Warts

Just so you know warts are caused by a virus.

The best way to describe a wart: it is generally a small, rough tumor, typically on hands and feet, that can resemble a cauliflower or a solid blister. Some people seem to have more resistance to the virus, and are less like to get warts. Others are more susceptible, and may get them frequently.

Warts on the skin can be passed from person to person and from skin to skin contact, or from the using of the same towels or other objects that have touched the wart.

Genital warts are highly contagious, and may be passed from person to person when obvious symptoms aren’t necessarily present.

A range of different types of wart has been identified, varying in shape and site affected, as well as the type of human papillomavirus involved These include:

* common wart (Verruca vulgaris): a raised wart with roughened surface, most common on hands and knees
* flat wart (Verruca plana): a small, smooth flattened wart, tan or flesh coloured, which can occur in large numbers; most common on the face, neck, hands, wrists and knees
* filiform or digitate wart: a thread-or finger-like wart, most common on the face, especially near the eyelids and lips
* plantar wart (verruca, Verruca pedis): a hard sometimes painful lump, often with multiple black specks in the center; usually only found on pressure points on the soles of the feet
* mosaic wart: a group of tightly clustered plantar-type warts, commonly on the hands or soles of the feet
* genital wart (venereal wart, Condyloma acuminatum, Verruca acuminata).

If treatment is needed, options may include removal or medication designed to shrink the wart. The warts often regrow after the skin has headed.

There are of course a number of treatments that may be prescribed by a medical professional: Imiquimod, keratolysis, cryoscurgery, surgical curettage of the wart, laser treatment, Cantharidin.

There are also several over the counter options. The most common ones involve salicylic acid and silver nitrate.

Household remedy: duct tape occlusion therapy involves placing a pieces of duct tape over the affected area for a week at a time. It can be 85% effective.

Natural Skin Care

Natural skin care is the care of the skin (the largest organ of the body) using naturally-derived ingredients (such as herbs, roots, essential oils and flowers) combined with naturally occurring carrier agents, preservatives, surfactants, humectants and emulsifiers (everything from natural soap to oils to pure water).

The classic definition of natural skin care is based on using botanically sourced ingredients currently existing in or formed by nature, without the use of synthetic chemicals, and manufactured in such a way to preserve the integrity of the ingredients.

As a result of this definition, many people who use natural skin care products, generally make their own products at home from naturally occurring ingredients. It is believed that the Egyptians developed many natural skin care treatments for a variety of skin conditions. Some examples of natural skin care ingredients include jojoba, safflower oil, rose hip seed oil, shea butter, beeswax, witch hazel, aloe vera, tea tree oil, and chamomile.

Natural skin care goes beyond the application of products on one’s skin. This includes the belief that what is ingested will affects all aspects of health, including the health of skin. People who use natural skin care products are less concerned with artificial beauty enhancements, as they feel that natural beauty is healthy beauty.

Honey’s natural antioxidant and anti-microbial properties and ability to absorb and retain moisture have been recognised and used extensively in skin care treatments as they help to protect the skin from the damage of the sun’s rays and rejuvenate depleted skin.

A Good Night’s Sleep

Sleep is so important to all our us so we can maintain good health. We all need this time to chill out, relax and rest for the next day.

Staying healthy means getting plenty of exercise and eating a well-balanced diet. But getting enough sleep and being well-rested also are part of leading a overall healthy lifestyle.

Experts suggest changing you behavior in the hours leading up to bedtime to help you get a good night’s rest.

Do not have anything with caffeine after noon during the day

Avoid nicotine, alcohol and large meals near bedtime

Take a soothing shower or warm bath before bedtime

Sleep in a quiet, comfortable, dark and slightly cool room

Make sure your bedroom smells clean and fresh use some linen spray

Avoid taking naps during the day

Exercise in the morning or during the middle of the day

Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time in the morning

Practice deep-breathing techniques or mediation to relax yourself before you fall asleep

 

If you are not getting enough sleep or you are having difficulty sleeping, talk to your doctor.

Handle Stress Before It Handles You

Millions of people suffer from stress every day and Americans are most effected.

Stress make you feel generally frazzled, also may cause symptoms that affect us physically, mentally, emotionally and behaviorally. Simpson may include headaches, fatigue, anxiety, confusion, sadness, hopelessness, among others.

These are simple steps that may help you manage your stress level, start by changing your lifestyle habits:

• Decrease your caffeine intake
• Eat a well-balance diet
• Decrease your consumption of junk food
• Exercise regularly, at least 3 times a week
• Get adequate sleep every night.

You must change your stressful situations. Get help if you have trouble managing your time and money, practice assertiveness and evaluate your existing relationships-at work and at home-for potential trouble spots.

