Turmeric for Arthritis

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Turmeric is commonly used in curries and other Indian dishes, but its value goes beyond the culinary. Medicinally, turmeric has been highly valued for centuries and used in ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine to cleanse the liver as well as for treating other issues. Recently, turmeric has also been examined as an herb that could help ease arthritis pain.

About Turmeric

Turmeric or Curcuma longa, is a perennial plant that is part of the ginger family. Its roots are dried and ground into the familiar yellow powder found in so many kitchens. It can also be purchased as a supplement.

In ayurveda, turmeric is considered an anti-inflammatory herb. It is also known as a potent antioxidant. In traditional Chinese medicine, turmeric is used to treat liver and gallbladder issues, chest congestion and menstrual problems.

Researching Turmeric for Arthritis

turmericResearchers are studying turmeric for the management of arthritis. Because turmeric is an anti-inflammatory, this would seem like a logical use for the herb and it has been used in this manner in India for years. Herbalists say that the effectiveness of turmeric is equal to that of steroids without unpleasant side effects. But what does the science say?

The most well known study on the effectiveness of turmeric for arthritis was conducted by Dr. Janet Funk along with researchers at the University of Arizona. In this animal study, researchers replicated the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in rats.

Some rats were treated with turmeric before symptoms were induced while others were treated eight days after symptoms were present. At the end of the study, it was concluded that turmeric was most effective at preventing arthritis before symptoms were present, though they acknowledged that it may also work if taken as soon as symptoms presented themselves. More studies are needed before a conclusion can be drawn from this hypothesis.

Should You Try Turmeric?

Evidence supporting the use of turmeric for arthritis is promising but limited. Clearly, more research is needed to establish turmeric as a definite preventative. That said, scientists already know that turmeric is an effective anti-inflammatory so it may prove useful in treating arthritis pain, especially if used in combination with other herbs.

Cautions

Since turmeric is used in so many tasty foods, you might assume that it is totally safe for anyone to use. When used for cooking this is true, however, taking large quantities of a turmeric supplement can give you an upset stomach, so don’t get too carried away with using it. If you have gallstones you should ask your doctor before trying turmeric. You should also consult your doctor if you are diabetic because taking turmeric can lead to hypoglycemia in diabetics.

Turmeric is a natural blood thinner, so if you are taking anticoagulants, including aspirin, you should use caution taking turmeric. Stop taking this herb at least two weeks before surgery to prevent slowed blood clotting. It can also interfere with antacids as well as medications for diabetes. It’s also important to note that turmeric is not FDA approved to treat any health conditions.

You should avoid turmeric if you are pregnant because it could cause miscarriage.

Considerations

If you think using turmeric for arthritis is right for you, discuss it with your doctor. If he agrees that turmeric is a safe option, supplement with a standardized powder and use as directed. Turmeric has other health benefits as well so it is well worth considering for your regular supplement regimen.

Anxiety Can Cause Weird Symptoms

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Anxiety can cause weird symptoms ranging from excessive fatigue to hallucinations. The more severe the anxiety, the stranger the symptoms can get.

Anxiety and Worry

anxietyAnxiety and worry can have a profound effect on a person’s mental and physical health. When anxiety forces stress levels to increase rapidly, or when anxiety causes stress levels to stay elevated for long periods of time, the body’s reaction can produce some very interesting symptoms. Anxiety can cause weird symptoms that go beyond the traditional anxiety symptoms of headaches and excessive perspiration.

Individuals have varying reactions to anxiety. This is why some people can appear to handle high levels of anxiety without much difficulty while there are other people who appear to crumble at the slightest degree of anxiety. For this reason, even high levels of anxiety may never cause some of the weirder symptoms that can arise from anxiety and worry in certain people. If you never experience any of these strange symptoms then you may just be the type of person who can handle anxiety, or who handles it differently from people who do experience weird symptoms.

Anxiety Can Cause Weird Symptoms Sometimes

The body has a physiological response to anxiety, which can result in both physical and psychological symptoms. Remember; not everyone experiences these symptoms resulting from anxiety, even when the anxiety is profound and long lasting.

Sheer Panic

Anxiety can cause people to suddenly feel as though they have stepped outside of their own bodies. In particular, people with panic attacks caused by anxiety may feel as though they do not have control of their own bodies, which can be referred to as depersonalization. Panic attacks can also fill people with sudden and immediate feelings of impending terror or doom.

