Pak Doktor a.k.a. Mr Doctor!

Acid Reflux and Heartburn Natural Remedies

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481

Summary:
Using antacids for acid reflux or heartburn will create more acid imbalance in your body. Using natural remedies for these conditions provides you a way that you can rebalance your stomach digestion problems. You will also gain the additional health benefits that these remedies provide. Discover 3 different natural remedies that will help you with your acid reflux or heartburn.

Keywords:
acid reflux, heartburn, natural, remedies, acid, stomach, anise, digestive enzymes, bromelain

Article Body:
Here is a list of natural remedies that you can use when you have acid reflux or heartburn. No need to use antacids, which have unwanted side effects and contain aluminum, which has been associated with senility and Alzheimer’s disease.

Anise, peppermint, and lavender

Here’s a tea that you can make to help you with acid reflux or heartburn. It will help you reduce the amount of acid you have in your stomach. Mix together equal amounts of aniseed, peppermint and lavender. Make an infusion of this tea:

* boiling 2 ½ cup distilled water
* pour this water over a teaspoon of the herbal mixture
* let this tea sit for 3- 5 minutes
* strain the tea and add a little bit of honey if you like.
* place this tea in a thermos

Drink up to 8 oz in the morning and 8 oz in the evening to get relief of acid reflux.

Aniseed or anise ? is a powerful herb that helps in digestive conditions and has many other benefits for your body. Use only the ash-colored anise called green anise, European anise or sweet anise. There are two other types of anise, star anise and caraway, which should not be used here.

Peppermint ? is another powerful herb for stomach conditions or heartburn. It helps in digestion, stomach distension, cramps, ulcers, and gas.

Lavender ? known for it scent has enormous healing activity for your body. Is also an excellent stomach aid. It is useful in reducing acid in the stomach.

Betain, Pepsin, and Papaya digestive enzymes

As you get older, your stomach weakens in its ability to produce hydrochloric acid to digest protein. It is undigested protein that leads to acid reflux or heartburn. Use digestive enzymes that contain Betain, pepsin, or HCl with each meal to make sure you digest all of your protein.

Papaya digestive enzymes, which contain papain, are also excellent for protein digestion and you can use them with each meal. Use 500mg or more of papaya enzymes per meal.

Pineapples

Pineapples are a store house of enzymes and contain bromelain, an enzymes that reduces protein. Pineapples support digestion, reduce inflammation, and supports wound healing. The fresh juice has a high level of enzymes that will help you stop your acid reflux.

You can also buy bromelain as tablet and take 200 ? 500mg per meal.

Chicory Root

Chicory comes from a family of bitter herbs that contain endive and escarole. Boil 1 ½ cup of chicory root for 5 – 10 minutes. After it colds to room temperature, drink this tea to correct acid reflux or heartburn.

Adding these herbs to your salad will also have benefits in preventing acid reflux. Eating those foods that are alkaline is the best way to avoid acid reflux and heartburn.

Using the remedies listed here will give relief from your acid reflux. But more importantly add a salad to your diet everyday and you will have less acid reflux in your life.

Award Winning Aromatic Plants

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506

Summary:
I recently was involved in the exhibition of a show garden at the 2006 “Garden Heaven” exhibition. I worked along with Terra Garden Ireland based in Claregalway on the bronze medal winning Malaysian themed garden “Neo Nusantara”. The garden combined wood, stone, earth and planting with two unique water features. The design aimed to appease and rejuvenate the five senses. Sight, touch, sound, smell and taste. Beautiful dark woods and running water used in the construction were…

Keywords:
scent, aromatic, plants, flower, garden, lavender, butterflies, sage

Article Body:
I recently was involved in the exhibition of a show garden at the 2006 “Garden Heaven” exhibition. I worked along with Terra Garden Ireland based in Claregalway on the bronze medal winning Malaysian themed garden “Neo Nusantara”. The garden combined wood, stone, earth and planting with two unique water features. The design aimed to appease and rejuvenate the five senses. Sight, touch, sound, smell and taste. Beautiful dark woods and running water used in the construction were a delight to the senses of sight, touch and sound. I used carefully selected planting to arouse the sense of smell. Here are two of the plants I used to add scent to the garden. Use them to add scent to your garden as well.

