believed the basis of illness was found in disharmony between the spiritual and emotional aspects of human beings. This disharmony, found whenever conflicting moods produced fear, lassitude, uncertainty, loneliness, over-sensitivity, despair, excessive concern, and insecurity, lowered the body’s vitality and resistance to disease. By assisting with the integration of emotional, spiritual, and physiological patterns, the remedies are used to produce a soothing, calming effect, there by allowing the body to heal itself.

Bach discovered the works of Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, while working at London Homeopathic Hospital. When he considered Hahnemann’s theories in light of the tranquility and inner harmony he experienced when outdoors in natural surroundings, he concluded that the solutions to disease-causing states could be found among plants, trees, and herbs. Bach searched the English countryside for curative plants and conducted research into their uses, often testing the remedies on himself prior to offering them to patients.

Bach opposed those aspects of modern medicine that address only the physical elements of illness. He believed that conventional treatments, such as pills, drugs, and surgery, were often counter-productive because, in many instances, the temporary relief they produced suggested a complete return to health while negative mental and emotional patterns continued unchecked. True healing was thereby postponed and the inevitable result was more serious illness at some later date. Bach’s remedies were, therefore, intended to treat the mood and temperament of the patient rather than the physical illness.

Flower remedies are made by floating freshly picked blooms in bowls of spring water and leaving them in sunlight. In this way the “essence” of the flower is transferred to the water. More woody plants, or flowers that bloom when the sun is weak, are prepared by boiling for half an hour. The resulting solution is then fixed in proportions with brandy, which acts as a preservative, and stored in a dark glass bottle. Portions of that “mother” solution are then distributed in I-ounce dropper bottles.

There are 38 flower remedies in all; 12 relate to what Bach saw as the key personality types, and 26 are used to bring relief from different kinds of emotional discomfort and distress. The most famous, Rescue Remedy, often used as first aid, is actually a combination of 5 flower remedies. The Bach Flower Remedies are included in the Supplement to the 8th edition of the Homeopathic Pharma copoeia of the United States and are officially recognized as homeopathic drugs.

Training Today there are many varieties of flower remedies, or essences, as they are often called,and the preparation is essentially the same. In the mid-1970s, Richard Katz researched new flower essences and founded the Flower Essence Society. The Society now has a database of over 100 essences from different flowers in over 50 countries, has training programs available, and sponsors and assists controlled scientific studies on flower essence therapy. It conducts seminars and certification programs for active flower essence practitioners and for the general public. The Practitioner Certification program is available to all participants who complete the Practitioner Intensive. This nine-month program involves classes and complete documentation of three in-depth case studies. In addition, practitioners using Bach’s original 38 remedies can be certified by the Bach Foundation in Mt. Vernon, England, or at other sites throughout the world operated by Nelson Bach Ltd. The Practitioner Certification Training is a 6-month program,after which practitioners sign a Code ofPractice that includes ethical standards and specifies that practitioners are not licensed to diagnose medical illness or otherwise practice medicine.

Reported uses

Flower remedies are simple to use alone or in combination with any of the other remedies, and are relatively inexpensive. They’re available in both liquid concentrate and cream form and are used to treat a wide range of personal difficulties, such as everyday stress-related problems, periods of transition, and job-related tensions. Flower remedies are also used to treat hyperactivity in children, dieting and eating problems, learning difficulties, sleeping problems, mild depression, and the trauma of bereavement, separation, or divorce.

The cream helps to hasten the healing of abrasions and lacerations. Relief is often achieved when massaged into swollen and painful joints. Although not a substitute for emergency medical care, Rescue Remedy has been reported to significantly calm the sufferer who is experiencing fear and panic. Health practitioners such as chiropractors, dentists, psychiatrists, and massage therapists also use flower remedies as an adjunct to conventional therapy.

How the treatment is performed

For occasional negative moods, emotional difficulties, or an immediate stressful situation, drops may be placed under the tongue, or in a small glass of water or juice, four times daily. The client sips the remedy at intervals throughout the day until improvement is shown. In some circumstances, as with Rescue Remedy, it’s safe to take every 10 to 15 minutes as needed. The concentrate can also be applied directly to the temples, wrists, or behind the ears, or in compresses or baths. In general, the strength of the remedy is determined by the frequency of the dosing, not by the number of drops taken at one time.

