Health Advice for Women

Do you want the real answers on how to improve your allergies? When I was gobbling down decongestants and taking allergy shots in the 1970’s my allergist told me he cure my allergies. Wrong! Thirty five years later I have learned more about “improving my allergies” than you want to hear, so I’ll impart my wisdom in the “Reader’s Digest” version.

Allergy symptoms. Allergies can cause everything from a runny nose, congested head, itchy eyes, nose and throat, headaches, joint pain, fatigue, vomiting, stomach aches, coughs and a variety of other things. Our bodies all react differently, but the allergy symptoms are your body saying “help”!

Avoid. If we could live a glass bubble with filtered air, those of us with air-born allergies would be a lot better off, but we can’t! It’s really hard to avoid all the things we are allergic to and knowing what one is allergic to is a science in itself. If allergies are wreaking havoc in your life, take charge of your life and clean up your environment, start with my list of 10 things to improve your allergies.

1. Kill your carpets, rip them out and install tile or hardwood- this is the #1 thing I recommend! Buy your hardwood or tile online at Fastfloors.com FREE Shipping, their prices are great and they offer free shipping.

2. Install Air Filters, they are a life saver! I’ve tried dozens of brands and varieties. I recommend the HealthMate Air Filters and you can find them online at Real Goods, they will clean your air and leave you feeling so much better. They are expensive, but worth every cent.

3. Remove as many allergens or toxins from your home and work environment. Mold and dust mites are usually the biggest problems, but below are some other big problems and you need them out!

4. Perfume or scented products- read the label, if it says “fragrance” throw it out. You may have trouble finding unscented shampoo, lotion, soap and cosmetics. MotherNature.com has a great selection of natural products and they offer free shipping! You can now buy CLINIQUE make-up online, it’s fragrance free too

, click on the pink box and you get a free gift with purchase!

5. House-hold cleaning products, only buy the natural kind and unscented. Fantastic, Comet, Windex and their close relatives are all made with harsh chemicals, not good! Here’s a link to my favorite products MotherNature.com. You will also want to avoid fertilizers in your grass, flowers and plants, it’s pure poison to you and the environment.

6. Laundry soap- you need to toss your Tide, Cheer, etc. It’s made with petrochemicals and not good for you. Go buy the natural kind that’s not made with chemicals, here’s a link to buy them online and the shipping is free! Chemicals are bad for you, and over periods of time they weaken your system.

7. People with allergies do best with leather furniture vs. cloth, try to take the minimalist approach. No drapes, feather pillows and avoid synthetic materials. Install blinds instead of drapes that hold dust, JustBlinds.com has the best prices I’ve found on the web for all varieties of blinds. I prefer organic cotton for bed spreads, sheets and comforters that I can wash a million times. I love to shop at Gaiam, they have a great selection of organic bedding, pillows, and towels. Free Shipping on $25 or more at Gaiam.com. Use code AFSUM.

8. Exercise every day! ~ It’s just that easy, start walking and move up to more cardiovascular exercises that get your heart pumping. You want to strengthen your body, lungs and heart. The stronger your body is the better it will handle those nasty allergies.

9. Eat real food! I’m talking fresh veggies and fruits, lean meats, nuts, legumes. Stay away from frozen or processed foods, that’s right no fast food and restaurant food only on occasion. Go organic if you can.

10. Last, but not least. Your body needs to get stronger and desensitize. I’ve tried everything from allergy testing, allergy shots, homeopath, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, yoga, elimination diets, vitamin’s and the list goes on. I will spend more time on this in another article, but until then feel free to leave me comments. I found some great doctors that helped me heal along the way, but I also found some doctors that were of no help. This will be frustrating, but we are here to help!

You could look at my cross-eyed and I would get a sinus infection or an ear infection. That’s how susceptible I am to them. Each year I get at least 5-6 sinus infections and just as many ear infections. And they don’t go away easily.

A sinus infection is an inflammation of the sinuses and nasal passages. A sinus infection can cause a headache or pressure in the eyes, nose, cheek area, or on one or both sides of the head. The sinuses contain defenses against foreign viruses and bacteria (germs). If the normal defenses are disrupted, they may allow bacteria normally present in the nasal passages to enter any of the sinuses. Once there, the bacteria may stick to the lining cells and cause a sinus infection. Fungi (Fungus) are also becoming an increasing cause of chronic sinusitis, especially in people with diseases that weaken the immune system.

