For optimum health, your body requires regularity—and no part of your body needs this life-sustaining quality more than your heart. When your heart loses its ability to beat in a controlled, predictable way, it’s life-altering. Unfortunately, it can also be life-ending. Some 300,000 heart-related deaths are linked to the condition each year.
Any change from your heartbeat’s normal rhythm is technically considered cardiac arrhythmia. It begins without warning, with a disturbance in the electrical impulses that manage the heart’s pumping sequence. The heart reacts like a musician who realizes he’s off beat. He either speeds up, slows down, or stops altogether before comfortably finding his way back to the correct place in the music. Many people with arrhythmia feel their hearts race and thump wildly inside their chests, or slow down and then stop as they literally skip a beat!
The risk of arrhythmia rises as you—and your cardiovascular system—age, and the condition becomes more common as people enter their 50s. The problem is further heightened if you’ve started to develop coronary artery disease or another heart disease process such as heart valve dysfunction. In fact, many of the arrhythmia patients I’ve treated came to me with symptoms that people commonly write off as part of aging. I’ve heard many say, “I can’t do what I used to,” “I get tired and winded easily,” and “I have to rest a lot.”
Do You Have Arrhythmia?
A lot of people confuse occasional heart palpitations with arrhythmia. Heart palpitations are not arrhythmia. It’s true that you may feel fluttering or racing in your chest with both conditions, and it’s true that palpitations fit the technical definition of arrhythmia. However, doctors distinguish palpitations from arrhythmia based on severity and duration. Palpitations are generally momentary and minor in scope. They self-correct and disappear, whereas most arrhythmias do not subside without some type of prescription or natural treatment.
Arrhythmias are more persistent, and they may be brought on by lifestyle factors (such as alcohol, drugs, caffeine, smoking, cold medicines, emotional upsets, menopausal changes, and stress) or more serious conditions (such as heart disease, autoimmune diseases, diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, thyroid dysfunction, and drug reactions). Symptoms include rapid thumping, strange chest sensations, frequent fatigue, light-headedness, dizziness, fainting, chest pain, waking up worried, heavy legs, and slower movement.
To know definitively whether you have arrhythmia—as well as what type it is, what risk factors it carries, and what treatments are advised, if any—I urge you to be evaluated by a cardiologist. Your doctor will likely use an EKG (electrocardiogram) to tell you whether you have a regularly irregular beat or an irregularly irregular beat. Regular irregularity has a better prognosis than irregular irregularity. The unpredictability of irregular irregularity is potentially more damaging and warrants immediate attention. Serious irregularities can lead to poor pumping action and reduced blood flow (ischemia), which means less oxygen and nutrients are available to the heart. The result is a greater risk of sudden death.
Treatment options vary widely according to the cause and type of your arrhythmia, its severity, the degree to which it limits normal day-to-day activities, and your age and overall health. The more compromised your cardiovascular system, the more urgently you may need to first use conventional options such as drugs, radiation ablation, or an implantable device. But no single therapy (drugs or otherwise) is guaranteed.
When to Use Natural Therapies
In non–life-threatening arrhythmias, natural therapies make sense for getting more oxygen to the heart, helping it use energy more efficiently, and improving its overall pumping action.
I’ve treated patients, including my father, with familiar nutrients that are well studied for heart health: CoQ10, magnesium, potassium, and taurine. In my father’s case, he grew stronger, but there was no change in his EKG until I added acupuncture and spinal manipulation. Then, instantly, he attained normal cardiac rhythm and felt great! But his heart flipped back into atrial fibrillation, sometimes in hours and sometimes in days. This sequence of events happened more than once and was both disappointing and fraught with risk. Coming in and out of rhythm is dangerous because clots can be released and go to the lungs or cause a stroke. Eventually, an integration of natural and conventional medical approaches resulted in my dad having many more years of a completely normal, enjoyable life.
Heart-Healing Herbs
Many herbs, including horehound, Scotch Broom, and valerian, have anti-arrhythmic properties. However, there are two botanical extracts that are “under the radar” and are stand-out choices for battling arrhythmia.
Cordyceps: The Asian Adapter
A very effective but relatively unknown option from Nature is a rare Tibetan treasure that, in Chinese medicine, is called the “winter worm, summer plant.” It’s also known as caterpillar fungus, or as Cordyceps, a type of medicinal mushroom that was once one of the most legendary healing substances in China.
Cordyceps sinensis is one of your best bets for getting your arrhythmia under control. It has two critical functions. One is its ability to stabilize heart rhythm (demonstrated in both traditional and modern clinical settings). How it works is only partly understood, but it contains a significant quantity of adenosine and related nucleotides and nucleosides—which are known to have broad-spectrum effects on both coronary and cerebral circulation.
In one small clinical trial, elderly patients with chronic arrhythmias from heart disease were treated with cordyceps for three months. The study results confirmed that Cordyceps was an effective treatment for both tachyarrhythmias (fast heartbeat) and bradyarrhythmias (slow heartbeat)—evidence of a strong adaptogenic effect. Plus, the majority of those folks with superventricular arrhythmias and ventricular arrhythmias regained complete or partial control. Secondly, cordyceps promotes enhanced oxygen use, which is no small matter for an oxygen-deprived heart.
Because cordyceps grows high in the Himalayas where there is little atmosphere, it’s a master at using oxygen efficiently—and it apparently helps us do the same thing. It’s been used to treat altitude sickness and respiratory distress disorders such as asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Several animal studies confirm that the herb can help us use oxygen up to three times more efficiently.
When used in conjunction with conventional drugs prescribed for long-standing heart failure, cordyceps improves cardiac functioning and offsets the energy-sapping side effects of some cardiovascular drugs. This is reflected in improved mental health, libido, and physical capacity. Cordyceps also has extremely low toxicity and no known contraindications when used with conventional drugs.
Because cordyceps has always been extremely rare and prohibitively expensive (with many products either contaminated or diluted with fillers), I highly recommend you buy from only one source—Aloha Medicinals. This company continues to research the species of cordyceps in its native habitat in the mountains of Tibet, as well as successfully grow the most potent strain available under strict laboratory and organic standards.
Strike Gold with Berberine
You’ve probably heard about the herb goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) because of its cold-fighting power. Animal studies have shown that one of its active compounds, berberine, is also an effective way to decrease ventricular arrhythmias caused by a lack of oxygen. Berberine has also proven effective for folks with ventricular tachycardia arrhythmias, where more than 60 percent of people had at least a 50 percent suppression of premature ventricular contractions—with almost 40 percent having a suppression rate of 90 percent or higher. For cases of intractable congestive heart failure, berberine supports better blood flow, along with much better heart performance. One study showed that ejection volume was improved more than 50 percent.
Natural Arrhythmia Rescue Plan
The following natural therapies have been effectively used to control arrhythmia. There’s no need to choose just one—in fact, the more of them you take, the more likely it is that you’ll succeed in keeping your heartbeat regular!