* Sage, for scent and flower

Salvia x sylvestris “Mainacht” commonly known as May night sage is a hardy perennial native to Western Asia and Europe. This sage is a colourful plant with indigo-blue flower spikes throughout June and July. In order to achieve this prolonged flowering you must remove the flower spikes as soon they start to fade. The striking flowers are held above the plants wrinkled and aromatic grey-green leaves. As well as exciting the gardener’s sense of smell, this plant will also excite and attract plenty of butterflies and bees. These visitors will add an extra and welcome visual element to your garden. You need not worry that Salvia x sylvestris “Mainacht” is going to engulf or overpower you planting areas. It only grows at a moderate pace to height of 60cm (2ft), with a similar spread. Position this reliable perennial in the front or middle of a well-drained border. It does really well in sun or dappled shade where the bright blue flowers will add a colour boost to green leaved plants.

* English lavender for scent and butterflies

The second scented plant is Lavandula angustifolia “Hidcote” commonly known as English lavender. This small evergreen shrub (some people say herb) originated in Europe and Asia and grows to a height of 0.6 metres (2ft); with a similar spread. Growing in many gardens throughout the country, its long stalked deep purple flower spikes wave gently above narrow grey-green aromatic leaves. These blooms will last for many weeks to come whilst on the plant, when cut for indoor display these flowers will last up to 10 days. I suggest you cut back the flower stalks after flowering to maintain the plant’s compact shape. Care must be taken not to cut into old wood as this can cause large areas of the plant to die back. The oil of lavender extracted from this frost hardy shrub is used to this day in the production of soaps, scented candles, perfumes and making potpourri. Lavender copes well with free draining or sandy soils and is an ideal container plant in full sun due to its drought resistance. I would recommend this scented plant for edging walkways or simply if you want to attract some butterflies into your garden space. Another great lavender for this purpose is Lavandula angustifolia “Munstead”

Keep back pain at bay

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1120

Summary:
Back pain is the most common complaint among adults under 45. Back pain brings their activities to a complete halt and intervenes in the progress of their career. Researchers say that it is really a challenge to a physician to find out the true cause of back pain.

Keywords:
ayurveda, back ache remedies ,tips for back ache ,back pain ,herbal remedies for back ache ,ayurveda remedies for back ache

Article Body:
Introduction

Back pain is the most common complaint among adults under 45. Back pain brings their activities to a complete halt and intervenes in the progress of their career. Researchers say that it is really a challenge to a physician to find out the true cause of back pain.

Here is a quick take on the anatomy of the human back. Our body depends on the spinal column for structural stability and mobility. We twist, bend and flex with the help of spinal column. The spinal column is made up of 24 vertebrae, 7 in the neck (the cervical vertebrae), 12 in the thorax (the thoracic vertebrae), and 5 in the lower back (the lumbar vertebrae). The sacrum, located just below the lumbar vertebrae, consists of 5 fused vertebrae. The tailbone, or coccyx, with its 3 to 5 fused vertebrae, lies just beneath the sacrum. These vertebrae are placed one on another from skull to pelvis. Spongy discs are present in between vertebrae .The spinal column is tightly wrapped by muscles and ligaments.

The spinal cord is enclosed within vertebral canal which is formed by alignment of vertebrae.

Acharya sushruta describes anatomy of spinal column as follows.
Prushte trimshat – The number of back bones are 30 (Cervical-7 , Thoracic ? 12, Lumbar- 5, vertebrae fused in sacrum -5 , coccyx -1 ). While describing the joints in spinal column it has been said as ” Chaturvimshatihi prishta vamshe “. This means there are 24 joints in spinal column.

Maamsaanyatra nibaddhani siraabhihi snaayubhistatha. |
Asthinyaalambanam kritwaa ||

The ligaments and tendons hold the bones and muscles together.

Causes for back ache

Bones and thighs are mainly occupied by Vata . Vata controls and directs the body movements.Back pain occurs when vata in this region gets aggravated due to unwise physical activities (mithya yoga of karma), exaggerated physical activities (Ati yoga of karma ) or less physical activities (hina yoga of karma).

1. Back ache usually arises from spasm of muscles that support our spine. The muscles supporting spine go into spasm when we lift things unwisely, bending over too sharply, sitting in a unsuitable chair, etc.
These type of movements are called as “Mithyaa yoga of karma or action ” in ayurveda.
2. Back pain can be triggered when we sneeze, climb into a car, or bend down to pick up the newspaper.
3. Osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, viral infection, bladder or kidney infection, gynecological problems in women, tumors and trauma may also cause back pain.
4. Lack of motion or hina yoga of karma and bad posture may affect us when we sit or stand for long periods of time. On the other hand repetitive motion or Ati yoga of karma like too much of bending, lifting or twisting also affects our back.
5. Other potential causes for back ache are:
? Overweight
? Wearing high heeled shoes
? Carrying heavy weight
The vitiated vata causes stiffness of joints, pain and limits the movements of back.

