Acne Treatment, The Common Sense Approach

Acne Treatment, The Common Sense Approach

By: http://www.skybluecross.com/




The first thing to remember when starting acne treatment is that there is no overnight cure. The duration of treatment can last between a few months to a few years. Another thing to understand is that what may work for one person might not work for another. Each individual is unique and the effectiveness of treatment varies from individual to individual.

Also it is always a good idea to follow the dermatologist’s advice, there is no point in trying remedies at home and ending up treating complications due to the home remedies. Let nature run its own course, most acne cases usually settle down over a period of time and treatment can only accelerate the process but there is no substitute for Mother Nature when it comes to healing.

How should people go about acne skin care? This article enumerates some basic guidelines to go by. For example, you should clean your skin gently, avoid frequent handling of the skin, avoid sun tanning, and lastly, women should choose their cosmetics carefully and men must shave carefully for good acne skin care.

People with acne may try to stop outbreaks and oil production by scrubbing their skin and using strong detergent soaps. However, scrubbing will not help acne skin care; in fact, it can make the problem worse. Most doctors recommend that people with acne gently wash their skin with a mild cleanser for acne skin care, once in the morning and once in the evening.

Patients should ask their doctor or another health professional for advice on the best type of cleanser to use for acne skin care. Acne skin care also means washing your skin after heavy exercise. Patients should wash their face from under the jaw to the hairline; rough scrubs or pads should not be used. It is important that patients thoroughly rinse their skin after washing it. Astringents are not recommended for acne skin care unless the skin is very oily, and then they should be used only on oily spots. Doctors also recommend that patients regularly shampoo their hair as part of acne skin care. Those with oily hair may want to shampoo it every day for proper acne skin care.

People who squeeze, pinch, or pick their blemishes risk developing scars. Acne lesions can form in areas where pressure is frequently applied to the skin. Frequent rubbing and touching of skin lesions should be avoided if you take your acne skin care seriously.

Men who shave and who have acne can try electric and safety razors to see which is more comfortable for acne skin care. Men who use a safety razor should use a sharp blade and soften their beard thoroughly with soap and water before applying shaving cream. Nicking blemishes can be avoided by shaving lightly and only when necessary.

A suntan or sunburn that reddens the skin can make blemishes less visible and make the skin feel drier for a little while. But the benefits are only temporary and cannot take the place of proper acne skin care. The sun can seriously damage skin, promote aging of skin, and cause skin cancer. Furthermore, many of the medications used to treat acne make a person more prone to sunburn.

People being treated for acne often need to change some of the cosmetics they use. Acne skin care demands that all cosmetics, such as foundation, blush, eye shadow, and moisturizers, should be oil free. Patients may find it difficult to apply foundation evenly during the first few weeks of treatment because skin may be red or scaly, particularly with the use of topical tretinoin or benzoyl peroxide.

Lip products that contain moisturizers may cause small, open and closed comedones to form. Hairstyling products that come in contact with the skin along the hairline can cause burning or stinging in people with acne. Acne skin care products that are labeled as noncomedogenic (do not promote the formation of blemishes) should be used for acne skin care; in some people, however, even these products may cause acne.

How to Fight Prostate Cancer

How to Fight Prostate Cancer

By: http://www.skybluecross.com

Over the past few years Prostate Cancer has been targeted by health authorities as the largest hidden killer of men over 45 years of age. Although there have been advances in education and general public awareness, men are still demonstrating reluctance to acknowledge the need for vigilance in their everyday lives.

There are a number of ways that men can reassure themselves however.

Here is a list of facts and suggestions collated from a number of sources that you should know about.

One in every 6 men will suffer from prostate problems in their lives. So there is no need to feel isolated or a victim. Just take action and get to a doctor quickly at the first sign.
It is almost certain that quick action will lead to successful recovery. The sooner you visit your doctor and get referred to a Urologist the better your chances of successful treatment.

There is hope for the future. In 2002, scientists at Liverpool University in the UK isolated the gene that promotes the spread of prostate cancer. This information is still being explored to hopefully produce new drugs which will assist treatment of Prostate cancer outside of the normal Chemotherapy regimes currently in use.

Dietary habits are the common thread in most of the literature about prostate cancer.