• Cordyceps. If I had to choose just one supplement for arrhythmia, I would choose cordyceps, hands down. Use Aloha Medicinals organic Cordyceps sinesis capsules, 525 mg each. Take two capsules three times a day between meals for three months, then re-evaluate your needs. The longer you take it, the better the results. Call 831-426-2059 or visit www.alohamedicinals.com.
• Berberine. Although this alkaloid is found in many herbs, including phellodendron, Oregon grape root, barberry, and turmeric, you must take the extract. It may help prevent arrhythmias by preventing myocardial damage. Take 200 mg 2–3 times a day. I like the capsules from Vital Nutrients. Call 888-328-9992 or visitwww.vitalnutrients.net.
• CoQ10 (ubiquinol). CoQ10 has a natural antiarrhythmic influence and creates stronger heart contraction. Take 50–150 mg three times a day.
• Taurine. As the most abundant free amino acid in the heart, taurine influences enzymes involved in heart muscle contractions. It appears to play multiple roles in preventing arrhythmias, controlling tissue excitability, and preserving potassium levels. Take 500–1,000 mg three times a day. Buy it from Jarrow Formulas at 800-726-0886 or www.jarrow.com. Foods high in taurine include meat and fresh fish.
• Magnesium. Take 200–400 mg of fully-reacted magnesium glysinate/lysinate two times a day with food. Magnesium-rich foods include legumes (beans), artichokes, almonds, cashews, unmilled grains, seaweeds, spinach, and tomato paste.
• Potassium.Take two 99 mg capsules three times per day. (Note: Due to federal regulations, higher amounts of potassium in products are considered drugs. See your doctor for a prescription consult.) Also, cut back on refined salt (use sea salt when you have it) and eat potassium-rich foods such as sweet potatoes, dried apricots, tomato paste, beet greens, potatoes, avocados, soybeans, spinach, squash, bananas, and carrot and prune juice. More fruits and vegetables can make a big electrolyte difference to your heart health.

