Archive for the 'Diseases' Category

Snoring is estimated to affect approximately 20% of the population. Unfortunately, spouses are often the collateral damage; having to endure the deafening, bed-quaking rumblings of a loved one challenged by chronic snoring. Obstructed airflow is ultimately responsible for invoking the resonation of the soft tissue structures lining a persons throat. The usual suspects vibrating include the tonsils, uvula and soft palate. There are also anatomical deformities such as a deviated septum, nasal polyps or excess tissue in the throat that may contribute to the nightly percussion ensemble.

However, for many, the solution may be as simple as addressing sinus symptoms created by sinusitis and/or allergies. You may be thinking to yourself right about now, “well my husband or wife is already taking antihistamines, decongestants, steroids and other medications and the music keeps on playing!”

Have you considered Sinus Irrigation?

Sinus Irrigations technological evolution from Neti Pots and Lavage Bottles makes it more effective and convenient for Chronic Allergy and Sinusitis Sufferers to use daily; resulting in immediate natural relief and control of their sinus symptoms.

How Does It Work?

Chronic Sinusitis and Nasal Allergy Sufferers often have a dysfunctional mucociliary system. The mucociliary system is a complex network of mucous and cilia that work together to trap and remove debris out of the nose and to the back of the throat for elimination. Mucous is to cilia as a spider web is to a spider. The spiders web is designed to capture food for the spider inhabiting the silk trap. If the web collects undesirable debris blown into it by the wind, the insects the spider seeks to capture may easily escape. Similarly, if the mucous produced by the body becomes infected by the toxins produced by a persons over-reactive immune system, bacteria or viruses; the thick infectious bio film obstructs the microscopic hair-like cilia from energetically pulsating backward and forward. When the cilia in the nose shut down, the transfer of mucous to the back of the throat for disposal thorough the digestive tract is compromised. Visualize what happens when your garbage disposal is broken; typically the only direction the water migrates is up the pipe instead of down the drain. Likewise, when the nose is congested and stopped up; the tacky infectious mucous has to be manipulated out of the nostrils. For many, the forced expulsion of this material is attempted by blowing their brains out; often causing retrograde (back flowing) of the infectious mucous into their upper sinus cavities and spreading the infection.

Pulsatile Sinus Irrigation provides a practical solution to restoring the proper functioning of the mucociliary system. Respiraid offers an inexpensive device that delivers a pulsating buffered salt water solution that removes the bio film and soothes the sinus passages. Moreover, if the cilia are functioning properly, daily use of the machine during periods of seasonal allergy challenges will help cleanse the nose of the allergens that lead to sinus infections.

Bottom line, if you want to reduce or eliminate snoring, consider flushing out the gunk that is obstructing the normal flow of oxygen through the nose and into the lungs.

Understanding your disease and to how to responsibly care for yourself helps improve your chances of effectively managing or overcoming chronic conditions. If you have specific questions concerning your disease, always consult with your medical provider.

By edema excessive fluid gather in body parts or greater areas of the body, making the areas swollen. Edema is most often a problem in the legs, but can occur anywhere in the body.

There are several types of edema, and many cases are also a mixture of more than one type. By lymphedema the drainage from the tissues through the lymph vessels are impaired or excessive fluid goes through the blood capillary walls into the spaces between the cells in a tissue. Edema can also occur because of poor drainage of blood through the veins towards the heart. Edema can further be caused by general accumulation of excessive fluid in the body.

The causes of edema are many. Edema is a symptom by most inflammations. Insufficient heart action by congestive heart failure can cause edema. A too high intake of salt can cause general water retention in the body. Sitting and standing long in the same position can cause edema in the lower limbs. A still sitting life without exercise can cause or aggravate edema.

Insufficiencies of the liver or kidneys can cause fluid retention and thereby edema. Edema can be a side effect of antihypertensive drugs, steroids surgery and radiation therapy. Further causes of different types of edema are varicose veins, cancer, hypothyroidism, blood clots, constipation and physical injuries.

To treat edema, it is important to treat the underlying disease or injury. However, medical treatment does not always cure the underlying condition or the cause is wholly or partially lifestyle aspects. Therefore various measures targeted directly against the edema are useful. These are presented here:

Pharmacological treatments: The physician will sometimes prescribe diuretics to reduce fluid retention in the body and thereby reduce edema. This treatment should however be used for serious edema or edema persistent when other measures do not work.

Salt intake restriction: Restriction of salt intake is an important measure by edema. People suffering from edema should avoid adding great amount of salt into their food or consume preprocessed food with a salty taste.

Diet: A good general diet that alleviates chronic inflammation is useful. The diet should especially contain enough sources of omega-3-fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids, like: Fat fish, seafood, flax oil, olive oil, almonds, rape oil and canola oil. Also vegetables and fruit in a natural shape are useful.

Avoiding constipation: Constipation should be treated, since a stomach engorged by excessive content can cause impairment of fluid circulation.

Variation of corporeal position: You should avoid sitting or standing still a long time during the day. When sitting during work or rest, you should change position with regular intervals.

Exercise: Every day you should have some exercise adjusted to your health condition. This could be walking, cycling, swimming, running or any other sport activity where you use greater parts of your body. Doing regular stretching exercises or yoga is useful. By severe edema special therapeutic exercises should be prescribed by a professional.

High position of limb: When you are sleeping or resting the swollen body parts can be placed in an elevated position by means of pillows, pads or by resting in an adjustable bed or chair.

Massage: By minor edema yourself, your spouse or a friend can massage the affected body part to alleviate the edema. The massage should be done in the direction of natural flow of blood and lymph that is towards the heart. You should however avoid massaging distinctly injured or distinctly inflamed body parts. By severe edema a professional massager should be engaged to perform the massage type called “manual lymphatic drainage”.

Elastic bandaging: You can use elastic gloves, stockings, tapes or bandages around the swollen body parts during the day or during physical activities after instruction from a professional person.

Inflatable garments: There are inflatable garments to be found that can be used around the engorged body parts some times of the day. Also these should be used after professional instruction.

Sequential gradient pump therapy: One can get special electric pumps connected to inflatable garments. The pump inflates and deflates the garments repeatedly. Each garment has several rooms that are inflated sequentially in the direction of the natural fluid stream towards the heart. In this way the fluid is dynamically pumped the right way out of the engorged body part. This type of therapy is used in professional settings or at home after instruction from a professional.

Skin care: The skin on a body part affected by severe edema should attain special care to avoid and treat sores. Proper cleaning, daily use of moisturing creams, proper rinsing of skin injuries, antiseptic creams by injuries.

Complete decongestive therapy: This is a complete set of edema treatment techniques done by a professional person combined with self-care instructed by the professional. The techniques used are: Manual lymphatic drainage, compression bandaging, therapeutic exercise and skin care.

Herbal and natural products: Many herbs and products composed of a blending of these herbs are used against edema. Such herbs are: Dandelion, Gingko biloba, horse chestnut, buchu, goldenrod, corn silk, horsetail, juniper, butchers broom, cleaver and ginger. Some people have experienced a good effect from using apple cider vinegar.

The flavonide rich product pycnognenol extracted from the bark of the French maritime pine has shown promising effects against edema according to scientific studies. The flavonides hydroxyethylrutosides also seem to have good effect against edema. Other natural substances that may help to treat edema are the flavonids diosmin and hesperidin and vitamin C.

Oil pulling: The procedure called “oil pulling” may help for edema. It consists of rinsing the mouth with one tablespoon of natural oil for 15-20 minutes and then spitting the oil out. It is done in the morning before eating. Sesame or sunflower oils are usually recommended for this use.