PMS or premenstrual syndrome is a term used to describe a set of hormonal changes that trigger a syndrome in a significant number of women for up to two weeks before the start of her period. More than 5 million women require treatment for symptoms of PMS such as marked mood changes and behavioral changes.

Symptoms of PMS will often taper off with the start of her period and then she remains symptom free until approximately two weeks prior to the next period.

There are over 150 symptoms that have been attributed to PMS. The most common physical PMS symptoms are crying spells, headache, fatigue, fluid retention, constipation, backaches, cramping and weight gain. Emotional symptoms of PMS include behavior changes, anxiety, depression, irritability, panic attacks, tension and altered libido.

PMS symptoms can vary from month to month and women can be symptom free during some months.  Read more...

PMS Depression or Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of PMS and is diagnosed by the pattern of PMDD symptoms. PMS (premenstrual syndrome) is a group of approximately 150 different symptoms that happen in the 2 weeks prior to the start of a woman’s period. The PMDD symptoms can be both physical and emotional and are very real and prompt many women to find an effective PMDD treatment.

PMDD symptoms were once thought to be hysterical and only in the mind of the woman, but after years of research scientists have found that over 50 million women suffer from these PMDD symptoms each month. PMDD  symptoms, including PMS depression, can significantly interfere with social, occupational and sexual functioning.

For a diagnosis of PMDD to be made, the woman must have a symptom-free period during her follicular phase of the menstrual cycle to distinguish it from other pre-existing anxiety and mood disorders.

The symptoms of PMDD and depression have considerable overlap. Approximately 30-75% of the women diagnosed with PMDD also have a lifetime history of depression, compared to the 15% of women without PMDD who suffer from depression.  Read more...

A great many physical ailments have been attributed to a colon in need of home colon cleansing. While home colon cleansing is not a cure-all, it does have a valid place in a healthy lifestyle. Here are some reasons why, and some suggestions for how to do a home colon cleanse.

What does the colon do?

In short, the colon eliminates solid waste from the body. After the nutrients from the food you eat are absorbed through the small intestine and distributed via the liver into the bloodstream, the “leftovers” move into the large intestine, or colon, where they are eliminated when you go to the bathroom.

Problems arise when wastes accumulate in rather than exit the colon, causing constipation, bloating, and/or a condition known as systemic intoxication or poisoning. Systemic intoxication can lead to cognitive difficulties such as confusion, and even emotional problems such as depression and irritability. Some sources suggest that allergic “attacks” of hives, sneezing, and coughing are due to systemic intoxication. Accumulated waste in the colon has been implicated in cancer, diverticulitis, and nutrient deficiencies. It’s easy to see how home colon cleansing can be an important part of a healthy lifestyle  Read more...

Nicotine is the addictive drug that is actually added to tobacco in order to increase the recurrence sales of cigarettes and tobacco. Nicotine will change the way in which the brain works in order to make people want to use it more and more.

In addition, there are unpleasant withdrawal symptoms that happened to individuals who stop using nicotine altogether. In other words, there are good feelings when nicotine is present and bad feelings when it goes, which makes breaking the addiction very difficult. Historically, nicotine has been one of the hardest addictions to break for individuals.

In 1988 the Surgeon General reported that cigarettes and other forms of tobacco were addicting and that the nicotine was the drug that caused the addiction. This report also came to the conclusion that pharmacological and behavioral characteristics were similar to those of drugs such as heroin and cocaine.  Read more...

Rose oil is one of the most popular essential oils. It has a rich floral fragrance conjuring up images of romance, luxury and pampering. More importantly its properties are said to be:

* Antidepressant
* Calming, Soothing, Relaxing, Restful
* Sensuous, Aphrodisiac
* Uplifting
* Balancing
* Improves confidence
* Reduces fatigue, stress and exhaustion

Rose oil is made from rose petals. As you can imagine it takes a lot of petals to produce a very small amount of oil. Estimates suggest that it may take a ton of petals to produce 300 grams of Rose Oil.

Unfortunately the real McCoy is very expensive, however you can buy the more affordable Rose Geranium (also known as Rose-French oil) which seems to work almost as well at one-tenth of the price. It contains many of the same ingredients as Rose – geraniol, linalool and citronellol – and it has similar properties and scent.  Read more...

People who smoke are faced each day with the recognition that their smelly habit isn’t pleasant for the people around them, that it is dangerous for their long-term health and that the rest of the world would prefer that they quit. What once was helped to relieve anxiety and stress now becomes the root of anxiety and stress in their lives. This continues until one day there is a recognition that something must change and the smoker decides to quit.

It is at this stage that they must decide HOW they are going to quit. There are several methods and support programs available today that can help a person to stop smoking. One that has shown significant promise is the medication Chantix (varenicline) which is an oral medication that theoretically works by blocking the effect of nicotine on the brain. The manufacturer states that it may make it easier for some smokers to stop smoking, although people continue to require persistence and commitment to the goal.  Read more...

What is a seizure?

Although seizures are often thought of as dramatic events, there are a number of different types of seizures, some of which are much more subtle and difficult for an outsider to notice.

A generalized seizure (Also known as a grand mal seizure, fit or convulsion) generally causes an acute decrease in state of consciousness, repeated movements of the body, excessive salivation, vomiting and often a loss of bladder and bowel control. This event may last from 30 seconds to a few minutes.

The other main type of seizure is a focal motor seizure which is a much less dramatic occurrence. A focal motor seizure will cause just a repeated twitching movement in either the face or limbs and usually only lasts a few seconds.

Absence seizures (which used to be called Petit Mal seizures) usually involve a short period of impaired consciousness, often accompanied by a staring expression and sometimes mild twitching of small muscle groups.  Read more...