Solutions for back pain

1. Stay calm.
2. A complete bed rest for 24 – 48 hrs relieves back pain in most of the instances. Walk a little every few hours to keep the blood flowing and the muscles toned.
3. Applying vata balancing oil like ksheerabala oil on affected region and Naadi sweda (mild steam bath on affected area ) of affected region relives the pain quickly.

See your doctor immediately if you have any of the following symptoms:

1. If you are above 50 and sudden onset of severe pain or pain localized to spine .
2. Pain due to recent fall or trauma.
3. Pain in hip and leg.
4. Back pain unrelated to posture.
5. Bowel or bladder control problems.
6. Numbness in the groin or rectal area.
7. Extreme weakness in legs.
8. Unsteadiness while walking
9. Fever or weight loss accompanying the pain.
10. Pain that does not lessen over time even after rest

Prevention of back pain

1. Keep the muscles well conditioned by improving sitting, standing, stretching postures. Well-conditioned muscles are less susceptible to injury.
2. Never bend at the waist or stoop to pick up an object. Instead, lower the body to the level of the object by bending the knees. Grasp the item, hold it close to the body, and raise yourself with your legs while keeping your back straight.
3. Do not lift very heavy objects.
4. Whenever possible, prop yourself up.
5. Lean against a wall or pillar while waiting for a bus or standing in line at the bank.
6. Keep footstools around the house. Alternatively prop up one leg on stool while doing standing chores.
7. Sleep on a firm mattress and find a comfortable position.
8. Wear low-heeled shoes.
9. Standing straight will do wonders for your back.
10. Sit on a comfortable chair that supports the curve of lower back.
11. While sitting for long hours rest feet on a low stool so that knees are above hips.
12. Do not sit or stand in one position for a very long time. Get up periodically and walk for a while.
13. Avoid activities which hurt back.
14. Do not sit in same position for long hours. It may prove hazardous to back. Take break in between and move around.
15. Avoid becoming overweight. Overweight increases the risk of back pain.

Tips for software professionals to avoid back pain:

1. Select a correct chair, with a relatively straight back and good lower back support. If the chair doesn’t offer lower back support, keep a rolled up towel or cushion to support the back.
2. Correctly position the chair, keyboard, and monitor. Feet should be on the floor, with knees at hip level; forearms should form a right angle with upper arms; and the computer terminal should be at eye level.
3. Adopt a relaxed, upright working posture and allow the chair to support.
4. Avoid slouching forward or leaning back too far.
5. When you are at work stand up, walk around, stretch forward, backward, and side to side once in 30 minutes.
6. Increased stress and strain enhances the chances of back pain. Hence remember to relax! Yoga and meditation are best techniques to relax
7. Eat healthy food which is rich in fiber. Avoid sweets, oil, soft drinks and overeating to reduce the chances of weight gain.
8. Sex should be avoided during acute stage of back pain as it exaggerates the condition.

Ayurvedic Home remedy for backache

Remedy
Ingredients
? Nirgundi leaves (hindi – samhaalu) (Bot- Vitex negundo) (Eng – Five leaved chaste)
? Karanja leaves ( hindi – Ditauri) (Bot – Pongamia pinnata) (Eng – Indian beech)
Collect fresh leaves of Nirgundi and Karanja. Tie them in a thin cotton cloth to form a big ball . Boil this leaves’ ball in water and when it is tolerably hot apply this on affected part. When the leaves become cold reheat them by putting the leaves’ ball in boiling water. After half an hour take out the leaves from ball , grind them to a paste and bind it on affected area.

This article is copy righted. The author Dr.SavithaSuri is an Ayurvedic Physician and web master of http://www.ayurhelp.com

Tinnitus: Don´t Feed the Trolls

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1309

Summary:
The article is based on the new e-book “My Best Friend Tinnitus”. There is no patent cure for Tinnitus which makes it difficult to make the right dicision when choosing a therapy. Learning to accept Tinnitus as a part of life is a boundry most Tinnitus victims dont want to cross. The very essence of learning to accept Tinnitus is trying to find the root of all evil. If this can be defined you are heading in the right direction.

Keywords:
Tinnitus,tinitus,help,support,therapy,cure,remedies,ebook,ebook,hearingloss,deafness

Article Body:
Is worrying a possible cause for Tinnitus?

