Health & Fitness

Insomnia - why suffer in silence

Insomnia, which is the inability to sleep satisfactorily or to have any sleep at all, is one of the most common sleep disorders. It is characterized by restlessness, sleep interruptions, decreased sleeping time than the usual, or sometimes complete wakefulness.

Keywords:
insomnia, anxiety, stress relief, sleep apnea

It is commonplace for several people to suffer at least an occasional night of almost non-existent sleep. The causes of insomnia differ from person to person. What made a student insomniac varies from what caused a shift worker or a traveler or an employee to acquire such sleeping disorder.

Insomnia, which is the inability to sleep satisfactorily or to have any sleep at all, is one of the most common sleep disorders. It is characterized by restlessness, sleep interruptions, decreased sleeping time than the usual, or sometimes complete wakefulness.

Aside from the annoyance that insomnia can cause to its sufferers, this sleep disorder causes those afflicted to lose enthusiasm and energy, acquire memory and concentration problems, feel lethargic, frustrated, and of course sleepy. Worse cases that may be induced by insomnia is one’s being prone to accidents, reduced work productivity and the aggravation of psychological and medical conditions.

So what exactly are the culprits that make insomnia one menacing sleeping problem?

1. Emotional Distress

More particularly when it is from internalized anxiety or anger, emotional problems can easily trigger this sleep disorder.

2. Substance Abuse

Drinking too much coffee, colas or other “energy-upper drinks” is known to cause insomnia. Caffeine from these drinks is the main reason. Chain smokers can also be easy victims of insomnia because of the nicotine that cigarettes contain. Herbal remedies, alcohol and other medications can also make one prone to becoming an insomniac. Some may think that alcohol, when consumed, can make one feel drowsy. But little did they know that in the long run, when the alcohol gets metabolized, sudden wakefulness will follow.

3. Biological Clock Disturbance.

Also known as circadian rhythm, one’s body clock, when altered, can damage the amount of sleep one can peacefully enjoy. This body clock disturbance can be caused by an irregular slumber schedule because of too much siesta or partying too late at night. It can also be jetlag or body clock disturbance due to traveling by plane to some place where there is a different time zone. Other causes may be the grave yard schedules of workers and cramming review season for students induced by exams.

4. Environmental Factors

Extreme temperatures can disrupt one’s sleeping patterns. Noise and bright lights can have the same effect too. Homesickness or when one is forced to sleep in an unfamiliar place is also one reason behind getting into the habit of not having enough sleep.

5. Health Problems

Health disorders such as diabetes, heart failure, hyperthyroidism, ulcers, and Parkinson’s disease can also induce insomnia. Asthma may also be one health problem that makes one prone to insomnia because of an asthmatic’s shortness of breath. Frequent urination, heartburn, and chronic pain from leg cramps, tooth ache and arthritis can also cause insomnia.

Psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia and depression are also possible culprits for insomnia. Snoring with prolonged pauses in breathing while at sleep, also known as sleep apnea can also cause insomnia. Periodic arm and leg movements during sleep causing the muscles to twitch excessively is one underlying cause of this sleep disorder. Another cause is narcolepsy or one’s lack of control on whether to stay awake or to fall asleep, is another cause of this sleep disorder.

6. Pre-bedtime Activities

Engaging to vigorous activities such as exercise just right before bedtime can deprive one of a good night’s sleep. Consuming large meals when one is just about to sleep can also make one experience this sleeping disorder. This is because when metabolism is at its most active thus the body prompts one to stay awake.

Who are Prone to Insomnia?

Reports have it that 90% of people can acquire transient insomnia at some point in their lives. While an estimate of 30% suffers from its chronic form.

a. Women are said to be more at risk in acquiring insomnia because of the following reasons:

- Pre-menstrual syndrome with symptoms of irritability, depression and anxiety, and bloating due to menstruation disturbs a woman’s sleeping pattern.
- Menopause can also change a woman’s sleeping pattern.
- Pregnancy makes sleeplessness one common thing to happen.

b. Elderly people are also prone to getting insomnia because ageing alters one’s sleeping patterns.

c. Depressed people have lighter slumbers compared to those who don’t feel this psychological condition.

d. Students or younger ones who are conscious with their grades (because of cramming) can easily become insomniacs too.

