The human body is a complex system of actions and reactions where each organ, gland and body system has a dedicated role. The immune system acts as a sort of a watch dog and comes into action the moment there is something wrong with the body, a bacterial invasion, for example.

Simply said, your immune system is your body ’s own physician that protects against a wide range of disease causing antigens. It is obvious that immune system health is a primary factor that affects your overall health.

The quick fix solution provided by the antibiotic alternative for treating even self healing conditions and its indiscriminate use has resulted in the development of drug resistant bacteria. In addition, new strains of bacteria are developing as they undergo various mutations around us.

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Each year when the weather changes from fall to winter, there’s an influx of people heading to the doctor with a sore throat and little to no voice. They’ll quickly be diagnosed with laryngitis. If you’ve ever had it, you may be looking for help for laryngitis.

What is laryngitis?

The larynx, a two-inch tubular chamber in the throat, is also called the voice box. Laryngitis occurs when the vocal cords (which are made up of cartilage, ligaments, and membranes) are inflamed. Laryngitis generally isn’t a serious condition and usually lasts less than seven days. It can last longer but long-term laryngitis is rare.

What are the symptoms?

Many of the symptoms associated with laryngitis can also be symptoms for other illnesses. Most people will experience one or more of the following:

* Sore throat
* Hoarseness
* Weak or no voice
* Sensation of needing to clear the throat
* Dry cough
* Fever
* Tickling sensation or rawness in the throat
* Dry throat

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The cold and flu season is upon us and many people prefer to use natural methods to fend off germs and stay well. You may have heard about effective natural remedies and would like to know how garlic can fight off flu bugs to keep you feeling great during this season of the year.

Flu, no matter which strain, can be dangerous if your body is already weakened due to other medical conditions or a weakened immune system. However, most people who come down with the flu usually recover within a week or so.

Of course, you know to cover your mouth if you sneeze or cough, wash your hands often, get plenty of fluids, eat a healthy diet, and get plenty of rest when you feel a cold or flu coming on. You can also add garlic to your repertoire of cold and flu season knowledge.

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It’s not called “common” for nothing. Before long, millions of people will be affected by the common cold or the flu. Some people use traditional methods to stay healthy. You may want to try some of these super foods to keep colds at bay this winter.

Colds and flu are similar in that they’re both respiratory illnesses. They also have some of the same symptoms. While there are similarities, such as both being viral infections, there are also differences. Symptoms from colds generally begin slowly and consist of runny or stuffy noses, wet or productive coughs, mild fatigue, and slight body aches. Flu, on the other hand, makes itself know quickly (often within three to six hours); symptoms include fever, more severe body aches, chills, moderate fatigue, dry or burning cough, severe chest congestion, and headache.

Obviously, preventing a cold is preferable to treating one and you can do much to reduce your chances of catching a cold: washing your hands with hot soapy water, avoiding touching your eyes or nose, getting plenty of rest, staying hydrated, and maintaining a healthy diet. In fact, adding vitamin and mineral-rich super foods to your daily diet can be your front line to avoiding a cold this season.

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From a health heart to a good sex life, the proper flow and circulation of blood in our arteries is one of the most important things we can do to maintain good health and push back the aging process.

There is a common denominator between good arterial health and disorders such as heart attack, obesity, diabetes and high glucose levels, as well as sexual health. That common denominator is blood.

One of the single most preventatives is a proper diet. Because diet strongly influences weight, sex hormone production, including testosterone, the health of our arteries and its flow, it is important to cut back on excess meat consumption, full fat, dairy products and a lack of vegetables and fruits in the diet.

Herbal medicine is a wonderful preventative solution. Complications can arise when taking herbal medicine and allopathic drugs your doctor has prescribed. Great caution should be used especially if you are on blood thinners, diuretics or any other heart related medication. Consult your doctor with any questions you may have, before taking additional herbs or supplements.

