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All you need to know about nosebleeds

February 21, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Nosebleeds are common for most of us and usually the sight is more frightening than the cause. Most nosebleeds can be cured at home however in some situations it is advisable to visit a doctor. The nosebleeds that need looking into are those caused by no visible external or internal injury. At these times it is best to go in for a medical check up to determine the cause.

Nosebleeds occurring due to internal causes could be due to the inability of the body to clot blood. Sometimes our blood thins because of medication or some liver related problems and in these cases, if the body is unable to clot the blood it will result in nosebleeds. A nasal cancer or leukemia could also be the reason behind nosebleeds and sometimes bleeding is caused if a blood vessel in your nose bursts. When nosebleeds stem from the vessels at the end of your nose it can be dangerous. This type of nosebleed is more common with the elderly due to high blood pressure, atherosclerosis or bleeding disorders.

In case of a nosebleed, sit down while leaning forward. By keeping you head above the heart can stop or at least slow the bleeding. Leaning forward will ensure than the blood is expelled through your nose since if lean back, the blood may flow through your throat and to your stomach. Next squeeze the soft portion of your nose with your thumb and index finger. The soft portion is located at between the end of your nose and the bridge of your nose.

For the normal nosebleeds, you can follow a few tips to avoid it. If nosebleeds are frequent and severe the best strategy for you would be to have a medical examination to find out the cause and if it is serious.

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How premenstrual syndrome (PMS) affects women

December 24, 2009 by Leave a Comment

PMS is a burden that all women must share and though the intensity may be different for different women it is a curse we wish we could pass it onto men. The symptoms usually begin up to 14 days before your cycle begins and stop a few days after it ends. The causes of PMS lack a solid, scientific base though most evidence points towards the interaction between sex hormones and brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters. Symptoms of PMS include:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Irritability
  • Mood swings
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Changes in appetite and food cravings
  • Hot flashes
  • Joint aches
  • Headaches
  • Back pain
  • Acne
  • Bloating of abdomen
  • Tiredness
  • Increase in heartbeat
  • Swollen and tender breasts
  • Weight gain

PMS for many women is also accompanied with menstrual cramps that can range from mild to severe. Severe menstrual cramps can be so severe that it may interfere with a woman’s daily activities for several days.

Unfortunately there is no cure for PMS but maintaining a healthy diet, exercise and taking pills may help. Be careful about the medicine you take since not all will suit you. The medicines can be over-the-counter or in some cases, require a doctor’s prescription. Doctor’s may also prescribe anti-depressants or birth control pills as anti-depressants may reduce irritability and depression while birth control pills help by evening out your hormone levels.

There are a few steps you can follow to ease your symptoms and make sure each month goes a little more smoothly. These are:

  • Keeping a regular schedule of meals, exercise and sleep.
  • Eating 6 small meals instead of 3 heavy ones.
  • Avoid salt during your period as salt bloats you up and increases fluid retention
  • Cut back on caffeine to reduce soreness of breasts
  • Cut back on alcohol to reduce depression, anxiety and irritability
  • Eat complex carbs such as cereals and whole grain products.
  • Also eat lots of fiber, protein and food high on iron content
  • Sleep well for at least 8 hours.
  • Take vitamin and other supplements such as calcium

Of course, do consult your doctor especially regarding the vitamins and additional supplements as they may ending doing you more harm if not taken in the right proportion.

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Filed Under: Health Articles, Mental Health, Nutrition, Stress Tagged With: , ,

What Is A Stroke And How Ateronon Can Prevent It

August 5, 2009 by 1 Comment

A stroke is essentially the same as a heart attack, but it happens when the oxygen supply to the brain (rather than the heart) is interrupted.  The blood supply, carrying oxygen, can be stopped because of narrowed arteries or a burst blood vessel.

