Is Cancer on the Decline in the U.S.?

In a realm of health news that is quite negative overall, positive signs are emerging from the latest cancer statistics. It looks like cancer prevention is working and fewer people are facing major cancer risk. The latest numbers show cancer rates and cancer death rates dropping in the U.S.

The stats come courtesy of the American Cancer Society. Between 2004 and 2008, overall cancer incidence rates declined by 0.6% per year in men and were stable in women. Cancer death rates decreased by 1.8% and 1.6% per year in men and women.

The new report shows that over the past decade, cancer death rates have declined across the board. It translates to more than a million fewer people dying from cancer since 1990.

Here are the main numbers we should all consider and digest regarding one of our biggest health foes:

– A total of 1,638,910 new cancer cases and 577,190 deaths from cancer are projected to occur this year in the United States.

– The most rapid declines in death rates occurred among African American and Hispanic men.

– Death rates continue to decline for all four major cancer sites (lung, colorectal, breast and prostate).

– There have been major drops in lung cancer death rates in men (responsible for 40% of the total decline) and breast cancer death rates in women (responsible for 34%).

– About 1,024,400 cancer deaths (732,900 in men and 291,500 in women) were averted from 1991/1992 through 2008 as a result of 18 years of consistent declines.

The American Cancer Society believes that more progress can be made by using cancer control knowledge and applying it across the population to all socioeconomic groups. This would drop cancer rates much further.

This special report also found that several cancers are, unfortunately, on the upswing. These include cancers of the pancreas, liver, thyroid and kidney and melanoma of the skin, as well as esophageal adenocarcinoma. The reasons are not entirely known. Part of the increase may be linked to high rates of obesity — as well as increases in early detection practices.

Article Source: Cancer Symptoms

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Also Read article on Cholesterol Level

No Dangerous Drugs? No Surgery? No Side Effects?

Newly available clinical studies out of the Mayo Clinic, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and universities in Italy, Sweden, Spain, New Jersey, Austria, and Michigan show that traditional Chinese medical treatments could wipe out pain — without harmful drugs, surgery, or nasty side effects.

 Your doctors might not know about most — or even all — of these new cures and treatments because they don’t have the time to track down the studies. It takes a full-time staff of researchers to review them all.

 But if you have heel-spur pain, you should know that one of these studies shows there could be an alternative to surgery. Even in cases where heel spurs were clearly visible on x-rays, a traditional Chinese herbal formula erased patients’ pain completely. The people who took this herbal remedy were soon pain-free, whether they were walking or resting, according to a recently translated clinical study from China.

 In another study reported on the U.S. National Institutes of Health web site, an ancient Chinese herbal remedy, “Blood- Nourishing and Hard-Softening” (BNHS), reduced arthritis pain by 57%. The researchers found that BNHS was just as powerful as commonly prescribed Western medicines.

 Yet another study conducted at the University of Michigan showed that acupuncture, an ancient Chinese healing technique, reduced fibromyalgia pain up to 35%. In this study, people who underwent this treatment were also less fatigued.

 Western doctors are not always successful when they try to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). But a 34-year-old woman who had abdominal pain for seven years was cured by a traditional Chinese herbal porridge! No more symptoms. No more pain!

 After two years of suffering from chronic allergies, just one ancient Chinese vacuum cup treatment cured a 41-year-old man. All his pain and symptoms were gone for good!

 Doctors at the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Jersey watched in awe recently as a desperately ill 58-year-old man was cured by Qi Gong, an ancient Chinese stretching routine.

 The man had suffered multiple injuries in a car accident. He also had heart problems, asthma, high blood pressure, and allergies, and he took eight different prescription medications. His PSA levels indicated prostate cancer could strike at any time. Doctors treating him felt his conditions were incurable. But they tried Qi Gong as a last resort to ease his pain. A typical Qi Gong stretch involves crossing your legs, bending forward, and moving your arms slowly in a prescribed pattern.

 When the Qi Gong treatments were finished, the patient was able to throw away all of his prescription drugs. He didn’t need them anymore.

 In addition, he had lost 35 pounds. His blood pressure was normal at 120/75 — without any medication. His elevated pulse rate, edema, asthma, and allergies all disappeared. And his high PSA levels, which had warned of potential cancer problems, had returned to normal.