For long-term distress, the practitioner may determine the correct remedy by interviewing the client, or by having the
client complete a questionnaire that will guide the practitioner’s choice. Remedies are prepared by adding 2 to 4 drops of each flower essence chosen, with a teaspoon of brandy, apple cider vinegar, or vitamin C powder as a preservative, into an opaque I-ounce bottle, which is then filled with spring or filtered water (distilled or carbonated water shouldn’t be used). Four to six drops are taken under the tongue or in water four times a day.

The personal formula is continued until emotional difficulties are resolved, or there is a lifting of the negative emotional state, or a stabilizing of the over-reactive personality traits. Once symptoms have resolved, the remedies may be discontinued. New formulas can be made as needed. Because the remedies have a unique and personal effect on each person, the specific effects and duration of treatment can’t be predicted. In general, most people experience improvement within 1 to 12 weeks; however, some take longer. Some change may be noticed within 1 to 3 weeks.

Hazards

Flower remedies are suitable for people of all ages. There are no known contraindications. Though rare, some may experience a minor reaction such as a rash, mild diarrhea, or an accentuation of the emotion for which they are taking the remedy. Since the remedies are nontoxic, these reactions may be part of the process of confronting feelings or a result of the process of detoxification. In some cases, adverse reactions may result from the patient’s unconscious resistance to change.

Clinical considerations

  • Some patients may experiences a “peeling effect” that is, as the initial emotional difficulty resolves, underlying emotions may surface and the need for additional remedies may arise.
  • Advise patient to discontinue use if an adverse reaction, such as rash or diarrhea, occurs, and to consult his health care practitioner.
  • Though the alcohol preservative volume is minuscule, if alcohol-sensitive the person may need to dilute the concentrate before taking.

Research summary

While numerous published anecdotal reports support the positive effects of flower remedies including many from physicians and psychiatrists-the concepts behind their use haven’t yet been validated scientifically. The Flower Essence Society, in an attempt to compile a foundation of research into the efficacy of flower remedies, compiles case studies and practitioner reports of the clinical use of essences. The studies include in-depth longitudinal cases backed by detailed practitioner documentation. In addition, the Flower Essence Society sponsors and assists controlled scientific studies on flower essence therapy.

Research Jeffrey Cram, a research and clinical psychologist with the Sierra Health Institute in Nevada City, California, has completed two double-blind, placebo controlled studies of the effects of flower essences on stress. In the first he found muscular activity (EM G) at spinal locations corresponding to the heart and throat chakras had significantly reduced levels of reactivity after the use of the flower essences. In another study, those taking a flower essence formula showed far less reactivity to lights, as measured by the beta wave brain activity at nine sites clustered around the frontal lobes, and by muscle activity in the heart chakra area.

Food Poisoning

Signs And Symptoms

Symptoms of food poisoning usually develop Within one hour to two days after eating the affected food and vary depending on what substance caused the poisoning. General symptoms Include:

  • Abdominal cramps and diarrhea
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Sweating
  • Fever

Description

One in every 10 Americans develops a case of food poisoning each year. Not all cases of food poisoning are the same. In some cases, people develop symptoms within an hour of consuming the infected food; in others, symptoms do not manifest themselves until two days after the food is eaten. Duration of symptoms also vary-some bouts last for only 12 hours (in mild cases), while others may remain for five days or more.

Food poisoning is caused by one of more than 10 types of food-borne bacteria, or specific toxins created by the bacteria. Each type of bacteria inhabits a specific type of food-raw or under cooked seafood, egg products, undercooked meat or poultry, dairy products, raw vegetables, or contaminated water. Because such a wide range of bacteria can cause food poisoning, it is often difficult to determine exactly which bacteria contaminated your food.

Conventional Medical Treatment

People who are otherwise healthy, between the ages of 12 and 65, and not pregnant can treat food poisoning with home care. To give your distressed digestive system a rest, do not eat any solid food until your symptoms dissipate. To counteract the loss of fluids caused by diarrhea and vomiting, drink lots of water and electrolyteich sports drinks, such as Gatorade. Since continual vomiting usually causes weakness, relaxing indoors-preferably in bed-is wise.

