Natural Holistic Health Blog

There is a group of symptoms that exist in the world of childbearing women that occur in the Luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and are referred to as premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

These symptoms can be quite disruptive of a woman’s life causing physical suffering, emotional upheaval and psychological pain. The symptoms begin when the egg is released and end soon after the menses begins.

The symptoms may be mild, moderate or severe and can vary each month. If a woman is suffering from PMS she is more than just uncomfortable she is feeling anxious, depressed or is unable to cope with the daily tasks of work and home.

The most commonly experienced symptoms of PMS are increased acne, back pain, joint and muscle pain, changes in appetite that may include cravings for sweets or other foods, diarrhea or constipation, a fast heartbeat, feeling irritable, anxious or tense, feeling extremely tired or fatigued, headache pain or migraines, hot flashes, mood swings, a change in how they feel about sex or a disinterest in sex trouble concentrating, tender or swollen breasts, difficulties either falling asleep or staying asleep, swollen hands or feet, desiring to be left alone, and also weight gain or bloating.

Filed under: Women's Health by Dee
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Multiple sclerosis, sometimes called MS, is a disease that causes damage to the nerves of the brain and spinal cord. This is caused by your bodys immune system. Multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease, can cause a loss of balance, vision, muscle control, and a numbing feeling.

Multiple sclerosis affects the central nervous system, the spinal column and the brain. Normal tissues are attacked if you are the victim of an autoimmune disease. A woman is more likely to have multiple sclerosis than a man is and rarely before the teen years.

Symptoms of multiple sclerosis are numerous and variable from person to person. The most notable symptoms of multiple sclerosis are vision disturbances, memory or concentration issues, and muscle weakness.

Everyone has experienced depression at some time in his or her life. It is a feeling of hopelessness and sadness. Depending on its severity, it can overcome us and interfere with our daily routine. Mild depression is common, but when it overtakes us and lasts for long periods of time, help should be sought out. This mental illness can grow larger and loom over us and can also have a devastating outcome.

Filed under: Anxiety and Depression by Dee
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If you are like most people, you have probably at least heard of eucalyptus. You don’t have to live in Australia to know that this tree produces bark and leaves that are very beneficial to both the koalas living in them and to humans, too!

Eucalyptus has natural healing affects that you just can’t get with many man-made remedies. In fact, this plant is just as effective to ward off colds and congestion as the expensive stuff you buy in your pharmacy.

Why does eucalyptus work so well? Like many plant materials, it has healing properties all of its own. You might be surprised to learn that the leaves from this tree are very similar to the rubs and creams you can buy for your chest when you have a cold.

It smells very similar, too. It can help fight off the symptoms you get when you have the cold and flu. Plus, it is natural and safe to use around children.

Filed under: Aromatherapy, Contagious Diseases, Detox, Immunity, Infection, Respiratory Conditions by Dee
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Basically the diagnosis of PMS is more widely accepted by the medical profession and the general public as a whole but the diagnosis is a little in the gray area as it is difficult to really diagnose with certainty. Women experience different symptoms and those symptoms can change from month to month.

The intensity of the symptoms can also change from month to month even if the symptoms themselves stay the same. PMS tends to decrease in women experiencing perimenopause even without treatment and symptoms of PMS totally disappear when the woman reaches menopause.

There is a wide range of statistics regarding the prevalence of PMS anything from statistics saying that 80% of menstruating women have at least one symptom of PMS each month there are also recorded ranges of as low as 3% to 30%.

This variance is largely due to interpretation of PMS from a very loose definition of any discomfort a menstruating woman may experience to symptoms that only occur in the luteal phase of menstruation (from ovulation to menses).

Filed under: Women's Health by Dee
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Do you often have to nag and push to get your man to go to the doctor? Youre not alone. Women are four times more likely to go to the doctor than men. So its no wonder he sits in pain for something youd have no issues making an appointment for. But why is it that men seem to avoid doctors visits for even serious issues?

One of the biggest reasons men dont regularly visit the doctor is because theyre just not used to it. Women are used to going to the doctor regularly for yearly reproductive exams and pregnancy-related visits. This makes doctor’s visits more of a habit than they are for men. Men just dont think to go to the doctor like women do.

Another reason women just think to go to the doctor more than men would is that theyre generally in charge of health care for the kids. Kids regularly have to visit the doctor for shots, checkups, and illness, and usually mom is the one who takes them. Shes used to watching for signs of illness in her children, and this easily translates over to herself. Men arent usually conditioned to pay attention or treat signs of illness.

Filed under: Men's Health by Dee
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Holistic migraine pain prevention and treatment is not a new approach but one that is gaining more followers as side effects of medications become more fully known.