Seclusion

Some people who experience anxiety also experience agoraphobia, which makes it extremely difficult -if not impossible- to leave the house. These people are commonly confined to their homes as a result of their anxiety.

Phobias

Phobias are classified as forms of anxiety according to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV-TR. A person with a phobia has too much anxiety to face certain things, some of which might be considered to be downright weird. Phobias can be about almost anything, including certain places, things, or people.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

This intriguing mental disorder falls under the category of anxiety disorders for clinical diagnosis. People with OCD may have to repeat behaviors, may be terrified of germs or contamination, or may display other symptoms that may be considered weird by most people.

Repeating History

People who experience anxiety based on a past traumatic event may find themselves reliving or re-experiencing the traumatic event repeatedly in their minds, which only proves to compound their anxiety levels. For example, a person who was brutally attacked by a dog as a child may relive the same terror every time he or she sees a dog of the same breed as an adult.

More Weird Symptoms

Here is a list of other weird symptoms people can experience as a result of anxiety:

  • Feelings of tingling throughout the body
  • Memory loss
  • Loss of appropriate emotional responses
  • Hallucinations, both auditory and visual
  • The feeling of losing mental stability
  • The feeling of choking or dying

Many people experience some form of discomfort with anxiety, whether it is physical or mental, but symptoms like those listed above are not normal responses to anxiety. People who experience high anxiety symptoms may fall within the criteria for an anxiety disorder diagnosis.

 

Symptoms of Diabetes in Children

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Recognizing the symptoms of diabetes in children is the first step to managing your child’s health as he or she struggles with this disease. Type 1 diabetes is the most common form of the disease in children, although children can suffer from Type 2 diabetes as well.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes in ChildrenDiabetes is caused by the inability of the pancreas to produce insulin. Type 1 diabetes is referred to as an autoimmune disease, which means the body’s immune system attacks one of the body’s own tissues or organs. In Type 1 diabetes, it’s the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas that are destroyed. Type 1 diabetes typically begins in childhood or young adulthood.

In Type 2, the beta cells continue to produce insulin. However, either the cells do not respond properly to the insulin or the natural insulin is not enough to meet the needs of the body. Because of this, insulin is usually still present in a person with Type 2 diabetes, but it does not work as well as it should. Some people with Type 2 are able to control the disease by losing weight, managing their diet, and increasing their exercise. Others may take medications, including insulin.

Symptoms of Diabetes in Children

Diabetes is often referred to as a silent disease. Many people often ignore, misinterpret, or simply miss the symptoms, especially in children. Common symptoms of diabetes in children include the following:

  • Blurry vision
  • Frequent urination
  • Increased fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Excessive thirst
  • Extreme hunger
  • Tummy aches
  • Unusual weight loss
  • Irritability
  • Behavior problems

Causes of Diabetes

For many parents, the first question concerns why their child has this disease. Many mistakenly believe that they caused their child to contract diabetes because they gave him too much sugar. That reasoning, however, is unfounded. While genes sometimes play a role in diabetes, the majority of children who have Type 1 diabetes don’t have a history of the disease in their family. Researchers continue to work diligently as they try to narrow down the causes of diabetes, whether it be genetically related or environmentally linked. There are some risk factors for Type 2 diabetes, and these include the following:

  • History of diabetes in the family
  • Overweight (which is another argument for battling child obesity
  • Physically inactive
  • Member of a particular ethnic group, such as African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Latino

Treatment of Diabetes

Currently, there is no cure for diabetes, although researchers and physicians one day hope to change that statement. Treatment can include a change in diet and physical activity, but often involves medication, especially when treating children. Children must often be given insulin on a routine basis. Insulin is usually given as an injection. There are four main types of insulin injections, and doses may be two times a day, three times a day, or in multiple daily doses, depending upon the need.

  1. Short-acting-This insulin is soluble, starts working within 30 to 60 minutes, and lasts six to eight hours.
  2. Intermediate-acting-This isophane insulin starts working after one to two hours and lasts 10 to 14 hours.
  3. Long-acting-This type of insulin starts working after one to two hours and lasts for up to 24 hours.
  4. Biphasic insulin-These insulin mixtures of short-acting and intermediate-acting insulins are mixed in different proportions.

When treating symptoms of diabetes, a pump treatment is sometimes used, especially in children. The pump provides a constant drip-feed of insulin through a needle in the skin and extra insulin doses with meals. The amount of insulin is controlled by a small portable pump called an infusion pump.

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