You must change your thinking. Try to be more positive, see problems as opportunities, and avoid negative thoughts.

Practice acceptance. Stop stressing about things that are out of your control.

Learn to relax,take mini breaks throughout the day. Site down, take a few deep breaths, and try to relax your muscles. Do this several times a day.

Slow down and allow plenty of time to get things done. Recognize that you an do only so much in a given period.

Talk to your friends because daily doses of conversation and regular social engagements can help reduce stress simply by being around others and having fun.

Are You Concerned about your Aging Parents?

Parents do get older, you can’t stop that, but you want to make sure that they are taking care of themselves and staying in good health.

Here are five issues to help you gauge whether your aging parents need assistance:

1. If your aging parents are losing weight without trying to, may be that is a sign that something is wrong. Weight loss could indicate a significant health problem in your aging parents.
2. Think in terms of safety; do you feel that your aging parents are safe in their home? Do they have difficulty navigating around the house and did they mention any recent falls or inquiries?
3. Pay attention to your parents’ appearance. Failure to keep up with daily routines, such as bathing and basic grooming, could indicate health problems. Make sure that they are taking care of themselves.
4. It is important to note your parents’ mood. Talk to your parents about their activities. Are they still involved and enjoying their social engagements? Are they in good spirits?
5. Make sure your parents are not having difficulty getting around, bathing, shopping, cooking etc. Health conditions such as joint problems and muscle weakness may make it difficult for your parents to get around. Pay attention to how your parents are walking, going up the stairs and getting up and down after sitting.

If you have concerns about your aging parents, talk to them. Together, you and your parents can come up with solutions to problems around the home. Take a more active role in the health care will help you be more aware of their health and safety issues.

As your parents age, their health care needs will change, and a geriatric physician may be able to offer more specific care dsigned around their needs. Geriatricians are primary care physicians who are board certified in either family practice or internal medicine and also have acquired the additional training necessary to obtain the certificate of added qualification in geriatric medicine. They focus on promoting health and preventing and treating disease and disability in later life.

How To Best Fight A Cold Or The Flu

More than one million colds happen in the United States alone every year, setting off a storm of sneezes, sniffles, aches and pains. The flu affects more then tens of millions of American with fever and fatigue every winter. You can take steps to prevent those dreaded viruses from knocking you out for several weeks.

You need to build up your immune defense all winter long, follow a plant-based diet, high in vitamin C (kiwi, citrus and broccoli, cabbage), drink lots of fluids (green tea, black tea). Become germ obsessed during the winter months or flu season. Get plenty of rest and relaxation because chronic stress and sleep deprivation are both known to wear down your immunity.

When a cold or flu strikes you, act fas t with natural remedies:

Echinacea: is the king of cold and flu remedies, it is recommended getting 3 grams of Echinacea daily when you’re sick, reducing the dose as you start to feel better. People with several allergies should be careful in taking echinacea. Echinacea can be purchased by pill form, liquid drop or tea bags.

Astragalus: Is a root that can be stirred into soups to bolster your immune system during the cold and flu season. As soon as you feel a cold coming on, taking 2 to 6 grams of astragalus in pill form daily.

Yin Chiao: is a formula that contains nine cold and flu countering herbs. Botanicals like licorice and peppermint are very helpful for colds and sore throat. Take 60 drops of the tincture in water every 2 or 3 hours for the first two or three days. It also comes in tablets, check the dosage on the box.

Garlic: Crushing up a clove, mixing it with olive oil and lemon juice, and putting it on your salad is something easy for people to do every day. When you’re sick, downing at least thee cloves of garlic daily will help keep the flu and cold away.

Elderberry: is used in jams and lemonades because of its sweetness. Elderberry is packed with quercetin. Elderbery helps activate the immune system. Sipping Elderberry tea can also soothe flue symptons

Andrographis: is a traditional Indian and Chinese medicine, this herb activates natural killer cells to fight against infection. When Andrographis is paired with Siberian ginseng, andrographis may attack the flu more effectively than some antiviral drugs.

Ginger:is a pungent root that has the ability to tame nausea but it can also act as an antihistamine and decongestant. Tossing some fresh, chopped giner into your stir fry or soups can lessen cold symptoms;as can making a strong cup of ginger tea.

Olive Lea Extract: Anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, olive leaf extract interacts with the protein in cold and flu virus particles to halt infections. I would recommend using liquid extract because it is so easy to use. You can put three to four drops in warm water, gargle, its great for sore throats.

Medicinal Mushrooms: Chinese and Japanese healers have understood the magic of mushrooms for centuries, using shiitake, reishi, maitake and others to both prevent and treat several ailments. There are many medicinal mushroom blends available in health food stores that can be taken to prevent illnesses.

Depression

Many people wonder “When does ‘feeling down’ cross the line into depression?”