“Don’t feed the trolls” is a common synonym for someone who likes to create havoc on the internet. Trolls normally use chat rooms, posting boards or Forums to provoke and intimidate people by sending confrontational messages. People who feel harrassed and provoked and find the time to argue with these people are “Feeding the Trolls”.

It’s just a theory, but it can be said that once the mind is infected by worry, you are opening the doors for the trolls.
Learning how to come to terms with worry is like having to learn to fly a jet. You have to be a pilot to fly it. To be a pilot you have to learn. Sounds kind of immature to comment that anyone can learn to fly a jet if they are really set on doing so. It’s just a matter of being educated.

You may disagree with me on this matter but I am certain you could learn to fly a jet if you really had to. It may take hundreds of hours of instruction and countless tests and exams but theoretically, you could fly a jumbo jet if someone taught you how to.

Using the information above it can be said that everyone can learn to cope with worry. Like learning to fly, you have to be taught how.
Worry can have great power and influence if it finds a suitable candidate to feed from. Worry is an emotion which means it can be manipulated.

Being worried is normal. It’s a way of protecting ourselves. People who do nothing BUT worry are feeding the trolls! I still catch myself feeding my own trolls but I’ve learned to keep it to a minimum. The worse thing about worry is that you can’t change the outcome of a certain situation by simply worrying about it.
What are you worrying about at the moment? Maybe your company isn’t doing too well and the sales figures are down and people are being told to find new jobs. That’s something to worry about though isn’t it? In fact it’s not. It’s perfectly normal to be concerned about something ( or someone ), but that is as far as it should go.

Deep rooted worrying can and will ruin your life. It will control you.

Okay, let’s imagine for a minute you’re worried sick about losing your job. There are good reasons to worry about losing a job. No one likes to be unemployed. The reasons are obvious and don’t have to be repeated. In fact, you can’t sleep, you can’t eat, you are nervous, aggressive?in fact you become physically sick. If you look at this from the outside, there are only two things that will happen:
A: you lose your job.
B: you keep your job.
Let’s say you do lose your job. Ask yourself if your pain, anguish and apprehension could have possibly altered the outcome of the situation I will answer this for you??.NO. No worrying in the world could have influenced the outcome of you keeping your job or not. All you did was feed the trolls. Be honest, would it have really been worth worrying yourself sick about something you couldn’t change anyway? Let’s say you didn’t lose your job. Did your worrying have any effect on the outcome ? Let me answer this too??.?NO
In other words, you can’t trade your worries for a change in destiny. No one is going to re-write the books just because you like to worry. I found the best way to deal with worry is to obtain the basic facts and determine what the core of my worry is.
If you are worrying about losing your job, what is it exactly you are worrying about? If worst comes to worst, what is the nastiest thing that is going to happen to you ? The answer is: You will be without a job and have less money. There is nothing ecstatic about loosing your job, but it NOT the end of the world.

Please don’t get me wrong and please don’t think I am ignorant ( I am facing the same dilemma ), I don’t know anyone on the Earth who dreams about being unemployed.

But if I can accept that it’s not the end of the world then I can learn to come to terms with this situation when it arises. If I can learn in advance to prepare myself for the worst, then it will be easier for me to accept the worst when and if the time ever comes.

I use to worry myself sick about my loss of hearing and tinnitus until it dawned on me that worrying is part of the cause.

In fact, I fed THOUSENDS of trolls until I realized what I was doing wrong. It took me 18 months of suffering to finally wake up and realize that it was I that was causing the stress.

I allowed tinnitus to rob me of my identity and place a firm grip on my life. Had I only known! Everyone knows that you just can’t stop worrying at the drop of a hat or because people advise you to. You may require hours and hours of therapy.

But you can learn to come to grips with a “chronic worrying syndrome.” I can only speak for myself here and I know that medical world won’t agree with me on this one but I want to recap on the title of this book. I called it “Tinnitus my best friend.”

“How can tinnitus be my best friend” you say.

I used its power to create a new person in myself. I am using its power to create this very Article I am writing. Nothing has ever compelled me to sit down for hundreds of hours and write a book. Nothing has ever been worth the effort.
I learned how to register a domain, set up my own homepage and promote an e-book with the sole purpose of trying to help other people overcome their fear of having to live with tinnitus for the rest of their lives.
Where else did I use it?. I managed to stop smoking, I lost weight, and I taught myself to start caring for myself. I know how to keep myself fit. I know what to eat ad what not to eat. I used its energy and made something of it.

You can do the same.

