High blood pressure can be caused by any number of factors in a person’s life or by many factors all adding together. However, the hard truth is that if you don’t control your blood pressure, it can lead to many serious medical conditions, including heart attack and stroke. By understanding the causes of high blood pressure, you can learn how to prevent your levels from exceeding the normal range and therefore promote in yourself and your family a healthier overall lifestyle.

One of the major causes of high blood pressure is cholesterol. In most cases, a person with higher than normal cholesterol levels will also suffer from high blood pressure. This is due to the fatty deposits left on the artery walls from the cholesterol in your blood stream. The body actually needs no cholesterol, since it produces enough on its own, but the foods we eat often introduce more into our body. When no more can be absorbed into the blood stream, the cells deposit fat onto the walls of the arteries. This fat turns to a hard plaque, making our blood vessels smaller and smaller over time. The same amount of blood needs to flow through these smaller spaces, creating a higher blood pressure.

An unhealthy diet also causes high blood pressure in another way. When there is too much sugar in the blood stream. Glucose, or blood sugar, increases due to diabetes, in which the body does not produce the chemical that regulates blood sugar. Ingesting food high in sugar, such as most desserts, can also cause your blood sugar to increase, as can stress, hormone levels, and infection. When there is more glucose in the blood stream, your blood is essentially thicker, and harder to push through your arteries and veins, creating a higher blood pressure.

High blood pressure does not only come from an unhealthy diet, but can also occur due to drug intake as well. People who drink alcohol excessively, for example, increase their risk greatly of having high blood pressure. Caffeine is another drug that is proven to raise blood pressure, especially in combination with nicotine, which is found in cigarettes. Many other narcotics, especially those that are illegal in the United States, have also been show to increase your blood pressure.

Genetics is a final factor in the high blood pressure battle. Some estimate that 30% of high blood pressure cases can be attributed, at least in part, to genetics. We do not have any control over our genes—genetics refers to the coding used in our bodies that produces everything from the color of our eyes to our height to the ability we have (or do not have) to curl our tongues. We get this genetic make-up from our parents, and so there is nothing we can do to stop ourselves from having a “high blood pressure” risk when we are born. However, we can prevent genetics from playing a major role be overall living a healthy life. By taking steps to reduce our high blood pressure, we can create a better future for our bodies, whether our parents suffered from high blood pressure or not. Living this healthier lifestyle, including eating a low-cholesterol diet, watching our sugar intake, and introducing less drugs into our bodies can help us overcome high blood pressure.

Mayo Clinic researchers have made great strides in recent years regarding sinusitis treatment and have come up with a new therapy for chronic sufferers called topical antifungal therapy. This particular sinusitis treatment is still new and is not widely practiced. This author, a sinusitis sufferer of long standing with two painful operations under his belt, has been in contact with one of the Mayo Clinic research physicians. I was pointed to several papers and articles describing the research completed thus far, the theory behind the research, and the resulting therapy.

In simple and general terms, the Mayo Clinic research showed that some people (i.e., chronic sinusitis sufferers), have a harmful immune reaction to fungi that others do not experience. The research demonstrated that fungi are present in the air and show up in the nasal mucus of just about everyone. In the noses of chronic sinus sufferers, it showed that certain types of white blood cells will attack the fungi that are present. In doing so these cells create a compound that damages nasal membranes. Once damaged, bacteria can easily enter and cause pain, inflammation and infection. Conventional sinusitis treatment often includes antibiotics to attack the bacteria. This new sinusitis treatment aims to attack the fungi instead, thus avoiding the nasal membrane damage in the first place. One drawback is that it is not easy to determine if a patient is someone whose white blood cells attack fungi in the nose or not. It is also not known why this white blood cell reaction occurs in some people and not in others.

