Anaemia

Anaemia is a common ailment where there is a decrease in the quantity of hemoglobin or in the number of red cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the tissues, and are present in almost half the blood in the body’s veins and arteries. It only has a lifespan of approximately 120 days before it is being destroyed then replaces. About 1 trillion or 100 million red blood cells are created everyday in the bone marrow. Iron, proteins, vitamins, especially folic acid and vitamin B12 are required to reproduces these new cells. Among these raw materials, iron and protein are essential in building up hemoglobin. Each person should have about 15gm of hemoglobin per 100 ml of blood, and a blood count of approximately 5 million red cells per millimeter of blood.

Symptoms
Most common symptoms are: feeling weak or lacking of energy, dizziness, and fatigue. Other symptoms includes looking dull and tired, worn out, tired looking eyes, shortness of breath, premature wrinkles, headache, poor memory, wounds slowly healing, lung palpitations and paleness of skin.

Causes
Main causes are either due to defects in the bone marrow, or due to lack of iron, vitamins, and proteins, which weakens the formation of red blood cells in the bone marrow. Other important causes to take note of are the heavy loss of blood due to an injury, bleeding piles, or excessive blood loss during menstruation for women.

Anaemia can also occur due to a lack of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which is needed for digestion of iron and proteins, and the presence of intestinal parasites or worms. Hookworms, pinworms, round worms and tape worms feed on the supply of blood as well as on the vitamins.

Home Remedies
Treatment using Vitamin B12:
Eat meats, specifically kidneys and liver, and some dairy products for they contain vitamin B12 which is needed for preventing or curing anaemia.

Treatment using Beets:
Beets have high iron content, which helps in the formation of red blood cells. Beet juice contains potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulphur, iodine, iron, copper, carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins B1, B2, B6, niacin, and vitamin P (bioflavonoids). It also helps strengthens the body’s resistance to sickness and is an excellent remedy for anemic children and teenagers.

Treatment using Fenugreek:
Cook fenugreek leaves and give it to adolescent girls during their menstruation period. It helps in new blood formation. Its seeds are also rich in iron which can also be used to cure anaemia.

Treatment using Lettuce:
Lettuce contains a considerable amount of iron that easily absorbed by the body. Regularly consuming lettuces will help prevent anaemia.

Treatment using Spinach:
Spinach is a leafy vegetable that is a high source of iron. It helps in the formation of hemoglobin and building up the new blood cells when absorbed by the body.

Treatment using Soyabean:
Soya bean is rich in iron and also has a high protein value. It should be given to anemic person in a very light form, preferably in the form of milk or soymilk, to aid them from weak digestion.

Treatment using Almonds:
An almond contains 1.15 mg or copper for every 100 gm. The copper, along with iron and vitamins, acts as a catalyst during the reproduction of hemoglobin. Take 7 almonds, remove the think red covering, soak it in water for about two hours and ground into a paste. Eat the paste once everyday for 3 months.

Treatment using Sesame Seeds:
Black sesame seeds are rich source of iron. Soak 1 teaspoon of black sesame seeds in warm water for a couple of hours, strain it, then ground it into powder. Mix it in a cup of milk sweetened with sugar.

Treatment using Honey:
Honey contains iron, copper and manganese, so it helps in building new red blood cells in the body.
Treatment using Other Foods
Other rich sources of iron are bananas, black grapes, plums, strawberries, raisins, onions, squash, carrots, radish, celery, and tomatoes.

Diet:
Eat foods rich in Iron:
Iron is best taken in its natural organic form found in fresh fruits and vegetables. Therefore, avoid refined foods such as rice, white bread, and desserts that contain sugar, for it will take away the iron needed by the body.

An exclusive fruit diet with therapeutic treatment:
The patient should undergo an exclusive fruit diet for five days, eating fresh, juicy fruits three times a day. A fruit and milk diet may follow for about fifteen days. Afterwards, the patient may take on a normal, well-balanced diet, consisting of seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, and fruits.

Other Treatments
Cold water baths:
It is highly recommended for the patient to be given a cold bath twice a day, while slowly increasing the coldness of the water.

Hot Epsom salts bath and sunbaths:
Take a hot Epsom salts bath for about five to ten minutes for once a week and a steam bath casually. Sunbaths are also very helpful as sunlight helps stimulate the production of the red blood cells.

Deep breathing and light exercises:
Make light exercises such as walking and inhaling deeply.

Yogic asanas:
Have a full body massage of Yogic Asanas such as paschimottanasana, shavasana and sarvangasana.

Asthma

Asthma is a chronic illness in the respiratory system in which the airways of the lungs are constricted. The word ‘asthma’ is derived from ancient Greek word meaning ‘panting or short drawn breath’. An asthma patient gets frequent attacks of breathlessness, although he may be completely normal a few moments ago.

Symptoms
Patients suffering from asthma have difficulty in breathing out than breathing in. This is caused by spasms or sudden involuntary muscular contractions of the smaller air passages in the lungs.

Causes
There are various causes of asthma. Allergens, or environmental stimulants such as air pollutants, rigorous exercises or emotional stress can trigger the start of the illness.