With that vast information on what causes insomnia and who are at risk with this sleeping disorder, one can easily ward off this annoying condition.

The Amazing Powers of Self Hypnosis

There are no obstacles, except the ones you create in your mind. Remove those obstacles, and you will easily live the life of your dreams.

Keywords:
self hypnosis

I want to share a success story about hypnosis for weight loss. There are so many, but this one stands out in my mind and touches my heart. I was working in the summer of 2004 with a young lady named Jen. She was 19 at the time and was scheduled to undergo gastric bypass surgery. This surgery is very drastic and involved stapling the stomach so that the person can no longer eat large meals. She also already had liposuction but regained all of her weight. Her father had died and all her mother wanted was for Jen to be happy.

As they both sat in my office in tears, Jen told me that this was her last attempt to lose weight before killing herself. After her mom left the room, we began the hypnosis session. While in a trance, Jen remembered being abused by her father. It was traumatic for her to recall this, but helpful at the same time. Jen also revealed that she had “built up a protective layer” with the excess weight. She explained while under hypnosis that the weight repelled men and kept her “safe.”

After Jen was out of hypnosis, I invited her mom back into the office. The three of us discussed this unfortunate event. Her mom said that she had suspected that it happened, but never had proof until now. Jen returned the next week and we began working on re-building her self-esteem using hypnosis. This is very easy to do with hypnosis since the messages go directly to the subconscious mind. If you want to do this yourself, just make a tape with positive suggestions that you play in bed each night as you go to sleep.

In the four weeks that followed, I was able to reframe the way she felt about eating right, exercising, and taking care of herself in general. After only six sessions, I told Jen that I had done all the work we needed to do.

Last week, Jen sent me an e-mail with a picture. You see, I had programmed her to continue to eat right, exercise, and take care of herself. Well, the picture she sent looked like a model! Jen had gone from 325 lbs. to 115 lbs! The e-mail was even more inspirational. Here’s what she wrote:

Dear Steve,

It has been a year since our last session. The pounds have been consistently dropping. I eat differently and don’t even try to. I exercise three times a week and love it. Most importantly, my view of life is completely different now. I went from being overweight and suicidal to being thin, sexy, beautiful and totally confident. My mom is happier than ever and so is my husband. That’s right! I am married. He’s 6′4″, an architect, and wants kids. I feel like I’m living the life of my dreams. Hypnosis is amazing. You taught me that I could do ANYTHING that I BELIEVE I can do. You are right. Feel free to share this letter with others. I want the world to know about the power of hypnosis and the power of the human mind!

With much love and respect,
Jen

In my line of work I get to see this happen often. Jen is one of the many people who decided to make a powerful change in her life. Hypnosis helped, but the change was really due to her commitment to herself. I hope that the sharing of Jen’s journey will inspire you to create whatever powerful change you desire in your life. There are no obstacles, except the ones YOU create in your mind. Remove those obstacles, and you will easily live the life of YOUR dreams.

What Type of Arthritis Do You Have?

Learn the different type of arthritis that exists. Can you identify the type you have? Dig deeper into the different types with this article and learn in future articles what you can do if you have arthritis.

Keywords:
arthritis, joints, rheumatoid, Osteoarthritis, gout

Arthritis dates back to prehistoric times and is seen all through the ages in the joints of the skeleton remains.

Most of you will Ahave problems with your joints and it may be arthritis. Arthritis is associated with aging but it is not caused because you are aging. Arthritis is caused by the body not been fed the proper nutrients that keep your joints health and free of wear and tear.

There are plenty of joints in your body and typically there are only specific joints that have arthritic pain. Those are the ones that you use frequently. For men it is
knees, spine, and feet. For women it is fingers, hands, knees, and spine.

Arthritis means inflammation of the joint. When your joints have bone-to-bone contact and grind against each other that area becomes swollen and inflamed.

There are two main type of arthritis – osteoarthritis and rheumatoid – and others that are less known.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis means inflammation of the bony part of your joint. As your joints move against each other, the protective coating and surrounding material – membranes, oil sacs, cartilage – wear down. This wear down occurs when the joints see excess activity.