Antifungals such as Amphotericin B and Itraconazole are used in this sinusitis treatment regimen. These have already been approved by the FDA for other uses, and they can be mixed by a compounding pharmacy such as Anazao to make the topical solution needed for this new therapy. Amphotericin B, for example, was only available in my local pharmacy as an injection medication. The pharmacist was not aware that it is sometimes reformulated as a topical spray for sinusitis treatment. Patients spray the antifungal into their nostrils daily. About 75% of the chronic sinus sufferers in one of the Mayo Clinic studies saw significant improvement in their conditions following this regimen.

I also contacted Accentia, the biopharmaceutical company who has obtained a license from the Mayo Foundation to produce and market medications based on the Mayo Clinic research. They informed me that they plan to market a product based on Amphotericin B, which will have the brand name SinuNase. They will start clinical trials soon, and I submitted my name as a possible participant. Apparently I would be a good candidate since I’ve had sinus surgeries that didn’t cure my problems.

Topical antifungal therapy is a new form of sinusitis treatment. It takes time for a new approach to become accepted in the medical community at large. I asked the Mayo research physician if he knew of a colleague in the Denver area, where I reside, who was utilizing this approach. He responded that he didn’t know anyone there, but gave me two names of physicians in Texas, which I also asked about. So it is obvious that this approach to sinusitis treatment is not yet mainstream therapy, but it does have momentum. For people who have received sinusitis treatment which has not improved their suffering, more details regarding this and other sinus related subjects can be found at the web site in the resource box for this article.

What’s the deal all of a sudden with this Health and Wellness kick? Why is it no matter where you turn your head, you see something pertaining to either a diet, an energy drink, losing weight, no carb food, exercising, or organic food? Why are people undergoing surgeries of all kinds just to look and feel better? Why does it seem like there is a health club on every corner now? Is the wellness industry truly a 300 billion dollar industry that will soon be a 1 trillion dollar industry by 2010 as some predict? If one sits back and takes a look, the answer is simple.

I believe this trend is being propelled heavily by the Baby Boomers Generation. This isn’t just my thinking, but I have researched what trend predictors are saying about the health and wellness industry. The Baby Boomers are getting older and are living longer. They want to make sure that they can be healthy when they retire. Quite frankly, I don’t blame them. It is amazing how one group of people can change the way the country lives and functions. Fast food restaurants are smart, very smart. They understand where the money is. The fast food industry is now focused on healthy eating. Ten years ago, you wouldn’t walk into a fast food place and see a variety of salads, no carb sandwiches, and advertisements for Atkins Diet. You also wouldn’t see bottle water being sold there, but things have changed, tremendously.

There is saying that goes, you are what you think and you are what you eat. If a person wants to age well, they need to start eating healthy and exercising when they are young. The Baby Boomers have figured this out and now the whole nation is catching on. People are becoming more conscious of what they intake in their bodies. More unknown diseases are coming about because people are eating a lot of food that is processed, not drinking enough water, nor exercising at all. A lot of diseases can be avoided when someone gets older if he or she does two things, eat healthier and exercise on a regular basis.

It seems like everybody has a product or diet that is so easy. I think if it were so easy, then everyone would be doing it. Not only that but half of Americans wouldn’t be overweight. The fact of the matter is this, eating and staying healthy is simple, not easy. If we all make a decision to change the way we eat and exercise and act on it, we will live healthier lives.

Tension headaches are the most common type of headaches. In fact, they account for almost 90 percent of headaches, afflicting nearly everyone at some point in their life. With aches and tightness extending from the neck, the back, the eyes, and muscle groups of the face, tension headaches can cause pain ranging from mild to severe.

Tension headaches can last for a half hour, or linger for several days. On average, however, tension headaches last between four and six hours. Typically producing bilateral pain - pain that is evenly distributed on both sides of the head - a person with a tension headache often feels like their head is under constant pressure, as if being continually squeezed. Though these types of headaches don't usually disrupt a person's life, if they are chronic, or severe, they have the potential to be quite debilitating.

