Archive for February, 2010
Herbal Teas Are Natural Sleep Aids
Sunday, February 28th, 2010Many herbal teas are available in the market for sleep problems like insomnia. Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by chronic problems falling asleep, staying asleep or only sleeping for several hours and being wake unable to fall back to sleep. It is typically followed by functional impairment while awake.
It can be caused by another disorder, by changes in the sleep environment, by the timing of sleep, or by stress. Researchers do not know exactly why people need sleep, but we do know that lack of sleep can kill. Humans deprived of sleep for long periods begin hallucinating and develop other mental problems.
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is an herb that has been long used as a remedy for insomnia. Some studies suggest that like conventional sleeping pills, valerian may affect levels of the calming neurotransmitter GABA.
Valerian is not believed to be addictive or cause grogginess in the morning like many other sleep medications. But valerian doesn’t work for everyone. Side effects of valerian may include mild indigestion, headache, palpitations, and dizziness.
Kava is an anti-anxiety herb that may be helpful for anxiety-related insomnia. However, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an advisory to consumers about the potential risk of severe liver injury resulting from the use of dietary supplements containing kava. To date, there have been more than 25 reports of serious adverse effects from kava use in other countries, including four patients who required liver transplants.
Professional herbalists do not prescribe herbs simply to treat symptoms such as insomnia but aim to correct the imbalances within the body that cause those symptoms. For example, sedative herbs such as hops and valerian are used to relax the nervous system so that you enjoy natural, restorative sleep. Each herb contains a variety of active constituents and has a main action and several subsidiary actions which determine the conditions for which it is most appropriate.
Numerous plants have sedative action. Plants commonly prescribed as aids in promoting sleep include: passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), hops (Humulus lupulus), valerian (Valeriana officinalis), skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora), and chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla).
Unless otherwise specified, for insomnia, take one or two cupfuls of an infusion or decoction in the evening about 30-60 minutes before bedtime. Taking an additional cup on waking up at night is not bad practice. Where a remedy that will not make you drowsy is indicated for conditions associated with insomnia, you can take it three times a day.
There is also a tea made with favor mint, lemonbalm, chamomile, and some herbalist put in catnip.
Reduce the dosage of herbs taken by mouth by a quarter for children under five years old and by a half for children under twelve. Consulting a professional herbalist and the doctor before administering herbs to children is always a good idea.
How To Manage Sleep Apnea
Sunday, February 28th, 2010Normally during sleep, air moves in and out of the lungs as the upper airway (throat), chest muscles, and diaphragm move in a coordinated fashion. In a person with sleep apnea, air movement is periodically disrupted or reduced.
Sleep apnea is a serious condition that can affect a person’s ability to safely perform normal daily activities. It is thought that approximately 25 percent of adults are at risk for sleep apnea. Men are more commonly affected than women; other risk factors include middle and older age, being overweight or obese, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
The throat is surrounded by muscles that open and close the airway while speaking, swallowing, or breathing. If these throat muscles relax unnaturally during sleep or if the throat is unusually small, the airway may be narrowed. This can result in snoring and decreased air flow into and out of the lungs, which is called an obstructive hypopnea. Complete closure of the airway results in cessation of all air movement, and is called an obstructive apnea. A person can have hyperapneas as well as apneas when he sleeps.
Changes in blood oxygen and carbon dioxide levels occur when breathing is abnormal during sleep. Even if these levels change only slightly, the brain recognizes that there has been an interruption in normal breathing. The brain also recognizes when more work is required to get air into the lungs, as may occur when the throat is completely or partially blocked.
This causes partial awakening (arousal) from sleep. Even though a person may not sense anything , the brain may be partially awake. When these arousals occur, the throat muscles contract, the airway is reopened and normal breathing resumes. Often but not always, a loud snore or snort is associated with this. The person often goes back to sleep quickly, usually without being aware of the episode. Alternately, some patients with OSAH awaken suddenly and completely with a sensation of gasping, smothering, or choking.
Once sleep resumes, the throat muscles relax, the airway closes, and the pattern repeats itself. This cycle of abnormal breathing, disruption of sleep, resumption of sleep, and recurrence of abnormal breathing can occur many times throughout the night. In this way, OSAH can cause significant sleep disruption and deprivation as well as notable episodes of reduced blood oxygen levels. This is true even if the person is not aware of the frequent interruptions. In addition to poor quality sleep, OSAH may be associated with an increased risk of or worsening of common heart problems.