Normally you would not expect to see this wear down condition since there are many joints that see excess activity and don’t become inflamed or arthritic. There millions of people who don’t get arthritis, yet the use their joints are used just as much and perhaps even more. Then there are people who don’t use their joint to excess and still get arthritis.

So the actual cause of arthritis is more than excess activity.

The cause of arthritis has come down to a single or combination of nutritional deficiencies, excess joint activity, and emotional issues.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid means “similar to flowing pain.” It is an autoimmune disease where good cell and tissue are attack by the immune system. Rheumatoid first affects the joint membranes and later the bone structure at the joint. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs in people of all ages. As this arthritis progresses it can becomes crippling.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a recent disease, which appeared at the turn of the 20th Century. Its cause can be associated with diet where the balance of the joint structure receives chemicals that destroy its balanced condition.

Gouty Arthritis

Gout is a disease where uric acid deposits in the joints of feet and legs. When the body has an excess of uric acid, which it can’t eliminate through normal channels of elimination- the kidney – the uric acid settles in the joints and soft tissue causing pain.

Gout is more common with men, people with high blood pressure, alcoholics, diabetics, and obesity. Gout means drop. It was thought by Romans that gout was caused by poisonous crystals coming from the blood, drop by drop, and depositing in the toes.

There is some evidence that gout is related to the amount of wine that is drunk with the meal. This put an extra strain on the liver that tries to detoxify the wine and the meal at the same time. Result is the liver is unable to detoxify the complete meal.

Other Types of Arthritis

There are other types of arthritis. These account for a small amount of the types of arthritis that most people have. Here is the list:

Bursitis – inflammation of the shoulder joints and muscles.

Neuritis – is know as rheumatism of your nerves. When the sheaths of your nerves dry out you have neuritis

Myositis - pain that comes from working hard and muscles have friction between them.

Fibrositis – is when your connective tissue become inflamed Lumbago – occurs before you get arthritis of the spine.

Which arthritis doe you have? In other articles, I’ll tell you what you can do to prevent or eliminate arthritis of any kind.

Body Harmonics and Pilates in Canada

An interesting profile of professional Pilates instructor Margot McKinnon and her company, Body Harmonics.

Keywords:
pilates, body harmonics, Margot McKinnon

Body Harmonics Pilates, located in Toronto, Canada is an internationally recognized leader in Pilates training and instruction. It was founded in 1996 by Margot McKinnon, a well respected leader in the Canadian health and fitness industry. What distinguishes Body Harmonics from other studios is that it also functions as a Pilates teacher training facility. The primary motivation behind the establishment of Body Harmonics was to make Pilates accessible to everyone, and to train the next generation of teachers in the best practices available.

Body Harmonics has three main areas of specialization; Pilates for general health and wellbeing, post-rehabilitative exercise, and performance enhancements for athletes and dancers. They offer over 40 courses to new and experienced students and teachers alike. They offer three levels of Mat training, and extensive workshops dedicated to individual pieces of equipment such as the Reformer and the Cadillac. Body Harmonics has trained Pilates instructors from all around the world, and remains one the best facilities of its kind in Canada and beyond.

Studio director, Margot McKinnon, has a long and proven track record as an educator and a top-notch Pilates instructor. She has worked as a Pilates instructor since 1994, when she earned her first certification. She became a Master Teacher Trainer for The Pilates Method in 1996, and shortly thereafter launched her company. She has had the benefit of training and developing relationships with some the best and brightest mind in her industry. Margot is renowned for her inspiring teaching style, and her intricate knowledge of the theory behind the practice of Pilates.

Aside from the standard courses offered at Body Harmonics, there are also a number of specialized courses designed for people that might not associate Pilates training with other sports. Body Harmonics offers courses of particular interest to golfers, skiers, runners and rowers. They also offer courses for other health care practitioners, such as physiotherapists, osteopaths, and chiropractors. Regardless of your area of specialization, there is no doubt that you can benefit from the mind/body connection you will make at Body Harmonics. If you are serious about Pilates and you are considering professional certification, take some time to learn more about Body Harmonics.

