Antidepressants Blog

The tissue appears normal under a microscope, but important changes have occurred in the cell nucleus, or command centre. Proto-oncogenes, which regulate cell growth and development, are corrupted and switch off the restraints on overdevelopment. Oxidative damage, a major corrupter of DNA (our genetic make-up), can be minimized by nutritional means. The immune system, which searches out and destroys the corrupted cells, can be enhanced, and enzymes which detoxify carcinogens can be boosted.     Promotion-Visible changes to the tissue can be detected under the microscope. This stage is sometimes referred to as a pre-cancerous stage and is reversible. Nutrition can help to strengthen healthy cell membranes, encourage communication between cells at sites called gap junctions (which is necessary for them to recognize their boundaries), enhance the immune system’s ability to cope with the pre-cancerous cells, and balance hormones in order to discourage cell proliferation.     Progression-The tumour is still too small to be detected with the naked eye, but has begun to signal to the surrounding blood supply, encouraging it to link the tumour to the blood network, so that it can feed itself and eliminate waste material. This process is called angiogenesis. Some nutritional measures, as well as new drugs that are being developed, can help to interrupt this malignant form of blood vessel growth, and in so doing starve the tumour.     Detectable tumour-This is the stage at which most breast cancers are discovered. To get to this point will have taken several years depending on the ‘doubling time’, or growth rate, of the cancer. This stage is deemed irreversible, and the treatment is usually surgical, with radiation, drugs and possibly hormone treatment as well. Nutrition can support the patient’s ability to manage conventional treatment and enhance the immune function to help deal with any cancer that the medical treatment may not have totally dealt with. It can change the circumstances that lead to the disease developing in the first place, thereby discouraging recurrence.*37\240\2*

Answer: Let’s look at several possibilities:A. You may be consuming a food to which you are reacting; i.e., a wheat or dairy product. If you are still eating some grains or dairy products, try to eliminate them totally from your diet for a few days and see if the problem resolves itself. Both are common causes of constipation.B. You may not be drinking enough water. Try increasing your water consumption to eight to ten glasses each day. Make sure you are drinking the water between meals.C. You may not be eating enough fiber. Make sure you are eating at least five to six servings of raw or lightly steamed vegetables per day, in balance with your protein. The menu suggestions include several servings of vegetables each day. If you find that you simply can’t do this, use a sugar-free fiber supplement with an additional eight ounces of water. Take the fiber supplement before you go to bed each night at least three hours after your last meal.D. Certain mineral deficiencies can cause constipation, particularly deficiencies in magnesium and potassium. Use a magnesium supplement (not magnesium oxide) to increase your magnesium intake to about 500 milligrams per day. Take about 99 milligrams of potassium per day. (Avoid potassium chloride. Use both a magnesium and potassium ion bonded to an amino acid combination, or use magnesium glycinate. These mineral forms are typically well absorbed.) And remember that magnesium helps reduce craving for chocolate and sweets.E. After following these suggestions, if you still can’t get things moving again, you may need to resort temporarily to an herbal laxative that contains dandelion root, burdock, ginger, fennel, buckthorn, and small amounts of cascara sagrada. Sometimes it helps to take an herbal fiber supplement with psyllium husks and other fibers. Be sure to drink plenty of water with them!Avoid all herbal laxatives that contain senna or large amounts of cascara sagrada. Most reputable herbal companies have formulated an herbal laxative that will stimulate the bowels without creating dependence on them.*62\319\2*

Counter-irritationSimilar in effect to acupuncture are various techniques which employ counter-irritation of the painful area. Some techniques use vibration and the patient stimulates the painful area for a few minutes each day. The efficacy of these techniques has yet to be assessed, particularly as they carry a potent placebo effect.
ManipulationManipulation of the spine, which may help backache, has been tried on patients with migraine, on the premise that the pain which arises at the back of the neck is brought about by malfunction of the cervical spine. No controlled trials have been done and the theoretical basis for this treatment is not scientifically proven.Osteopathy is also based on spinal manipulation. Osteopaths ascribe a whole host of disorders to bad posture, e.g. disorders of digestion. Osteopaths are not recognized as medical practitioners in the U.K. by the General Medical Council, although in the United States their position is more accepted. Many medical schools there have recognized departments of osteopathy, and the course of studies is similar in length and content to that required for a medical degree.Although many of the claims for efficacy of manipulation are exaggerated, it has a place in treatment of certain conditions of the neck producing headache, by relieving muscle tension. Care must be taken because there are two vertebral arteries which run through the spine in the neck to supply the base of the brain; manipulation can lead to the blockage of these vessels causing a stroke.Although many migraine patients claim to have had relief by osteopathic treatment, there is no clear-cut proof that this method has any higher percentage success rate than would be expected from the placebo response.
*49/152/5*