The primary symptoms of OSAH are severe daytime sleepiness and loud snoring. However, some people have no symptoms. For example, if the person does not have a bed partner, he or she may not be aware of the snoring. Sleepiness can also develop gradually over time to the point that the person accepts it as normal.
Other symptoms may include one or more of the following:
• Restless sleep
• Awakening with choking, gasping, or smothering
• Awakening with chest pain or discomfort
• Morning dry mouth or sore throat
Confused in the morning
• Morning headaches
• Personality change
• Memory impairment, difficulty concentrating
• Impotence
• Frequent awakenings to urinate
Surgery is generally reserved for patients who cannot tolerate or do not improve with non-surgical treatments such as CPAP or oral devices. Upper airways can get reshaped and jaw repositioned after some surgical procedures whic some patients find helpful. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures; it removes the uvula and excessive tissue in the throat, including the tonsils if present. Other surgical techniques include genioglossus advancement, maxillary-mandibular advancement, and radiofrequency ablation (RFA), alone or in combination. In general, it is hard to predict how effective a surgical treatment will be in reducing or eliminating sleep apnea. Thus, such treatments should be considered with caution.
Tracheostomy causes a permanent opening in the neck after the surgical procedure. It is reserved for patients with severe disease in whom less drastic measures have failed or are inappropriate. Although it is always successful in eliminating sleep apnea, tracheostomy requires significant lifestyle changes and carries some serious risks (eg, infection, bleeding, blockage).
Click in the link to get more information about sleep related problems and insomnia.
Know About Hair Loss Prevention Product
Sunday, February 28th, 2010Hair Loss Prevention Product: Does It Exist?
Of course there are various hair loss products for women and men on the market that will work to deal with your hair loss once it has already begun, but what about some hair loss prevention product ideas that are actually going to prevent your hair loss before it even starts? The idea of using a hair loss prevention product is one that obviously makes sense and now it is just a matter of finding the right hair loss prevention product for you.
Rogaine Can Be Used As A Hair Loss Prevention Product
Rogaine is already used for treating hair loss problems, but did you know that you can also take it to prevent hair loss? If your family is bearing hair loss problems from generations than you must start taking Rogaine from the beginning in order to prevent the problem before it even starts. You must not use any other medication except the recommend dosage.
Rogaine is a great choice for a hair loss prevention product, and this is a product that has been approved by the FDA for the treatment and prevention of hair loss. It is a topical ointment that is supposed to be rubbed into the scalp twice a day. As Rogaine is easy to use and efficient also so it is loved by all the users.
Loniten Is Also Good Hair Loss Prevention Product
There are also other great options that you have for a hair loss prevention product, such as the Loniten product which is similar to Rogaine but for which there are many differences as well. This product is a prescription pill and it was initially used to treat high blood pressure but was then found to treat hair loss problems as well.
You are going to have to talk to your doctor if you are interested in starting on any of these hair loss treatment products, because they are going to have to make sure that you are going with the right hair loss product and that you are not going to be putting yourself at any risk. As long as they think that everything checks out and that you are making the right decision, they will be able to write you out a prescription and you can go get the hair loss product.
At least you know that even if you have a severe hair loss problem, that there are things that you can do, ways to not only get your hair back but also prevent it from thinning and balding again in the future.
How To Build A Mini Wine Cellar
Sunday, February 28th, 2010Anyone passionate about wine usually starts to collect it and as their wine collection grows they must begin looking for a place to store a wine collection.
A cupboard can readily be converted into a mini wine cellar to store a growing wine collection.
Before you begin building your mini wine closet consider the position of the closet in relation to the rest of the house or apartment.
Try not to convert a closet against an outside wall into your new wine cellar. From season to season the other walls of your home may be subject to wide temperature fluctuations. If at all possible, choose an internal closet where the temperature is likely to remain more constant.
The speed and degree of any temperature changes are critical in successfully storing and aging wine. A gradual change of a few degrees between from winter to summer won’t matter. A similar change each day will certainly cause harm to your wines by ageing them too quickly.
The number one rule when you are storing wine is to avoid large temperature fluctuations. Damage of this type will be evident immediately from the stickiness that often forms around the capsule. Over time the continual expansion and contraction of the wine will damage the integrity of the cork. It’s just like having the cork removed and replaced every day. When this happens, minute quantities of wine may be pushed out along the edge of the cork (between the cork and the bottle neck) allowing air to seep back in. Once air has come in contact with the wine the irreversible process of oxidation starts and your wine will be ruined.
