Young Shark Blog

Archive for January, 2012

More and more children are being given ADHD medicine to control their rambunctious and impulsive behavior, but parents often wonder if high-power psychiatric stimulants are really necessary as treatment for their kids. Of course parents want to make the right choice for their children. Is there any alternative attention deficit disorder treatment that effectively helps kids who are dealing with this issue?

First of all, is prescription ADHD medicine really a cure in the long run? Too often, professionals try to control kids with ADHD by simply giving them a pill. Actually, if a child is diagnosed with add or ADHD, the best attention deficit disorder treatment is a combined approach that includes behavioral therapy from a qualified counselor, coupled with a disciplined schedule in the home. If ADHD medicine is suggested, it should not be considered as a cure.

There are several types of ADHD medicine that are prescribed by doctors, but the most commonly used are stimulants. The common side effects of these drugs include a loss of appetite, insomnia, and involuntary movements known as tics. Any child on medication as part of their attention deficit disorder treatment has to be monitored for weight loss and proper growth because of the effect on their appetite.

Many parents are concerned about the safety of these medicines. On the plus side, they do help control the unwanted impulsive and hyperactive behaviors in 70 to 80 percent of the children who take them. But is it in the child’s best interest to use ADHD medicine if there is any other possible way to deal with the problem? Researchers do not know yet all the possible negative effects of being on these medications long term.

Many people have found help in traditional herbal remedies and homeopathic combinations. While herbs have stood the test of time and are completely natural, there are sometimes side effects or the possibility of overdose with some of them. For these reasons, it is good to seek information from herbal specialists. On the other hand, homeopathic preparations are very safe since they contain minute amounts of the active ingredients. It is the method in which they are prepared that causes them to be so effective.

Using prescription ADHD medicine to change and control a child’s impulsive and rowdy behavior is controversial at best. If a safe, natural remedy can be found, why not use it? Of course, it is even better if it is used in conjunction with exercise, counseling, music, and other alternative aspects of attention deficit disorder treatment. In this case, herbs and homeopathics can truly be stepping stones to a lifetime of clearer focus and self-control.

Hypothyroidism is caused by an inflammation of the thyroid gland which then kills the cells in the thyroid which then makes it incapable of providing sufficient hormones to keep it going. There are many hypothyroidism symptoms and treatments. In this article I will go over some symptoms that come along with this disease to allow you to become more aware of what hypothyroidism is all about. I will also go over a treatment for one of the most complaint about symptom. The purpose is to educate you so you can educate and help others in the same manner.

As I said above, there are many hypothyroidism symptoms and treatments. Some symptoms are fatigue, weakness, constipation, depression, hair loss, dry skin, muscle cramps, abnormal menstrual cycles, irritability, weight gain and difficulty losing weight. Some patients will have all of these symptoms and some patients will only have a few or even none. The severity of these symptoms will also vary within each patient. All these symptoms are equally annoying as the other, but the symptom that is often most disheartening is weight gain and not being able to lose weight with hypothyroidism.

Although there are many hypothyroidism symptoms and treatments, inability to lose weight is the hypothyroidism symptom that is the most complained about. People often say that it is “impossible” to lose weight with hypothyroidism. However, there are different treatments and cures available for many of these symptoms, including weight gain.

The reason that individuals can’t lose weight with hypothyroidism is because their metabolism slows down with this disease causing them to burn less calories. Therefore, to treat this symptom, patients need to follow a diet plan that will increase their metabolism and start burning more calories. An exercise plan and diet plan are necessary to fix this symptom, but are most definitely not as difficult as it may seem. If you can be motivated and stick to a plan, this symptom will soon disappear.

Acupuncture for weight loss is a modern application of this ancient medical practice. This article reports on the conclusion of it’s safety and effectiveness following an extensive examination of the published evidence. For the complete report, please visit the URL displayed in the author bio.

Acupuncture Weight Loss — Safety

Acupuncture for losing weight is a safe practice when a dieter undergoes 1-3 sessions within 3 to 4 weeks of starting a traditional method of weight loss.

Common side effects, rarely reported by dieters, include headache, nausea, and vertigo (losing balance). Severe adverse events, like neurological damage or death, have never occurred within 3 to 4 weeks of treatment.

Unfortunetly, no conclusions can be made beyond 4 weeks because of a lack of safety data. The studies found to examine acupuncture’s safety do not follow subjects past 4 weeks. The ones that did attempt to follow subjects past 4 weeks, show many inconsistancies.

Until more data becomes available on acupuncture’s safety beyond 4 weeks, no final conclusion can be made.

Acupuncture Weight Loss — Does it Work?

After examining several published studies, acupuncture for weight loss, when combined with traditional methods of dieting like caloric restriction and exercise, does increase the amount of weight loss experienced by dieters.

In some studies, the difference between those using acupuncture and those not, was statistically significant. However, like the safety data, the conclusion that acupuncture does increase the amount of weight loss can only be made up to 4 weeks.

After 4 weeks, the data becomes inconsistant and incomplete. To make a conclusion beyond 4 weeks will require more data.

Acupuncture as a sole method to help dieters lose weight has not been studied enough to make a conclusion. The studies that are available are not designed properly and do not include enough subjects.

Acupuncture Weight Loss — The Final Verdict

By undergoing 1-3 sessions within 3-4 weeks and when combined with tradtional methods of weight loss, acupuncture does work to increase the amount of weight lost by dieters.

No conclusion can be made on the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture beyond 4 weeks because of a lack of data.

To Healthy Living!