Looking back, it took me a long time to accept that tinnitus actually helped me change my life. Once I realized that tinnitus was nothing but a warning signal, I found ways of coming to terms with it and used its energy to help me out of this pitfall. Tinnitus helped me get my life back on track and for that I’m thankful. In fact I would probably feel lonely without it ( just kidding ).

But I am still aware of it because I have accepted that the noise won’t disappear. I just learned to take no notice of it. That’s the key to success. Learning to ignore. It’s a learning process that needs time and patience.
Maybe it’s hard to explain how to ignore sounds you think you can’t escape but the trick is retraining your brain to distract your attention away from the tinnitus thus making the sounds obsolete. This mechanism is still present regardless of how long you have been suffering from tinnitus. It’s kind of hard to explain how it works but it really is very easy to demonstrate.

You will be bluffed how easy it is to ignore Tinnitus. I will explain this in my next article.

Aromatherapy Essential Oils ? An Inheritance Well Acclaimed

Word Count:
658

Summary:
The therapeutic benefits of essential oils are many. Derived from the essence of plants, a few drops of aromatherapy essential oil produce the same effect as loads of the plant. This article has described essential oils and its properties, dealing with the ways in which essential oils can be used for maximum benefit. Additionally a checklist for the people who are planning to buy essential oils has been given in the article.

Keywords:
Essential oils, essential massage oils, essential oils wholesale, aromatherapy essential oils

Article Body:
The use of essential oils, which is derived from the pure essence of a plant, is not new. Though the term aromatherapy was coined only in the 1920s (by Gattefossé in 1928), people knew of aromatherapy essential oils from the prehistoric times. Starting from the Chinese to Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Persian and Indian civilizations, each have added to the science of essential oils and to aromatherapy as a whole.

Research still continues in the field of aromatherapy essential oils, with new developments being made in the field. Aromatherapy and essential oils are no longer limited to cosmetic or aromatic uses only. Many of the essential oils have been proved to have medicinal and therapeutic benefits too. Take lavender oil for instance. French chemist Gattefossé would have been unaware of the properties of lavender oil to give instant relief without any scar in cases of burn, until he burnt his hand and accidentally put his hand in the jar full of the essence of lavender. Similarly, there are a large number of essential oils that have medicinal properties. The ‘tulsi’ plant or Indian basil, distinct through its strong aroma and taste, is considered “the elixir of life” since it is thought to bring longevity. The use of the plant’s extracts is made to treat illnesses like headaches, inflammation, heart disease, and malaria. The essential oils derived from ‘karpoora tulsi’ have found use in the manufacture of herbal toiletry.

Essential oils are derived from almost every part of the plant. Leaves, stems, flowers, roots, etc are distilled through steam or water to result into essential oils. Consequently, aromatherapy essential oils contain the true essence of the plant. In its purest form, a few drops of essential oil can give the same results that loads of that plant would have given. This is because essential oils are available in concentrated form.

Though referred to as oil, essential oils in aromatherapy do not give that oily feeing. Except for a few oils such as patchouli, orange and lemongrass, most oils are clear and see-through.

Aromatherapy essential oils must be differentiated from the perfume or fragrance oils. While essential oils contain the purest essence of the plant, fragrance oils are made of artificially created substances as a whole or a part of it. Fragrance oils may cause allergies or other skin reaction because of the use of artificial substances; but the use of essential oils brings upon no such allergic reaction.

Aromatherapy essential oils can be used by people either through inhalation or by applying them on skin in a diluted form. When essential oils are inhaled, they enter the bloodstream and lungs directly, thus producing an instant effect on the ailment.

Applying aromatherapy essential oils on the body is good for absorption. Since essential oils are available in a concentrated form, they need to be diluted using carrier oil. Sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, grape seed oil, etc are blended with the essential oil; and the mixture is used on the body or the part that is afflicted.
One needs to be very careful while purchasing an essential oil. Though readily available, people are not well equipped to differentiate between the good quality and poor quality essential oil. The following checklist might be helpful to all those people who are on their way shopping for aromatherapy essential oils:

? A vendor who allows you to check the essential oil is preferred more.
? If the bottle containing essential oils has terms such as fragrance oils, nature identical oils; they are not essential oils.
? Never buy a bottle of essential oil that seems old. It might be adulterated or just might not produce the medicinal benefits.
? A clear glass bottle of essential oils allows light to come in, thus reducing its aroma therapeutic benefits. Avoid buying essential oils that are sold in clear glass bottles.
? Essential oils sold in plastic bottles too must be avoided as it dissolves plastic and becomes contaminated for use.