If your symptoms do not go away within 48 hours or you notice blood in your stool or vomit, see a doctor immediately. Anyone who is over the age of 65 or under the age of 12, is pregnant, or
has a compromised immune system should see a doctor at the first signs of food poisoning. A stool
culture can help the doctor determine if food poisoning is cause of your illness. If food poisoning is the diagnosis, a stool sample also can reveal which type of bacteria caused the illness. If the case of food poisoning is severe, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics or recommend intravenous fluid replacement to rehydrate the body.

You Must Try Easy Cooking Recipes at Your Home

Many people are fond of cooking but the main aspect of good cooking is to prepare healthy food. Healthy food is beneficial in providing health benefits, so one should try to make some healthy yet delicious food for children and adults. Many easy cooking recipes can be found, which can be prepared in less time and also are healthy and nutritious.

In this fast moving era, many of us are busy in our professional life, and do not have that much time to cook food freely in kitchen. Many people even prefer going to restaurants and fast food centers for lunch and dinner. However, it costs more than expected as with the moving time the prices of both food and fuel are rising unexpectedly. Cooking is not that tough and with easy cooking recipes, you can definitely make some healthy and delicious food for your family. Moreover, you would not have to spend a lot of time on cooking as such recipes are very simple and can be prepared easily.

If you are not a cook and do not have much knowledge about cooking then you can buy some cookery books or can try watching cookery shows on television. Both will provide you with appropriate knowledge about cooking and some simple and easy cooking recipes. Many cooking magazines have variety of easy cooking recipes, which are not much complicated to try at home. You can also find many recipes on Internet, as many of websites publish cooking recipes to help those people, who are learning how to cook.

Thus, you must try some easy cooking recipes at your home for serving home cooked dishes to your family. Your children and family members will surely love to have home cooked meals especially made by you.

Chinese Medicine For Indigestion

Stimulate digestion. Practitioners of Chinese medicine attribute indigestion to stagnation of qi in the Intestine caused by eating too much or too fast, says Efrem Korngold, O.M.D., L.Ac. To treat the condition, Dr. Korngold prescribes fragrant, spicy herbs to stimulate digestion. They include pepper, cardamom, radish, citrus peel, and hawthorn root. “I also recommend licorice root,” he says. “Licorice is the great harmonizer. It normalizes digestive function.”

Another digestive normalizer that Dr. Korngold prescribes is a Chinese medicine called Curing Pills. The pills contain a combination of 15 herbs, including atractylodes, poria fungus, and medicated leven.

Point the way to relief. As a treatment for indigestion, acupuncture has received the endorsement of the United Nations World Health Organization. Of course, acupuncture should be administered only by a trained acupuncturist.

If you prefer a do-it-yourself approach, Michael Reed Gach, founder and director of the Acupressure Institute, recommends acupressure. Apply steady, penetrating finger pressure to each of the following points for 3 minutes.

Conception Vessel 12, located halfway between the end of your breastbone and your navel on the midline of your abdomen (do not press this point if you’ve just eaten or if you’re a woman who’s pregnant)

  • Conception Vessel 6, located three finger-widths directly below your navel
  • Stomach 36, located four finger-widths below your kneecap and one finger­width toward the outside of your shinbone
  • Pericardium 6, located in the middle of your inner wrist, 2 1/2 finger widths above the wrist crease
  • Spleen 4, located on the arch of your foot, one thumb-width behind the ball of your foot

Frostbite

Signs And Symptoms

  • An area of skin that is hard, white, and cold immediately after prolonged exposure to low temperatures
  • After thawing, the affected site becomes red and painful
  • Decreased sensitivity at the affected site
  • Throbbing pain at the affected site
  • Localized swelling or blistering

Description

Frostbite occurs when deep tissue cells freeze and die. In severe cases of frostbite, the underlying blood vessels, muscles, and nerves are damaged. While frostbite can affect any part of the body that is exposed to extremely cold temperatures for a sustained period of time, the nose, ears, feet, and hands are the most commonly affected areas.