Michael A. Smith, MD

Chief Medical Consultant

Diet Basics Website

Temporomandibular Joint Disorders, or TMJ, can be a real problem for some people. What starts out as some pain or clicking in the jaw can turn into a problem that causes headaches and involves neck and shoulder muscles as well as those in the face. Sometimes it even can affect hearing. When the situation gets to be disruptive to your life, it is time to seek out TMJ dental treatment. The longer you wait the more damage might be done, so it is important to seek treatment when the condition becomes painful. There are a number of different treatment options that might be used for this condition, including both surgical and non-surgical options.

As with most conditions, non-surgical TMJ dental treatments are often tried first before resorting to surgical options. For mild cases, it might be suggested that you try to relax the muscles in your jaw through not chewing gum, eating soft foods, using heat, and avoiding clenching or tightening the muscles. Different medications might also be prescribed, such as anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, pain relief medication, and medication to help with stress or anxiety. Various stress relief therapies might also help with this condition.

For those with a more severe case of TMJ, slightly more involved but still non-surgical TMJ dental treatments might be tried. These include the use for a time of a splint or orthotic device that fits over your lower teeth in order to keep your jaw in the proper position, dental work in order to reshape teeth that are interfering with the proper position or replace those that are missing, TENS treatment to relax the jaw muscles, and physical therapy for the jaw.

Those with very severe conditions that are not helped by non-surgical TMJ dental treatments will be offered the option of having surgery to help with the problem. In some cases the TMJ can be treated so that it will not be a problem anymore, but in others the main goal is to keep the situation from deteriorating. During surgery damage will be repaired to the bony surfaces of the joint, the ligaments, and the meniscal surfaces. If the damage is severe enough the situation might call for implants in order to restore proper functioning of the jaw. The exact nature of the surgery will be determined by the damage that has been caused by the patient’s TMJ.

You can always buy medicines or go for some specific treatments in the expectancy of finding a cure for your problem of acid reflux. But there are some natural options too that you can apply for the treatment of this disorder. It is better to go natural way than to risk your body for some side effects by using the medicinal drugs. The very first thing that you should understand is that some foods provide more than normal acids requirement to the stomach.

When the stomach gets more acids than its capacity to digest them, several complications occur within the body, in which the acid reflux disorder is the primary one. So, if you cut down on the consumption of such foods, you would definitely be able to control the disorder. There are certain other things too that you can use to provide some relief to your stomach. For example: you should reduce the size of servings of your foods at each meal. This will help the stomach by letting it do less work. But you would be required to increase the number of meals a day you normally take. This is quite important for making up the calorie intake that you have reduced by reducing your serve size.

Causes

Some most common reasons behind the occurrence of this disorder are as following:

Smoking Stress Alcohol Large Meals Increase levels of different hormones Carbonated beverages, like soda Eating just before the sleep Fried, greasy and fatty foods

Precautions

There are certain precautions that you can take to reduce the risk of developing or at least to keep in control the problem of acid reflux. Avoid all those foods and beverages that produce any unwanted acids inside the stomach or which make the lower esophageal sphincter too weak for acids. Some examples of such foods include: citrus products, fatty foods, caffeinated drinks (e.g. tea, soda, coffee, etc.), tomato products, fried foods, spicy foods, chocolate and alcoholic beverages. If you count yourself among obese people, then you immediately need to get into action to get rid of every single pound in your body that is unwanted. Get as far away as possible from cigarettes and tobacco. Do regular exercises. But avoid doing any vigorous exercises or any other physical activity that requires too much bending or stooping over. Try to develop the habit of chewing gum for about 30 minutes after taking your meals. Chewing gum promotes the formation of saliva, which in turn helps the process of washing away of the remaining contents from the esophagus. You can also start consuming some specific herbs that have been reported to provide help in the condition of acid reflux. Some examples of such herbs include: ginger root, dill seeds, chamomile flowers and bay leaves.

Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years, its exact origin is not known. Early cavemen may even have pressed sharp stones against their body for relief. One legend has it being discovered by Chinese warriors who were shot with arrows in battle and noticed that these minor wounds relieved pain. Fortunately western medicine has discovered its benefits. Acupuncture has been used for natural allergy relief by many who suffer from chronic allergies. Acupuncture is based on ying and yang and the goal of acupuncture is to try and restore balance to the body.

Patients who are looking into acupuncture for the first time will be surprised at the different types of acupuncture available to them. There are different forms of acupuncture that use different needles and work on various parts of the body. Acupuncture can be done entirely on a very small area of the body like the big toe. Where ever the meridians criss cross there is a point that the bodies energy or Qi can be adjusted.

Natural allergy relief can come from removing blockages and build ups of energy so that the immune system can function normally. As a form of natural allergy relief acupuncture can work well and in synergy with either Chinese herbal treatment or traditional western medicine. There are very few side effects associated with acupuncture, most common is the patient feels drowsiness after treatment. This is viewed as a positive sign that the treatment is working. On rare occasions there can be some bruising and a few drops of bloods but most patients find it pain free and experience very little discomfort. Sessions generally last between 20 and 40 minutes. It will take several sessions to make inroads against a serious chronic allergy so don’t expect a miracle one session cure. If you do not see any improvement after a reasonable amount of time you may want to try a different type of acupuncture or another acupuncturist.

If your considering acupuncture for natural allergy relief visit http://naturalallergycures.net to discover 5 things you must know about acupuncture to make sure your treatment is safe and effective. If your a little to afraid to try acupuncture we suggest you look into ECT for Allergies or tapping as it works like acupuncture. You can also find certified acupuncturist who can perform acupuncture without needles. They specialize in treating those patients who might be uncomfortable with needles.