Posts Tagged ‘mental health’

Migraine Headaches’ Causes

Sunday, May 9th, 2010

Headaches in any form are always very painful for the sufferer. However, some headaches, such as migraines, for example, can create even more problems than just a headache. These problems could be nausea, light sensitivity and a throbbing pain in the head. Sometimes the headache is felt on one side of the head, although at other times you can feel the pain on both sides of your head at the same time.

The real causes of migraine headaches has yet to be found, although there are a few theories why we experience migraine headaches. The most commonly held belief is that an alteration in the blood flow within the brain is one of the triggers that causes migraine headaches. Another theory about migraine headache is that maybe it could be caused by pain sensing chemicals called neuropeptides.

Many medical professionals think that neuropeptides ease the muscle that surrounds the cranial blood vessels. This relaxation causes the blood vessels to dilate. The relaxed blood vessels increase the flow of blood and other cranial fluid to the brain. This increase in fluids is thought to be the cause of migraine headaches.

These cranial fluids cause swelling, pain, sensitivity, tissue and blood vessel swelling during the time of migraine headaches. Some people think that the aura that is sometimes seen during a migraine headache is caused by the constriction of blood vessels that became dilated during the beginning phase of the migraine headache.

Another theory about the causes of migraine headaches has been linked to genetics and inheritance. These theories say that a child of migraine sufferers will have a 50% probability of getting migraine headaches too.

The chances of inheriting migraine headaches is even greater if both parents are sufferers from this painful type of headache. If both parents have frequent migraine headaches the chances of the child having migraine headache symptoms is about 70%.

However, even though some professionals think that inheritance plays a role in migraine headaches, the genes that are considered to be the causes of migraine headaches have not been identified or even isolated. When we begin to experience migraine headaches the only warning signs that we may expect to receive are a throbbing pain in the temple area and slight sickness.

As the symptoms of the migraine progresses, the pain becomes much more severe. Unfortunately, since the causes of migraine headaches have yet to be discovered and we don’t know what triggers these attacks, there are no medications to cure this type of headaches yet.

If you suffer from migraine or headaches, you should definitely go to our website on Stopping Headaches. Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.

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Zinc Deficiency Linked To Depression in Women

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

Did you know that almost thirty-three per cent of the world’s population has zinc deficiency? As a physician, I was amazed to make this discovery. Mood swings are the most common symptoms associated with this mineral deficiency.

Depression, anxiety and aggressive behavior are among the most common psychological symptoms that exist in the industrialized and developing world

There are many reasons for these mental health conditions, but nutrition is one that is often overlooked and holds great promise. Because of the nutrient depletion of key minerals in fruits and vegetables due to industrial farming procedures and the large percentage of fast foods most people consume, correcting vitamin and mineral deficiencies is key to improving mental and physical health.

Preceding research studies have shown a link between serotonin deficiency, a key brain chemical in depression.

Japanese researchers measured the impact zinc supplementation could have on mood, 30 young women and placed them randomly into 2 different groups-to receive either multivitamins and zinc plus multivitamins for ten weeks. The study participants were given 7 milligrams of zinc.

The multivitamins were given to prevent other vitamin deficiencies. They provided half of the recommended dietary allowances of vitamins A, D, B1, B2, B6, B12, folic acid and niacin by the Japanese government.

When the study ended, only the women taking zinc demonstrated reductions in depression and anger. Their zinc blood levels also increased significantly.

Interestingly, animal studies have found that only zinc deficient female animals experienced increased aggression. This new research appears to support the anger reducing impact in women proceeding zinc supplements noted the researchers, as well as the preceding research studies’ findings.

“Our results suggest that zinc supplementation may be effective in reducing anger and depression,” the researchers noted.

This study was reported in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. “Although our findings are preliminary and should be interpreted with caution, they may prompt further investigations to evaluate the relationship between zinc nutrition and mood states, in women.

Looking to find the best deal on anxiety and mental health, then visit www.howtogetwellfaster.com to find the best advice on holistic nutrition for you.

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Massage and Meditation reduce Chronic Pains

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

Working hard can bring many positive rewards in advancement through career options, which include promotions, and an increase in wages. Sometimes people work too hard forgetting to take a break or rest which can have a negative effect on people’s health.

Massage and meditation can do wonders in alleviating symptoms caused in which chronic pain is a problem. In this article you can learn how to use massage and meditation to your benefit.

What is chronic pain?

Chronic pain refers to the kind of pain that persists for a long period of time beyond the temporal course of natural healing. While most pains would go away after several days or weeks, chronic pain is more persistent. This is usually a part of a type of injury or disease.

What is meditation?

Meditation focuses on a single thought to soothe the mind, however Eastern styles of meditation use meditation to motivate the mind to cease thinking, thus they call it “non-thought”. Either way you meditate, meditation is the method to medicine that focuses on the form of thought.

What is massage?

The release of toxins in the body, the release of stress and tension, and the deep muscle relaxation are all benefits of massage . Massage is a therapeutic method that involves soft tissue manipulations and kneading that can be structured or unstructured, stationary or moving, tension, motion or vibration usually with the hands or with the use of supplementary tools like massage stones or massage oils.

How can massage and meditation help chronic pains?

Massage is often combined with mediation to eradicate stress in the body and mind. Massage is a great way to reduce muscle tension and calm the body. A reliable massage therapist can find problem spots in the body and work on them to relax the tissues and muscles and remove the pain. Meditation helps chronic pain by improving oxygen consumption, reduce stress caused by this kind of pain, and improve mood levels.