Continue reading " Men’s Health Week: Guidelines for Good Arterial Health "

The best natural weight loss solutions are will power and behavioral changes. If you can keep away from hydrogenated oils, processed and junk foods, red meat and cow ’s milk you will probably loose a lot of weight. In addition if you change to an herbal weight loss diet that includes herbs, fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, garlic, sprouts, broccoli and adequate levels of water, it will ensure proper satiation and vitality while ensuring weight loss.

You should resort to medical treatment for obesity only after all your own efforts have failed to produce the desired results. Sometimes, if one is diagnosed with an accompanying medical condition like a weak heart or high cholesterol, it is recommended that medication be chosen as the one of the fastest acting weight loss solutions.

Weight loss medications involve toxic drugs that have side effects. You might even be advised to go for surgical treatment, which is often proffered as a quick fix weight loss solution. You have a choice of choosing from prescription or over-the counter supplements. The most common conventional medications include those that attempt to inhibit absorption of food as it travels through the digestive tract or those that restrict food intake by inducing a feeling of satiation.

Continue reading " Strong Willpower Is Better Than Medical Treatment for Obesity "

In persistent cases of acne that do not respond to topical treatment, an antibiotic alternative is usually exercised by doctors. An antibiotic is a drug, synthetic or natural, that kills bacterial proteins while inhibiting bacterial growth alongside.

If it was limited to this action, antibiotics would be the most preferred treatment for numerous bacterial disorders including acne. However, antibiotics cannot differentiate between bacterial proteins and cellular proteins that are part of the body cells. And this is what causes the negative effects of antibiotics, commonly known as side effects.

Tetracycline is the most common and the first-use antibiotic for acne. It is a broad spectrum antibiotic and also the least expensive. Tetracycline and its derivative, Doxycycline, are taken on an empty stomach or at least two to three hours after meals as food restricts absorption of the drug. Minocycline, another tetracycline derivative, on the other hand is easily absorbed and can be taken with food.

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All about body odor

We have all experienced body odor at some time in our life – whether it was after sweating through a particularly strenuous game of sport or wearing a certain pair of shoes that always seem to cause smelly feet! Body odor can be unpleasant as well as embarrassing and, for some people, it is a constant worry.

What causes body odor?

Though most people think of body odor as being caused by perspiration, there is more to the problem than this. Body odor is actually produced by a combination of anaerobic bacteria and products excreted from your body during exertion or periods of raised metabolism. Moisture and the secretions of apocrine sweat glands promote the growth of these bacteria on the skin which result in an odor. Perspiration itself has no particular smell.

The smell of waste products excreted by our bodies is also affected by toxins we have ingested or absorbed into our bodies. In a modern environment our bodies are subjected to a host of chemicals and toxins in our food – including pollution in the air and even household cleaning products.

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Garlic can clear out your pores. Apply this paste to your face. This will make your skin tingle.
Recipe: Peel and mash eight fresh garlic cloves (or, iuse crushed garlic from a jar).

Leave on your face for 15 minutes. Wash off with a warm cloth. Results: Very smelly. Garlic gets even smellier as it rinses off, but the good news is that dead skin comes off with it.

If you can stand the stink, try it. Keep it away from your eyes.

Originally posted 2006-03-14 12:04:02.

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It is embarrassing to have warts and even more embarrassing getting caught purchasing over-the-counter remedies for warts. Using natural remedies that you can find around your home is less embarrassing and work just fine.

Do you know what warts are? Warts are small benign growths that appear on the skin typically on the hands or feet but can also appear on the elbows, fingers, forearms, face, knees, and skin around your nails. Typically they appear on skin that receives constant friction or skin that has received trauma, or abrasions. You can also get warts on the larynx (voicebox) and when this happens you will notice hoarseness of voice. These warts are called “common warts” and are usually small, flat or raised, dry or moist, and may have a rough or a pitted surface that is the same color as the surrounding skin or maybe a little darker. They can vary in size from a pinhead to the size of a small pea. Warts are very contagious because they are caused by viruses and can be transmitted from one person to another by a break in the skin and contact with the wart. They spread faster if they are picked, trimmed, bitten or touched. You can spread warts on your face by shaving your face. You do not feel pain or itching from common warts.

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