Your heart is the drumbeat of your life. Keeping it strong and regular is paramount. Get tested and find out what type of arrhythmia you have. Once your arrhythmia has been stabilized, it’s best to continue supporting and strengthening your cardiovascular system with a smart selection of herbs, foods, nutrients, fitness, and a stress-management plan. What you do regularly is your best rhythm insurance.

Just as humans experience an assortment of allergies, many pets, such as a dog may experience an allergy as well. It is agreed among professionals that specialize in the health of dogs, that there are at least five specific allergy types that a dog may experience in their lifetime. Common types of allergies in dogs include food allergy, reactions to fleas, and various forms of bacteria. A dog may also experience allergies that are related to inhaling certain irritants. Then, there are many dogs that may even suffer from allergies related to coming in contact with certain materials such as plastic, certain types of plants, and even grass.

When a dog experiences an allergy, they may display an assortment of symptoms. One of the first signs that a dog owner may recognize is that their pet seems to be scratching a lot. When an allergy occurs, it is quite common for the dog to experience a period of time in which their skin becomes extremely itchy. The next symptom that is often recognized by dog owners when their pet is experiencing an allergy is hair loss. The hair loss may be localized to one spot on the body, or it may occur in patches over the entire body.

As you can see, the skin of a dog usually becomes quite sensitive when an allergy is experienced. Many pet owners will see their dogs licking their paws quite often when an allergy is occurring. This is a natural method that the dog uses in order to soothe the symptoms and discomfort of the allergy that they are experiencing. You may notice that your pet is starting to experience redness, swelling, and rashes on the surface of their skin when they are allergic to something. These symptoms are quite common.

If a pet owner suspects that their dog is experiencing an allergy, the first thing that they should do is research the diet of the dog. There are many ingredients that are used in various types of dog foods that may cause reactions in the pet. Most of these ingredients are included in generic or cheap versions of dog foods. Just as many humans ingest toxins as a result of the way that particular foods are grown or processed, dogs suffer from allergies as a result of foods that are processed and created cheaply in order to sell the product at a discounted price.

The digestive system of the dog is sensitive. It requires key ingredients and nutrients in order to function appropriately. When selecting food for your pet, it is important to select premium foods that are loaded with “real” ingredients that can provide the highest level of nutritional value possible. It is vital to avoid foods that contain products such as wheat and soy. If a dog experiences an allergy associated with generic and/or processed ingredients, they may suffer from some very uncomfortable symptoms.

Apart from skin irritation and discomfort, an allergy related to poorly created food products can cause serious symptoms in a dog. These symptoms include severe vomiting, an increased amount of bowel movements each day that may become painful, and diarrhea, itching in the area of the anus, dehydration, and even seizures. Problems with the ears, such as infection and inflammation, are another common and uncomfortable symptom associated with food allergies in dogs.

If you are a pet owner, there are numerous ways that you can help to prevent allergies in dogs. It is important to ensure that you provide your animal with only the highest quality in foods. A dog should receive food that contains ingredients that are not processed. Having a diet with a high amount of nutrients, vitamins, and important minerals will help to allow your pet to remain healthy.