Even as they have always been notated on the drug inserts, it is not until recently that the severity of some such side effects have become part of the media reporting associated with the overall use of pharmaceuticals.

There are a number of holistic tools that may be currently used by those seeking to prevent or treat their migraine pain in a more natural manner, but the best way to remember them is with the ABC of holistic migraine pain prevention and treatment.

* A stands for acupuncture. The therapeutic acupuncture needles have been in used for thousands of years, but migraine sufferers can now benefit from their healing powers as well. Known to affect the free flowing bodily energy, the acupuncture needles open up constricted blood vessels and other areas of the body that seem to be stopping the free flowing energy. There has been a marked success for migraine sufferers who receive acupuncture treatments when they feel the onset of an episode, but in some cases acupuncture during the actual migraine attack can also serve to shorten its duration.

Filed under: Pain Management by Dee
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Going to the source, what can we find out about PMS? 80% of menstruating women suffer from PMS, that is a lot of suffering women! Women can suffer from physical, emotional and psychological symptoms when they have PMS. The symptoms can be any degree from mild to severe. They can be so severe in fact that a woman can find herself unable to function.

She may have different symptoms each month, but once she gets PMS, she will have it every month until she reaches menopause. The onset of PMS can be puberty, or it may appear after a pregnancy, hormonal surgery such as tubal ligation or hysterectomy, or she may even get it just prior to menopause.

The symptoms can be physical, emotional or psychological and she may have one or several symptoms each month. The symptoms occur during the two-week period just prior to menses.

She may experience backaches, headaches, joint and muscle pain, bloating, cramping, irritability, constipation or diahhrea, decrease in sex drive, breast tenderness or breast swelling, crying spells, cravings for sugary foods, forgetfulness, acne, and anxiety or depression among 150+ symptoms.

Filed under: Women's Health by Dee
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Infertility issues are painful, both emotionally and psychologically. Once a couple has decided to have children the complete failure at pregnancy is a blow to the self-esteem of both of them. Women feel the pain of being childless while men feel a blow to their virility. Infertility issues have the potential of being on either side of the couple, male or female.

Although female infertility issues are more complicated male infertility can raise issues that may or may not be reversible. When a couple first believes they may have infertility problems they should have had unprotected sex for at least 6 months without a conception.

Most physicians ask the couple to attend the first infertility appointment together. There some basic testing that can be done to quickly rule out the problem from the male side so that further testing can be performed on the woman.

Male infertility tests start with a physical examination and sperm analysis. A sperm analysis will tell the doctor if the sperm count is adequate, the motility (or movements) of the sperm are active and if the shape of the sperm is healthy. The production of sperm can be affected at different stages and from several physical findings.

Filed under: Men's Health by Dee
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Meditation does not have the same meaning for everyone. There are many factor’s that can determine exactly what meditation means for you. These include who taught you all about it, what type of person you are and which tradition you decide to base your meditation on.

It is becoming much more popular in America but many cultures consider meditation a necessary part of life. And why not? It can help you live a richer and more fulfilling life in a multitude of ways. If you decide to start meditating then you will need to decide what suits you the best.

There are many different types of meditation. Chances are you have meditated without even knowing it.

Here are some of the different types of meditation:

~ Mindfulness meditation
~ Breath meditation
~ Medical meditation
~ Sound (Mantra) meditation
~ Creative visualization
~ Visual (Mandala) meditation
~ Guided Imagery
~ Prayer
~ Movement meditation (such as QiGong or Tai Chi)
~ Classic Zen Buddhist meditation
~ New age meditation
~ Creativity meditation (or art meditation – drawing, writing, etc.)
~ Classic yoga meditation

Filed under: Meditation by Dee
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Older men have lower testosterone levels than younger men. After the age of forty, testosterone levels in the blood decline at a rate of about one percent each year. There may be a steep drop in testosterone levels between the ages of forty-five and fifty.

There are men who do not drop their hormone levels, even well into their eighties. Some men will have a significant drop in hormone levels but show no symptoms. The rate that the hormone levels change and the symptoms that a man may exhibit is truly unique to the individual male.

If a man suffers from symptoms of decreased hormone levels he may exhibit things like a decreased sexual desire, a decrease in spontaneous erections and swollen or tender breasts.

A man will low hormone levels may suffer from loss of body hair, shrinking testes and hot flashes or sweats. Some of these symptoms can mimic menopausal symptoms in women. A man may suffer from low energy levels, depression, poor concentration, increased body fat and sleep disturbances.

Filed under: Men's Health by Dee
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