 The bottom line: Clinical studies have shown that Qi Gong could treat and cure a wide variety of diseases — and it could allow some people to throw away their dangerous drugs, with all their nasty side effects, forever! Imagine the look on your doctor’s face if he were to say, “I don’t understand it, but you don’t need these pills anymore!”

 Qi Gong is just one of the powerful healing methods Traditional Chinese Medicine uses to treat and cure illnesses that seem impossible to overcome — until you put them to the test.

 Other methods include acupuncture, acupressure, Tui Na massage, herbal remedies, cupping, and food cures. Many North American doctors might not know anything about Traditional Chinese Medicine, and they might even find it difficult to understand if they were to try to learn about it.

 That’s why you need Chinese Medicine Healing Miracles. It can help you understand how Traditional Chinese Medicine works, what the specialized terms mean, and what to expect from visits to Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners. Most importantly, it could help you treat your pain and illness without harmful drugs.

Article Source: Chinese Medicine

Your Questions About Homeopathy Answered, Part II

Here is the second half of an article series in which we’re exploring common questions around the mysterious world of homeopathy. Today we go into some nuts and bolts regarding remedies.

Q; Where are homeopathic remedies made of?

A: All homoeopathic remedies come from animals, minerals, and vegetables. The remedies are chosen based on the energy held within each spot. Raw minerals such as phosphorus and calcium hold dynamic energy. So do plants such as deadly nightshade and club moss. In the animal kingdom, bees are a common source of medicine. The source of homeopathic remedies is undoubtedly the most intriguing aspect of this form of medicine.

Q: What about dosages?

A: Doses in homeopathy are much different than in other kinds of medicine. They are based on the level of energy in that one pill. They follow what’s called the “centesimal” or simply the “c” scale. Common examples of doses are 6, 30, 200, 1M, and 10M. Don’t think of one as being stronger than another, but instead as acting more quickly and deeply in your body than another.

The “6″ dose is used in minor complaints, usually physical (like a bee sting). The “30″ is a middle-range dose, a common one. The “200″ dose is used when a health problem is happening quickly and dramatically. Sometimes the higher doses are called for; but, again, don’t think of a higher dose as a powerful dose. It is just needed when an illness needs to be treated more deeply.

If you are in doubt over which dose to use, speak to your homeopathic practitioner for a little doctor’s advice, or someone at the pharmacy that is selling the remedies. In general, start with the 30.

Q: What do I need to know before I select a remedy?

A: You need to know what symptoms you have.
Understanding what ails you takes a bit of practice. Learn the precise kinds of symptoms:

– General (overall issues, such as being thirsty, having constipation, having a fever)

– Mental (moodiness, anger, depression)

– Unique (your right hand hurts, you have a yellow-green color on your tongue, you have a headache in the forehead area)

– Strange (noticing something way out of the ordinary on your skin or emitting from your body)

– Modalities (pain worse in cool, windy weather or late at night — basically you are taking a snapshot of your symptoms to narrow down the search for a remedy)

Since homeopathy is so geared to specific symptoms, you’ll have to do a good job of figuring yours out. Exactly how much pain are you in? How would you describe it? What sorts of things make your symptoms worse? What provides some relief? What color is the mucus from your nose, diarrhea, or your tongue? What time of day is the symptom at its worst? Is the symptom located in a specific spot, or does it spread anywhere else? All this is to say that the more specific details you know about your problem, the better chance you’ll have of a homeopathic remedy working well.

Article Source: Homeopathic Medicine

The upside of u…

The upside of using the herbal cure kava to combat anxiety is that there is reasonably good evidence that it can work. The downside is that it may be not best to use the herbal cure due to its potential toxic effect on the liver. While the world’s kava experts continue to study the herb in an effort to make it safer for humans, let’s take a look at some of the research done on its influence on mood disorders.

Kava is a member of the pepper family used by Pacific Islanders to make a drink with ceremonial, medicinal and social uses. It has become a popular alternative treatment for insomnia and anxiety especially in Europe. Its active ingredients are chemicals known as “kavalactones” that affect neurotransmitter systems known to be involved with anxiety, including serotonin, glutamine, and dopamine.

Many clinical studies address kava’s effectiveness for anxiety disorders. The following four studies are of the highest quality:

1. In a study with 101 participants who had anxiety, they compared 90-100 mg of kava with placebo for 24 weeks. They found a significant decrease in anxiety among those treated with the herb. Side effects were the same in both groups.

