Health Care

By: Katie Harper

Encouraging Alzheimer's sufferers to take care of plastic dolls may seem like an unusual type of therapy but it's been proving to have a positive effect, so much so, it's aided in reducing patients' dependency on psychotropic drugs.

When a person develops Alzheimer's they lose interest in life, they become withdrawn and uncommunicative. It can become difficult to interest them in activities; a problem which increases as the disease progresses.

Doll therapy involves giving a doll to a female patient to care for. This may seem, on the outside, patronising, but patients can obtain a great deal of joy and comfort from a doll. Many women sufferers were housewives and due to the unfortunate effects of dementia, many believe that they are still young. Patients can often adopt the baby and treat it as if it were real; they dress it, sing to and interact with it.

The latest research suggests that the doll brings back happy memories of when they had been parents. The dolls fulfil a maternal need. Having a doll can rekindle all types of positive memories and emotions, of loving, of being loved and being needed.

A person with Alzheimer's may still have a need for a role which will give them a sense of purpose and usefulness.

Through the use of the dolls, it also allows patients to release repressed emotions; to explain their feelings, as they will often transfer their emotional state onto the doll.

A doll can also play a number of roles to the sufferer and they are often referred to as their husbands, wives, or any other significant person in their life.

Dolls are, of course, not a cure and the sufferer will not suddenly transform back to their former self because of a doll, but they have a marked effect on sufferers' behaviour, reducing agitation, aggression and wandering.

The dolls also stimulate greater communication between the relatives, staff and the patient. Staff and the patient talk about the doll, its clothes, hair, etc.

According to the Nursing Times, a care home has reported to have drastically reduced its patients' dependency on psychotropic drugs thanks to alternative treatments including doll therapy.

Ashcroft Care Home based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK, has reported that it has cut the amount of patients using psychotropic drugs from 92 per cent at the start of 2008 to 28 percent.

There is much debate currently with regard to psychotropic drugs; they are contentious form of treatment as they act on a patients' nervous system which can cause them to experience mood changes and other negative side-effects.

Caroline Baker from the Four Seasons Health Care which operates Ashcroft said: "The results we are seeing from reduced medication and providing complementary therapies have been phenomenal."

Katie Harper is a health journalist who specialises in nutritional medicine and understanding the role that it can play in improving neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. Improve memory, creativity, concentration and mood http://www.rejuvemind.co.uk

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by Aidan Ashcroft

If you have noticed an annoying ringing sound in your ears that do not seem to go away, then you are not alone. Millions of people all over the world face this problem and it is estimated that most people face this medical problem at one time or another. The following paragraphs will help you understand the causes of these sounds and ways you can reduce these sounds in order to finally live your life peacefully.

The Nature of Tinnitus

The ear consists of various small and fragile organs such as the hammer, cochlea and stirrup and these delicate organs are susceptible to damage through various objects. Ringing sounds in the ear are the symptoms of tinnitus and tinnitus is caused primarily due to severe nerve damage in the inner ear. If you hear a high pitched, long ringing sound frequently then chances are that you have tinnitus and the sounds are coming from inside your ears and not from an outside source.

How to Stop Ears Ringing: An Overview

In order to stop these ringing sounds, it is important to understand the causes of these sounds. The primary reason for tinnitus is inner ear damage due to exposure to constant loud sounds. Loud sounds can hurt the hair in the cochlea which often leads to nerve damage and this in turn reduces the ability of the nerves to transmit correct sounds to the brain.

Changing your environment is the first step to learning how to stop ears ringing. If you listen to loud music on a regular basis, or are around construction zones, or work in a similarly loud environment such as a factory, you should either reduce the volume or wear protective ear equipment. This can really help to reduce that noise that hurts your ears. If your tinnitus is due to excessive stress (which is very common), then you should incorporate meditation or more relaxing activities into your routine, or speak to a professional to relieve that stress. And if neck strain or grinding your teeth is the culprit, then use correct posture when sitting, walking, or moving, and try to find ways to remind yourself to not grind your teeth as often.

Learning how to stop ears ringing involves really discovering the causes of tinnitus, and also figuring out certain lifestyle changes that you can make to alter your environment. If you make these changes and remain dedicated to following through, and genuinely want to improve your condition, then you can achieve that relief from learning how to stop ears ringing and learn to deal with your condition.

About the Author

Aidan Ashcroft is an ex sufferer of tinnitus who now dedicates his time to helping others overcome tinnitus. Find out how to stop ears ringing today by reading Aidan's revealing End Your Tinnitus Review.

by Grath

Rubbing your abdomen after meals is one of the simplest, most effective natural remedies for digestive system problems. It enhances digestion and absorption of nutrients and is a useful indigestion remedy when you eat too much or too quickly. Rub your hands together to warm them up, then place one on top of the other on the right side of your abdomen next to your belly button. Rub in circles around your belly button and entire abdominal area for 2-3 minutes.

The cardinal remedy for dyspepsia is light food; it would be matter if the patient takes to fasting for 24 hours and then takes to easily digestible, natural food. Fats and condiments must be avoided. Bland food, mostly vegetables cooked in water, juicy fruits and buttermilk (churned curd with water added) should be taken. Condiments and seasonings make food more palatable and there is the ever-present risk of over eating, which has, in the first instance, given birth to dyspepsia.

If you are looking for an acid reflux herb, there are many. Chamomile, meadowsweet, fennel and ginger root are commonly recommended. When focusing on an herbal cure and acid reflux relief, herbalists look at what is known of traditional medicine and traditional medicinal plants. An acid reflux herb may be a common food herb, which poses no danger for long-term use, but their effectiveness has not been proven. As with an acid reflux homeopathic remedy, what works for one person may not work for another.