It is believed that depression does cause low self-esteem and anxiety. Depression can also be a life-threatening illness when there is a risk of suicide. Depression is an illness in which factors such as genetics, chemical changes in the body and external events may play an important role.

Depression can leave you feeling helpless and out of control of your life, your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In considering whether you need help with depression, it might be useful to consider the following three dimensions: Frequency, Severity and Duration.

How often do you feel down or depressed? Other times, however, the reasons for our depression are not quite as clear; that is, there may not be just one “cause,” but a variety of contributing factors that accumulate over time and lead us to that feeling of being defeated, demoralized, hopeless, helpless, depressed.

There are actually a lot of things you can do about depression. So any changes you can make for the better, though they may not “fix” the depression or make it go away immediately, are definitely worth doing. So for instance, you may realize that relationship problems are a key contributor to your depression, and decide that assertiveness or communications training would really help remedy that situation.

You could start coping with depression by developing a more healthy, balanced diet. For more serious depressions, psychiatrists sometimes prescribe anti-depressant medications to help get the person back on track more quickly. Medications generally are not seen as substitutes for therapy, but work best together with therapy not only to relieve the depressive symptoms but to enhance the person’s understanding of the depression and expand his or her coping strategies for dealing with the conditions that led to depression in the first place.

Alcohol and drugs can make your depression worse. Taking birth control pills can also contribute to your depression Since depression can leave you feeling exhausted or helpless, getting support from others at this time is very important.

A psychiatrist is specially trained in the use of medication to treat depression. If you are experiencing this kind of depression, you may have been feeling sad, irritable, a downturn in your mood or depressed most of every day for weeks, if not months. These are all signs of a serious depression. People suffering from depression cannot merely expect to “pull themselves together” and get better. The diagnosis of depression is based on the recognition of certain characteristic signs and symptoms affecting your mood state, thinking patterns and physical well-being.

At present, there is no blood test that can confirm or eliminate the diagnosis of depression. However, there is always a chance that your depression may return once a medication is stopped. There are approximately 20 antidepressants currently available and approved for the treatment of depression. The goal of treatment is to effectively eliminate depression with a medication that produces minimal problems or adverse effects. Antidepressants are a relatively safe treatment option in otherwise healthy individuals being treated for depression. Treatment of depression is an ongoing process, with your doctor monitoring and “fine tuning” your medication, depending on how it is working for you.

There are many “natural” substances that you can use to treat depression. John’s Wort is often used for the treatment of depression. But you can also consider: Essential Fatty Acids, Flower essences and Homeopathy

Diet and exercise is very important because what you eat can affect your mood dramatically. Make sure to get weekly servings of Omega-3 rich foods. Avoid any thing with sugar contents,caffeine or any alcoholic drinks. Be disciplined about exercise especially aerobic activities as exercise is effective as antidepressants for major depression. All forms of movement can help such as, swimming, bicycling, yoga, long walks, dancing.

I strongly suggest you write in a journal even if it’s just a few words a day, to keep track of how you’re feeling both when you’re up and down.

This will help you tremendously in understanding what triggers your depression and help you find a way to deal with your problems. With the right tools it is possible to work through this problem.

Beauty Is In The Eyes

Readers question: ” I need some basic eye beauty tips”

You can learn a lot about a woman by looking at her eyes. Your eyes are the door to your soul. Your eyes will express love, joy, excitement, pain, sadness and a lot more but at the same time the eyes shows early signs of sun damage, stress, illness and aging.

The skin around the eyes is one of the thinnest you have on your face. There is only a small pad of underlying fat under your eyes that vanishes with age, and after that there is little to guard against wrinkles or disguise veins and damage around the eyes are readily visible.

The drug stores, department stores, specialty boutiques are packed with conventional treatments specific to the eye area. It is confusing and almost impossible to determine which product you should buys.

I personally think that the best solution is to take a holistic approach, natural inspired remedies supply you with a powerful arsenal. Restorative ingredients such as vitamins, antioxidants and essential oils extracted from herbs, teas and other plants can help mend this vulnerable area.

Here are some quick fixes and product suggestions to tackle: puffy eyes, dark circles, crow’s feet, crinkled eyelids and bags.

Puffy Eyes: Puffy eyes are caused by fluids pools around the eyes while you sleep and should drain during the day. Swelling may result from dilated blood vessels, allergies, or a diet that promotes water retention.

The main thing to do is to avoid heavy creams, drink a lot of water and limit salty foods and alcohol. Splash your face with cold water and pat dry with a soft towel when you first wake up. Follow with a cold compress of chilled tea bags or cucumber slices or cold potato slices or witch hazel soaked cotton balls, leave for 15 minutes. Rinse, dry and apply a lightweight eye gel (make sure you store in the refrigerator).