I have a migraine headache

I’ve been around several people that use the word Migraine, when they talk about having a headeache. Do these people actually have migraines? What is a migraine, and are there ways to relieve them? These are some of the questions I will answer.

Keywords:
migraine, migraine headache, migraine treatment, migraine symptom, migraine medication, ocular migraine, migraine cause, migraine relief, disc herniated migraine, migraine medicine

I’ve been around several people that use the word Migraine, when they talk about having a headeache. Do these people actually have migraines? What is a migraine, and are there ways to relieve them? These are some of the questions I will answer.

The word “migraine” comes from the Greek word “hemikranion” which translates to “pain affectin one side of the head”. A Migraine is a headache in a form, that is usually very strong and can almost be disabling, when intense. Unlike commong headache’s which everyone is prone to, migraines are a neurologic disease, and the most common type of vascular headache.

Although everyone individual affected by migraines will characterize the symptoms differently, the book says: severe pain on one or more sides of the head, an upset stomach, and at times disturbed vision. The difference between a headache and migraine is summed up in the word “Aura”, which refers to the migraine features that are non-headache like. Migraines have been present throughout history, and it is known that family history and genetic factors are important in the likelyhood of migraines.

Many doctors deal with migraines, and will have several recommended treatment for migraines. It is in my experience that over the counter pain killers, and other drugs have their part in reducing the pain migraines cause, but are never actually able to cure them. Along with these drugs come several unfriendly side-effects, which are not enjoyable to say the least. Of course these side effects and effectiveness of the drugs are different on an invidual basis. The treatment that I have seen to be the most effective is the use of Chinese medicine, in particular accupuncture. Accupuncture is a natural medicine in that you are not injecting any drugs or anything inside of your body. You are simply just working with what is already there. Talk to your physician, and others that have experienced migraines, to find out what steps might be right for you.

How Sesame and Sunflower Seeds Can Relieve Constipation

Here are to simple seeds that you can use to add special nutrition to your body and at the same time gain relief from constipation. Discover how to prepare these seeds so you can become regular.

Keywords:
sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, constipation

Sesame seeds for constipation

Using sesame and sunflower seeds for constipation make a lot of sense. If you like to eat seeds then this is once way you can add more fiber, vitamins and minerals to your diet and at the same time reduce your constipation.

Maoshing Ni, Ph.D., C.A. and Cathy McNease, B.S., M.H. in their book, The TAO of Nutrition,1987, recommends using black sesame seeds for chronic constipation. Here’s what he says,

“Grind black sesame seeds into a meal by using a small coffee grinder.
Mix with dark honey into a small ball.
Eat one three time a day dipped in rice wine.”

Black sesame seeds also provide nutrition and action on the liver, intestines, kidney, and blood.

You can also prepare a sesame seeds soup with brown rice.
Soak 10 parts of sesame seeds with 1 part brown rice in distilled water
After they are soft, about an hour, pour out the water grind them in a small food grinder to produce liquid. Strain the remaining liquid to remove coarse particles.

* Dilute liquid with distilled water and add some honey.
* Cook on low heat until liquid becomes syrupy
* Drink around two cups to relieve constipation with in hour or so.

And also, peas and brown sesame seeds - help to lubricate the intestinal walls. This makes it easier for fecal matter to move through your colon.

Sunflower seeds for constipation

Sunflower seeds promote regularity. Use them raw shelled and unsalted every day. They contain omega-6 fatty acid just like olive oil. You can use them grounded and add them to your morning smoothie, 1-2 teaspoons, or to your homemade salad dressing

* Add them to your salad
* Add them to your morning cereal

Here’s a sunflower drink you can make.

Take 1-2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds. Grind them in a coffee grinder. Add them to a cup of boiling water. Sweeten this mixture with honey, maple syrup, or blackstrap molasses. Drink this combination morning and night to help you with you constipation.

When you use grounded sunflower seed to add to your salad dressing your can also use sesame seeds at the same time. Use both of these seeds and experiment and find out how you like preparing them and eating them.