Moreover, meditation motivates focused attention and while this will not completely eradicate the pain itself, it helps a person pay attention and respond positively to pain sensations. A person who meditates can focus on other positive areas of thought to distract himself or herself from the pain he or she is feeling.

Consult a doctor and get advice on how often you are required to have massage therapy for your chronic pain. As for meditation, try finding a restful position that gives you the least amount of pain. While in that position, relax by taking slow deep breaths and relaxing your body and mind.

Trace the pain and learn to confine that pain in such a way that it will not affect your total being anymore. This process may be difficult especially for a beginner but with a professional guiding you, it would be easier to achieve the purpose of alleviating chronic pain symptoms with the use of meditation. Pay attention to the areas of the body that gives you pain. Listen to your thoughts, and discover the link between the thoughts and the pain.

Remember, massage and meditation will not completely eliminate the problem of chronic pain. Therefore, it is still better to consult a medical doctor about this condition. However, you may make use of massage and meditation to alleviate the symptoms, feel better about yourself, and distract yourself from the pain that this condition is giving you.

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Guidelines for Choosing a Program of Self Help for Panic Attacks

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

There is quite a lot of variety among programs of self help for panic attacks. Each has a different emphasis such as self help for panic attacks experienced by public speakers or self help for panic attacks while driving. Additionally, the format and media vary from a simple self help book to a full-scale online digital course.

Yet a good program will present information in more than one format. There is something to read, there are audios and videos, there are interactive assignments. A complete program of self help for panic attacks presents good content using more than one medium.

There are four main parts to consider when evaluating a program of self help for panic attacks. First is knowledge. Second is skill-building. Third is tools that support the skills. The fourth aspect is pacing or tailoring instructions. Good, solid information is one of the essential components for any program of self help for panic attacks. Training people to acquire a specific skill set in coordination with tools are indispensable. When a program has clear, meaningful tips for how to tailor the program to fit your own pace, then it allows for progress fueled by encouragement.

Let’s examine each of these one by one. A program of self help for panic attacks must contain a crystal clear presentation of the essential facts to know about panic and anxiety. If you are a circus trainer you don’t need to know everything about lions, but there are specific facts that you must know if you are going to tame a lion effectively and safely. It’s the same with getting the facts about panic attacks. The trick is to learn the essentials without getting bogged down with information that you really don’t need to know at the beginning.

While good information is important, one must have the skills to know what to do with that information. In learning how to tackle panic attacks it is essential to acquire simple skills such as how to monitor and quantify your anxiety level, how to relax specific areas of the body, how to recognize the phases of a panic attacks so that you can have good timing for using each skill. A program of self help for panic attacks must have a realistic, practical method to help people to acquire a new skill set.

Hand in hand with learning new skills, it is necessary to have tools that empower a person to use new skills effectively. A program of self help for panic attacks should strike a balance between providing enough tools to conquer panic attacks without overwhelming the learner.

One of the biggest challenges for people in a program of self help for panic attacks is sustaining motivation through the entire program. In order to sustain motivation you have to see positive, encouraging results as you move through the steps. To achieve this, a program of self help for panic attacks must be tailored to the individual pace of the learner. Why is this such a big deal?

Think about it. If the next step is just too frightening to consider, then it becomes more likely that you will give up and quit the program. On the other hand, if the next step is too easy then you won’t make enough progress to make it worth your time. Programs of self help for panic attacks work best if there is a straightforward way to adjust the pace as you go.

When you are reading the sales literature for various programs on the web, keep these four essentials in mind. It may save you time and grief as you choose a program of self help for panic attacks.

My own program of self help for panic attacks is an online, intensive course that can be completed in four weeks. The free audio course available at the same site is another way to explore this topic further.

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HIV Tips & Guide

Saturday, March 20th, 2010

HIV undoubtedly an acronym for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This type of virus is known as quite deadly due to the fact it creates the medical condition often known as AIDS or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Within the time of 1985, this virus has been discovered.

After additional examination of the virus, it had been determined that it could be successfully transported by one particular man or women to another from the exchange or transmission of body fluids that are part of our bodies. Effortlessly, the body fluids from a minimum of one human being must be infected with HIV so as to transmit the virus to different man or women.

There are several distinctive body liquids that can transmit HIV from just one individual to the next. These include bloodstream from any part of the bodies cells, sperm from men, secretions from the vagina in adult females, and even milk that could be provided from the breasts. Everyone can become afflicted by these liquids in a number of different ways.

Despite the fact that by far the most frequent means of transmission is sexual contact, several may obtain the virus though the means of a transfusion of blood, or even by sharing needles which inject drugs and/or illicit street drugs on the body by man or woman who is infected. Young children which are born to contaminated females could possibly acquire this virus over the birthing process. It is . undeniable the fact that if a child feeds from the breasts of the infected mom, they will acquire HIV.

HIV is considered for destroying the immune system of the body in several different ways. Obviously, as the body is suppressed, the actual normal defenses of the body turn into drained as well as totally nonexistent.

HIV maintain a pool of capability in spreading simply by attaching by themselves to what is known as “CD4 Cells”. Once attached, the virus literally inserts this particular cell with specific proteins that will establish it has the chemical substance makeup. This process carries on as well as the virus spreads rapidly. Within the final phases with the virus, AIDS grows.

Angela Johnson comes from CA. She began writing about HIV/AIDS several years ago. You may want to check out her other guide on hiv status tips, and hiv treatment guide!

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