Depression Symptoms and Remedies

Considered to be the most prevalent mental disorder around the world, affecting at least 16% of the population, depression is also the primary cause of disability in the United States.

Symptoms of depression are:

• Appetite change both loss and gain. The result is either to gain weight or to lose weight.

• Body pains such as headaches and back pain that have no physical cause.

• Decrease or total loss of interests on the usual doings that s/he finds interesting before.

• Excessive guilt

• Exhaustion on physical activities including exercise, work, and walking.

• Ideas of suicide

• Irregular sleeping patters that include hypersomnia or excessive sleeping, loss of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and insomnia or lack of sleep, and difficulty of getting back to sleep with periods of disturbing dream.

• Irritability and short-temperedness

• Inability to think logically, lack of concentration on duties, and evidences of indecisiveness on things regardless of importance.

• Low self-esteem

• Lack of self-confidence

• Hopelessness and pessimism

• Anxiety attacks

• Significant decrease or loss of interests on things he or she finds pleasurable before. • The feeling of worthlessness.

Depression remedies:

Nutritional remedies for depression

Dietary modification is said to be one of the ways to treat depression, however, it is often considered as adjunctive, since it is often ineffective of themselves. Other known nutritional remedies for depression are specific amino acids supplements and vitamins and minerals treatment.

Deficiencies in vitamins (B6, B12, and C) and minerals (Folic acid, magnesium) are said to be one of the reasons why depression occurs. Correcting these deficiencies therefore would improve patients suffering from depression.

Natural remedies for depression

Siberian Ginseng, St. John's Wort, passion flower, and Ginko Bilola are some of the popular alternative medicines that can improve patients suffering from depression. There are perfect for people who want to avoid the numerous side effects caused by other antidepressant prescription drugs. Fasting and meditation are also said to relax the spirit, thus enabling the person to calm down and regain inner vibe.

John Furnem is a dot com veteran, specializing in human resources and work psychology he has written articles and held workshops/seminars for stress relief and stress management. John writes about Depression for http://ZupaTips.com the tips and internet advice portal.

Cosmetic Contact Lenses

Cosmetics used to be only for around the eyes, but now you can match your eye shadow and makeup with cosmetic contact lenses, in a whole spectrum of colors and designs. The contacts themselves are not much different from the traditional ones you have been used to wearing, but they are enhanced by cosmetic properties, to give them an added dimension of function.

Cosmetic contact lenses work like regular lenses, and in order to buy them, you have to go through the same kinds of protocols that are required for purchasing any contacts. You will need to visit an eye care specialist and be fitted for a prescription after having your vision checked. Then the eye doctor will write a prescription for your contact lenses, and you can take that lens prescription to have it filled - but this time it will be filled against a colored lens. You may want to ask your eye doctor to first help you choose the right shade and color for you, by letting you experiment with the different colors. Most eye doctors can show you samples in their office, and they have methods of explaining and demonstrating the differences in shades and colors, as they apply to your particular eyes.

You may have dark eyes, and a particular color of cosmetic contact lenses will affect their appearance slightly differently that they will affect a person with light colored eyes. So your eye specialist can help you to determine not only the right prescription for your eyes but also the best match of tones and hues to fit your needs. Some kinds of contact lenses don't drastically change the color of your eyes, but they can dramatically change the intensity of your natural eye color.

Ask your eye doctor about cosmetic contact lenses, and discover a whole new reason to wear contacts.

For lots of information on colored contact lenses and other contact lenses related topics, visit Nr1 Contact Lenses at http://www.nr1-contact-lenses.com

Contact Lens Care and Hygiene

For first time wearers looking after contact lenses properly can be a slightly confusing subject. Most first time wearers are told that not cleaning their lenses properly can cause eye infections. However, it is not always entirely clear how to take best care of them.

In this article we shall answer explain some of the key rules to remember about contact lens care and hygiene.

What is the best way to take care of your contact lenses?

Taking care of and cleaning your contact lenses properly is very important. Failure to do so might cause you to get an eye infection or for your vision to be affected.

The first rule of contact lens care is to always wash your hands before touching your lenses. If possible you should try and use a non-perfumed soap. This is because soaps that contain fragrances can leave a slight residue on your hands which can be transferred to your lenses. This can cause eye irritation.

Try and keep your fingernails short and file any jagged edges. This will reduce the risk of tearing your contact lenses or scratching your eye.

Put on make up after inserting your contact lenses. Again this will ensure that you don’t get cosmetic residue in your eye or on your lens.

Soak contact lenses in specially designed contact lens solution, not in tap water. Tap water contains bacteria that can cause some infections.