Allergy-causing substances (allergens) or pollutants can trigger acute sinusitis. If you, like me, have numerous chemical sensitivities, you probably end up with numerous sinus infections that just won’t go away. These infections are likely causes by inflammation of the nasal passages due to the allergy response and fungus overgrowth.

I used to visit the doctor each time I had a sinus infection and the doctor would prescribe me antibiotics. I would take these pills and the antibiotics would not work. Antibiotics will only work if your sinus infection is caused by bacteria. Mine are not; they are caused by allergies and fungus. After years of taking antibiotics faithfully (because my doctor said to) I realized I was really damaging my body trying to solve my sinus infections with antibiotics.

I have now switched to a more natural way of treating my sinus infections. My natural approach is easy and you can follow it too. At the first onset of symptoms I act. I perform a daily routine that quickly and effectively washes the infection away. Here’s my routine:

Nasal irrigation: Nasal irrigation involves flooding the nasal cavity with a warm saline solution (salt water). The goal of nasal irrigation is to clear out excess mucus and moisturize the nasal cavity. The practice has been subjected to clinical testing and has been found to be safe and beneficial, with no apparent side effects (even Oprah had it on her show!). Nasal irrigation is easiest with a Neti Pot which can be purchased at a natural food store or online through MotherNature.com. When I have symptoms I use the neti pot twice a day. I use it once every other day when I don’t have symptoms to try and keep them at bay!

2) Drink Water. Water hydrates to body and the mucus linings. When your body is hydrated it is easier to reduce inflammation and remove the infection from your system. I make sure to drink extra water on days that I have symptoms.

3) Acupunture. Yes, I know that many people are scared of acupuncture because they think the needles are going to hurt. I have had acupuncture of years and a needle has never hurt me (I barely even feel them). When my symptoms get out of hand and pretty bad, I go visit my acupuncturist. He places needles on the trigger points for my sinuses. Within hours after a treatment my sinuses drain, my energy increases and I’m well on my way to recovery. I always combine this treatment with the neti pot treatment to ensure the infection is gone. When selecting an acupuncturist in your area, ask for referrals and check their credentials to ensure they have adequate training. The licensing rules vary from state to state.

4) Stave off Bacterial Infection. All the inflammation and excess mucus could lead to a secondary bacterial or fungal infection. I always strive to keep these at bay through the use of natural remedies. Oregano is perhaps the most powerful herbal anti fungal agent known. Its effectiveness is enhanced by its safety, since it is entirely non-toxic. Oregano is such a potent anti fungal agent that it is capable of destroying even resistant fungal forms such as the mutated fungi which result from antibiotic therapy. Oregano is also an excellent antibacterial agent. Its volatile oils are highly active against the majority of pathogenic bacteria, including staph, strep, and E. coli. I keep a bottle of Oregamax by North American Herb & Spice handy for just these occasions. I take 3 pills twice a day when symptoms are present and my symptoms start to subside.

Hopefully some of these suggestions work for you and that you find some relief from your chronic sinus infections. I always believe that a natural solution is best if it can heal my condition. There are times, however, when the infection gets away from me. If I don’t have relief within a few days, I will consult my doctor and I hope you will too!

People used to ask me why I wore so much blush on my cheeks. It is frustrating to have to explain over and over again to people that the blush they see comes from a rash. The rash came from face cleaning products that irritated my skin. I tried just about everything I could get at the local store including all the “natural” products you can find easily. Did you know that the word “natural” is not regulated? So any company can put the word “natural” on their product packaging and we believe them! That’s horrible!

At one point I stumbled upon Jojoba Oil and began using it as my facial cleanser. The skin rash immediately disappeared. This was my first entry into natural facial cleansers and this opened up a new world for me. I used Jojoba Oil for many years as a facial cleanser. I still use it often as a post-shower full-body moisturizer. A small little bit, rubbed between my palms and rubbed into the skin.

A couple of year’s ago, I was introduced to another natural facial cleansing product line, Dr. Hauschka, that I now exclusively use. Dr. Hauschka products are made with sustainable, ecologically sound agricultural practices by obtaining as many of their ingredients as possible from certified Biodynamic and organic sources.

Their holistic skin care products are made from organic ingredients and natural oils. With these products, a little goes a long way, so do not be deterred by the price. I purchase this only a couple of times a year and it lasts a long, long time!

Most patients with Fibromyalgia say that they ache all over. I know I do. Every morning when I wake up, it takes me several minutes to get my muscles working. My muscles are tight and ache so much they feel like they are throbbing.

