Conventional Medical Treatment for Endometriosis

The uterus is lined with a tissue called the endometrium. When cells from this lining escape from the uterus and implant themselves on other organs in the pelvic region-usually the fallopian tubes, uterine ligaments, or the ovaries-they cause a painful condition called endometriosis.

During the menstrual cycle, the wayward cells act exactly as they would if they were still in the uterus, first thickening and then bleeding as menstruation begins. But since these displaced cells have left the uterus, there is nowhere for the blood to go. As a result, blisters form that irritate the surrounding tissue, which may, in an effort to contain the blister, create an encompassing cyst. The cyst may then become either a scar or an adhesion of abnormal tissue that binds organs together. If they are located on the ovaries or fallopian tubes, scars or adhesions can interfere with conception.

The condition is not uncommon-it is estimated that between 8 and 30 percent of women of childbearing age suffer from the condition. While most sufferers have no symptoms, others have symptoms that become increasingly painful and debilitating as the disease progresses. Women with endometriosis are more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy, a pregnancy that occurs outside the uterus (usually in the fallopian tubes).

Endometriosis often runs in families and usually strikes women between the ages of 25 and 40 who have not had children. Although its exact cause is uncertain, some experts believe endometriosis occurs when menstrual flow backs up into the fallopian tubes, spilling blood and shedding endometrial cells into the pelvic cavity.

Signs and Symptoms

Pelvic pain that may begin just before menstruation and last until several days after

Sharp pain during sexual intercourse

Premenstrual spotting

Heavy menstrual periods

Infertility

Pain and straining during bowel movements

Conventional Medical Treatment

If you suspect you have endometriosis, see your gynecologist immediately. Your physician may be able to feel patches of endometriosis during a pelvic examination, but a laparoscopy is the only way to confirm you have the condition. A laparoscope-a slim, lighted instrument that is inserted into the abdomen through a small incision-allows the physician to examine your pelvic organs. Considered a minor procedure, a laparoscopy is usually performed on an outpatient basis with localor general anesthesia. Since ovarian cancer and endometriosis produce nearly identical symptoms-and because some of the hormones prescribed to treat endometriosis can make ovarian cancer grow faster-a laparoscopy is strongly recommended.

Many sufferers find that using birth control pills diminishes the intensity of their symptoms. If oral contraceptives do not help, a testosterone derivative called danazol may be prescribed to cease menstruation. However, most women find danazol difficult to tolerate because of frequent side effects, such as weight gain, excessive hair growth, and acne. During this period, displaced cells and their resulting growths sometimes shrink. Surgery is also an option for removing or destroying growths-electrocautery (using an electric current to destroy the cells) or laser surgery are two common options. Unfortunately, recurrences are common. In extremely severe cases, removal of the uterus and ovaries is the recommended treatment.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GNRH) is now the treatment of choice if contraception or surgery fails. It is given by injection, nasal spray, or via an implant replaced every 28 days. Because GNRH suppresses estrogen, side effects include hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and irregular vaginal bleeding. GNRH is given only for a six-month cycle because of the risk of bone loss associated with the low estrogen. As with all of the treatment options, recurrence after stopping medication is common.

Endometriosis does not always require treatment. Those who do not develop any symptoms rarely require medical care. And since menopause usually remedies mild to moderate endometriosis, post-menopausal women who are not on estrogen replacement therapy usually need no treatment. However, estrogen replacement therapy sometimes reactivates endometriosis.

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Herbal Medicines What is Old is New Again

Herbal medicine has been used for centuries all around the world. Relegated to the status of folk medicine for years by the medical establishment, herbal medicines are experiencing a resurgence in popularity due to the dangerous side effects of many of today's pharmaceutical drugs.

Herbal medicine has three traditional forms. Western herbalism began in Europe, and crossed over to North America with the European settlers. Some Native American influences can be found in some of its lore. Chinese medicine is herb-based, and breaks everything into yin or yang... cooling herbs or heating herbs are prescribed for illnesses that either cause the body to be cold or hot. Rounding out the herbal medicine trio is Ayurvedic medicine from India. With a history 5,000 years in the making, Ayurvedic medicine is based on balancing any imbalance found in the body.

Today, more people are turning back to herbal medicines, finding them more effective and gentler than pharmaceuticals. The entire pharmaceutical industry is based upon herbs and the medicines derived from them. Most of today's medicines however are made from synthetic compounds rather than those derived directly from plants.

Herbs are also whole foods. They offer nutrition, minerals and vitamins along with medicinal compounds. Herbs can be taken fresh as food, or made into teas, tisanes, tinctures, syrups, drops, poultices, salves, creams or dried and put in capsules. Depending on your illness, some methods of taking the herbs will work better than others.

Still other herbs are taken as supplements. An example would be alfalfa tablets, which can supply you with vitamin K (it helps your blood clot), among other nutrients. Supplements can be found at health food stores both in your local area and online. When buying supplements, look at the herbs for freshness. Any herb that is dried should still be a fresh green color, not brownish. If the color has deteriorated, it means the herb was dried using a method that removed nutrients from the herb.

