Monday, 1 August 2011

Eczema and Other Skin Disorders



Eczema is a general term encompassing various inflamed skin conditions. One of the most common forms of eczema is atopic dermatitis (or "atopic eczema"). Approximately 10 percent to 20 percent of the world population is affected by this chronic, relapsing, and very itchy rash at some point during childhood. Fortunately, many children with eczema find that the disease clears and often disappears with age.

In general, atopic dermatitis will come and go, often based on external factors. Although its cause is unknown, the condition appears to be an abnormal response of the body’s immune system. In people with eczema, the inflammatory response to irritating substances overacts, causing itching and scratching. Eczema symptoms is not contagious and, like many diseases, currently cannot be cured. However, for most patients the condition may be managed well with treatment and avoidance of triggers.

Eczema flare-ups can be prevented through careful management of your diet. One such way is by identifying food triggers that cause your eczema to flare-up. As not all triggers are the same for everyone, you will need to determine what your food triggers are. The other way is to ensure that you have an adequate supply of nutrition that supports good healthy skin. Many eczema patients are found to be deficient in certain essential vitamins and supplements. Ensuring an adequate supply can help reduce the incidence of skin inflammation and dry skin.

Tuesday, 5 July 2011

ALcat Weight Gain And Obesity


It's true that we gain weight when we eat more than we can burn off. But this conventional diet wisdom does not always hold true. Weight gain can also be caused by health conditions such as hypothyroidism, food sensitivity, Cushing's syndrome, organ disease, prescription drug use, anxiety, blood sugar imbalance, and essential fatty acid deficiency. Many people respond to stress or depression by eating excessively. Sources of stress may not always be apparent, but may still affect eating habits and cause weight gain.

Reactions to foods are not always immediate. They can occur many hours later as bloating and swelling in the hands, feet, ankles, abdomen, chin and around the eyes. Much of the weight gained is fluid retention caused by inflammation and the release of certain hormones. In addition, there is fermentation of foods, particularly carbohydrates, in the intestines which can result in a swollen distended belly and gas production. Food allergies as well as food sensitivities can cause weight gain. Yes, it's possible to have no other symptoms. You can't count on seeing runny noses or sneezes with some food sensitivities. Instead, a person's body perceives the food as a poison and limits digestion of nutrients, thus causing the body to store fat.

Symptoms of food sensitivity can include headache, indigestion or heartburn, fatigue, depression, joint pain or arthritis, canker sores, chronic respiratory symptoms such as wheezing, sinus congestion or bronchitis and chronic bowel problems such as diarrhea or constipation.

Sunday, 3 July 2011

Rheumatoid Arthritis And Foods Cause Arthritis


Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can affect many different joints and, in some people, other parts of the body as well, including the blood, the lungs, and the heart. Inflammation of the joint lining can cause pain, stiffness, swelling, warmth, and redness. The affected joint may also lose its shape, resulting in loss of normal movement. RA can last a long time and can be a disease of flares (active symptoms) and remissions (few to no symptoms). RA affects 2.1 million Americans, or about 1% of the adult population in the United States. This disease is 2 to 3 times more common in women than in men, and generally affects people between the ages of 20 and 50. However, young children can develop a form of RA called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis in the United States, affecting an estimated 21 million adults. OA begins with the breakdown of joint cartilage, resulting in pain and stiffness. OA commonly affects the joints of the fingers, knees, hips, and spine. Other joints affected less frequently include the wrists, elbows, shoulders, and ankles. When OA is found in a less-frequently affected joint, there is usually a history of injury or unusual stress to that joint. Work-related repetitive injury and physical trauma may contribute to the development of OA.

What Foods Cause Arthritis? The body can be allergic to any food; therefore any food allergy is capable of causing inflammation and arthritis. This includes RA, juvenile arthritis, and undefined joint pains. This is why it can be so difficult for one to recognize the relationship between their diet and their symptoms. Let’s use a dairy allergy as an example. If you eat any form of dairy, be it milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, or even dairy in the form of casein or whey in another food product, such as bread or milk chocolate, then you can potentially trigger the symptoms of your food allergy testing, in this case arthritis. Allergy symptoms may show up hours or even a day later, well after a food is absorbed into your system.

