LivingHealthyBlog.com

The most commonplace basis for visits to a pediatrician is earache. More than 70 percent of children will have had not less than one earache by the age of three, and approximately one-third will have had three or more earache occurrences. Although, what might be unforeseen is that earache is also the most widespread reason for children under the age of five years to be brought to the chiropractor’s office.

How Chiropractic Care Can Help Earache and Ear Infections

When a child who has an earache is diagnosed with middle ear infection by the pediatrician, the general treatment involves a course of antibiotics. Current analysis, however, has determined that this type of treatment is often imprudent. Antibiotics are only effective against bacterial pathogens, and because the child’s middle ear infection may be caused by a virus, antibiotics are ineffectual. This may be the reason for a child’s chronic ear infections.

One of the many evaluations that a Honolulu chiropractor can make is whether the earache or ear infection is produced by irritation of the small nerves in the spine, called free nerve endings.

When these nerve endings are inflamed, an abnormal tension is produced in the small muscles of the neck. This muscle tension can produce pressure on the lymphatic drainage ducts resulting in inadequate drainage from inside the ear, hence preventing the body from its ability to naturally correct the problem. In addition, balance can also be affected.

Identification by a chiropractor of such a condition is made by the finding of increased tension in the neck and paraspinal muscles. Normally more tension is felt on the side of earache. In addition, the chiropractor will look to see which spinal vertebrae are either marginally out of alignment or not moving within their normal range. This problem may have been the consequence of any one of the variety of bangs, jolts and falls that the majority of children experience in the early years of their life. Frequently, a short course of spinal adjustments and manipulation of the neck muscles can help to restore normal lymph drainage. If your child is suffering from an earache or an ear infection, contact your Honolulu chiropractor as soon as possible.

Advanced Research and Guidelines

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), ear infection, the most frequent childhood sickness second only to the common cold, accounts for nearly 30 million doctor visits each year. What’s more, at least 6 million courses of antibiotics are causelessly prescribed for the problem.Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released new guidelines for treating pediatric ear inflammation, and definitively recommended a period of “watchful waiting” since, in many cases, infections clear up on their own, without medication.

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) applauds the AAP on the guidelines and reiterates that chiropractic management is a “good first option” for treating ear infection conservatively. “Doctors of chiropractic have been treating children for decades with great success – helping them to avoid painful ear infections, antibiotic overuse and resistance, and ear tube surgery,” said ACA President Donald Krippendorf, DC. “Particularly when dealing with young children, drugs and surgery should be an absolute last resort.”

Have you heard of the condition called sleep apnea?  Have you been told that you have this condition?  If that is the case, you need treatment right away because it is dangerous and can be deadly.

The term “apnea” refers to a cessation of breathing.  Swimmers practice static apnea, meaning holding their breath for longer periods of time.  If you have sleep apnea, you stop breathing while you sleep.  Normally, this would last for only a few seconds, the body is able to protect itself from this type of problem with all of its safeguards.  If a person with sleep apnea stops breathing during the night the body will typically trigger reactions to get it breathing again.  But usually this involves actually waking up if even for a few seconds so breathing can be started.Sometimes a person suffering from sleep apnea may not even be aware that they are waking up at times so they may not understand why they are constantly feeling tired during the day.  In reality those who have extreme cases of sleep apnea may wake up several times during the night which means they never get the quality, deep sleep that they need and that’s important for their overall health.  So they go through their day feeling fatigued and rundown and not realizing why. This lack of quality sleep is related to many health problems, including daytime drowsiness, headaches, mood swings and irritability, and a buildup of toxins in the blood.  Because the body actually stops breathing, even momentarily, sleep apnea can also cause brain damage because the brain is not supposed to go without oxygen for any length of time, even those few moment.~Sleep apnea can also cause brain damage because the brain is not supposed to go without oxygen for any length of time, even those few moment,because the body actually stops breathing, even momentarily.  In some cases a patient has not been able to wake up in order to get themselves breathing again and this has resulted in death.

You may dismiss sleep apnea as a mere annoyance but in reality it’s a very serious condition and one that should be addressed as soon as possible.  A doctor can perform a physical exam and give recommendations for treating your own case of sleep apnea and in some cases a CPAP machine might be recommended to keep oxygen coming into the body on a regular basis.  And of course if you’re suffering from this condition because of obesity, it’s time to face this problem and do what you must to lose weight.