Causes and Triggers
From a scientific standpoint, the cause of tension headaches is not entirely clear. While studies have led past experts to believe that tension headaches were caused by spasms of the head and neck muscles, present experts now believe that there may be more than one cause. A new cause they are investigating is a change in brain chemicals. This is based on the theory that the brain may misinterpret pain signals, disrupting the distribution of serotonin (a molecule that helps regulate functions of the body). Because tension headaches are relieved by certain anti-depressants (namely Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)), this theory is gaining ground as a valid argument. While the scientific cause of tension headaches may not be entirely clear-cut, there is solid knowledge of certain triggers known to lead to these types of headaches. The most common triggers are emotional and physical stress. For instance, someone who is having trouble at work or not getting enough sleep will be more prone to tension headaches than someone who is relaxed and at ease. Other triggers of tension headaches include excessive exposure to bright light, eye strain, neck strain from poor posture or an injury, and strain of the jaw from repetitive habits such as gum chewing, nail biting, or teeth clenching.

Symptoms
It is important that tension headaches aren't mistaken for other types of headaches that may be signaling an underlying medical condition. The textbook cases of tension headaches involve consistent pain - no throbbing or pulsing - that is present on both sides of the head; tightness around the forehead and feeling that the top of the head is being forcefully squeezed; and aching pain that is present at the temples, the back of the head, and down the neck. Tension headaches, unlike migraines, don't generally get worse with exercise. They are also not marked by nausea, sensitivity to bright light or loud noise, numbing, dizziness, or loss of vision. Though anyone can get a tension headache, they are most common in people who are between the ages of 30 and 39 and they are typically linked to stressful events of life. The chances of getting a tension headache decreases with age and with a lifestyle containing fewer trials.

Diagnosis
The diagnosis of a tension headache is vital, it's important than a tension headache is distinguished from other types of more serious headaches. In order to diagnose tension headaches, doctors will ask the patient a series of questions specifically geared towards learning about their lifestyle and the pain they are having. It's important for the patient to be as open as possible, describing in detail what symptoms they are having so that doctors can make a proper diagnosis.

Treatment
The treatment for tension headaches can be as varied as the triggers that cause them. Some people may find that over the counter medications, such as aspirin, are helpful, while others may find that non-medication forms of therapy, including stress management, acupuncture, meditation and biofeedback is the more beneficial route. Those afflicted may also find that just discovering the triggers of tension headaches - tiredness, anger, hunger - and avoiding them may prevent tension headaches altogether. For tension headaches that are chronic, continually popping up, treatment can only be achieved with the diagnosis of the underlying cause of the headaches. These underlying causes may be anxiety, depression, or something else not conducive to a healthy lifestyle.

Tension headaches are annoying, but generally nothing to worry about. This is ironic since the very act of worrying is often their cause to begin with. However, headaches not caused by tension may be a symptom of something serious. Therefore, it's important that someone with constant bouts of headaches visit a medical professional and get a proper diagnosis.

About us: The Center for Osteopathic Medicine in Boulder, Colorado believes in The Osteopathic Difference. In a medical industry focused on treating symptoms, The Center is more focused on finding the cause of these symptoms. The Osteopathic Difference is the application of "Hands on Therapeutics" for both the diagnosis and treatment of complaints, disorders, and pain. The Osteopathic Difference will apply the time proven osteopathic fact that function is directly related to structure, and poor structure will lead to poor function.

While The Center tries to focus on health, and above all else, prevention for all those who cross into its threshold, sometimes the best that can be done is to recognize the source of the “DIS-EASE," and to teach every individual how to manage their symptoms. Believing that it is the most important aspect of any treatment regime, and that it is the primary job of the health care practitioner, The Center works to empower the patient in the maintenance of their own health.

Achieving health is also an elusive place, and The Center will work tirelessly to create a path to health which, when embraced by the patient over time, will allow the patient to enjoy a positive return on their rehabilitation investment. The Center teaches a Mindfulness Yoga Program that aims to educate the patient in the power of the mind to minimize, if not rid the body of, aches and pain. Although the ultimate goal of health is to live without the use of drugs, natural or otherwise, The Center for Osteopathic Medicine recognizes the importance of medicinals and their appropriate use. All styles of "Hands on Manipulation" are practiced at The Center. By combining these Manipulative techniques with Structural Integration, massage, meditation and Western Medicine, The Center for Osteopathic Medicine helps people to identify disease before it manifests, quiet pains that have been previously diagnosed as Chronic, and embrace a holistic mindset to Live in the Present- and within that presence, live completely well.