Gout Treated with Alternative Medicine

Gout treated with alternative medicine approaches the treatment of gout from an holistic viewpoint, which involves treating the whole person, not just the manifesting symptoms.

Keywords:
Gout treated with alternative medicine, gout food, gout, diet.

The name of the disease is not what concerns the person who treats the patient holistically, for they are looking at the die-ease in the patient, not the gout. Gout is a manifestation of the dis-ease in the patient, treating the presenting symptoms with drugs for the inflammation and pain may well relieve the symptoms temporarily, but it’s not treating the cause of the condition.

So what is the cause of gout? One might be told that some families have a predisposition to gout, and you may be told that some foods exacerbate the condition, and that’s about all that can be done if you are treated conventionally, you will also be given some prescription drugs to alleviate your pain, and to reduce inflammation. If you do nothing else to correct the cause of your gout, then it’s very unlikely you will see any improvement in your health.

You may say that since you have been taking a certain drug that you haven’t had any gout attacks, and as far as you are concerned not much else matters. Unfortunately the prescription drugs have only palliated your condition, and with constant ingestion of anti-inflammatory drugs and pain killers your gouty condition will continue to develop behind the scenes, and your general health will deteriorate as a result of the drugs you are taking.

Alternative medicine, depending on what modality you have chosen, would firstly want to overhaul your diet, for a diet rich in purine foods would certainly exacerbate the condition, and may even be solely responsible for your gout.

Foods high in purines and are therefore to be avoided: Meat gravies, stocks, organ meats, shellfish, anchovies, sardines, herrings, mussels, mushrooms and asparagus. Alcohol, particularly beer is high in purines, and for that reason must be avoided. Any alcohol taken should be followed by copius amounts of water to avoid dehydration and consequent uric acid build-up. Meat, white flour, sugar, poultry, dried beans, fish, oatmeal,cauliflower, spinach and peas are moderately high in purines, and may need to be avoided.

The ideal diet should contain lots of organic fresh fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, and a very important dietary addition is wheatgrass. Fruits, vegetables and juices assist the excretion of uric acid, and foods that neutralize uric acid are strawberries, cherries, and celery juice, also drink lots of filtered water. Many people have found that the addidition of cherry juice to their diet has prevented further gout attacks.

You may be given herbs or homeopathic remedies for your condition, however a change in your dietary habits may be all that is needed to improve your health. What a simple answer to what could remain a lifetime problem if you may no effort to change your eating habits. If you wish to rid yourself of your gout, alternative medicine can certainly help you.

Help I’ve Got Heartburn

Heartburn occurs when there is an abnormal backflow of stomach juices into the esophagus, the tube that leads from the mouth to the stomach. The backflow or reflux causes a feeling of burning, warmth, or heat beneath the breastbone. The discomfort may spread in waves upward into your neck and you may get a sour taste in your mouth.

Keywords:
heartburn, symptoms, treatment, prevent, causes

Heartburn occurs when there is an abnormal backflow of stomach juices into the esophagus, the tube that leads from the mouth to the stomach. The backflow or reflux causes a feeling of burning, warmth, or heat beneath the breastbone. The discomfort may spread in waves upward into your neck and you may get a sour taste in your mouth.

Heartburn can last up to 2 hours or longer. Symptoms often start after you eat. They grow worse when you lie down or bend over and improve when you sit or stand up.

Don’t be concerned if you have heartburn now and then; nearly everyone does. Following the home treatment tips can prevent most cases of heartburn. However, if backflow of stomach acid into your esophagus happens regularly, you may have gastro esophageal reflux disease called GERD.

GERD can cause continuous irritation of the lining of the esophagus which can lead to other health problems. It is important to visit a health professional if you have frequent heartburn and home treatments do not relieve the discomfort.

Home Remedies

Try other home remedies before taking antacids or stomach acid reducers to relieve heartburn. If you take medications to relieve your heartburn without doing other home treatments your heartburn will likely return. If your symptoms cannot be relieved by home treatments or if they last more than 2 weeks see your doctor.