Friday, 1 July 2011

Fibromyalgia Symptoms



Fibromyalgia (fye-bro-my-AL-gee-ah) is an arthritis-related condition that is characterized by generalized muscular pain and fatigue. The term "fibromyalgia" means pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons. This condition is referred to as a "syndrome" because it's a set of signs and symptoms that occur together. Fibromyalgia is especially confusing and often misunderstood condition. Because fibromyalgia symptoms are quite common and laboratory tests are generally normal, people with fibromyalgia were once told that their condition was "all in their head." However, medical studies have proven that fibromyalgia does indeed exist, and it is estimated to affect about 2 percent of the U.S. population today.

While there is no specific diet for all fibromyalgia cases, different symptoms may suggest ways of improving your health through diet. As fibromyalgia sufferers often have one condition amplifying another (or several others), relieving even one can increase your quality of life, sometimes substantially. If your body overreacts to certain foods, it could worsen conditions ranging from digestive troubles (gas, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea) to fatigue, migraine headache symptoms, joint pain, mood disorders, muscle aches, and skin problems. Beef, citrus, chicken, corn, dairy, eggs, gluten ( protein in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and kamut ), soy, sugar, tomatoes, wheat, yeast, etc., are common problems for individuals with food intolerance.

Monday, 6 June 2011

Eczema And Other Skin Disorders

Eczema is a general term encompassing various inflamed skin conditions. One of the most common forms of eczema is atopic dermatitis (or "atopic eczema"). Approximately 10 percent to 20 percent of the world population is affected by this chronic , relapsing, and very itchy rash at some point during childhood. Fortunately, many children with eczema find that the disease clears and often disappears with age.

In general, atopic dermatitis will come and go, often based on external factors. Although its cause is unknown, the condition appears to be an abnormal response of the body’s immune system. In people with eczema, the inflammatory response to irritating substances overacts, causing itching and scratching. Eczema is not contagious and, like many diseases, currently cannot be cured. However, for most patients the condition may be managed well with treatment and avoidance of triggers.

Eczema flare-ups can be prevented through careful management of your diet. One such way is by identifying food triggers that cause your eczema to flare-up. As not all triggers are the same for everyone, you will need to determine what your food triggers are. The other way is to ensure that you have an adequate supply of nutrition that supports good healthy skin. Many eczema patients are found to be deficient in certain essential vitamins and supplements. Ensuring an adequate supply can help reduce the incidence of skin inflammation and dry skin.

Friday, 3 June 2011

Alcat Chronic Fatigue Symptoms

Chronic fatigue symptoms are different from drowsiness. In general, drowsiness is feeling the need to sleep, while fatigue is a lack of energy and motivation.Fatigue is a feeling of weariness, tiredness, or lack of energy.

Chronic fatigue syndrome causes such devastating tiredness or fatigue that you can't perform all of the normal, daily activities you used to. There are other symptoms as well, but fatigue lasting 6 months or more is the main one. Some people battle CFS for years. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome affects almost 1,000,000 Americans a year.

Common Causes of chronic fatigue symptoms:

There are many possible physical and psychological causes of chronic fatigue symptoms. Some of the more common are:

1) Sleep disorders like ongoing insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, or narcolepsy
2) An allergy that leads to hay fever or asthma
3) An underactive thyroid
4) Use of alcohol or illegal drugs like cocaine, especially with regular use

Chronic fatigue symptoms can also accompany the following illnesses:
1) Infection, especially one that takes a long time to recover from or treat, like bacterial endocarditis, parasitic infections, AIDS, tuberculosis, and mononucleosis
2) Congestive heart failure
3) Chronic liver or kidney disease
4) Anorexia or other eating disorders
5) Arthritis, including juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which affects children and teens

Wednesday, 1 June 2011

Alcat : Food Allergy Symptoms

Food allergy is a hypersensitivity reaction, meaning that before an allergic reaction to an allergen in food can occur, a person needs to have been exposed previously, that is, sensitized, to the food

Pollen-food allergy syndrome

In many people who have hay fever, fresh fruits and vegetables and certain nuts and spices can trigger an allergic reaction that causes the mouth to tingle or itch. In some people, pollen-food allergy syndrome — sometimes called oral allergy syndrome — can cause swelling of the throat or even anaphylaxis. This is an example of cross-reactivity. Proteins in fruits and vegetables cause the reaction because they're similar to those allergy-causing proteins found in certain pollens. For example, if you're allergic to ragweed, you may also react to melons; if you're allergic to birch pollen, you may also react to apples. Cooking fruits and vegetables can help you avoid this reaction. Most cooked fruits and vegetables generally don't cause cross-reactive oral allergy symptoms.