At 55ºF to 58ºF the wine will age slowly, enabling it to develop fully as intended by the winemaker. Higher temperatures will age wine more rapidly and cooler temperatures will slow down the ageing process. The damage done to your wine will be irreversible if it is stored at a temperature above 82ºF for even a month.
Maybe the hardest part of building a wine cellar closet is finding other locations to store what is already in the closet!! Do not hesitate now … remove all the present contents (move them elsewhere / give away / auction them) and start out with an empty closet!
Wine racks can be purchased quite inexpensively from a hardware store, online retailer or storage shop and you’ll have a simple but very effective mini wine cellar.
Wine rack designs vary in bottle density; price variations have more to do with aesthetics than efficiency.
Individual racks makes it easy to select bottles. If you place racks against only one wall of the closet you should still have space available on the floor or shelves to store wines purchased by the case … these wines should remain strored in their cartons.
Most Popular Way To Take Valerian As A Pill
Sunday, February 28th, 2010Are you looking for help in sleeping? Perhaps this article can provide you with some tips to cure insomnia.
A sleep disorder (somnipathy) is any disruption in the sleep patterns of an individual. While some sleep disorders may leave you feeling unrefreshed, a number of symptoms are more severe including excessive sleepiness, snor¬ing, difficulty falling asleep during normal sleeping hours and abnormal be¬haviors such as restless leg syndrome. There are even disorders that cause you to get too much sleep.
Sleep medicine has become a recognized medical subspecialty. Doctors who specialize in sleep medicine help people who are unable to sleep well. Sleep doctors are able to detect and treat both common and rare sleep disorders. Some common sleep disorders are insomnia, jet lag, sleepwalking, snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.
Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by chronic problems falling asleep, staying asleep or only sleeping for several hours and being wake unable to fall back to sleep. It is typically followed by functional impairment while awake.
It can be caused by another disorder, by changes in the sleep environment, by the timing of sleep, or by stress. Researchers have not found out why people need to sleep but we do know that lack of it can kill. Humans deprived of sleep for long periods begin hallucinating and develop other mental problems.
The best way to fall asleep is to have good sleep habits or to use natural sleep aids. These include reducing stress by using visualization or relaxation techniques, making lifestyle changes such as no-smoking, no caffeine, no daytime naps, or getting more light during the day. Other natural or best sleep aids are changing to a healthier diet and starting an exercise program. But, if after making these changes to try to reduce problems with sleep, and after visiting a doctor to make sure there are no medical reasons for the insomnia; then there are other sleep aids that a person can consider using.
Several herbs benefit people ailing with sleeping problems. One common herbal sleep aid is Valerian which has been recognized for years in Europe as being helpful with insomnia. It is sold in the United States as a dietary supplement. There is no agreement on how this sleep aid works, but studies have shown that it does help with insomnia, as well as stress. There are side effects that have been reported, so before taking this herbal aid, a person should discuss taking Valerian with a pharmacist, especially if they are taking any prescription medications. The root is the part that is used in herbal sleep aids, and side effects of headaches and night terror, have been reported. The oil of this root is reported to have the odor of cat urine, so the most popular way to take Valerian is as a pill, rather than a tea made from the liquid.
Melatonin is a sleep aid to help people fall asleep — especially people who suffer from the insomnia caused by shift work or jet lag.The effect of exposing serotonin to decrreased light at night is that melatonin hormone is found naturally in the body. It has side effects and most of the literature recommends it not being used by people with depression, schizophrenia, autoimmune diseases, or other serious illness. Pregnant and nursing women and children should also not use melatonin.
Other common over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids such as Sominex, or Nytol can also be tried by adults but, again, a person should discuss with a doctor before taking any of these sleep aids especially if the person suffers from and is being treated for depression, or other mental health problems as well as persons being treated for Parkinson’s disease. Most of the OTC sleep aids contain antihistamines which are known to cause some lingering side effects such as dry mouth, and excessive drowsiness.
There are many herbal teas for sleep presently on the market. But the best way to fall asleep is naturally with correction of bad sleep habits.There are natural sleep aids available in hundreds to help you reset your sleeping cycle.