Certain test can be done at your vet’s office or you may have to go to a specialist. From there, numerous tests can be performed to find the exact issue. Some tests will show certain ingredients in food, ingredients in cleaning products, or dust etc. It may be a process to weed out the exact cause but will be worth it in the long run for the comfort of your pet and your sanity.

There are many people who suffer from nut allergies, both children and adults. While some people only suffer with a mild rash or a bit of facial swelling, there are others who have immune systems that overreact severely not only to nuts, but to any food that they may be allergic to. Symptoms can begin within minutes of consuming an offending food or within hours. Whether symptoms that present themselves are mild or life threatening, the amount of people with nut allergies continues to increase across the country.

Nut allergies are present when the body over reacts to something that is harmless to others that are not allergic to nuts. When a person comes in contact with something that they are allergic to, the cells in the body release histamine. This makes the tiny blood vessels in the tissues of the body leak fluids, causing them to swell. Depending on the severity of the nut allergies, the swelling can affect only the lips a little bit or the entire airway of a person, sometimes sending them into cardiac arrest.

There is no cure for nut allergies, and the only way to avoid reactions is to avoid the offending nuts. If someone who has nut allergies does come into contact with them and a reaction starts, treating it quickly will help minimize the potentially serious risks to the person. If the person has a severe allergic reaction, if it is available, they should be given an adrenaline injection right away, and 911 should be called. Other than peanuts, some of the most common nuts that can cause a nut allergy are hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts, and pistachios.

With nut allergies, when a person comes into contact with nuts for the first time in their lives, the immune system reacts and prepares to fight. In this initial meeting with nuts, there is no reaction! It is during the second exposure to nuts that we see a reaction. Children usually already have come in contact with nuts through the mother while still in the womb or from breast milk as infants. The sensitivity that people have to nuts varies greatly; while one person can handle and be near nuts and have no reaction, others cannot even get the nut oils on their hands without going into anaphylactic shock. Difficulty breathing, swelling of the lips, face, and hands, rashes, sweating, and dizziness are some of the most common symptoms of nut allergies.

Many people who develop asthma as adults had breathing problems as children. Asthma is a breathing problem that can start at any age. There are also people who have asthma as children and it goes away as they grow older. It may come back later in life. Some people get asthma for the first time when they are older.

Asthma is a breathing problem that makes it more difficult for you to get air in and out of your lungs. When a person has asthma, the breathing tubes are sensitive. This extra sensitivity triggers reactions to smoke, pollen, dust, air pollution, and allergies. The breathing tubes may tighten, become inflamed and swell. When the breathing tubes react or get inflamed, they become narrow and this makes it harder for you to breathe fresh air in and stale air out.

In older people, it is sometimes difficult for the doctor to determine whether the problem is asthma or another lung disease or heart disease. Other lung diseases, particularly in people who smoke, which cause similar problems, are:

• Bronchitis
• Emphysema

The most common symptoms of asthma are:

• A wheezing sound when you breathe, sometimes only when you have a cold.
• Cough: You may cough up mucus; the cough is present often and may last more than a week.
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing only now and then, or you may have problems often. The feeling is as if you can’t get enough air into your lungs.
• Tightness in the chest may occur in cold weather or during exercise.
• Chest tightness may be one of the first signs that your asthma is getting worse.

Asthma is a serious and continuing health problem. There is good news for those who suffer with asthma. It can be treated successfully. People with asthma can live normal, productive lives with regular medical care from an experienced doctor. Without proper treatment, however, asthma can be extremely dangerous and even fatal.

Scientists are unsure why some people have asthma and others do not. The tendency to have asthma may be inherited. Other factors may also be involved. Those factors may include:

• Smoking cigarettes, cigars, pipes or anything else increases the risk of developing asthma symptoms. Secondary smoke increases the risk of asthma for children or anyone around the secondary smoke. It is wise to avoid smoke and people who smoke.

• Asthma can run in families. It may be more common in certain Hispanic people, such as those who come from Puerto Rico.