Remember that contact lens solution should only be used once. Do not keep the same solution in your contact lens store case and use it for multiple soakings. You should rinse out your storage case on a daily basis with a sterile rinsing solution. You should also change your storage case every three months.

If you have any questions about how to look after your contact lenses, do not hesitate to speak to your optometrist.

Onestopcontactlenses.co.uk is a website where you can buy cheap contact lenses online.

Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry eye syndrome seems to be self explanatory. It means that your eye does not have enough moisture in it to lubricate it. There are many factors in the world that contribute and bring on this syndrome. There are also many reliable ways to cure this syndrome before it becomes too serious. The environment is more than likely the biggest contributor to this eye condition. If you already have a dry eye condition you will notice that the environment can make this increasingly worse. Factors of the environment such as:

• Smoke
• Wind
• Dry Air
• Air Conditioning
• Sunlight

When your eyes are exposed to a large amount of any of these factors you will notice an increased pain or irritation, if this is the case you should visit your eye doctor immediately to avoid this condition getting any worse. Your eyes are a very sensitive part of your body; take care of them in the proper way.

If you wear contact lenses you are also at risk of encountering this condition. Everything depends on the contact lens products that you use, the frequency that you use them as well as how well you take care of your contacts. The contacts that you wear make your eyes more sensitive to the world and the products that you use could dry out your eyes if you do not use them correctly. With these two combined contact wearers are at a high risk of this dry eyed condition.

Dry eye conditions become that much more common when you are of an older age. It has been found that almost 75% of seniors have some form of dry eye conditions. Women are also more prone to dry eye conditions as well. There are many physical traits that contribute to these dry eye conditions as well.

If you discover that you are prone to these dry eye conditions please visit your doctor as soon as possible to avoid any complications.

More information about Lazer Vision correction, Lasik, and Laser eye surgery can be found at http://www.lasereyeguide.com Original source: What Is Dry Eye Syndrome?

9 Facts Everyone Should Know About Herbal & Home Remedies

In the last few years herbal remedies have become very popular as an alternative treatment for a variety of illnesses and health issues. Natural health stores have popped up from coast to coast and are now quite predominant on the internet as well. Herbal remedies are offered as a treatment for everything from the common cold to more serious health issues such as cancer. Before you rush out to purchase herbal remedies, there are a few things you should know about herbal remedies, their effectiveness and possible dangers and risks that you may encounter by taking them.

One of the most important facts about herbal remedies that consumers should be aware of is the fact that, unlike other treatments, they are governed by any governmental agency. This means there is no quality assurance system in place to insure that the herbal remedy product you purchase contains nothing that would harm you, or even works for that matter.

Many herbal remedies are advertised with amazing claims of effectiveness and some even come with reported clinical trials to back up those claims. What consumers are generally unaware of is that the suggested clinical trials were performed by the marketer themselves, and not a non-biased third party lab. This means that the herbal remedy may be no more effective than a sugar pill.

Furthermore, quite a few herbal remedies have adverse affects whey combined with other medications; particularly prescription meds. This information is generally not released by the marketer of the herbal remedy and it’s highly possible that a consumer would never know they were ingesting a deadly cocktail by mixing an herbal remedy with the medicine prescribed to them by their doctor. A surprising number of herbal remedies, including St. John’s wort, Ginko biloba and Ginseng have very dangerous side effects when mixed with antidepressants.

Ginko biloba has been known to cause problems with bleeding and could be particularly dangerous for someone about to undergo surgery or who is already taking any type of blood thinning medication. As frightening as these facts are; consumers rarely get this information from the labels of herbal remedies.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration specifically prohibits the manufacturers and marketers of herbal remedies from claiming that their product is able to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any kind of disease or illness. This doesn’t stop many companies from coming as close to that line as possible; or even going over it. Consumers should be wary of any herbal remedy that claims any of the above.

Herbal remedies can provide positive benefits when used carefully and wisely. Consumers can safely use herbal remedies by taking the time to research the product, its effectiveness and drug interactions. Also remember to thoroughly read the product label. Some companies attempt to increase their profit margin by including fillers, such as sand, with the product.

If you aren’t sure whether an herbal remedy will interact negatively with the medications you are already taking, ask your physician. He or she will be able to let you know whether you can safely take the product or not.

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any health care program.

Emily Clark is editor at Lifestyle Health News and Medical Health News where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on many medical, health and lifestyle topics.

Learning Herbal Remedy Basics

Herbalists are practitioners of holistic medicine who employ herbal remedies to help their clients. They believe that everyone has an inner vital force that is constantly working to maintain physical, emotional, and mental health.