2. Researchers tested 400 mg of kava per day with common antidepressants and anxiety medications in 129 people with generalized anxiety disorder. After two months, kava led to a similar reduction in anxiety as the drugs had.

3. A study tested 150 mg of kava a day vs. placebo in 141 patients with anxiety. Over four weeks, there was a significant decrease in anxiety for those on the herb. A side effect was increased tiredness.

4. In 391 people with  anxiety  and insomnia, researchers did not find that either kava or valerian relieved anxiety or insomnia better than placebo.

Overall, researchers have found kava extract an effective treatment for the symptoms of anxiety that is relatively safe for up to six months. Yet, the major safety concern is liver toxicity, including hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver failure. There are at least over 100 reported cases of kava-related liver toxicity some requiring liver transplantation. For this reason, kava has been banned from the market in several countries such as Switzerland, Germany, the U.K., and Canada.

In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration recommends that individuals with liver disease or who are using drug products that affect the liver seek medical advice prior to using kava. Moreover, kava users should be
alert to symptoms of serious liver disease (i.e. yellowing of the eyes or skin and brown urine) and seek immediate medical attention should these appear.

When you take kava, use non-root preparations. Don’t use it for longer than three months, don’t combine it with drugs or herbs that could have liver toxicity as a side effect, and don’t take doses higher than 300 mg a day.

Article Source: Herbal Cure

 

Doctors Health Press provides  best health advice,  health news, health tips, health breakthroughs and health secrets from trusted physicians about natural health remedies. Also  our experts have  Five Herbal Remedies to Save Your Brain

Improve Your Health with a Low Carbon Footprint

It’s hard to read the health news without coming across some mention of the health effects of global warming and climate change. Extreme weather patterns play havoc with agricultural crops. Cold snaps out of season, torrential rains and floods, and droughts triggered by heat waves affect the survival of the foods farmers harvest every day. Of course, these are the same foods we buy at the local grocery store to give us all the vital nutrients we need to stay healthy.

But there are other, more hidden health costs of living with a so-called “large carbon footprint.” Scientists assert there will be increases in malnutrition and malaria. Malnutrition is the cause of most deaths in the developing world, and is increasing as a result of the effect of climate change on food crops.

Just how much can climate change affect a single population? The World Health Organization predicts that the number of people in Mali at risk of hunger will almost double from 34% to 70% by 2050.  Other countries will be adversely affected as well.

Here in the U.S. and Canada, there are many ways to reduce the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming and catastrophic disruption of weather patterns. The US Environmental Protection Agency has ranked the major greenhouse gas-contributing producers in the following order: industry; transportation; residential; commercial; and agricultural.

Individually, we all contribute to greenhouse gases when we heat and cool our homes, use electricity, and drive cars. You can lower your carbon footprint by choosing energy efficient cars, improving your home insulation so that less heat and/or cool air escapes to the outside, and using energy-efficient lighting.

Scientists argue that a transition to a low-carbon economy would bring together two of our biggest public health challenges: supporting action to improve public health and action to avert climate change as far as possible. Many of the policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will, in themselves, have beneficial effects on public health.

Article Source: A Low Carbon Economy Benefits Human Health

Six Natural Remedies for an Earache

Earaches are a very common nuisance, and can be the source of a lot of pain and irritation. Here are seven top homeopathic remedies to help take the pain away.

1. “Chamomilla:” This soothing herbal remedy could heal acute earaches that can be very painful. It is worse at night. Your cheeks may redden and you become restless and worry-filled. You have clear discharge from the nose. This one is really about the pain, which can be nearly unbearable. Try “Chamomilla” early on.

2. “Belladonna:” The infamous homeopathic herb strikes again for this a sudden earache that has intense pain. For whatever reason, it tends to occur in the right ear rather than the left. Your face will appear bright red and feel hot and dry. The ear is very red as well, and the pain is piercing. It may be accompanied by fever. The pains may come and go without warning, but are always worse at night.