• Having a blood relative such as a father, mother, sister, brother, son, or daughter with asthma creates a higher risk of getting asthma.

• People who are allergic to pollen, pets, or dust are at higher risk of developing asthma.

• Some medications such as those to treat heart disease and high blood pressure may cause asthma symptoms or make asthma worse. Be sure your doctor and pharmacist know all the medications you are taking. Keep an up-to-date list of all medications you use, both prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines.

Source: American Lung Association

Disclaimer: *This article is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any kind of a health problem. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Always consult with your health care provider about any kind of a health problem and especially before beginning any kind of an exercise routine.

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.

© 2007 Connie Limon All Rights Reserved

It has been estimated that by the year 2020 senility and Alzheimer's disease will affect 14 million Americans. With the birth of the baby boomers, and with advancement of medicine within the last 100 years, we will soon have a large portion of our population in the senior citizens age group. Living to a ripe old age is now quite common so now we need to focus on the quality of life.

What good is living to be over 100 years of age if we have lost our minds at 65? Becoming a nation of caregivers for the elderly would not benefit society or the government. Our brain, like any other organ in our body, needs to get proper nourishment, have toxins removed, exercised, and get the proper amount of rest in order to function properly. Some herbs have shown the ability in helping prevent and in some cases treat or even reverse memory loss.

Chief of the US Dept of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University stated, because the brain consumes and processes so much oxygen, it produces a lot of free radicals, and is most susceptible to oxidative damage. Free radicals are created during the normal process of metabolism; cells produce unstable oxygen molecules that damage cells. Almost all of the anti-aging products on the market promote the anti-oxidant quality of their product.

Ginkgo.

Ginkgo is also called the duck foot tree and was found in China during the late 18th century. A French study conducted in the 1980s showed that women taking 600 mg of Ginkgo a day showed short-term memory improvement. It is also believed to improve circulation, and helps with sight and hearing loss. Ginkgo is also a blood thinner and anyone taking blood thinners or aspirin should consult with their doctor prior to starting any treatment that uses Ginkgo.

Lycium or Lycii Berries.

The Chinese Herbalists have used lyceum berries, also known as Chinese Wolfberry, since the 1st century AD for improving the circulation, removing toxins from your liver and kidneys. Lycium berries are also rich in antioxidants, which can neutralize free radical by pairing up or binding with the free radical elections thus inhibiting them from damaging cells in the human body. They are also used to treat dizziness, ringing in the ears, blurred vision. The root of the Lycium plant is used to relieve cough, wheezing, high blood pressure, and reduce fever.

Blueberry and Blackberries.

Blueberries and Blackberries contain a large quantity of antioxidants, which may help reduce the effect age related memory problems. They contain a chemical called anthocyanins which are very powerful antioxidants.

Hawthorn.

Hawthorn has an high concentration of anti-oxidants and can help remove toxins in the brain and can strengthens the blood vessels which helps get oxygen and nutrients transported to the brain.

Shilajit.

Shilajit is a powerful antioxidant that is one of the few chemicals that can cross the blood-brain barrier. It has been used for over 3,000 years and has is also called the Destroyer Of Weakness. Shilajit improves memory and the ability to handle stress. Shilajit is found in the Himalayan mountains and has been used by the local residents for centuries. It is not unusually for the people living in that region to live to be over 100 years of age.

Periwinkle.

Periwinkle helps to improve mental activity by increasing the blood flow to the brain.

Rutin.

Studies have shown that Rutin inhibited the oxidative damage in human red blood cells.

Rosemary.

Rosemary stimulated blood circulation and the nervous system and enhances memory and concentration. The ancient Greeks called it the Herb of Memory and they wore a stalk in their hair to increase memory.

Fish Oil.

Fish oil contains omega 3 and fatty acids, which have been shown to stimulate the brain and increase memory and mental awareness.

If you just feel that you need vitamins, supplements or herbs to fight the aging process then find a good health care professional prior to starting any type of home treatment.

Always consult your doctor before using this information.