Eat smaller meals and do not have late night snacks.
Do not lie down for 2 to 3 hours after eating.
Avoid heartburn foods like chocolate, fatty foods, fried foods, peppermint, spearmint, coffee, caffeinated drinks, alcohol, carbonated drinks
Limit acidic foods that can irritate your esophagus. These include citrus fruits and juices like orange juice or tomato juice.
Avoid spicy foods.
Avoid clothes that have tight belts or tight waistbands.
Stop smoking. Smoking promoted heartburn.
If you are overweight loose weight.
If you get heartburn at night raise your head 15 to 20 cm. Use blocks or foam wedges.
Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and other anti-inflammatory drugs that can cause heartburn. Acetaminophen is much easier on the stomach
Take over the counter heartburn products such as Maalox, Mylanta, Tums, Gelusil to neutralize stomach acids.
Take stomach acid reducers such as Pepcid AC, Tagemet HB, and Zantac 75.
Ask your pharmacist to help choose a product then follow the package instructions or your doctors advice.
When To Call 911:

Pain in the upper abdomen with chest pain that is crushing or squeezing and feels like a heavy weight on your chest which could be symptoms of heart attack.
Signs of shock
Call Your Doctor If:

There is blood in your vomit
You suspect that a medication is causing your heartburn. Antihistamine, antianxiety medications, and anti-inflammatory drugs including Aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen can cause heartburn
If you routinely have pain when you swallow solid foods.
If you are losing weight and don’t know why.
If heartburn persists for more than 2 weeks despite home treatments. If symptoms are severe and not relieved by antacids or stomach acid reducers you should see your doctor sooner.

Alternative Health Treatments

Do you suffer with one of the many health problems out there? Are you getting fed up with the traditional forms of health treatment? Are you looking into the different forms of alternative health therapy that are available? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, this article may be of interest to you. In the article, I am going to write about some of these alternative therapy treatments which I, my family and friends have tried in the past. I hope you enjoy the read.

Keywords:
alternative health, therapy, reflexology, meditation, yoga, hypnotherapy, doctors, father, friend

Do you suffer with one of the many health problems out there? Are you getting fed up with the traditional forms of health treatment? Are you looking into the different forms of alternative health therapy that are available? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, this article may be of interest to you. In the article, I am going to write about some of these alternative therapy treatments which I, my family and friends have tried in the past. I hope you enjoy the read.

My wife has had many problems with her own health and also suffers from regular bouts of depression. She is quite a stressful person and at times finds life to be fairly tough. A couple of years ago she decided to find a different approach to ones she had previously tried. The first option she tried was reflexology. She was not entirely sure if she really wanted a stranger messing about with her feet but was more than pleased with the experience on her return. She could not believe how relaxed and chilled out it made her feel.

I have also found myself struggling to cope with the pressures of every day life. I now have turned my hand to meditation. This is not I am sure for everyone but it has certainly helped me to think in a more positive and clearer way. It took me quite a long to meditate in what would be known as the correct way as I originally could not seem to concentrate or relax enough.

My mother prefers to go to a womens wellness centre rather than to the doctors. She has not spoken too much about this to me but it obviously helps her as she has now been going there for years.

Tai chi is a very popular form of alternative therapy for many people. Tai chi is also very good at reducing peoples stress levels and is something I also considered before I took up meditation.

A friend of mine always raves on about yoga and the many health benefits that this has bought her. To me it all seems like a lot of hard work, however she insists that it isn’t. In a way these things are like horses for courses. Some people prefer to do one thing and others prefer to do something entirely different.

My brother who also finds it hard to relax, it must run in my family I suppose, has found hypnotherapy to be very useful. He has been a smoker for many years and two years ago decided it was time to quit. He was very determined, which helps of course but by attending hypnotherapy sessions, also gave him that extra edge. He, from what he tells me has not smoked even one cigarette for the past eighteen months.

These are just a small number of the many alternative health treatments out there. It is worth pointing out that even though they have been successful in helping the above people, they may not work for everyone. In my opinion it is worth giving different things a try as it may just change your life.

Can the Cure for Headaches be Worse Than the Pain?

Most people are oblivious to the fact that pain-killers can kill more than just pain. Whether you are searching for medications to relieve your migraine headaches, lose weight or eliminate your stomach aches being cautious could save you a lot of grief.