The dreaded cold sore, which is caused by the herpes virus, always seems to appear when it is least wanted. Like other manifestations of the herpes viruses, cold sores tend to recur. The herpes virus is initially spread from person to person by direct contact, but once it becomes established it lives in the nerve cells, only to rear its ugly head following sun exposure, tiredness and stress. Most cold sores last about ten days and heal without scarring.Cold sores can be precipitated by sunlight, so the use of lipstick or lip sunscreens can be helpful. Before a cold sore appears, a tingling sensation may be felt around the mouth. If a cream such as Zovirax or Stoxil is applied when this tingling occurs, before a cold sore appears, it may prevent it from coming up altogether. Acyclovir (Zovirax) tablets can be used to prevent cold sores which are severe or troublesome. They are very effective but unfortunately are also very expensive.If you have active cold sores, you should avoid kissing people, especially children with eczema, as cold sores can produce a severe, widespread eruption on the face of a child with active eczema.
*41/150/5*

The benefits of pursuing interests in art, music or other hobbies are well known. Pain will be more difficult to control if patients are bored or feel isolated.     Hypnosis-Hypnosis may be of value in the treatment of cancer-related pain and in some patients with phantom limb pain. Successful hypnosis requires that the patient has good hypnotic susceptibility, is willing to undergo hypnosis and has confidence in the therapist. Various strategies of hypnotic suggestion are used including a hallucination of anaesthesia, sensory substitution, pain displacement and disassociation.     Cognitive therapy-Teaching basic coping skills and therapy directed at thought and affect control can help patients with crises and pain control.     Psychotherapy-Patients with anxiety or depression may be helped with anxiolytic or antidepressant medications. A few will need formal psychotherapy which should be of short duration and focused on cognitive re-structuring and coping skills.*78\55\2*

The lymphatic system is part of the body’s defence system against disease. A body fluid called lymph, which relies on muscle contraction for its circulation, is carried through a complex network of small vessels which carry cellular refuse on the way. It is then passed into the bloodstream where it is processed. Unlike the circulatory system the lymphatic system has no pump; if you don’t move then the lymph slows down. The results can be a collection of fluid in the tissues – particularly around the ankles if you have been sitting – a depressed immune system, and some cells in the body which rely on lymph for their nourishment becoming malnourished. Even if you have to stay in bed for some reason you can still help to circulate the lymph by gently squeezing each group of muscles in turn, and rotating the ankles and wrists. Massage can also be very helpful.If you have been inactive for some time perhaps you could start with exercise while sitting down. As you do this routine, visualize anything that suggests improved circulation; slow streams becoming fast flowing sparkling rivers, pipes being unblocked – anything that comes to mind.*124\326\8*

Arteriosclerosis is a hardening of the walls of the arteries. The blood vessels, which are usually elastic, fairly thin and soft, become rigid, thickened and hardened in many people as they grow older. Hardening of the arteries is one of the leading causes of death. The exact cause is not known.Hardening of the walls of the arteries is frequently associated with high blood pressure, but may not be itself the cause of high blood pressure. The current theory of the cause of hardening of the arteries is a congenital disposition toward the condition associated with the overeating of fatty foods and the taking-in of excessive amounts of cholesterol. Specific treatment for hardening of the arteries is not established. Doctors generally recommend good hygiene, the avoidance of excesses of all kinds, and particularly freedom from stress and worry. Usually more attention is paid to controlling the manifestations of high blood pressure than to the hardening of the blood vessels.Most of the symptoms of hardening of the arteries are related to the high blood pressure. These include occasional attacks of dizziness, drowsiness and ringing in the ears; sometimes changes in the blood vessels of the legs and interference with the circulation produce cramping, blueness of the tissues, and other signs of a lack of sufficient circulation.People who advocate cholesterol-free diets eliminate milk, butter, cream, cheese, ice cream and other dairy products, mayonnaise, fried foods, gravies, pastries and many other substances. Incidentally, it is practically impossible to maintain a completely fat-free and cholesterol-free diet. Especially recommended are vegetable oils like corn oil, peanut oil, cottonseed and safflower oil which are polyunsaturated fats.*11/318/5*