This Article is nutritional in nature and is not to be construed as medical advice.

Theres nothing more frightening for new parents than the thought that their child may be sick. While most parents do well keeping their child away from common cold and flu germs, not everyone takes into account the affect household allergens may have on a newborn. Common respiratory symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, coughing and difficulty breathing are often examples of allergic rhinitis, or respiratory allergies, and are caused by a simple factor in the childs environment. Dust mites, pet dander, mold, pollen young children can develop allergies to a number of everyday things. Luckily, removing allergens and thus preventing or reducing allergic reactions can be a very easy process. The most important part of the process, though, is knowing what youre up against.

It is important to understand what respiratory allergens are if you expect to protect your child from them. An allergy is an immune reaction to an irritable substance in the childs environment. The childs body views these irritants as dangerous and releases chemicals, such as histamines, that cause uncomfortable and potentially harmful symptoms. While a child may eventually develop immunity to these irritants, untreated or ignored allergic symptoms can lead to such respiratory problems as asthma and emphysema.

The most common allergens are dust mites, animal dander and molds. Dust mites are microscopic organisms that live in carpets and fabrics and feed on dead flakes of human and animal skin. Children can develop respiratory allergies from inhaling accumulated mites in areas that arent cleaned properly or regularly. Bedding, clothing and comforters should be washed in hot water at least once a week. For additional protection, cribs and beds should be covered with an impermeable mattress encasement. These covers act as a barrier between your baby and allergy-causing dust mites. It is also important to vacuum and dust weekly; a vacuum cleaner with a high efficiency particulate arresting (HEPA) filter helps trap particles normal dusting and vacuuming can miss. It is also important to clean or replace heating ducts, furnace and air conditioning filters whenever theyre in use.

Stuffed animals and plush toys can also be a haven for dust mites. Make sure you wash your childs favorite plush toys as often as you would his or her bedding and clothing.

Pet dander is another common household allergen. Unfortunately, the only sure-fire way to protect your child from dander is to give the animal away. This can often be a very difficult and heartbreaking decision, but if your childs allergic reaction is severe it may be the only option. If your child has only a mild allergy you might consider simply keeping the animal well-groomed, shampooed, off furniture and out of the childs room.

Mold is a versatile and particularly irksome allergen. Molds can grow in closets, attics, cellars, planters, refrigerators, showers, garbage cans, mattresses, carpets just about any warm, moist area in the house. Mold allergies are caused by the spores the mold uses to reproduce. These spores can cause significant health problems. The best way to prevent mold growth is to keep the air in troublesome areas of your home dry. A dehumidifier can help keep air dry in the winter, while a good air conditioner can achieve the same effect in the summer. Keeping high-risk areas clean is also importantuse mold-inhibiting disinfectants such as bleach or tea tree oil and water.

Of course, any respiratory symptoms should be checked by your childs physician. Most doctors wont prescribe allergy medication to newborns, especially children younger than six months, but they may have treatment options that better fit your childs specific allergy problem.

Its fairly easy to determine whether your child is going to have a tendency to be allergic. Allergic tendencies are inherited, though specific allergies are not. If either you or your mate is allergic to cats, for instance, your child will have a fifty percent chance of developing some sort of allergy as well, though not necessarily to cats. Allergies also take a while to develop. Newborns may not show symptoms of allergic reactions for a few months; then, suddenly, the childs exposure level to mites, mold or dander will reach its threshold and the child will start to develop symptoms.

Newborn allergies can be a scary experience for parents, especially if you are unprepared for them. The best way to help treat allergies is to prevent them before your child is even home from the hospital. Thoroughly clean and disinfect any areas the newborn will occupy, invest in proper ventilation and vacuum symptoms, and keep clothes and bedding washed regularly and protected with impermeable covers. Taking care of a newborn can bring about a number of unforeseen obstacles, but with proper preparation, common household allergens dont need to be one of them.