Aron Wallad created better health in his life using natural herbs... He has dramatically decreased his blood sugar level by more than 35% using a 47 year old remedy that consists of over 250 natural herbs. His skin has improved using the same alternative natural product. He also stopped smoking cigarettes using some Chinese herbs 12 years ago.

Belleric myrobalan is the extremely potent component of Triphala choorna, which is known as bahera. This is a wonderful carminative. It solves problems of diarrhea and indigestion. It can also be taken in case of intestinal worms, which could be a reason for indigestion.

Ginger ale has been long used as a home remedy for heartburn. Warm ginger ale works best, but even cold ginger ale can help ease your symptoms. You can eat black licorice or take DGL tablets as well. If you decide to go with the tablets, take two at least 20 minutes before you eat a meal that you know will cause significant heartburn symptoms.

Indigestion might be caused by a disease in the digestive tract such as ulcer or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but for many people, it results from eating too much, eating too rapidly, eating high-fat foods, or eating during stressful conditions. Indigestion accompanied by smallness of breath, sweating, or pain radiating to the jaw, neck, or arm.

Bloating is the feeling of having a full stomach. If you feel that your stomach is near to the point of bursting, then it could be due to indigestion. Nausea. After a meal, there may be times when you feel nauseated as if you want to vomit. This nauseous feeling may also be accompanied with dizziness as well. If you vomit blood, then indigestion is not the cause and you need to be seen by a physician.

Read about improve digestion . Also read about skin care supplement and digestive supplements

About the Author

Read about World no1 site AyurvedicCure.com also refers exercises, massage, aroma therapies as one of the home remedies.

By: Phil Bate

Hypoglycemia - A Disease?

I got an email from an MD who has been recommending my Neuroliminal Training. She was concerned because two persons told her that they had experienced panic/anxiety attacks using my Neuroliminal Training SMR CD package.

My first reaction was to "blame" the Hawthorne Effect, but upon some further thought, I realized that there was another probability. Or, perhaps, there’s a coincidental combination of two "effects".

I found out years ago in my orthomolecular practice the major cause for panic/anxiety attacks (and for anger/rage in men) is the hypoglycemic "dip" in blood sugar that occurs about 3 to 5 hours after a high carb meal. Of course, this reaction is very INDIVIDUAL, and can even vary from day to day (or meal to meal) for the same person.

Years ago, while in practice, I picked some oranges out of a tree in my yard, squeezed them into a 16 ounce glass, and had that as my breakfast. 3 hours later, in my office, I suddenly had my first (and only) panic/anxiety attack. I almost passed out, and thought it might be a heart attack, but there was no chest or arm pain. My office manager was very worried. I lay down, and several minutes later it passed.

When I was able to think clearly again, I realized that it was a hypoglycemic "dip" or "episode". A few years ago, I became a Type II diabetic. (Yes, I’ve always been addicted to sugar!)

Hypoglycemia is very misunderstood, and the AMA doesn't consider it even as a "disease". You know what? They're right! It's NOT a disease, but it can cause some very severe symptoms. It’s the way we were designed that doesn’t work so well with our modern cultural diets. Let's discuss just two of the worst symptoms!

1. Panic/anxiety attacks: Since the brain uses both oxygen and glucose (blood sugar) for fuel, if it runs low on either, a major reaction is panic, particularly in women. (Some women become depressed with low blood sugar.) Again, INDIVIDUALITY is a major factor. Some people are able to avoid this point by "sensible" eating that avoids this point. Many others have better defense systems for converting other body "stuff" into glucose quickly.

This means that there aren't a large percentage of people in the world that have many anxiety/panic attacks, but for those that do, they are very frightening, and can be actually dangerous.

2. Undifferentiated anger. This occurs primarily in men. It's one of the "defenses" against that hypoglycemic "dip". The first defense is release of adrenaline. This causes the "fight or flight" response, and stored glucose is released to the blood to ready for whichever you might need to do.

The second level response is to start transforming hormones into glucose, in men, this is testosterone, and in women, estrogen. (Related to both depression and panic/anxiety).

The combination of adrenalin and testosterone MAY result in what is called "undifferentiated anger", that is, rage or anger for no good reason. Of course, since we are "rational" people, we will find an "excuse" for this rage/anger, but it is not really rational at all to an observer. (How about "spousal abuse", "road rage", "bar fights", etc - How many killings?)

A good symptom to observe to see if a man is fairly subject to this particular problem is to see if he "changes" personality when he drinks. Another in young boys are rage "fits" without a good reason.

THE "CURES":

1. Carry a ziplock bag at all times with a mix of nuts and raisins in a 5 nuts to 1 raisin. Never let more than 2.5 hours go by without taking a small handful to eat. This gives some "fast" sugar from the raisins, and slower sugar and protein from the nuts. This is the best method for all persons who know that they are prone to hypoglycemia.

2. Eat many small meals every day (including the above "snack") instead of just the "standard" 3 meals. An apple, or a banana, or other fruit, or a hardboiled egg can be a meal. In other words, keep your blood sugar as level as possible.

For an explanation of why the orange juice affected me so much, and how the sugar processing system in humans works, there’s a webpage devoted to this.

Good luck and good health.
Phil Bate PhD - Retired Orthomolecular Psychologist Inventor of Neuroliminal Training solving ADD/ADHD/Autism, depression, insomnia, etc http://drbate.com/Ref/hypoglycemia.htmlhttp://DrBate.com

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