3. “Pulsatilla:” This is a superior earache remedy. It is particularly effective for swimmer’s ear when the ear is red and swollen and you feel pain pulsating through it. Your mood may change quite a bit, you feel better outside in fresh air, you have a fever, and the pain is worse at nighttime. The ear feels plugged, and the pain is burning. You may have some kind of discharge from the ear, possibly thick and greenish or yellowish. Deep inside the ear, you have itching. “Pulsatilla” is the most common homeopathic remedy for acute earaches.

4. “Aconite:” Some homeopathics believe “Aconite” is a better treatment for ear pain than either “Pulsatilla” or “Chamomilla.” It is best for stinging or throbbing pain, and a dark redness in the ear that is very sensitive to the touch. The pain may suddenly occur, and your mental symptoms include anxiety and fear. The earache may have been brought on by a sudden temperature change, especially to cold and windy. The pain is worse at night, and when you have a fever.

5. “Mercurius:” If your answer is “Mercurius,” your earache will be accompanied by a fluctuating bodily temperature (from chills to hot flushes), excessive sweating, an unusual amount of saliva, and a foul-smelling discharge from the ears. Your tonsils or lymph nodes may swell somewhat (as well as your tongue), and your throat may be sore. Pain will, as usual, be worse at night. Your face and teeth may ache along with the ear.

6. “Hepar Sulphur:” Feel a lot of chills? “Hepar Sulphur” may be the best remedy for your earache. On the topic of pain, it will greatly sore, highly sensitive to touch, and feel like a sharp object is being thrust in the ear. It gets worse in the cold, and feels better with a warm compress. From the ear may seep a smelly substance that is yellow-green. Your irritability is high and you are sensitive to anything cold.

Article Source: Homeopathic Ways to Soothe an Earache

Ancient Chinese Remedy Could Soothe Joint Pain

Rheumatoid arthritis is a form of joint pain caused by a faulty immune system. As such, it is difficult to control. In the absence of the ability to cure it, patients strive to find ways to limit the pain. So here are your seven best bets from Traditional Chinese Medicine.

1. “Wang Bi” Granules: There are 18 ingredients in this formula, including cinnamon twigs, pine, anteater scales, and red and white peony. Chinese researchers have found it to have reasonably effective therapeutic value.

2. “Zheng Qing Feng Tong Ning:” Chinese researchers compared this formula, 40 milligrams (mg) taken three times a day after meals, against a Western drugs for rheumatoid arthritis. Out of 428 patients taking it, 86 got the condition under control, 180 were “significantly improved,” 140 improved, and just 22 had no response to the formula. The herbs were superior in reducing morning stiffness, joint pain, swelling, and other rheumatoid symptoms to turn to normal.

3. “Tuina” Massage: This is a special type of Chinese massage that uses pressing, tapping, and kneading. In studies, it has been found quite effective in reducing the severity of symptoms.

4. Ginger: A Chinese staple, this herb is effective when your rheumatoid arthritis is caused by coldness. It is a heating herb. Add a pinch of dried ginger or slices of raw root to green tea. Then add dried ginger to your bathwater to try and sweat out the cold. Other good herbs include cinnamon and turmeric — add these to tea.

5. Eight-herb Tea: If rheumatoid arthritis is caused by heat, and you have fever and red swollen joints, try simmering the following herbs for 45 minutes in boiling water and drink many cups a day: honeysuckle, dandelion, viola, plantain, “fu ling,” wild chrysanthemum flower, achyranthes root, and root of muskroot-like semiaquilegia. (If you can’t find them all, just use those you can find.) These are antibiotic herbs that will clear heat and toxins.

6. Acupuncture: This ancient Chinese cure certainly works for painful joint conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Research has proven it. And acupuncture works especially well when combined with “moxibustion” — heat therapy used simultaneously on the acupoints.

7. “Tripterygium Wilfordii:” Also called “Chinese Thunder God Vine,” its root may help with rheumatoid arthritis. One study found that 40% of people taking 180 mg, and 80% taking 360 mg of ” Tripterygium wilfordii” had significantly reduced symptoms. This included less swelling, reduced pain, and an overall 20% improvement in symptoms. The study concluded that the herb was both effective and tolerable and should be looked at further for its ability against this disease. Another study used an extract of the vine to apply to the skin. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis rubbed the remedy on the affected joints about five times a day. The results showed that, over six weeks, symptoms were significantly reduced.

Article Source: Chinese Medicine vs. Rheumatoid Arthritis