~Ben Anton, 2008

Cough is not a disease actually; it is a symptom of any kind of obstruction in the respiratory tract. Coughs can originate in the pharynx, bronchial tubes, trachea and the pleura lining of the lungs. In Ayurveda, coughing is known as Kaasa roga. It is predominantly an effect of the vitiation of the vata dosha. But the pitta and the kapha doshas can also cause coughs. Based on the causative factor, there are five types of coughs vataja, pittaja, kaphaja, kshataja and kshayaja.

Symptoms of Cough:

The symptoms of a chronic cough can be hard to assess, because many causes of chronic cough have overlapping signs and symptoms. Infact, a cough is an annoying symptom that can have many causes.

However, some common cough symptoms include

1) Shortness of breath, as well as coughing up pink, frothy mucus maybe the cause is fluid retention in lungs

2) Cough produces clear pale yellow mucus due to viral infection, such as cold

3) Cough produces yellow or greenish mucus cause may be chronic bronchitis or pneumonia.

4) If cough is associated with wheezing and shortness of breath reason could be asthma.

5) Fever, chills and night sweats along with chest pain when you cough the cause may be tuberculosis

6) If lung cancer or a cancer of the air passages is present, one may cough up blood. Other symptoms that may point towards a cancer include increasing fatigue, loss of appetite, unexplained loss of weight, or decreased ability to swallow solid or liquid foods.

Causes of Cough:

Coughs caused by the common cold, or flu, generally clear up after a small number of days.

Smoking
Asthma
Allergies
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)

Treatment of Cough:

1) Bay Berry (Myrica nagi) The bay berry is very effective in curing throat congestions which causes the coughs.

2) Belleric Myroblan (Terminalia belerica) The fruit of the belleric myroblan has excellent curative powers in the treatment of coughs caused due to catarrh.

3) Betel (Piper betle) Betel leaves when crushed, made into paste with water and applied externally on the chest have amazing effects in the treatment of coughs.

4) Butea (Butea monosperma) Butea leaves can treat congested and inflamed throats.

5) Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) Cloves can reduce the irritation of the throat. Cloves are more effective if the coughs are produced due to inflammation of the pharynx.

6) Aniseed is another useful remedy for a hard dry cough with complex expectoration. It shatters up the mucus. A tea made from this spice should be taken habitually for treating this state.

7) Mix equal parts of ginger juice and honey and have it 2-3 times in a day which is fine for cough

Take 1 tsp of fresh radish juice and mix with an equal amount of honey and some rock salt.

9) Apple cider vinegar Sprinkle apple cider vinegar on your pillowcase before bedtime.

10) Drink hot milk with honey at bedtime for cough relief.

11) Add a gram of turmeric powder to a teaspoon of honey for curing dry cough.

12) Mix 8 - 10 tablespoon of coconut milk with 1 tablespoon poppy seed (powdered) and 1 tablespoon of pure honey. Take this every night before going to bed. This remedy is very good Home Remedy for Cough.

Contrary to what your folks usually think, and from what you may have heard while growing up, aspirin sensitivity is not an allergy. Though, the effects and symptoms of the case can be somehow depicting and similar to those of allergies, aspirin sensitivity is not and will never be a true allergy.

Though, aspirin sensitivity may result in adverse and similar to allergy type of reactions in affected persons.

Usually, reported cases of aspirin sensitivity are linked to those who contract moderate to almost severe form of asthma and also to chronic sinusitis.

Severity of asthma raises the susceptibility of one person to the disease. Advancing age or simply put, aging, also is a great factor that leads to aspirin sensitivity.

Take note that according to a modern study in the medicine discipline, nine out of ten, or 90%, of people who are diagnosed or described as aspirin sensitive are at the same time sensitive or manifest adverse reaction to allergy-causing drugs, foods and inhalants.

A brief history of aspirin sensitivity

Aspirin is one of the most common over-the-counter drug that is taken by people with mild fever, body aches and other mild ailments. Nowadays, aspirin tablets are also taken as a preventive drug against heart attacks or strokes.

But did you know that aspirin simultaneously originated from Egypt, Assyria and Greece. In those ancient civilizations, aspirin was in the form of a white willow bark that was then used to treat fever and pain.