Frostbite is typically caused by exposure to temperatures of OaF or below for two hours or more, though these factors are variable. The process can be accelerated by a very low wind chill factor, dampness, or returning to the cold environment immediately after thawing from a previous period of exposure.

Although frostbite can affect anyone, people with circulatory problems are at increased risk. Frostbite ultimately destroys tissue by literally freezing the nutrient-rich blood flow to an area of the body. Since people with circulatory problem have sluggish blood flow to begin with, the destruction of tissue by frostbite is accelerated.

Conventional Medical ireatment

If You develop frostbite, the first thing to do is
warm the affected tissue. Return to a heated environment, and raise the temperature of the affected area slowly. Do not use heating pads or other direct applications of heat-frostbitten tissue is fragile and burns easily. As soon as you are able, seek medical assistance. A nurse, paramedic, or physician can determine if you have frostbite by conducting a physical examination of the area.

Total recovery from frostbite is not quick-it often takes 6 to 12 months for the site to completely recuperate. During the early stages of recovery, your doctor may place you on antibiotics to ward off the threat of infection. Until you are completely recovered, you should not smoke tobacco products; cigarettes, pipes, and cigars constrict blood circulation, preventing the necessary amount of nutrient-rich blood from reaching the frostbitten site. Unfortunately, you may feel the effects of the episode for the rest of your life: frostbite sometimes causes the affected area to be permanently sensitive to cold temperatures.

In extremely severe cases of frostbite, where large areas of tissue are destroyed, amputation is sometimes necessary. It can take up to three weeks after the initial exposure to cold to verify that the tissue will not recover. In such cases, gangrene may set in and threaten surrounding healthy tissue, making amputation necessary.

Herbal Medicine For Fungal Skin Infections

Try a different kind of tea. When the British explorer James Cook first arrived in Australia in 1777, he found the native aborigines treating skin infections with the crushed leaves of the tea tree. Almost two centuries later, scientists discovered that the oil released by crushing the leaves has powerful antifungal and antiseptic properties. It’s even effective against the most stubborn fungal infection, the kind that thickens and discolors toenails.

To heal any kind of fungal infection, apply 100 percent tea tree oil twice a day to the affected skin, advises Andrew T. Weil, M.D., director of the program in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson. You can buy tea tree oil in most health food stores. But never ingest the oil: Swallowing as little as a few teaspoons can prove fatal.

Chase the fungi with garlic. According to James A. Duke, Ph.D., garlic is packed with antifungal compounds. Many studies have demonstrated that the herb can fight athlete’s foot and other fungal infections. In one study, Indian researchers found garlic to be as effective as a pharmaceutical product called ketoconazole in killing the fungi that cause athlete’s foot.

To treat athlete’s foot, Dr. Duke recommends making a garlic footbath by crushing several cloves and stirring them into warm water with a little rubbing alcohol. Or if you have more time, add the crushed cloves to a bottle of olive oil and allow the mixture to steep for a few days. Then use a cotton ball to dab the oil onto your feet and between your toes, once or twice a day.

Be forewarned: Both of these remedies can leave your feet smelling garlicky. “Try these treatments when you’re at home and not expecting company,” Dr. Duke advises. Also, keep in mind that you may have to wait 3 to 6 months before seeing any improvement in your symptoms.

Get chummy with ginger. While ginger has been touted for an array of ailments, its antifungal properties have gotten little notice. Yet a chemical analysis by Dr. Duke found that the herb contains 23 different antifungal compounds. Among these is caprylic acid, which is exceptionally potent.

To use ginger as a treatment for fungal skin infections, Dr. Duke suggests adding 1 ounce of chopped gingerroot to 1 cup of boiled water. After the water has cooled a bit, dip a cotton ball or clean cloth into the liquid and dab the affected skin.

Beat the infection with licorice. Practitioners of Chinese medicine routinely prescribe licorice for fungal skin infections. As it turns out, licorice has quite a few compounds with antifungal properties.

Dr. Duke suggests placing 6 heaping teaspoons of powdered dried licorice root in 1 cup of boiled water. Let steep for 20 minutes, then strain out the herb and let theliquid cool. Dampen a cotton ball or clean cloth with the liquid and apply it to your skin.