Allergies to changing weather conditions, certain food types, drug intake, perfume chemicals can also cause asthma to patients. Most common causes are allergies to dust particles.

Home Remedies
Honey: This is one of the most common home remedies for asthma. Inhaling the scent of honey will help ease the patient’s breathing.

Figs: Wash 3 or 4 dry figs with warm water and then soak it overnight. Figs drain off the phlegm and will make the patient feel comfortable afterwards.

Lemon Juice: Dilute lemon juices in a glass of water and take it ever meal to help relieve any asthmatic conditions.

Indian Gooseberry: Mix 5 grams of Indian gooseberry with one tablespoon of honey. This effective tonic should be taken every morning to treat asthma.

Bitter Gourd: The roots of the bitter gourd plant have been used in folk medicine for asthma since the ancient times. Mix a teaspoon of the root paste with an equal amount of honey or tulsi leaf juice. Give it once every night for a month.

Drumstick Leaves: Prepare a soup from drumstick leaves by adding a handful of leaves to 180ml of water. Boil it for five minutes. Leave to chill, add a little salt, pepper, and limejuice. To achieve astonishing results, take the medicine once every day.

Ginger: Mix a teaspoon of fresh ginger juice with a cup of fenugreek decoction and some honey to add some taste. Fenugreek decoction can be made by mixing one tablespoon of fenugreek seeds in a cupful of water. This should be taken once in the morning and once in the evening.

Garlic: Boil ten garlic cloves in 30 ml of milk to treat early stages of asthma. This mixture should he taken once daily by the patient. Meanwhile, adding two minced garlic cloves in a steaming ginger tea and should be taken during the morning and evening.

Bishop’s Weed: Mix half a teaspoon of bishop’s weed in a glass of buttermilk. Take the medication twice daily. It is an effective remedy for relieving difficult expectoration caused by dried-up phlegm. A hot poultice of the seeds should be used as dry fomentation to the chest twice daily. The patient can also inhale steam from boiling water mixed with ajwain twice a day to help dilate the bronchial passages.

Safflower: Safflower seeds can be used for the treatment of bronchial asthma. Mix half a teaspoon of powdered dry seeds with a tablespoon of honey. For treating this disease, it should be taken once or twice a day. This acts as an expectorant and reduces the spasms by liquefying the tenacious sputum. Make an infusion consisting of 5 gms of flowers mixed with one tablespoon of honey, taken once daily, for use as another useful treatment of asthma.

Diet
The patient should have a diet consisting of foods with limited quantity of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Those are ‘acid-forming’ foods. Take a liberal quantity of alkaline-forming foods by eating plenty of fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, sprouted seeds, and grains.

Also, avoid foods that may cause further reproduction of phlegm such as rice, sugar, lentils, and curds.

He should also avoid fried, refined and processed foods such as, strong tea, coffee, alcoholic beverages, condiments pickles, sauces.

Suggestions
Take plenty of natural air, sun, and water for they are great, yet inexpensive healing agents.

Do a fasting once a week.

Administer an occasional enema.

Perform breathing exercises while exposing yourself to dry climate, as well as inhaling as much fresh air as you could.

Do light exercises to avoid over-exertion, and Be conscious of yourself and correct your posture to go a long way in treating the disease.

Alzheimer

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurological disorder. It is the most common cause of dementia among aged people. Dr. Alois Alzheimer is a German physician that had first discovered this mental condition. The disease was later named after him.

Symptoms for Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a gradual process. Initial symptom is a slow memory loss. However, having a mild forgetfulness doesn’t necessarily mean that they have the Alzheimer’s disease. During the initial stage, patients diagnosed with AD starts forgetting their daily routine; they may not remember the people, place, or things they know before. They are resisting making changes in their life and cannot make decisions. In the middle stage, a change in behavior occurs. They may have a hard time thinking, randomly accuse people of stealing; frequently sleep or wide awake at night, suffer from panic attacks and may keep on doing things repeatedly. At a later stage, patients will have to be severely taken care of. They may forget who they are, be over sentimental, screams loudly, may have bowel movement, digestion difficulty, and urinary functions.

Causes for Alzheimer’s
Many factors contributed to it and even until now, Its exact cause is still not yet known. Though age is considered to be the major factor, Scientists are not clear whether this disease is hereditary or un-hereditary. Individuals with smoke habit, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels are at a high risk. And those who are currently having a Down syndrome symptom and previously suffered from a major head injury are at medium risk of obtaining this disease.

Remedies for Alzheimer’s
Herbal medicines are found to be effective as treatments for this disease. The most prescribed herb for this type of disorder is the Ginkgo bilboa; it has an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which prevents brain cells damage. It is found that herb which contains Phosphatidylserine, Huperzine A and Vinpocetine are useful as remedies.

Diet for Alzheimer’s
High-fat and high-calorie diets should be avoided by the patients. They should also avoid too much salt, alcohol, smoking, processed foods, foods with refined carbohydrates and those which contain environmental toxins. Anti-oxidants like green tea, vitamin C, vitamin A and so on, are anti-inflammatory agents that are very helpful for patients with this disease.