• Dairy products should be eliminated and replaced by soya. Just a couple of glasses of soy milk a day can have dramatic effects.
• Lyocopene contained in tomatoes is another factor showing up in studies as an effective preventative element of a prostate cancer fighting diet. Eating one moderately sized tomato a day also provides approximately 4 mg of lycopene. Other tomato products, such as an 8-ounce portion of tomato juice or tomato paste may provide up to 25 mg of lycopene. See www.naturalhealthlive.com/Lycopene.html
• Other fruits and vegetables are also recommended, such as avocadoes, pumpkins, beans and carrots and green leafy vegetables like spinach.
• Garlic, which seems to pop up in every preventative healthy diet plan is also recommended as it contains allicin, which decreases the proliferation of cancer cells.
• Selenium which is found in garlic, tomatoes, and broccoli has also been shown to be effective.

Cut back on salt and seasonings as these have been linked to cancer.

Finally, green tea is a popular choice as a beverage so drink at least 6 cups a day.

All in all there are plenty of reasons to be positive about controlling the risk of contracting prostate Cancer. A healthy diet as outlined above, coupled with most others advocated by Dietician everywhere, will dramatically reduce your concerns and help you lead a normal healthy long life.

A Natural Remedy for Gingivitis, Toothaches, and Mouth Sores

 A Natural Remedy for Gingivitis, Toothaches, and Mouth Sores

By: http://www.skybluecross.com
If you have gingivitis or other teeth problems use this remedy and see your problems disappear. It’s a simply collection of powdered herbs that give you tooth relief

Everyone has a variety of bacteria in their mouth. Some have more than others. This bacterium helps you by beginning the digestive process.

Excess bacteria in your mouth have now been found to cause more than tooth decay, gingivitis or gum disease. So, you need to know, even though you might not have gingivitis, how to control these plaque-building bacteria in your mouth.

Bacteria that create gingivitis live in your plaque and cause your gums to inflame, bleed, and separate from your teeth. You can also have bad breath when you have gingivitis. In more severe cases, your gums become sore, teeth hurt, gums recede, and teeth loosen.

To stop the inflammation and gum separation use this natural remedy to kill some of these bacteria and strengthen your gums in your mouth.

Here are the herbs and the formula you will need to make a remedy for a mild case of gingivitis:

2 parts white oak bark herb – powder

1 part myrrh gum herb – power or granules

3/4 part Peppermint leaves converted to powder

½ part anise herb – power or seeds

1/8 part clove - powder

If herbs and leaves are not in powder form, grind them in a coffee grinder. Use this formula to make as much powder as you want.

Place the mixture into a small container. I usually use a small-unused vitamin bottle.

I usually mix a small amount and use a tablespoon as my measuring tool. For example, 2 tablespoons of white oak, 1 tablespoon of myrrh gum, ¾ tablespoon of peppermint leaves, and so on. The measurements do not have to be so precise.

How to use it:

To control bacteria in your mouth, use this power once a week. If you have gingivitis, you can use this 3 times a day. Place some powder on your toothbrush and brush your teeth and gums. After brushing spit out, a few time, the saliva and residue powder. Don’t rinse out your mouth since you want to keep the active herb powders in your month. You can swallow any that remains in your mouth with no problem.

This powder combination is bitter, but quite powerful and will get the job done. You can add more peppermint powder to make it less bitter, if you like.

For severe cases of gingivitis and toothaches, you can also moist some powder with distilled water and then place the paste all along the your teeth and gums – front and back. Leave the paste in your mouth as long as you can. Don’t worry about the herbs getting in between your teeth. This remedy works.

My wife was schedule for a root canal last year and a few weeks before her tooth started paining and couldn't sleep. So I made this remedy. She just placed the powers around the painful area. It wasn't long before the pain stopped and she was able to go to sleep.

There have been other clients that have used this remedy for a month and successfully avoided having the dentist apply gingivitis treatment. In cases of severe gingivitis, go see your dentist and at the same time use this remedy.

Could Pomegranates Be The New Prostate Cancer Natural Cure?

Could Pomegranates Be The New Prostate Cancer Natural Cure?
By: http://www.skybluecross.com/

Prostate cancer research has uncovered some promising early results for pomegranate juice and extracts. Learn how they may help prostate cancer, and the mechanisms by which they can affect a tumor.
Pomegranates have long been used in traditional folk remedies to treat sore throats, inflammation, and rheumatism. And recent scientific research has suggested they are also potentially effective in both preventing and treating prostate cancer.

One study, conducted on human prostate cancer cells in lab dishes, at the University of Wisconsin, found that there were dose dependant improvements. Another study at the same facility injected mice with human prostate cancer cells. These mice developed malignancies. Some mice were fed plain water, whilst two other groups of mice were given water mixed with different concentrations of pomegranate extract.