When you purchase an eye cream look for the following ingredients: Caffeine, cucumber extract, Allantoin, alpha-lipoic, Licorice, milk thistle and vitamin D. My favorite is White Tea Eye Gel.

Bags: With age, cells produce more free radicals, which break down collagen and elastin causing skin to lose elasticity and structure. The pad of fat, bulges outward, while fat below the eye shrinks. Water retention makes the problem worse. Eat vitamin C-rich foods to support collagens production. Tap the eye area lightly while moisturizing to help dissipate excess fluid. To reduce water retention, drink water, limit alcohol and get more rest. Place a slice of cucumber over each eye or chilled tea bags for 15 minutes. This will help tighten the skin and absorb the unwanted fluids.

When purchasing an eye cream look for the following ingredients: Tea, Vitamin C and E, cucumber, oatmeal, persimmon, witch hazel or yeast extract . My favorite is Organic Expressions Brighter Eye Creme.

Dark Circle: Nasal congestion widens surrounding veins, and related inflammation may lead to dark pigment deposits. Stress and poor diet can weaken blood vessels, which break, creating a bruise-like undertone. Fatigues strains the eyelid muscles and can make circles appear darker. Some dark circles are genetic. Eat foods rich in vitamin K and use a daily topical treatment with vitamin K as well. Try an get more downtime and sleep. Try “plumping Up” the in skin with a fast absorbing oil like Jojoba.

When purchasing a product for dark circles look for the following ingredients: Vitamin K, green tea, Vitamin C, grape seed and rose hip extract. My favorite is: Evening Primrose Eye Cream SPF6.

Crow’s Feet: Sun exposure and aging diminish skin’s elasticity; UV rays and pollution cause inflammation and cell damage. Always wear sunglasses to block harmful UV rays and keep you from squinting. Hydrate with a light oil like evening primrose or Vita E serum.

When purchasing a products look for the following ingredients: Antioxidant vitamins, A, C and E, Hyaluronic acid, Allantoin, Alpha lipoic acid, calendula, chamomile, licorice, milk thistle, tea or vitamin B. My favorite is: Aloe Vera Eye Cream.

Crinkled Eyelids: As you age your skin produces less amount of oil, so eyelids tend to become dry and fragile. Loss of elasticity and fat, plus thinning skin; compounds the problem and contributes to small folds in the lids. Eye shadows and cleansers dry the eyelids too. Use a light eye cream in the morning; tap the eye area gently under the cream is absorbed. Your cleansers should be gentle to the skin, don’t scrub hard to remove stubborn make up instead, gently wash the area again. Do not use powder based eye shadow. Use a cream eye shadow.

When purchasing a product for crinkled eyelids look for the following ingredients: Almond, apricot kernel, castor or grape seed oils. My favorite is: Daily Revitalizing Eye Cream.

Honey

Honey is a sweet and viscous fluid produced by honey bees, and derived from the nectar of flowers. Honey is laid down by bees as a food source.

A main effect of bees collecting nectar to make honey is pollination, which is crucial for flowering plants. In the hive the bees use their “honey stomachs” to ingest and regurgitate the nectar a number of times until it is partially digested.The worker bees raise larvae and collect the nectar that will become honey in the hive. After the final regurgitation, the honeycomb is left unsealed. Bees inside the hive fan their wings, creating a strong draft across the honeycomb which enhances evaporation of much of the water from the nectar.

Honeybees also release Nasonov pheromones at the entrance to the hive, which enables returning bees to return to the proper hive. Honey is a mixture of sugars and other compounds. Honey is mainly fructose and glucose.

Honey contains trace amounts of several vitamins, minerals: tiny amounts of several compounds thought to function as antioxidants, including chrysin, pinobanksin, vitamin C, catalase, and pinocembrin. Honey also contains tiny amounts of several compounds thought to function as antioxidants, including chrysin, pinobanksin, vitamin C, catalase, and pinocembrin.

Honey has also been used as a treatment for sore throats and coughs for centuries and according to recent research may in fact be more effective than most common medicines. Honey has been shown to be an effective treatment for some minor skin conditions because it has many medicinal uses because of its antiseptic and antibacterial properties. Honey when combined with lemon is often taken orally by pharyngitis and laryngitis sufferers, in order to soothe them. Topical use of honey may reduce odors, swelling an scarring when used to treat wound.

But some precautions should be taken due to the natural present of botulinum endospores in honey, children under one year of age should not be given honey. Older children and adults have developed digestive system and their system will generally destroy the spores found in honey.

Honey is used in cooking, baking, as a spread on breads, in beverages, skin treatment and is a substitute for sugar.

Honey has also become a term of endearment in most of the English speaking world it is used for loved other