This article could also be called “Having the Perfect Weight is what I Want, Where do I Start?” because eating healthy and having natural weight management go hand in hand. If you follow the principles of healthy eating, you will naturally loose unwanted weight and be fit and trim as you would like permanently!

Here are a few short suggestions to get you started on your road to living a healthy lifestyle – eating better, feeling better and acquiring the weight you desire.

1) Change the place you shop! Really, this is one of the biggest, most effective steps you can take to make significant changes in eating better. There are a number of great health markets available now and they are becoming more popular. Even though healthy foods may be a little more expensive, they are higher in nutrition and quality. You will have more healthy choices of good foods to choose from, though you should still always read labels to insure you are getting good quality foods.

2) Incorporate raw foods in every meal, every snack, and everything you eat. Raw foods are high in nutrition, low in calories, and aid good digestion. Fresh fruits do not combine well with most other foods, so fruits are best eaten in the morning. They can be combined with raw nuts, whole grain cereals, and smoothies (with raw nuts, soy milk, and even veggies). Do not eat fruits for dessert – they will only ferment in the stomach. A large portion of raw vegetables should always be served at lunch and dinner – more than just a carrot stick or two. We need lots of greens and other vegetables, plus raw nuts and sprouts which are full of vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber of which we need.

3) Stick to whole grains as much as possible. Especially if you are trying to loose weight, omit flours from your diet and the weight will drop off easily and naturally. Yes, breads, pastas, etc. can be replaced with more whole grains. How? Instead of eating sandwiches or breads on the side, add whole grains to your salad. Eat them for breakfast if raw fruits and nuts aren’t filling enough. Get familiar with a good variety of whole grains (millet, quinoa, amaranth, barley, brown rice, etc.) and serve them in a variety of ways for every meal.

4) Eat a small amount of protein with each of your meals. The first mistake people make when cutting down on animal products, is replacing them with an abundance of carbs. Don’t do that. You still need your protein and can get great healthy sources of proteins from raw nuts, legumes (beans, peas) and sprouts. These are full of protein and good for you. Soy milk, tofu milk, and almond milk are great milks for when you need them. These milks are not “substitutes” - they just come from vegetable sources instead of an animal. Don’t overdo it, but a handful of raw nuts, raw seeds, sprouts or beans on a salad, or any of these on the side, are good proteins that we need.

5) Omit milk products from your diet. To some they may seem necessary, but keep in mind that it’s the milk producers that have engrained that thought into our heads and put it into our textbooks. Humans are the only mammal that drinks milk after they are weaned, the only mammal that drinks it from another mammal, and the only one that drinks it pasteurized - which process makes it an indigestible source of calcium anyway. The way dairy milk is produced makes it an entirely poor source of food. Our best sources of calcium actually come from our leafy greens and our raw nuts and seeds (raw sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin).

6) Remember, the biggest flaw in today’s eating is the one thing we usually have a hard time letting go of: convenience foods. These are all highly refined foods, high in calories, fats, unhealthy additives, preservatives, colors, flavors…..the list goes on and on. We don’t need any of them. Yes, we do like things that are convenient, so prepare things so they are convenient for you:

* have fresh fruits available to grab at a moment’s notice
* package your own baggies or raw nuts and dry fruits
* pack an emergency bag in your car with healthy things to eat so you are not tempted to stop while you are on the road: raw nuts, healthy snack bars, fruit leather, etc.
* cook up 3-4 whole grains at a time and keep them in the refrigerator for quick use
* cook up 1-2 varieties of beans ahead of time for quick use
* learn to sprout – get started and keep them going, one after another

7) Change your mind set to think wholesome and whole – eating the foods God gave us in their natural form: raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Then if you eat unprocessed and naturally fed meat sparingly, small amounts of oil for salads and other meal preparations (olive oil, cold pressed oils, omega-3 oils), and prepare healthy recipes with minimal preparations – this kind of diet is much simpler, more convenient, and definitely more nourishing. You won’t have the cravings for unhealthy food items, but you will have the health and wellness you desire!