Herbalists believe that disease comes when a person's inner force or natural immune system become out of balance. Then they prescribe an herbal remedy that are found in nature to bring back the inner balance of a person's systems.

Herbal remedies must always be treated with respect as they can be dangerous. Some of the most potent remedies come from plants and can be very toxic if not used properly. One thing that a lot of people misunderstand is that just because something says "natural" does not mean it does not have any serious side effects.

It is therefore imperative that you contact a herbal remedy practitioner before you begin taking herbal remedies of any kind. Natural remedies can even interact badly with prescription drugs.

Herbalists believe that their natural herbs work in our bodies the same way as the manufactured chemical prescription medicines do. However that is probably the only similarity.

See how much you can learn about Herbal Remedies when you take a little time to read a well-researched article? Don't miss out on the rest of this great information.

In the west herbal remedies are most often used for improving the quality of the bodies digestion and absorption of nutrients, as well as improving the respiratory and circulatory systems.

Natural Herbs are also used to remove waste and toxins from the bodies cells, to soothe the skin and promote healing.

Herbal remedies are classified by the action they have in the body or which body systems they affect. For instance some herbal remedies a diuretic which means they stimulate and cause the elimination of urine. Some are sedatives that reduce the amount of nervous energy. And still other remedies are antiseptic and prevent infections.

Herbal remedies can be administered in many different ways. Some are to be used as a drink while others are used on the skin as a cream or ointment. Some other herbal remedies are taken in pill form or placed in a bath to soak in. These natural remedies treat the underlying cause of the illness and so the person taking them must be patient. This is because it will take longer to treat the actual cause of the problem than to just treat the symptoms as a lot of our chemical drugs do. With persistence and patience herbal remedies work rather well.

When deciding to use herbal remedies or not you have to remember that they work completely simply slower than other medicines. Therefore it is wrong to have the expectations that you will be well instantly as you sometimes are from chemical medicines.

Owen Walcher is a freelance writer, writing health and fitness articles such as Herbal Remedies 101 You can find more Herbal Remedies articles here: www.livehealthier.info

Steps To Ensure Safe Laser Eye Surgery

In the modern world, laser eye surgery is one of most widely performed procedures every year. Since it was first performed in the United States in 1991, more and more people looking to rid themselves of expensive and inconvenient eyeglasses and contact lenses, have turned to corrective eye surgery to achieve their goals.

Today, more than one million people in the U.S. alone have undergone the procedure – most with no complications and amazing success. In fact, only 3-6% of those who have undergone the procedure have reported any long term complications associated with it, making safe laser eye surgery what most people have come to expect. But in order to really ensure your safety when it comes to laser eye surgery it is imperative to act as an advocate for yourself and take the steps necessary to protect your health and your eyesight.

Laser eye surgery utilizes laser technology to resurface the cornea – the thin, transparent covering of the eye. During the procedure, the surgeon will make a small incision in the top layer of the cornea in order to create a flap. Once the flap is folded back the mid-section of the cornea is revealed and the surgeon can then use a low-powered laser to resurface the cornea – clearing the way in which light is refracted in our eye and thus improving vision.

The patient’s eye is numbed the entire time during the procedure and most who have undergone laser eye surgery report little to no pain associated with the procedure. Nonetheless, there is risk associated with every surgery. And when it comes to laser technology used in and around the eye, it is absolutely imperative to ensure that you are working with skilled and reputable surgeons and a surgery center that is committed to patient care through safe laser eye surgery.

The burden of finding this information is up to you – the patient – but is well-worth the time it will take to ensure a positive experience. Begin your search for safe laser eye surgery by researching the laser eye surgery centers in and around your area. Talk to friends and family who have undergone the procedure to assess their experience; and get recommendations from your general eye doctor and even your primary care physician. Recommendations are key to narrowing your search for a reputable surgery center.

Once you have narrowed your search through recommendations it is crucial that you conduct your own research by examining each surgery center’s history, surgical and patient care philosophy, reputation in the industry, and financial options that will be available to you. Follow-up this research by visiting the surgery centers yourself to assess cleanliness of the facility, professionalism of the office and medical support staff, and commitment to safe laser eye surgery through the level of technology being used.

Finally, meet with the surgeon who would perform your procedure to determine his/her experience and strategy for patient care and safety procedures. Any surgeon in which you are interested should perform laser eye surgery on a daily basis and have an overall dedication to safe laser eye surgery and successful results.

http://www.TheLasikZone.com brings you the latest on Lasik. Lasik is very popular, and we want to bring you the most up to date information online! Be sure to check out our latest information page on Lasik eye surgery.