Those mice that had water only had tumors that grew much faster than the pomegranate and water groups. The quantities given to the mice were comparable to that which people might get if they drank pomegranate juice on a daily basis. And whilst pomegranate juice hasn't been tested on humans with prostate cancer yet, the results are very good.

The study did not indicate what aspects of pomegranate juice were responsible for slowing down prostate tumour growth. But the scientists involved did mention the antioxidant polyphenolic compounds, which are more effective than green tea and red wine.

Pomegranate extract not only inhibited the growth of cancer cells, it also worked by another means - apoptosis.

Apoptosis refers to a way that cells can die. Cancer growths are characterized by an uncontrolled growth of cells that do not follow the normal processes of cellular differentiation of regular, healthy cells. Cellular differentiation means that the characteristics of a cell change and get the functions that a mature, healthy cell would. For example, liver cells have specialized liver functions, as do prostate, breast, kidney, and all other types of cells. This is normal and healthy.

In tumour growths, although some cells fully differentiate, many only differentiate partially, and some not at all. And the tumors which have more undifferentiated cells grow faster. So, inducing cellular differentiation is one approach to cancer treatment. The other two ways that doctors and researchers try to treat cancer is by causing the death of cancerous cells. They do this through apoptosis, mentioned above, and necrosis.

In apoptosis, cell death is programmed into the cell when it is 'born'. So the cell dies in a more natural way that is less destructive on its environment. By this I mean it doesn't cause inflammation and the damage associated with it to neighboring cells that may be healthy. Cells die either when they reach cellular old age or when their death benefits the body as a whole. Necrosis, on the other hand, does cause inflammation.

Generally, prostate cancer grows very slowly, although it is unpredictable and can grow quickly and spread.

References:
1. John Boik, Cancer and Natural Medicine (Oregon Medical Press, 1996)
2. Australian Healthy Food, March, 2006
3. nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?id=62811
4. nutraingredientsusa.com/news/ng.asp?id=62811

The Signs Of Multiple Sclerosis

The Signs Of Multiple Sclerosis


By: http://www.skybluecross.com


Multiple Sclerosis is an inflammatory disease of the Central Nervous System which consist of the brain and spinal cord. It is also called the disease of the “white matter” tissue. White matter consists of nerve fibers which are responsible for transmitting communication signals both internally within the CNS and between the CNS and the nerves supplying the rest of the body. Multiple Sclerosis can be very slow in destroying your CNS, which is why it makes it hard to characterize. People who are affected by this disease have patches of damage called plaques or lesions that seem to appear randomly on the CNS white matter. Multiple Sclerosis never affects any two people the same way and each intervals disease is unique only to him or her, just like fingerprints. The body's immune system attacks the outer nerve sheath or myelin , which causes scarring or sclerosis , and this scarring interferes with the transmission of the signals required for normal operation.

The most common symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis are sensory in nature including tingling, peculiar nerve sensations such as a “pins-and-needles” feeling over part of the body, numbness or paresthesias, clumsiness, weakness of a let or hand, visual disturbances. Recent research indicates that the biochemical make-up of lesions may vary between different forms of the disease, causing nerve damage to one site usually causes completely different symptoms than damage to another, and this is one of the reasons Multiple Sclerosis differs so widely between people. People with Multiple Sclerosis can experience partial or complete loss of any function that is controlled by, or passes through, the brain or spinal cord. Inflammation happens in areas of the white matter of the central nervous system in patches and destruction of myelin is soon to follow. Myelin is the fatty covering that insulates nerve cell fibers in the brain and spinal cord. Other weaknesses occur in one or more of the extremities, slight stiffness or unusual fatigue of the limb, spastic involuntary movements, difficulty with bladder control, incontinence, vertigo, and in some cases mild emotional disturbances. Excessive heat may intensify symptoms.

Because the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis vary and can be very unpredictable. It may affect the eyes first and usually only one eye at a time. One may notice blurred or double vision, blind spot, distortions of reds and greens, or blindness in both eyes. Certain muscles may become weak or extremely stiff and prone to spasms; you may start to have trouble talking because there are disturbance between the central nervous system and the rest of your body. Half of all patients with later stages of Multiple Sclerosis have problems with memory loss. Once a doctor suspects the disease he or she will order an MRI scan to look for signs on the brain and spinal cord. If you have any of the symptoms described here, go to your doctor and get checked out. The sooner you learn you have a disease, the sooner you can start fighting it.