8) Don’t forget the water. As foods are our builders, water is our pure and perfect cleanser. We need lots of it, especially with today’s foods as well as our environmental impurities. Most adults need a minimum of 3 quarts of water daily, and if you are live in a warm climate, work out, or are sick, nursing or overweight, that amount should increase another 1-3 quarts. Yes, we need the cleansing power of good pure water – not any other drink!

Our bodies do not need or want polluting and toxic foods or drinks. Our bodies want and need nutrition! Everything we take into our bodies should either NOURISH or CLEANSE. This is a much more simple way of eating, and a more sensible way too!

Anorexia Nervosa is a serious condition that affects quite a number of people and if it is not discovered and treated in time its consequences may be fatal to those suffering from it. It is important to understand that this so-called disease is not a normal physical disease, that can be diagnosed by a doctor, it is a mental condition of the person suffering from it, so detecting and treating it may not be that easy, mostly due to the fact that the person involved will not cooperate with you, because it is a known fact that those suffering from anorexia nervosa do not admit that they have a problem.

The causes of anorexia nervosa are psychological, it may be caused by something that happened in the patient's childhood or by some of the modern lifestyle problems like stress and pressure. It usually occurs at people who feel that they have lost control over their own lives and want to prove that they are still in control over their bodies. People who suffer from anorexia are feeling lonely and they separate themselves from society in a certain manner.

So, the symptoms of anorexia nervosa are not too easy to detect, and if you suspect a loved one or one of your friends to be suffering from this condition you should know a few things about its signs so that you can detect it and do all that you can for that person because anorexia eventually leads to death through starvation. And remember that whomever you suspect to be suffering from anorexia will not admit it if you ask them, and will lie and won't cooperate with you, which makes things a little harder.

Anorexic people may me divided into two categories, those who carefully control each one of their meals and manage to stop themselves from eating with the help of a strong will, and those whose will is not that strong and can't control their eating habits and sometimes eat too much and then willingly throw up in order to lose the calories and remain thin.

The first warning sign is that a person with Anorexia Nervosa is getting thinner and thinner day by day. Furthermore, despite the fact that they are getting thinner they do not realize this and they still sustain that they are feeling fat and refuse to eat every time, coming up with excuses, saying that they are not hungry or they are on a diet. So if you see that one of your friends or family members keeps loosing weight but still refuses to eat or to admit that he/she is thin, start suspecting and watch out for other typical signs of anorexia.

Because individuals suffering from anorexia are obsessed with their weight and feel that they have lost control over it they will still do everything they can to reduce it even when they are too thin, so besides not eating they will also do a lot of physical exercises to further lose weight. They may be thin, but they do not realize it and they still see themselves as fat persons.

Besides the facts mentioned above doctors also discovered a few more signs of anorexia: -people suffering from anorexia sometimes feel cold when the temperature in the room is normal. -hair loss sometimes comes with sudden thinning too. -anorexics are obsessed with weight so they talk about it and about diets all the time. They deny that they are thin and they always say they're not hungry -they are also depressed most of the time and do not socialize with other people. -due to the lack of nutritional substances they may faint or feel dizzy sometimes -women who suffer from anorexia are having menstrual problems (Mostly women are ill of this disease, but a few men have been diagnose with anorexia too)

Once you suspect someone of being anorexic pay attention to the signs and if everything fits you must try to do something about it as fast as possible before serious problems occur. Curing someone of anorexia is not easy and first they must be convinced to admit that they have a condition, through psychiatric therapy. But since people who are suffering from anorexia don't admit it, it depends on the ones around them to discover the signs and take action.