Sometimes my Fibromyalgia symptoms include muscle twitches and a burning sensation. One time I had a muscle spasm in my chest that was bad I fainted. Of course, the doctor’s immediately thought I was having a heart attack, but alas, it was something far worse that they couldn’t identify. There has been a great deal of speculation within the medical community regarding what causes Fibromyalgia but no conclusions.

If you are like me, and have muscle pain on a daily basis, there are many natural ways to take the edge off the muscle pain. I perform a daily routine that helps me keep my muscle pain symptoms to a manageable level. Hopefully you can incorporate some of these healthy rituals into your daily routine and get some relief from the constant muscle pain

• Omega 3 Fish Oil Supplement: Omega-3 Fish Oil supplements have been shown to reduce systemic inflammation in the body. Studies show there is benefit to heart health and brain functioning. My body moves more freely when I regularly take an Omega-3 Fish Oil Supplement. My preferred brand is Natrol Specialty Products Extreme Omega Fish Oil - 60 soft gel which you can get from MotherNature.com.

• BioFreeze Pain Relieving Gel is amazing. I use the convenient roll-on variety and within minutes my muscles begin to feel better. This product definitely lives up to its name with a tingly cold feeling as it goes on and my muscle relief lasts for hours.

Does your baby have scaly red patched? Odds are, your baby could have eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis. This condition regularly appears in children from two months old on up. Eczema, an itchy skin rash, can appear on their forehead, cheeks, and scalp. Eczema can also spread to baby’s arms, chest, legs or other body parts. Eczema varies in appearance depending on the type of eczema.

Most common symptoms include dry, scaly skin or it might be tiny red bumps that blister, ooze or appear infected if they are scratched. Babies are prone to scratching due to eczema’s extremely itchy nature so great care must be taken to prevent this. “Cradle cap” is another form of eczema or dermatitis that appears as white flaky skin on the scalp and possibly the ears of a baby.

Eczema is often inherited from parents. Parents who have had eczema, asthma or hay fever should monitor children closely for any signs of an eczema outbreak as there is an 80% chance their offspring will have eczema.

Eczema is not an allergic reaction but allergens can cause a flare-up. If a mother is breastfeeding, she must also monitor her own food consumption so as not to pass on allergens to a child suffering from eczema. Wool, soaps, shampoos, lotions and heat can also cause flare-ups of eczema in children.

The best eczema treatments I found for my daughter were the following:

1. Limit the number of baths each week. Yes, even water has chemicals that can aggravate her skin.
2. Throw out your old soaps, Dial and even Dove are made with petrochemicals that aggravate eczema. Instead use soaps that are unscented and made with natural ingredients. It’s easier to find these soaps online. I like Jason’s Natural Body Wash it’s fragrance free and keeps your skin most. I find the prices are really good at MotherNature.com for thousands of all-natural Health & Wellness products.
   
3. New clothes are loaded with chemicals, so make sure you wash your child’s clothes a few times before she wears them. Now here’s an important tip, most major brand laundry detergents like Tide and Cheer are made with petrochemicals. You want a natural unscented detergent that is easier on the skin like Bi-O-Kleen Laundry Liquid - Free & Clear.
   
4. Lastly, the best practice for eczema is to avoid putting things on their skin unless it’s a natural cream to stop the itching. But it’s hard to avoid using sunscreen at times. I really like the Alba Botanica brand, they make a great sunscreen that’s unscented and kind to the skin. It’s hard to find in local stores, but here’s a link to buy it online Alba Botanica Sunscreen SPF 18 - Fragrance Free, 4 oz
   

Eczema outbreak after working out at the gym? You didn’t catch it from the equipment. Eczema is not a communicable disease and is more often caused by heredity than anything else. So why did you get eczema after working out? When you work out, you sweat. At least you do if you are exercising correctly.

Sweat can irritate the skin and cause an eczema flare-up. Tips to avoid the flare-up if you exercise avidly are simple. Drink lots of water before, during and after a workout. This helps to hydrate the skin. Always shower immediately after a work out using a mild soap. Sweat left on the skin can cause an eczema flare-up.

The eczema can also be caused by soap irritating your skin so try using a different soap and see if the eczema goes away. A person tends to shower more if they are working out which can also stress the skin by drying it out. Find a good moisturizer and liberally apply.

Don’t stop exercising just because of an eczema outbreak. Try doing another exercise such as yoga or tai chi that keep you fit without as much sweating during flare-ups. Remember, you control your eczema. Don’t let it control you. To help my daughter control her eczema flare-ups, we switched to unscented and natural soaps and body products. With the price of gas going through the roof, I shop online at MotherNature.com