If you are on pharmaceutical medications, please check with your physician or a certified herbalist before adding herbal medicines or supplements. Some herbs will interact with pharmaceutical medications and cause reactions or will counteract your regular medication. For instance, if you are prescribed blood thinners for a health condition, taking the aforementioned alfalfa supplement would be ill-advised, since vitamin K promotes clotting.

It is important to remember that just because herbal medicine is natural doesn't mean it can't hurt you. If you are not familiar with an herb and its effects, consult with a certified herbalist. Herbs need to be taken appropriately so you don't overdose or end up with an effect you didn't count on. Like any other medicine it is important to follow instructions for any herb.

Herbal medicines are a good way to treat quite a few illnesses and deficiencies. Do your homework and read about an herb and its actions before taking it. And before mixing herbs or adding a new herb, it doesn't hurt to consult an expert. Herbs have a lot to offer and can greatly benefit your health when taken appropriately.

Complementary and alternative medicine is the combined use of medical practices and products that aren't a part of conventional medicine. Many are using the CAM approach in hopes that they can prevent disease and live a more enhanced quality of life.

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An Ayurveda Guide for Beautiful Skin

Naturally fresh and healthy skin is protector of body and a thing of beauty. Ayurveda our ancient science of medicine has suggested many herbal remedies and natural methods to protect our skin from pimples, acne, dark circles, wrinkles and marks left by pimples and to increase the fairness of the skin. Pimples , acne dark circles, wrinkles and marks give a dull and unhealthy look. Here is a herbal guide for naturally fresh, fair and glowing skin.

Structure of skin

It is essential to know about structure of skin before analysing the causes which make changes on skin. Skin is made up of multiple layers of epithelial tissuess. Microscopic section of the skin shows two distinct parts. Epidermis is the top most layer. The upper layer of epidermis contains dead cells which gradually cast off. These cells are gradually replaced by fresh new cells produced by basal layer which is the lower layer of epidermis.

The Dermis lies below epidermis and consists of net work of collagen fibers which is responsible for elastic properties of skin. Sebaceous glands associated with hair follicles and sweat glands, are all present in dermis and get blood supply from the subcutaneous tissue present below dermis. Sebaceous glands get activated during puberty and produce an oil like substance called sebum.

In ayurveda according to Sushrutaachaarya the skin has seven layers. These layers when get affected by imbalanced doshas (vital energetic forces of body ) give rise to different skin diseases. The list of seven layers of skin and diseases which originate from them are as follows.

Avabhasini- The outermost layer of skin. Pimples, acne, dandruff etc arise when this layer gets affected by vitiated doshas.

Lohita - This is the second layer of skin. Moles ,dark circles, black pigmentations occur when vitiated doshas affect this layer.

Shweta - The third layer of skin shweta when gets affected by vitiated doshas precipitates the diseases like eczema ,allergic rashes etc

Tamra - This is the fourth layer of skin which when affected by doshas harbors different types of leprosy.

Vedini- The fifth layer succumbs to herpes when vitiated doshas affect.

Rohini- Harbors cancer, tumors, elephantiasis etc when affected by vitiated doshas.

Mamsadhara - This is the seventh layer in the body which when affected by vitiated doshas , abscess , fistulas arise.

Functions of skin

It covers and protects the underlying muscles and organs. It gaurds our body from the invasion of pathogens, acts as an insulation , regulates body temperature and is one of the sense organ. It palys a major role in sysnthesis of Vitamine D. The melanin pigment of skin protects us from UV radiations of Sun.

What spoils the beauty of skin.?

Several internal and external causes spoil the beauty of skin.

Sun : Sun is the worst enemy of skin.Apply a good sun block on exposed parts of body. Wear full armed lite colored cotton clothes when you move out in sun. Do not forget to wear a hat and cooling glasses.
Mix sandal powder in a large glass of water and keep it in refrigerator to cool. Transfer this into a sprayer and keep on spraying this on your body whenever you feel your skin is irritated due to sun rays.

Seasonal Changes:

When climate is hot and humid the skin feels sticky due to sweat. Microbial activity increases on wet skin . Bathe daily to keep the skin clean and lower the microbial activity. Use a mixture of soap nut powder , besan (gram flour) and sandal wood powder to scrub the skin. Drink plenty of water to compensate the loss of fluid through sweat.
When climate is cold and dry the moisture level of skin lowers and skin becomes dry and it tends to crack. Apply moisturizing lotion liberally all over body. Smearing fresh aloevera juice improves moisture levels of skin. Massage your body with gingelly oil (til oil) once in a weak. Always wear warm cotton clothes and socks. Regular foot massage with warm gingelly oil or castor oil prevents fissuring of heels and foot. Drink plenty of warm water to keep the skin well hydrated and to prevent dryness.
Air Pollution : The air pollutants like dust, smoke, smog, dirt can clog pores and cause acne and pimples. Apply a good moisturizer which acts as a barrier between skin and pollutants. Cleanse the skin care fully when you are back home . Use besan (gram flour) and rose water as scrub in summer. A mixture of Masoor dal flour (orange lentils) and milk make a best scrub for winter.