Keywords:
migraine headaches, headache, migraines, chronic, remedy, remedies, treatment, pain, relief

Many drugs that were previously available only through prescription are now available over-the-counter. Today drugs are so common and easily obtained people just assume they are safe. After all, would multi-million dollar companies offer drugs for sale if they weren’t safe? Wouldn’t the FDA ban medications that could harm or possibly even kill you? Sure, if they knew they were dangerous. But the method of determining which drugs are safe and which drugs are deadly may surprise you. Many times the tests are determined through the use of guinea pigs, which very likely includes you.

Drugs are allowed for sale to the public with the assumption that they are safe. Then, once the public begins using a particular drug in masses the negative side effects will start appearing, side effects that can include dizziness, nausea, internal bleeding, blood pressure increases, heart problems and even death. Not too long ago there were diet pills containing ephedrine that the public was going crazy for. But ephedrine failed its “public test” when it was discovered that it caused death. Tylenol (active ingredient: acetaminophen) is often used for migraine headache relief, but kills people every year because of the liver damage it can cause. Even Ibuprofen and aspirin, pain killers often used for migraine headaches, can be deadly for some. Although the risk is small it is still a risk that should not be taken lightly.

The October 1995 Archives of Internal Medicine reveal the startling results of a study that reviewed the overall effects of prescription drugs on health and well-being. According to the authors, “drug related illness” (from LEGAL drugs) should be considered a “leading disease” in its own right. In 1992, about 200,000 people in the United States died as a result of complications from legal prescription medicine. This does not include over-the-counter drugs or illegal drugs.

Incorrectly prescribed medications kill approximately 180,000 people each year. Only about 1,500 people died when the Titanic sank and yet this horrific and preventable event was, and still is, world news. It changed forever the perception and practice of sea travel, ship construction and passenger safety. But when 180,000 people die, the equivalent of about 120 Titanics sinking each year, hardly anyone even takes notice. As reported in 1994 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, incorrectly prescribed medications kill an estimated 180,000 people each year. This claims more American lives annually than crime and car accidents combined.

Some people experience such severe migraine headaches they seek the help of a doctor. But doctors are not immune to errors either. The Journal of the American Medical Association reported recently that iatrogenic illness (illness caused by medical errors or reactions to drugs and medical treatment) has become the third largest killer of Americans, exceeded only by heart disease and cancer.

A team of medical doctors, lawyers and analysts at Harvard University conducted the largest and most comprehensive investigation of medical malpractice and concluded that 75,000 Americans are killed every year by medical treatment through gross negligence. That is equivalent to 50 Titanics sinking per year. For all their successes, doctors must contend with the fact that many people become sick from either medical errors or reactions to their drugs or medical treatment. Where are the headlines? The outcries?

And the number of deaths due to drugs continues to rise. USA Today, on February 27, 1998, reported that the number of deaths caused by prescription drug errors increased at a rate only exceeded by the number of deaths caused by AIDS. In 1983, 1 out of 539 outpatient deaths was due to a medication error (wrong dosage or wrong drug). By 1993 however, 1 out of every 131 outpatient deaths was due to a medication error.

Admittedly, doctors do save lives and help ease people’s pain. They perform a great duty that should not go unheralded. But pain sufferers should start taking responsibility for their own actions. Nobody is more concerned about your health than you are, not the doctor, not the nurses, not your neighbors. Search out and study all of the information that is available before taking a medication that could cause bodily harm. Pain sufferers should ponder both the pros and the cons, the possible pain relief and the possible dangers of the drugs they may end up ingesting.

Deepak Chopra, M.D. in his book Quantum Healing states “The frustrating reality, as far as medical researchers are concerned, is that we already know that the living body is the best pharmacy ever devised. It produces diuretics, painkillers, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, antibiotics, and indeed everything manufactured by the drug companies, but it makes them much, much better. The dosage is always right and given on time; side effects are minimal or nonexistent; and the directions for using the drug are included in the drug itself, as part of its built-in intelligence.”

“Is the possible pain relief worth the risk?” This is the question that you should be asking yourself.