Miss Kuldip 19 years was under treatment for Thyroid Gland in the of Nuclear Sciences for the last over 6 months. Two days ago she was prescribed some medicine which had reacted badly on her. She had developed nausea, headache and worst of all her Thyroid Gland which had almost subsided by the previous treatment, had suddenly become prominent on her throat. This had thoroughly unnerved the whole family, as the next appointment at the Nuclear Science Laboratory was fixed 6 weeks away, and she could not go there earlier. She was terrified at the resurgence of the glandular enlargement and was weeping incessantly. She was given 3 doses of Cherry Plum (weeping due to intensity of feeling) and 3 doses Mimulus (fear). She came to report that she was absolutely alright, the very next day. Not a trace of the glandular enlargement on the throat could be seen.*142\308\8*

Visible fats : Vegetable oils; sunflower, groundnut, mustard, kardi, coconut, sunflower, corn, soyabean, palm and til oilsInvisible fat: Cereals, pulses, nuts, oil seeds (mustard and fenugreek), flash food, milk etc.Saturated Fats: Invisible mainly from animal source except fish, Visible saturated fats from butter, ghee, coconut, vanaspati (hydrogenated fat).UnsaturatedFats : Invisible from fish or visible from plants except coconut and palm sources are mainly Mono-Unsaturated Fatty Acid (MUFA) or Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA) and do not have any deletarious effect on lipid profile if consumed in moderate amount. Allowance = 15 – 25 % of total calories3 – 4 TSF per day. Visible oils for cooking purpose. SATURATED: MUFA: PUFA:: 1:1:1RATIO OF W6/W3: These two linolic (W6) and linolenic (W3) essential fatty acids (PUFA) forms Ecosonoids.ECOSONOIDS FORMS FROM (W3): Fatty acid are having more effective (i) anti-thrombotic and (ii) vasodilator properties than (W6) fatty acid. Therefore it is recommended that the ratio of W6/W3 should be around 5 to 10 (less  than FOR NON-VEGETARIANSFish:    Contains W3 fatty acid which have beneficial effect on -a) Platelet aggregationb) Triglycerides Fish is better than red meat*31\329\8*

There are five types of E. coli. Enterotoxogenic E. coli (ETEC) is the most frequent cause. By means of an enterotoxin that stimulates massive fluid secretion, patients present with cramping and explosive watery as well as bloody diarrhea that yields low-level or negative fecal leukocytes on stool testing. Because an overwhelming majority of cases of traveler’s diarrhea are due to ETEC, empiric treatment with a fluoroquinolone without bacteriologic identification of a causative organism is appropriate. Enteropathogenic E. coli is a frequent cause of childhood diarrhea lid causes watery diarrhea that is usually indistinguishable from viral infection. Enteroinvasive E. coli, which is rare in the United States, occasionally causes a dysentery-like syndrome with destruction and severe inflammation of the bowel mucosa and bloody diarrhea. More typically, the diarrhea is watery and self-limited, not requiring treatment. Enterohemorrhagic E. coli usually causes a hemorrhagic colitis without fever or significant inflammation and is associated with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and thrombocytopenic thrombotic purpura, particularly in pediatric patients. Serotype 0157:H7 is the most well known subtype. The organism is found in undercooked ground beef, and outbreaks have been linked to fast food chains, farms, and petting zoos. It is not identified with routine stool culture media; special cultures can identify the 0157:H7 subtype only. Treatment is not recommended because antibiotics do not appear helpful and may increase the incidence of complications such as HUS.*69/348/5*