Over-The-Counter Drugs

Soothe your skin with an antifungal cream. Wander down the aisles of almost any drugstore, and you’re bound to encounter an impressive array of antifungal creams. These products have a number of different active ingredients, including clotrimazole, miconazole nitrate, terbinafine, tolnaftate, undecylenic acid, or zinc undecylenate. All of these ingredients have been proven effective. But for you, one may work better than another.

Dr. Simons’s advice: Experiment. “If one cream doesn’t provide sufficient relief, try another;” she says. “Or try rotating or combining them.” In general, the instructions for these products suggest application once or twice daily over the course of 4 weeks. Continue applying the cream for the recommended duration, even if your symptoms begin to clear up sooner (as they usually do). Extended treatment helps prevent a recurrence of the infection.

If you’re treating athlete’s foot, be sure to apply the cream all over your feet. Even though certain parts of your feet don’t itch or burn, they may still be infected.

Medical Measures

Some fungal skin infections are so stubborn that even over-the-counter antifungal creams can’t make them go away. If your
symptoms persist for more than a month despite home treatment, your doctor may recommend a prescription-strength antifungal cream. Some of these, however, have potentially serious side effects.

Pleurisy

Signs and Symptoms

  • Pain in the chest that worsens when inhaling
  • Fatigue

Description

Pleurisy is an inflammation of the pleural lining-the membrane that lines the lungs. The inflammation is generally viral in nature. Pleurisy can accompany other lung infections, such as pneumonia and tuberculosis. The condition also can follow a lung abscess or a blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism).

Individuals with systemic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, are especially susceptible to pleurisy that is not accompanied by a lung infection. Studies have shown that about 20 percent of rheumatoid arthritics develop pleurisy at least once during their lives.

conventional Medical Treatment

If you experience a sharp pain when inhaling, go to your physician immediately. A chest X-ray will be performed but may show no abnormality. Treatment is usually aimed at making the patient comfortable, including bed rest and anti-inflammatory agents, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and indomethacin.

Complementary and Alternative Treatments

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture Acupuncture can help alleviate pain and inflammation in the lining of lungs. It also can be useful in strengthening the patient’s weakened immune system so that the body is in a better position to fight the viral intruder responsible for this infection.

The practitioner typically focuses on auricular acupuncture points related to the lung, thorax, internal secretion, and adrenal gland.

Acupressure To reduce lung pain, the therapist may focus on points along the bladder meridian, which runs the length of the chest as well as Gall-bladder 34, Liver 3, and related ear points.

Chinese Herbal Therapy The TCM practitioner may prescribe balloon flower and asarum sieboldi to treat lung infection, while mastic tree may be recommended to reduce pain. There are many herb formulations, but it is best to see an herb-trained acupuncturist for a complete diagnosis first.

Canadian Pharmacy – A Major Help to U.S. Citizens

Canadian pharmacies are one of the safe and low cost prescription drugs which are supplied safely. At a survey it was found that about 50 million people in U.S. are not covered by sufficient medicines. If we compare the expenses done on prescription medication between U.S. and other countries, U.S. is much ahead in terms of expenses and also it could be unaffordable instead of medical coverage. Currently, almost everybody in U.S. is purchasing prescription drugs online from pharmacists who are based in Canada, especially the old people.

The cost of drugs in U.S. can be reduced by importing low cost medicines or directly from manufacturer. Pharmacy companies need to maximize the profit to provide sufficient funds for the research and development. It will lead to a heavy loss in monetary part somewhere in billions or trillions of dollars to pharmaceutical industry and thus retrain the capability of companies to spend money in pharmaceutical research, only if imports are allowed.

The comparison of the price between cities and border area is too high. Prices of medicines in border area are too low compared to main U.S. and it shows that the Canadian pharmacy is getting popular day by day. However Canadian pharmacy is yet not approved by FDA, but it has the same standards which are made by FDA.

Although Canadian pharmacy drugs are low in cost, but then also it is advisable to do some research before going ahead and buying any of the pharmacy online. Things such as the cost of the pharmacy, delivery charges and the quality of the drugs need to be checked before placing an order.