Guide to Herbal Remedies

Archive for August, 2008

The perfect skin goes far to make a woman look beautiful. The hygiene of the skin reflects the general hygiene of the body. But even when there are skin diseases like black heads, blotches, pimples, a sallow, mothy or greasy skin, there is a cure.
Health comes first as a good skin requisite, health born of exercise, wholesome food, plenty of soap and water. Take care of the skin locally. Avoid the direct rays of the sun; avoid exposure to wind, and dirt, lest your skin turn coarse and rough. Water does not injure the skin, nor dry out its natural oils. Use soft water for cleaning face and hands. If the water you have available is hard, soften with salt, borax or baking soda, add bran or a quarter cup of almond meal to make water more soothing to a tender skin.
If chapping, warm a bath, tepid water, a soft soap, plus olive oil massage or toilet powder will remedy it. Cold water in the morning (it stimulates) and warm water at night is a good washing rule. Never use a cheap, but always a good soap, Castile preferably. Green soap (potash soap) is meant for oily scalps and only irritates dry skins. Though medicated soaps are useful for some skin diseases, they should be used only on a doctor’s orders.
Thorough, careful drying lends color to the cheeks and increases circulation, and cream and powder are good skin protectors if rightly used and removed. If the skin has been exposed to sun or wind; rub cold cream well into it. Then remove with a damp cloth, and follow by washing in cold water.  Vanishing cream, greaseless, is a good face powder foundation, and a skin protector. Always remove cream from the face before going to bed, and in general use it only every alternate day. No complexion stands cream day in, no day out, or does cream take the place of soap and water. Cream, if not removed, clogs the skin pores. Clogged pores mean black heads, and black heads cause other skin affections. Clogged pores, too, are responsible for yellow, sallow complexions.
Oily skin, often accompanied by enlarged pores, black heads and pimples, should be treated before worse ensues. Use a soap made of a cup of oatmeal or boiled oats, a pinch of sulphur, a pinch of powdered benzoin, and a teaspoonful of Castile soap, shaved fine, mixed, in a small cheesecloth bag. An application in warm water twice a day, should correct the oily tendency.

We all want to have good health. What we really have to understand is that we have to work at it until it becomes a habit. This habit involves a regular exercise regime, a proper diet and regular visits to the doctor for basic medical checkups.
It is no secret that all our organs are precious and deserving of our proper attention. The heart is possibly our most precious, but really, we cannot live without a single one! So, it is just common sense to follow a lifestyle that will enhance the longevity of our body period. This is where a balanced approach is vital. We need to look after our entire body, not just one part.

Kidney and Heart Disease
Our kidneys and our heart are closely aligned, especially when it comes to examining diseases that affect one or the other. This is because the kidney acts as a complex filter which ensures purity of fluids that flow through the body. The blood stream, if not filtered properly will affect the heart adversely. If the kidney is not functioning properly, major heart problems may follow. The kidney can be affected in a variety of ways. Let’s look at some of them now:
- Clogged arteries that restrict the flow of blood may, as a follow on effect, cause a kidney and heart disease.
- Blocked renal arteries prevent oxygen distribution. This is called acute tubular necrosis (ATN).
- Metals, harmful chemicals radio waves and some prescription drugs can cause irreparable harm to the kidneys.
- Excessive intake of alcohol causes higher than usual levels of Myoglobin in the urine (myoglobinuria). The kidney will suffer from the long term effects of these excesses.
- Acute damage to the kidney from traumas like accidents or sports like boxing.
- Bacterial infections like such as acute septicemia.
- Blood diseases which impact directly on the kidneys and heart have obvious results in causing kidney and heart disease.
It is obvious that we need to take a careful, healthy approach to avoid the combined threats of kidney and heart disease. Watching diet is a central theme in this.

Prevention is Better Than Cure
Regular check ups are vital, as outlined above. Sometimes it is just so obvious that we either forget or ignore the benefits of this simple principle. Once your doctor highlights a potential problem at an early stage, it is so much easier to do something before it develops into a problem.
If you think along the lines that you are actually in danger, it is easier to accept that regular prevention is the best approach. You don’t want to wait until you are faced with an acute episode of kidney or heart failure to make you wake up to yourself. Think of your family if you don’t care about yourself. Look after yourself for them.

The top killer for women is heart disease, which claims nearly 489,000 deaths each year. Heart disease kills more women every year than all types of cancers combined. Because of the common misconception that heart disease primarily affects only men, only 13% of women are aware that this disease is a major threat to their lives. However, heart disease is still a preventable disease. Women can reduce your risk of getting a heart attack by making the following lifestyle changes:

First, quit or avoid smoking and secondhand smoke. Limit or eliminate alcohol intake. Perform regular cardiovascular exercise to stimulate blood circulation and in maintain a healthy body weight. These steps significantly reduce the stress on your arteries and heart. If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, and/or high cholesterol, you must consult with your doctor as to the best ways to bring these other risk factors under control.

Cancers, especially breast and lung cancer kills 73,000 women each year. 90% of them who developed lung cancer have been cigarette smokers. According to American Cancer Association, breast cancer is a leading cause of death in women. Breast tumors are diagnosed in almost 211,000 women every year with almost 20% morality rate. To reduce your risk of developing cancer, lead a healthy lifestyle and meet with your doctor regularly to take preventive screenings. Cancer, if detected in its early stages, can save lives.

The third cause of women’s deaths is stroke. Every year in United States, almost 164,000 people die because of a stroke, and 100,000 of these deaths are female. The factors that increase the chances of having strokes are uncontrolled blood pressure and smoking. Strokes do not only cause deaths but also often leave the person permanently disabled. Even though your risk of stroke depends heavily on your family medical history and genetics, stroke is as preventable as heart disease. The fourth killer are chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), including emphysema, asthma and lung cancer. These diseases are responsible for almost 65,000 deaths in women each year. Smoking is the leading cause of these pulmonary diseases. COPD are highly preventable. To reduce you risk for developing this disease, quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke.

Fifth is Alzheimer’s disease, which is affects the brain and starts with simple forgetfulness. As it progresses further, it totally wipes out memories of the sufferer. This disease kills nearly 42,000 women every year. Get regular screenings for this from your doctor.
The next disease that threatens many men and women alike is diabetes. About 18 million people were diagnosed with diabetes last year, and almost 37,000 women died from the complications of this disease. Still, so many people do not know that they have diabetes until it becomes very severe. This late stage is characterized by blindness, kidney failure, and nerve damage, as well as an increased risk of having heart attack or stroke. Diabetes, however, is still highly preventable by following a controlled diet, regular exercise, and conducting regular blood sugar tests.

The seventh leading cause of death in women in America is accidents, claiming more lives each year. While this is not a disease to be cured, it is still a preventable cause of death. Women can keep themselves safe by paying more attention when performing dangerous tasks and driving carefully on the road.
Influenza and pneumonia combined are the eighth cause of women’s deaths each year. The risk of contracting these diseases can be limited by maintaining good hygiene and taking flu shots every year.
The tenth top cause of female deaths is colon cancer, which is also the third leading cause of cancer death in women.