When brain cells are starved of oxygen they become damaged and this can result in the devastating effects of stroke such as loss of speech. If damage to the brain is to be limited the blood supply needs to be restored quickly, and inflammation or swelling of the brain needs to be stopped. If you suspect anyone is suffering a stroke it is vital to call 999 or get medical help immediately. Signs that a stroke is happening include:

  • Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
  • Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
  • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
  • Sudden trouble walking, loss of balance or coordination, inability to walk and dizziness
  • Sudden severe headache with no known cause

The most common type of stroke is an ischaemic stroke in which the artery is blocked by a clot that stops the blood and oxygen reaching the brain. The clot may be formed in the arteries leading to the brain (thrombotic stroke), or the clot could be formed elsewhere (embolic stroke), for example the legs on a long haul flight, before travelling to the brain.

Tiny blood vessels inside the brain can also become blocked and damage a small area of tissue in the brain. The other common type of stroke is haemorrhagic in which a blood vessel in the brain ruptures and bleeds – in other words it haemorrhages. This causes a build up of pressure and damage in the brain, starving cells of oxygen.

So called mini strokes are another term for TIA stroke, or transient ischaemic attack which is an attack that doesn’t last very long and may cause only temporary, or slight, damage because the blood supply is soon restored.

People often get a weakness of an arm or leg for about 20 minutes during a  mini stroke and the weakness passes when the blood supply to the brain resumes. Mini strokes are a warning that there is a problem with the blood supply to the brain such as atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is one cause of strokes. It is a build up of fatty plaques on the inner lining of the arteries. It is a gradual process over years, and it starts in many people in their teens or twenties, that slowly limits the blood supply to the heart muscle.

Fatty plaque builds up when LDL (bad) cholesterol is damaged by free radicals that occur naturally in the body and result from smoking and pollution. The LDL becomes oxidised after which it cannot be transported back to the liver to be excreted, but instead is laid down as plaque in arteries causing atherosclerosis.

Other causes of stroke include weaken areas on artery walls (aneurysms) and these may burst causing bleeding in the brain (haemmorhagic stroke). Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) has also been linked to formation of blood clots in the heart which may then travel to the brain and cause a stroke.

The same healthy diet that protects against heart disease and high cholesterol, will also protect against stroke, in the same way that the new tomato pill does. Not smoking and avoiding binge drinking or regular heavy alcohol use is also preventive.

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Filed Under: Health Articles, Heart, Illness, Tomato Pill Tagged With: , , , , ,

About The Tomato Pill Ateronon

August 5, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Plant ‘factories’ producing lettuces in little more than a fortnight, are springing up all over the developed world.

This month it was revealed that the Ozu Corporation in Japan is the latest conglomerate to diversify into ‘hydroponic’ horticulture techniques, where vegetables are grown in a sort of super-nutrient soup, instead of traditional soil. They are brought to maturity in sterile, indoor, temperature-controlled conditions, and sold with a guarantee of no contamination by any bugs or bacteria.

Hydroponic growing systems are also widely used in the production of tomatoes, but many fear that these high-tech, high-speed growing methods reduce the nutrient content of vegetables.

The British Tomato Growers Association has pointed out that lycopene, the key beneficial ingredient of the health-giving ‘Mediterranean’ diet is only found in optimum concentrations in outdoor sun-ripened tomatoes.

Lycopene is known to reduce the breakdown, or oxidation of harmful fats in the blood, known as low-density lipoproteins. It is this breakdown process which leads to the build up of harmful sticky deposits on arterial walls, in an ultimately fatal process called atherosclerosis. Now scientists have discovered a more efficient way of delivering lycopene to the human body in a treatment called Ateronon.

Ateronon, also known as the tomato pill, is a lycopene formulation which mixes the compound with natural proteins from milk and soya, increasing its ‘bioavailability’ – or capacity for absorption by the human body.

Studies of Ateronon have shown that it can reduce rates of fat oxidation to almost zero in as little as two months which will dramatically reduce the risk of life threatening illnesses such as heart disease and stroke.

Because Ateronon is a food not a pharmaceutical product, it is entirely safe and has been launched direct to the public http://www.ateronon.co.uk.

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