Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Acupressure For Irritable Bowel Syndrome Emergencies

Whether you have actually been diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) or you just had one too many cups of coffee on a road trip, most of us have been in the dire situation of needing a restroom fast! Acupressure applied to an acupuncture point on the arm will give you the fifteen minutes you may need to get you there.

Acupuncture theory has evolved over thousands of years of documented experience and remains an effective and integral part of Chinese Medicine today. Chinese Medicine believes that the human body is an energetic field where energy flows over the surface on very specific pathways called meridians. There are twelve meridians that connect with specific organs in the body. For example, the Stomach meridian connects with the stomach. Yet the pathway of the Stomach meridian starts below the eyeball, runs down the face and along the jaw to the hairline, and then travels all the way down the front of the body and leg to the corner of the second toe. Acupuncture points on the Stomach meridian address not only digestive issues, but also pain along the entire path of the Stomach meridian. There are eight "extra" meridians that serve as a reservoir to handle either congested energy or deficient energy in the regular meridians. All of the meridians are connected in a number of ways to serve as a communication network to regulate the physical and emotional functioning of the body.

Hundreds of acupuncture points are located on these meridians. Each of these points has an effect on the physiological functioning of the human body. Some points are more powerful and more commonly used than others. They can be stimulated in a number of ways. Historically and most commonly, acupuncture points have been stimulated with a very fine needle. Sometimes an herb called moxa is burned over an acupuncture point. More recently, laser has been used to stimulate acupuncture points. There are several points that are quite famous for being effective by just applying firm finger pressure, or acupressure.

Intestine Gate is one such acupuncture point. This is a point that is located on the Small Intestine meridian. The Small Intestine meridian is located on the ulnar, or little finger, side of the arm. This acupuncture point was documented by Master Tung. Master Tung was a Taiwanese acupuncturist who identified hundreds of acupuncture points both on and slightly off the regular meridians. I have personally found his points and theories of selecting them for treatment to be very powerful.

If you look at your arm, palm down, Intestine Gate is located on the little finger side of the arm, about three inches above the wrist for the average adult. The point is located in the groove between the ulnar bone and the muscle below it. If you are looking at your left arm, use the index finger of your right hand to locate this point and apply firm pressure against the bone. This will have an immediate effect on the rectum and take away the sensation that you cannot make it to the restroom. You can even do this while driving a car and trying to get to the next exit on the freeway! If the point gets sore on one arm from the firm pressure, you can switch to the other arm. Try it. This is one acupuncture point you will remember!

Natural Holistic Acne Treatment

Acne has over the years become a household name. It is a skin condition that is common in teenagers. In teenagers, it occurs as result of rapid changes in their body systems. During these growing stages, their hormonal balance is altered or interrupted, thereby resulting in the condition popularly known as acne. However, acne is not only peculiar to teenagers; it is also known to affect a wide range of adults as well. If you suffer from acne beyond your teenage years, you may be looking for the best natural acne treatment available. If you have tried so many drugs from the pharmacy, or maybe you have taken countless number of trips to the dermatologist all to no avail, the more natural means of acne treatment might just be the best option.

However, the best to adopt as a means of treating acne is to approach the problem of acne holistically. This is because there is no over the counter cream or medications that can help you get rid of acne completely. Because these creams are applied externally, they can only help you suppress the symptoms, and then you keep getting repeated outbreaks again and again.

The best natural acne treatment however will not only focus on how to remove the symptoms from your face and any other area, but it also focuses on flushing out and getting rid of all the toxins in the body, which is the actual root cause of your acne in the first place, because acne occurs as a result of the accumulation of toxic substances in the body, which are not completely removed by the skin. So the holistic approach of acne treatment is actually targeted at helping you eliminate all those excess toxins by detoxifying the body system through the best natural means available, and at the same time, also helping you clear the acne symptoms, on your face and any other area.

Another reason why holistic acne cure is the best is that you do not really need any expensive budget. Most of the material you will be using are either available in your kitchen, or the local grocery store at give-away prices. Substances such as honey and lemon are core parts of the holistic acne treatment.

Different Effective Antibiotics for Acne

Acne is a skin problem that commonly develops to individuals especially teenagers. There are so many treatments for acne such as creams, lotions and over the counter products but the most prescribed medications of doctors and dermatologists are antibiotics for acne. Antibiotics have been believed to effectively decrease the germs and bacteria in the affected skin area.

Antibiotics simply means "against life" in Greek. It is responsible in killing bacteria and germs as well as living organisms in the human body. Taking of antibiotics may be of beneficial to us because it is effective in fighting the bad organisms that causes more acne. But keep this in mind that antibiotics should not be taken too much because it may affect our health. This medication may just help in soothing the acne for a short period of time and may result to negative effects eventually.

All chemical medications may have side effects and that also includes antibiotics for acne. All antibiotics for acne may cause Candida vaginal yeast infections in women that take these medicines. Tetracycline is the most widely prescribed antibiotic for acne that usually has the side effects. Other side effects you will experience are diarrhea and allergic reactions because of the antibiotics.

Here are some antibiotics for acne that you can use to treat that annoying and irritating acne:

• Tetracycline antibiotic - this is used to treat certain kinds of bacterial infections including acne. This antibiotic is widely prescribed by most doctors and dermatologists. This is most effective when taken with an empty stomach. This antibiotic is advisable for pregnant women or young children as it may bring negative effects on them.

• Erythromycin - this is also a common antibiotic used to treat acne. This antibiotic is much milder than the tetracycline because it has anti-inflammatory properties that help lessen redness in lesions. This antibiotic should be taken with food to make it effective.

• Minocycline - this antibiotic has been derived from tetracycline and has been used for a long time as an effective medication for acne. This is used specifically for pustular type of acne. Some side effects of this antibiotic include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, skin and tooth color changes.

• Doxycycline - This antibiotic is used when tetracycline and erythromycin does not effectively works. It is important that this should be taken with food. This may just cause sunburns.

• Clindamycin - This is very effective as an oral antibiotic for acne. The major side effect by taking this medication serious intestinal infection.

If you don't want to experience side effects to treat your skin acne problem, you can always opt for the alternatives. There are natural treatments that you can use to treat that acne and most of these treatments are found in your own homes. Acne also develops because of the toxins inside our body so it is essential that we apply a balanced diet and stop eating junks and unhealthy foods like the fatty and oily ones.