Balance Your Health

Is Tea Tree Oil Effective On Your Feet?

I have been doing a lot of writing about foot health lately. In fact, I am preparing a home study course on the topic. Part of my research included learning more about tea tree oil which I have used to soften cuticles and treat dry nails. I quickly discovered there are a lot more uses for tee tree oil.

Are Herbal Remedies Right For You?

Are Herbal Remedies Right for You?

 

According to archaeological finds people have been using leaves, barks, roots and seeds as medicine before there was a written language.  Egyptian writings from about 1500 B.C. describe 700 plant drugs. Chinese texts on herbs date back to 2800 B.C. and well known research facilities, such as Mayo Clinic, continue their research of the ancient formulas. Their goals are to collect, identify and study the potential for disease-fighting agents in plants used in traditional Chinese medicine.

 

The fact is that just about 100 years ago, plant medicine was just about the only kind of medicine throughout the world. As modern pharmaceuticals became available, drugs gradually replaced the herbal teas, tinctures and ointments. Even so, hopes remain high that the chemical basis for future wonder drugs remains locked up in other plants that have yet to be scientifically explored.

Herbal Remedies Are Controversial in Complementary Medicine

Herbal remedies or plant medicines are not witch craft. The fact is many of the over the counter and prescription drugs we use today were originally derived from plant sources.

Aspirin, for example, is a pharmaceutical descendent of salicin, a chemical found in the bark of the willow tree. Today, just about 100 years after aspirin first appeared on the drugstore shelf, many people are returning to the original source for headaches and taking a willow bark extract instead of aspirin.

If you are taking or thinking of taking herbal remedies you really need to understand what they are all about because not all of them are harmless just because they are derived from plants. They may be dangerous by themselves or they may interact with prescription drugs you are taking. Or worse yet, they may be doing you absolutely no good and causing you harm because you are delaying going to a physician for your particular condition or symptom. So read on!

First, the term herbal remedy applies to any plant or part of a plant that is used to make medicinal products. These parts can include the leaves, flowers, stems, roots, seeds, fruit or bark. They are most often used to alleviate disease, detoxify the system, maintain a state of balance, prevent disease from recurring, and to support the immune system.

Some people choose herbal remedies because they believe that a product that is not manufactured and is considered natural is better than a synthetic product. Others take herbal remedies because they tried traditional medications and they did not work, they had bad reactions to the medications, they or too costly, or they just did not want the side effects associated with the drugs. Still others use herbal remedies because they hope to prevent illness from happening in the first place.

Herbal remedies are a very controversial class of complementary medicine. First, there is no required quality control and little standardizing so that the same herb from different brands may contain different ingredients. Secondly, no government agency is responsible for providing a license to those who practice herbal medicine. However, the Food and Drug Administration or FDA can remove any herbal product from the market that it considers unsafe. What's more, herb manufacturers are not required to prove, to test just how safe and effective are the herbs. They cannot make claims that an herb can cure this or that but they can make statements about how an herb can impact a function or structure. For instance, some herbal products were found to contain prescription medicines but the label did not list the ingredient.

Even so, many, many people report success with herbal remedies.

My position for these next few posts is to do my best to educate you about herbal remedies because like most things in life, they are not all bad and they are not all good.

More on my next post.

To your success at balancing your health.

Ruthan

PS If you do take an herbal remedy will you share your story with us? How did you happen on that remedy and the before and after. Maybe your story will help others. Type your story in the comment box. Thanks

An Anti-Inflammatory Diet Can Reduce Chronic Pain

Celebrities, among them Oprah, have been touting anti-inflammatory diets for several years. More physicians are considering it as part of their patient treatment programs particularly when it comes to chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome and sleeplessness. Apparently, eliminating most of the foods that trigger inflammation such as wheat, corn and dairy food,

Medical research now shows that inflammation is a hidden factor in many chronic diseases. Often times it is called the silent inflammation. Some of these diseases include diabetes, heart disease, dementia, obesity and certain forms of arthritis. For some reason, silent inflammation makes all of those diseases either chronic or worse.

Many suffering from pain use anti-inflammatory medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen to treat symptoms. Anti-inflammatory foods may be just as effective because the purpose of an anti-inflammatory diet is to stop the creation of the inflammation instead of fixing it after it occurs.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are, of course, a major part of the diet. The Mediterranean Diet is a popular form of the anti-inflammatory diet. Even so, it may take six weeks to six months for the diet to show results. Plus, the diet may not work for everyone.

Before you make any decision to change your diet behavior, check it out with your physician to make sure this diet will fit your health profile.

If you or someone you know has been on an anti-inflammatory diet, we would love to hear about the results. Simply scroll down to Comments and type their story in the blank window.

To your success at achieving a balanced health.

Ruthan Brodsky

Check out my other blog:  Upside Of Aging

Aromatherapy - Benefits and Cautions

Aromatherapy is the practice of use plant oils, including essential oils, for psychological and physical well-being. The therapy works when the oils are inhaled which stimulates the brain to trigger a reaction. Inhaling into the lungs can also result in the natural constituents supplying a therapeutic benefit such as eucalyptus essential oil easing congestion.

