gethealthy

Anyone who suffers from a medical condition is alway searching for a miracle cure.  We must remember that if if sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

Weight-Loss Miracle Cures

The simple truth about weight-loss formulas is that often, they do not work and can even be dangerous to some people.  Recently the National Institute of Health warned against taking any drug combinations without FDA approval, this even includes herbal concoctions.  The main issue here is that many weight-loss formulas contain stimulants and these may be dangerous for those with underlying heart disease, high blood pressure, or other illnesses they may not be aware of.

Arthritis Cures

There are so many products on the market that promise to alleviate or cure arthritis, it ridiculous to think that any of them work.  There are copper bracelets, magnets, and numerous pills and drinks all promising to cure arthritis.  There is in fact, no cure for arthritis.  Often the only thing that helps is rest, exercise, heat therapy, and drugs that may be recommended by your doctor.

Colon Cleansers

These “miracle cures” have been said to do all sorts of things including remove toxins from the body and even cure cancer.  Alas, they only do what your digestive system does naturally.  These drugs and treatments can be expensive and even dangerous.  Long-term cleansing can even lead to anemia, malnutrition, infection, intestinal damage, and heart failure.

Alzheimer’s Cures

Currently there is no cure for Alzheimer’s and reputable drugs to slow memory loss are only in their development stages.  Once your brain tissue dies, it can not be revived with any medications.  So,there is no need to remove your silver fillings, take over-the-counter meds, or zap your brain with electricity.

Salt is a common staple in nearly every American household.  However, it may be surprising to discover that it can be used for more than seasoning food.  In fact, there are four new ways you can use salt.

The first way is to combat rough, dry skin.  You can concoct a simple body scrub using salt and a few other items often found in the home.  You will need sea salt, olive oil, and lavender oil.  Blend 1/2 cup sea salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil, and 4-5 drops of lavender oil until you have a gritty paste.  Apply the paste using smooth strokes on the affected areas. Rinse.

Another way to use salt is to help your sinuses. If you have a stuffy nose or head try mixing 1/2 cup warm water with 1/2 teaspoon non iodized salt.  Using a neti pot, pour the mixture into one nostril and let it come out the other.  Repeat on the other side.  This is basically a simple saline rinse.

Salt can also be used to remove stains.  You can remove stains from coffee cups and shine wooden cutting boards by sprinkling them with kosher salt and scrubbing with a sponge.

Using salt is also a great way to cool your drinks fast. An easy way to chill champagne or wine in a jiffy is to place the bottles in a bucket with a layer of ice on the bottom and a layer of coarse table salt above it.  Keep layering until the bucket is full, then add cold water.  This works because the salt expedites the drop in the temperature of the water.

A new vaccine in the form of a skin patch contains E. coli toxins helps to prevent traveler’s diarrhea.  It was also found that even those who developed the condition experienced less severe illness with a shorter recovery time.

The consumption of products contaminated with E. coli is the main cause of this condition, affecting about 27 million adult travelers and 210 million children each year.  This illness is also the cause of 380,000 deaths in children.  Traveler’s diarrhea often lasts about five days and the symptoms are nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and dehydration.

For effectiveness two doses will be needed.  The vaccine utilizes the skin’s active immune system, giving the vaccine its great response. The vaccine is most effective if taken two weeks prior to traveling.

Recent studies have concluded that adolescents that have a parent or parents that suffer from chronic insomnia are at a great risk for insomnia, suicidal behavior, and using sleep-inducing drugs.  If parents, teachers, or other authority figures area aware of these children who are at risk, interventions and preventative measures can be taken.

“If there is a family history of insomnia, we probably need to be looking at treating the whole family entity, parents as well, to make an impact on the children,” said Donna Arand, spokeswoman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and clinical director of Kettering Sleep Disorders Center in Dayton, Ohio.  “We take a family history, but when we’re treating, our focus is usually on the patient we have in front of us and work at that level, ” added Arand.  Very few research studies have focused on the children of those with insomnia.

Insomnia referes to a variety of sleep disorders that include: trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early.  This disorder does seem to have a hereditary connection and is a very prevalent disorder.  Thirty percent of adults exhibit symptoms of insomnia and less than ten percent actually have chronic insomnia.

The study conducted included 450 boys and 348 girls around age 14.  This group included children of insomniac and non-insomniac parents.  They completed a sleep and health questionnaire.  The study discovered that children born to insomniac parents were about 3 times more likely to exhibit symptoms of insomnia, more than twice as likely to have fatigue, and more than five times more likely to use hypnotic drugs.   Nearly 17% of children born to insomniacs reported suicidal thoughts or behaviors, about 10% reported plans of suicide, about 10% reported suicide attempts over the past year.  This compares to 5.3%, 1.5%, and about 1.7% of those who had parents that did not have insomnia.