Abdominal Chemo Increases Ovarian Cancer Survival Rate

 Abdominal Chemo Increases Ovarian Cancer Survival Rate
By http://www.skybluecross.com

A large clinical test shows that giving chemotherapy directly into the stomach, as well as into a vein, can improve survival of women with advanced ovarian cancer by about sixteen months. The results of the study, which pop up in this week's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, prompted the National Cancer Institute to issue a statement supporting doctors to employ this plan of attack for appropriate patients.

Why is this new treatment reigmine so important? Ovarian cancer is the fourth greatest reason of cancer demises in women, affecting more than 22,000 women and killing more than 16,000 in 2005. Although this disease is super treatable when saw ahead of time, virtually all cases are not noticed until they have dispersed beyond the ovaries. Because so many ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed at a later stage, it is crucial to find ways to better treatments for further progressed disease.

What is already known about ovarian cancer? virtually all women with advanced ovarian cancer get chemotherapy after surgery to get rid of the tumor. That chemotherapy is usually given into a vein and moves through the bloodstream to reach tumor cells in the stomach. Doctors have also experimented with rendering the chemotherapy straight into the abdomen through a catheter, a system called intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy. Eight clinical trials of this approach have been done, and most showed a gain to IP chemotherapy. But this technique is not widely wore, according to the study's author, Deborah Armstrong, MD.

"There has been a prejudice against IP therapy in ovarian cancer because it's an old idea, it requires skill and experience for the surgery and for the chemotherapy, and it's additional complicated than IV chemotherapy," said Armstrong, who is a medical oncologist and associate professor at the John Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore.

How this study was done: Women with stage III ovarian cancer were randomly assigned to get either standard chemotherapy in a vein (210 women), or a combination of chemotherapy in a vein and IP chemotherapy (205 women). The women had already had surgery that successfully removed all or most of the tumor; none had tumors remaining that were larger than 1 cm in diameter. All the women were treated with the same drugs, cisplatin and paclitaxel. Six cycles of chemotherapy were planned for both groups.

What was found? Women who had IP chemo operated long without their cancer coming back and lived longest overall. Women who had traditional chemotherapy in a vein survived about 4 years after treatment, while those who got chemotherapy in the stomach as well as a vein stomach an median of nearly 5 ½ years after treatment.

That improvement is "one of the largest benefits ever observed for a new therapy in gynecologic oncology," based on data from Stephen A. Cannistra, MD, who composed an editorial published with the study. He is a professor at Harvard Medical School and managing director of the division of gynecologic medical oncology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

Nonetheless, the IP treatment was very much more difficult on the patients. Women who had this treatment had many additional terrible or life-threatening side effects, including low white blood cell counts, infection, tiredness, and anguish. Many side effects were associated to the catheters that must be introduced into the stomach to deliver the chemotherapy. These problems were so serious that fewer than half of the women designated to undergo IP chemotherapy finished all six designed treatment cycles. That makes the survival advance that good deal supplementary noteworthy, Cannistra composed.

Women who got IP therapy also reported significantly worse caliber of life during and just after treatment. By one year out, nonetheless, both groups described similar quality of life.

Cancer Therapies Right On Target

Cancer Therapies Right On Target
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 With today's new advancements in prevention, detection and treatment, a diagnosis of cancer no longer necessarily means facing a terminal disease.
Cancer has always been synonymous with loss and fear. With today's new advancements in prevention, detection and treatment, a diagnosis of cancer no longer necessarily means facing a terminal disease. Rather, as new advances provide more treatment options, cancer increasingly takes on the shape of a chronic condition.

Recently, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) announced that leading cancer organizations report that Americans' risk of dying from cancer continues to decline, indicating that progress in prevention, early detection, and newer treatments appear to be helping in the fight against this disease.

The next revolution in cancer therapy will likely find its roots in the ongoing Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), a pilot project initiated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). Scientists have begun to discover that numerous genes play a role in cancer, but they have only uncovered a small portion of these genes. The Cancer Genome Atlas is aimed at helping to accelerate the understanding of the genetic make-up of cancer. Researchers hope that a better understanding of how cancer develops and spreads, will lead to new tests to detect cancer in its early, most treatable stages; new therapies to target cancer; and, ultimately, new strategies to prevent cancer.

Understanding of the genetic basis for cancer has already allowed researchers to develop the first drugs that target faulty genes, which are making a difference in the lives of patients. Just ask Bob Ferber. In July of 1999, the Los Angeles attorney was diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a malignant cancer of the bone marrow and blood.