In my last post I described what aromatherapy is and how it works.

Essential oils applied to the skin can also be absorbed into the blood stream. The rule of thumb is that essential oils are too concentrated to be applied directly to the skin and must be diluted.

The U.S. does not regulate the use of the word aromatherapy on product packaging, labeling or in advertising so that just about any product can be listed as suitable. Some products on the market contain unnatural ingredients including fragrance oils and do not provide therapeutic benefits. Make sure you look at the label before purchasing true aromatherapy products.

When used as directed essential oils have few side effects. However, as with most of life, use aromatherapy in moderation.

• Do not swallow essential oils; they can be toxic if taken by mouth.
• Dilute the oils before you apply them to your skin. Some oils may cause irritation. If a rash takes place, discontinue use.
• If you have asthma, talk to your doctor first. Some oils can trigger bronchial spasm.
• Keep oils away from your eyes.
• Lavender and tea tree oils have been found to have some hormon-like effects. Used over time they may cause breast enlargement in boys who haven't reached puberty.
• Some essential oils should be avoided during pregnancy.
• Essential oils are flammable. Keep them away from fire hazards.
• And finally be selective of where you purchase your essential oils. The quality of essential oils varies widely from company to company.

For more information about maintaining your health and mental wellness, check out Up Side of Aging  As a health writer for 25 years I can reliably separate the fact and from the pure hype.  Read up on a variety of health issues.

To your success at a well balanced health.

Ruthan Brodsky

Aromatherapy - Scents That Soothe

The other day I was treated to a massage with scented oil. I was being treated with aromatherapy, fragrant essential oils that come directly from plants and are used to promote well-being and healing.

Advocates of aromatherapy market their products as being a helpful complementary treatment for chronic pain, stress, depression, anxiety and insomnia. Some essential oils have antibacterial effects when they are applied directly to your skin.

These concentrated oils are extracted from plants in natural ways, including distillation with steam or water or mechanical pressing. Oils made with a chemical process are not considered true essential oils.

Aromatherapy works because your nose is a sensational instrument. When aromas enter your nasal cavity the scent receptors in your nose send chemical messages directly to your brain at the limbic system. It is the limbic system that influences your heart rate, your blood pressure, respiration and many emotional responses.

Over 40 oils from plants are commonly used in aromatherapy. The different oils have their own purpose. For instance, lavender is used for calming. Other popular essential oils include lemon, chamomile, peppermint, eucalyptus and tea tree.

When I had the aromatherapy session with a massage at a local day spa, the oils were massaged into my skin. At home I can add oils to the bath water, burn aromatic candles or spray a mixture in the air. Essential oils are commonly mixed with a vegetable oil or alcohol base product.

Products that include synthetic ingredients are not considered essential oils. For example, fragrance oils are not the same as essential oils. Fragrance oils and perfume oils contain synthetic chemicals and do not provide the therapeutic benefits of essential oils say the experts.

Watch for my next post when I write about why you need to be cautious with essential oils.

Check out other health topics at Up Side of Aging.

To you good health,

Ruthan Brodsky

Generic Drugs Differ From Brand Names

An article appeared in the April 22 issue of the Wall Street Journal reporting on the problem physicians were having with generic drugs.

For instance, a psychiatrist prescribed generic drugs to patients for years and seldom had problems until last year. Several of his patients who did well on brand-name medications encountered severe problems when he switched them to generic drugs. One woman, for instance, cried inconsolably for 24 hours when she made the switch.

More on Aromatherapy

I used to think of Aromatherapy as a beauty treatment not something medical and therapeutic therapy used in hospitals. I recall the first time I was introduced to the treatment- about 5 years ago. I was surprised at the number of vials filled with different color liquids. The person who talked to me about essential oils had a room in her home piled with tubes of oils, packages of powder and bottles of vitamins.

Hospitals Support Alternative Health Care

"Top hospitals put unorthodox therapies into practice" was the headline of a U.S. News & World Report article January 9. It tells the story of two and one half year-old Mikey who is undergoing chemotherapy, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant along with healing touch therapy form an energy healer – all at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Children’s is the primary pediatric teaching hospital for Northwestern University’s Medical school.

Acupuncture Works for Reducing Pain

When I’m hurting I’m somewhat crabby. If I’m ornery, then I’m using a lot of effort not to be and I become tired and irritable. No doubt about it – pain, my little pains or someone’s major pain – is debilitating. When even my small pain is relieved, I feel a greater sense of well-being overall, physically and emotionally which leads, of course, to a more balanced health.

I’m convinced that acupuncture could be a more major player in my life when it comes to pain.

The debate about whether acupuncture can actually be used to treat aches and pains has been going on since Westerners started using this ancient Chinese medicine. Now this one-time alternative medicine procedure has finally made it. The major test came when insurance companies (not all but many) covered the cost of acupuncture treatment.

Ten years ago, maybe even 5 years ago, you paid upfront for any acupuncture sessions you received to treat your aches and pains. The debate about whether this ancient Chinese medicine worked bounced around in medical circles for decades.