The ancient Greeks, Assyrians and Egyptians also used that white willow bark, now identified as aspirin, to treat sore muscles, chills, rheumatism and headaches. The native American tribes also had the knowledge of such practices.

In 1828, salicin which was an active and stand out ingredient or chemical from the willow bark was isolated. Ten years after, in 1838, salicylic acid was first produced from hydrolysis and oxidation of salicin. In 1893, the first modern form of aspirin was produced.

The drug company Bayer secured the rights to the aspirin official trade mark and name on March 6, 1899. The rest, as they say, is a common and prolonged history.

Symptoms and Treatment

Because aspirin is so widely used today, it is somehow surprising that the drug produces sensitivity to certain people. Aspirin sensitivity almost always show up or manifest as rhinitis or what we call nasal congestion.

Aspirin sensitivity can also be mistaken for asthma or hives because the symptoms and signs of ailment are almost the same.

Through several experiments, you can determine if you are sensitive to aspirin. Take the following steps. First, take a very small dose of aspirin. Be very particular, small dose, or you might end up somewhere very unlikely if ever you are sensitive to aspirin.

After taking the small dosage, observe yourself for any sign of cough or wheezing. There will come out itchy rashes around the mouth area and watery eyes and nasal congestion is evident.

In some rare conditions, aspirin sensitivity can also cause the development of anaphylaxis or breathing difficulty, which is an allergic reaction common to bee stings. There will also be severe decline in the patient’s blood pressure.

If you are diagnosed with aspirin sensitivity, desensitization can be done under intense and monitored medical supervision. This can be funny, but such desensitization will involve taking in very little dosages of aspirin everyday until the sensitivity is gone.

If an aspirin sensitivity attack is taking place, it is best to seek immediate medical help and attention. No drugs should be taken without the doctor’s prescription or administration, because adverse reaction to other drugs can lead to fatality.

To prevent aspirin sensitivity attacks, it is advise that you avoid taking in, of course, aspirin or other anti-inflammatory medicines or NSAIDs like naproxen and ibuprofen.

The bronchial tubes have linings that get exaggerated when you produce bronchitis. This makes it difficult from air to travel to the lungs. In bronchitis, mucus is also developed, which is mostly formed in your airway. So as you can see, bronchitis is a disease that affects your capability to breathe appropriately.

The disease can be acute or chronic and prolonged suffering may result in grave situations. Bronchitis is most prevalent in changing weather conditions and the chronic patients must take enough precautionary measures to prevent its recurrence.

Whatever the cause is, generally the condition may subside within couple of days without any great efforts except giving some proper antibiotic but if it is severe, it may turn to a worse condition in which, the breathing, sometimes gets difficult.

The acute type of bronchitis most often occurs after a cold, flu or sinus infection and there may be shortness of breath, wheezing, plus a productive cough (phlegm). During the chronic type of bronchitis there is a productive cough and may not be the result of an infection. The chronic cough can last for three months.

It results from inflammation of the bronchial tubes, the large airways that lead from the trachea (windpipe) to the lungs. The disease occurs in two forms: acute infectious bronchitis (usually viral) and allergic asthmatic bronchitis.

Rest is also a good home remedy for bronchitis because walking makes one feel worse and slows the body,s ability to fight infection. During the rest intake of a pain killer would relief muscle pain. In children aspirin should not be administered. It is advisable to give acetaminophen.

Lemons also help in getting rid of bacterial & mucus from respiratory system. Grid one teaspoon lemon and add it to one cup of boiling water, steep for five minutes the strain and drink. Water helps liquefy more mucus making it easy to cough out.One can use water from a steam treatment.

If before, there were no sign of bronchitis and any one is taking antibiotic for sinus and other infection then there is more chance to develop bronchitis.
The thick mucus due to sinus reaches the bronchi and attracts the fungal yeast. Antibiotic, along with the bad bacteria kills the 'friendly' bacteria also and this leads to yeast infection.