Ferber tried many futile attempts at treatment before entering a clinical trial for a drug now called Gleevec (imatinib mesylate) tablets to help fight his disease. Gleevec, approved by the FDA in 2001, is one of the first "targeted therapies" and works by turning off the specific cause of Ph+ CML, something The Cancer Genome Atlas hopes to make possible for many more cancers. Within months, Ferber's white blood cell counts were within normal range and his disease was in remission.

"My CML diagnosis was a real scare. But, I'm grateful now. I'm grateful for every new day I have."

Sadly, not everyone's story is as positive as Ferber's. Hopefully, with the continued advancement of cancer awareness and research, preventative treatment and The Cancer Genome Atlas, cancer patients will one day be able to breathe a sigh of relief and agree with Ferber when he says, "Every time I challenge this cancer, emotionally or physically-and survive-that's a victory for me."

Researchers have developed the first cancer-fighting drugs that target faulty genes.

Note to Editors: About Gleevec Tablets: Gleevec (imatinib mesylate) tablets are indicated for the treatment of newly diagnosed adult patients with Philadelphia chromosome−positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in chronic phase. Follow-up is limited. Gleevec tablets are also indicated for the treatment of patients with Ph+ CML in blast crisis, in accelerated phase or in chronic phase after failure of interferon-alpha (IFN-a) therapy.

Important Safety Information1: Severe (NCI Grades 3/4) neutropenia (3%&#8722;48%), anemia (<1%&#8722;42%), thrombocytopenia (<1%&#8722;33%), hemorrhage (1%&#8722;19%), fluid retention (<1%&#8722;8%) (eg, pleural effusion, pulmonary edema, and ascites) and superficial edema (1%&#8722;6%), musculoskeletal pain (1%&#8722;9%), and hepatotoxicity (3%&#8722;8%) were reported among Gleevec® recipients. Patients should be weighed and monitored regularly for signs and symptoms of edema, which can be serious or life-threatening. There have also been reports, including fatalities, of cardiac tamponade, cerebral edema, increased intracranial pressure, papilledema, and gastrointestinal perforation. Bullous dermatologic reactions (eg, erythema multiforme and Stevens-Johnson syndrome) have also been reported. In some cases, the reaction recurred upon rechallenge. Several foreign postmarketing cases note a resolution or improvement of bullous reaction following dose reduction with or without supportive care. Dose adjustments may be necessary due to hepatotoxicity, other nonhematologic adverse events, or hematologic adverse events. Therapy with Gleevec was discontinued for adverse events in 3% to 5% of patients. Patients with severe hepatic impairment should be treated at a starting dose of 300mg/day and should be closely monitored. Gleevec is metabolized by the CYP3A4 isoenzyme and is an inhibitor of CYP3A4, CYP2D6, and CYP2C9. Dosage of Gleevec Tablets should increase by at least 50% and clinical response should be carefully monitored in patients receiving Gleevec Tablets with a potent CYP3A4 inducer such as rifampin or phenytoin. Examples of commonly used drugs that may significantly interact with Gleevec include acetaminophen, warfarin, erythromycin, and phenytoin. Please see enclosed full prescribing information for other potential drug interactions. For daily dosing of 800mg and above, dosing should be accomplished using the 400mg tablets to reduce exposure to iron. Use of Gleevec Tablets is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to imatinib or to any other component of Gleevec Tablets. Women of childbearing potential should be advised to avoid becoming pregnant while taking Gleevec Tablets. Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants, women should be advised to avoid breast-feeding while taking Gleevec Tablets.

Common Side Effects of Gleevec Tablets1: The majority of the approximately 1700 adult patients who received Gleevec in clinical studies experienced adverse events at some time, but most were mild to moderate in severity. The most frequently reported adverse events were superficial edema (58%&#8722;81%), nausea (47%&#8722;74%), diarrhea (39%&#8722;70%), muscle cramps (28%&#8722;62%), vomiting (21%&#8722;58%), rash (36%&#8722;53%), fatigue (30%&#8722;53%), musculoskeletal pain (30%&#8722;49%), and abdominal pain (30%&#8722;40%).* Supportive care may help management of most mild-to-moderate adverse events so that prescribed dose can be maintained whenever possible. Gleevec tablets should be taken with food and a large glass of water to minimize gastrointestinal (GI) irritation. Gleevec tablets should not be taken with grapefruit juice.


1 Gleevec® (imatinib mesylate) tablets prescribing information. East Hanover, NJ: Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; 2005.

* Numbers indicate the range of percentages in 4 studies among adult patients with Ph+ CML in blast crisis, accelerated phase, and chronic phase.