Hernia and especially inguinal hernia is a very common and widespread illness that affects millions but although many suffer from it and the pain that it causes can be excruciating if left untreated, there aren't too many discussions about it in the medical community and very seldom you hear news about hernia or inguinal hernia. It is a pretty serious disease so more people should be made aware of it and it's symptoms so they know how to handle it if they or someone from their family starts suffering from hernia, because as mentioned before, this disease is very spread and a large number of people have or have had hernia problems.

Hernia (as a general term) occurs when some muscles weaken and allow a part of the tissue beneath to slip through a small opening created due to the weakness. Inguinal hernia appears when the muscles of the inguinal canal weaken and the intestine that lies beneath slips through an opening in the inguinal canal. The first sign that appears is a small lump near the thigh, which is soon followed by pain in that area. A person suffering from inguinal hernia will feel pain in the groin and in the thighs area while coughing or lifting heavy objects.

Muscle weakening occurs as time passes and the body ages, but the origins of this weakness date back at birth where at many people the peritoneum does not fully close. If you have the muscle weakness then the intestine will pass through the opening if you lift something heavy, or if you suffer from obesity. Sometimes pregnancy may cause the intestine to slip too, in women's case. More women have inguinal hernia then men, but everyone can contract the illness at any age.

Inguinal hernia is not a dangerous disease, and many prefer to delay the surgery and live with their condition, trying to keep away from heavy object lifting. But this is a misconception, you may delay the surgery but eventually you must fix hernia because in many cases complications appeared when inguinal hernia was left untreated. These complications can be severe and life-threatening, so try to avoid any problems by doing the hernia surgery. It's not a painful surgery with long weeks of recovery, the tehniquies have improved so now it's not painful at all and you'll recover in a few days, much better than living wilt the illness and avoiding some thigh for years. If the bulge caused by hernia is quite painful and it's growing you must go through surgery as soon as possible because that's a sign that complications are on the way.

So, inguinal hernia is a very common disease that has been treated and dealt with for centuries so there's no need to be afraid or avoid surgery if you find out that you are suffering from it. As soon as you see a bulge on the groin visit your doctor and listen to his advises about the treatment.

Many people are affected by the gallbladder disease, so it's important that everyone understands this illness and learns how to prevent or treat it. Gallbladder surgery is one of the most performed surgeries in the United States and the number of people that are visiting their doctors to report gallbladder pain is continuously increasing.

So what is the gallbladder?

The gallbladder is a small organ that is shaped like a pear and that can be found near the liver and the duodenum. It has the simple role of storing the bile. The bile is a yellow-ish substance that is vital in the digestion of fats. Fats are not altered by water so they can't dissolve in it. That's why the body uses the bile, which can emulsify fats so that their proteins and aminoacids can be absorbed through the intestine's walls. The liver produces the bile and then uses the gallbladder as a bottle that can store it. Then when you eat something fat, the bile is poured from the 'bottle' in the stomach and used for its purpose.

Why does gallbladder pain occur and what is the gallbladder disease?

Well the gallbladder, just like every other organ, gets old, and starts causing problems. After a certain age, the bile's composition changes slightly, it starts to contain more cholesterol. Because of this a crystllization phenomenon occurs, and small stones form inside the gallbladder from the bile. These stones are the main cause of gallbladder pain.

What happens if you have gallstones?

Besides gallbladder pain, a few more symptoms appear when you have problems with gallstones. The most common ones are vomiting, gas and pain in the stomach after a meal that contains fats.

How can gallbladder pain be treated?

Sometimes gallstone disappear on their own, but in many situations they cause problems by obstructing the bile duct, and the only thing that can be done about this is to remove the gallbladder surgically. The surgery is simple and many doctors have performed it many times. The patient can return home the next day after the surgery and in 2 more days he can resume his normal life.

What happens after the gallbladder surgery?

After the surgery you will no longer experience gallbladder pain, but you will need to stay away from fats, because you no longer have the 'bottle' that pours what is needed when you eat fats, so the body can't digest them and will eliminate them through diarrhea. A small change in your diet is all you need to do after the surgery.