Life styles :

1. Sleep : Lack of sleep causes dark circles and diminish the glow of skin. 7- 8 hours sleep keeps the skin healthy and glowing
2. Exercise : A brisk walk for 45 minutes keeps the skin healthy by improving blood circulation and eliminating toxins. Lack of exercise lead to dull looking skin.
3. Stress : Stress causes dark circles, loss of complexion and appearance of permanent lines on facial skin. Yoga, Meditation, Exercise and Body massage are best stress busters and skin friendly therapies.
4. Addiction: Tobacco, drugs, alcohol etc make the skin look lifeless and unattractive. Say no to any form of tobacco, alcohol and drugs

Diet :

Unhealthy diet spoils the skin. Junk, spicy , oily foods spoil the beauty of skin causing acne, pimples and black heads . A healthy diet retards ageing process of skin and gives it a charming look. The tips given below help you to adopt a healthy diet.

1. Drink plenty of fresh clean water (2-3 liters daily). It helps to eliminate body wastes and toxins. It keeps constipation at bay.
2. Let fresh fruits and vegetables occupy major portion of your diet. Dark green and orange vegetables and fruits have antioxidants and also pocess cancer fighting properties
3. Avoid sweets, chocolates, junk foods, deep fried, oily and spicy foods.

Daily and weekly regimen for beautiful skin

1. Take bath daily
2. Wash your face twice daily with herbal natural scrubs like besan, methi powder, green gram flour, masoor dal flour etc.Splash clean water on face as soon as you wash.
3. Do a complete body massage with gingelly oil once in a week.
4. Doing Pranayam daily for 15 minutes keep the skin healthy and radiant.
5. Do facials with natural fresh herbs, fruits, vegetables etc once in a week. Cucumber, carrot, water melon , sandal wood paste, turmeric, honey etc can be used according to seasons and skin types.
6. Drink a glass of water with a spoon of honey in empty stomach .This should be one of your daily routine.
7. Savor milk, curds and butter milk.

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Increase Your Life Through Simple Stop Smoking Aids

Smoking is a vice, we all know that. The amazing thing is that even smokers know what a dangerous habit smoking it, taking a heavy toll on their health, relationships and finances. But still, they are will not - or perhaps they think they cannot - kick the smoking habit. However, there are stop smoking aids available today that can actually help the smoker to give up smoking and seriously increase the quality of his or her life. Experts suggest the following aids to stop smoking.

Self Determination and Support - Initially, a smoker may smoke because of the so-called thrill the habit provides, but as time passes on, smoking become a more or less mechanical activity. Hardened smokers do not find any pleasure in smoking; they smoke only because they cannot give up the habit. Hence, if you want to stop smoking, the first thing you must have is will power. Once you have that, half the battle is won.

Then tell everyone you know that you are quitting the habit. You will be surprised how well this works. If everyone knows you are trying to quit smoking, you will find it very difficult to smoke in public. You can also join the several support groups that discuss stop smoking aids at length. There is a lot of morale boosting here, which could go a long way in helping you to come off the smoking habit.

Medications and Therapies - If you are already a long way into smoking, then quitting the smoking habit will become much more difficult for you. Apart from your determination, you will also need to take treatment for the havoc nicotine has already caused in your body. Here, there are many herbal remedies that can help you. The benefit of the herbal remedies is that they will not only repair the damage done in your body, but they will also help to wean away your smoking addiction slowly but surely. In order to resist from smoking, doctors would sometimes prescribe antidepressants to smokers.

Nicotine Patches - One reason why most smokers are afraid to give up smoking is that they think they will not be able to resist the withdrawal symptoms that would come in. Withdrawal symptoms will occur if you have been smoking for too long, but if you are a mild smoker, then there will be no such problems.

Anyways, today there are nicotine patches for those who cannot give up smoking all at once. These nicotine patches reduce the temptation for a smoke, and help the person to quit smoking. However, many medical experts are against nicotine patches because they are, after all, nicotine products. Experts believe that patches are never able to reduce the urge of smoking, but they can only reduce the frequency.

Alternative Therapies - Today, alternative therapies have made a huge impact on the medical world, just because of their effectiveness at treatment without causing any side-effects. Smokers are using natural therapies like yoga and Ayurveda to a very high degree. Yoga helps the individual to exercise better control over the mind, while Ayurveda is an ancient herbal science that can work at the internal body system.

When both yoga and Ayurveda are practiced together, they can become two of the most formidable stop smoking aids. There are many western herbs like St. Johns Wort, which are currently being investigated for their properties in making people giving up smoking. Today, different forms of hypnosis are also being used in a significant way to help people stop smoking.

Thus, there are many stop smoking aids available and, frankly speaking, it is easier to quit smoking today than it ever was before. A right mix of determination, support and remedies could go a long way in converting a smoker to a nonsmoker.

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