Obviously, dental hygiene is a priority to conscientious parents. Yet, in spite of the improved toothpastes and professional dental techniques and equipment, more than one quarter of 2- to 5-year-olds and half of kids 12 to 15 years old have one or more cavities, and tooth decay has affected two thirds of 16- to 19-year-olds. Many agree with studies that seem to indicate that adding fluoride to public water will decrease the problem of tooth decay. Others strongly disagree.

Fluoride exists naturally in water and is the 13th most common element in the Earth’s crust.
Some water has sufficient natural quantities. What should be done when it is not naturally present? Should water systems add fluoride to the supply? The debate has been going on for decades and won’t end here. Many factors are involved in this discussion. The purpose here is to consider a few of these, and to give you some options. You need to know whether you need fluoride filters for your drinking water.

The pro side says, “For over 60 years, water fluoridation has proved to be a safe and cost-effective way to reduce dental caries.” “It is well known that fluoride helps prevent and even reverse the early stages of tooth decay.” “Today, water fluoridation is estimated to reduce tooth decay by 20-40%.” These quotes come from an MD.

The pro side claims that fluoride combats tooth decay in two ways. First, it becomes part of the structure of developing teeth. Second, it also works when it comes in contact with the surface of the teeth. Fluoride prevents the acid produced by the bacteria in plaque from dissolving, or demineralizing, tooth enamel, the hard and shiny substance that protects the teeth. Fluoride also allows teeth damaged by acid to repair, or remineralize, themselves. Fluoride cannot repair cavities, but it can reverse low levels of tooth decay and thus prevent new cavities from forming.

Those on the other side of the debate claim that a greater quality of fluoride actually increases tooth decay. At least, they said, this is true:  “. . . there is no difference in the tooth decay rates of the fluoridated and nonfluoridated areas surveyed.”

Too much fluoride during the years the teeth are developing can cause enamel fluorosis, a mottling or discoloration of the permanent teeth. To add fluoride to water, along with toothpaste and treatments can exceed the maximum level that is safe.

At times the studies have not considered the long range effects of fluoride. The con side says it has been directly linked to cancer, changes in bone structure and strength, has caused birth defects and perinatal deaths, has impaired the immune system, caused initial stages of skeletal fluorosis, caused osteoarthritis, inhibits key enzymes, suppresses thyroid function and several other adverse problems.

How do opponents answer to evidence mentioned above that fluoride is good for dental hygiene? They say the studies are flawed in several ways.  First, the studies did not consider the fact that other minerals were in the water and they might have been the real factor in decreased instances of tooth decay. Second, they failed to differentiate between “natural fluoride” (like CaF) and added fluoride (like NaF). Third, the studies lacked statistical proof. Fourth, only dental fluorosis was included as safety experiments.

If you conclude that fluoride should not be in your drinking water, what can you do about it? You could buy bottled water but this is expensive. A better choice is to purchase a water filter that removes fluoride. The Berkey Filters, for example, has available an additional filter that can be attached to the regular charcoal filters and will remove fluoride from the water. You don’t have to ingest it if you don’t want to.

Huge amounts of people all over the world have to deal with stretchmarks. Both women and men alike, will find them showing after periods of rapid growth such as puberty. Women, more often than not suffer with them post pregnancy.

They occur as our skin tries to maintain its expansion with the level of growth in the muscles, bones or, in the instance of pregnancy, child. Invariably though, it fails to do so and tears form in the middle layer of skin, referred to as the Dermis. These tears appear as red streaks at first and fade gradually to a silvery colour.

The stretch marks in actual fact are pockets of skin with lower levels of collagen. As the middle layer is ripped apart during the growth phase, it does not manage to restore itself so that it appears like its former state. Of course, it is only a cosmetic issue as there is practically no medical downside to having stretch marks, the cosmetic concerns, however, are great. They make you feel self concious in front of people and don’t look very nice.

Removal stretch marks involves boosting the levels of collagen within the Dermis layer of skin. This is best done by enhancing your own physical natural ability to generate collagen rather than introducing it from alternative sources. The best way of doing this is micro needling, using a Derma roller or other collagen induction therapies.

The other additional advantage of this type of treatment, is the way in which it boosts the effectiveness of creams and oils, such as the very popular bio oil. It gives these lotions the opportunity to permeate the upper levels of skin far more effectively providing a much improved result.

As with anything involving health and wellbeing, it is important to do your research and consult your doctor before beginning or using any product or treatment.