Archive for December, 2007

 
Posted in Mental Illness on December-10-2007

DepressionProper diagnosis of depression or any other illness is the key to effective treatment and cure. If you suspect that you may be suffering from depression, just ask yourself two simple questions and answer them carefully and objectively.

  1. In the last month, have you been lost interest or pleasure in doing things which you previously loved to do?
  2. In the last month, have you been feeling down, depressed or hopeless?

If you answered ‘Yes’ to any of the above question, you might need help. You should undergo a more detailed assessment. You can do it yourself if you feel shy or have reservations of seeing an expert at this stage. But you must not ignore it. It might be appropriate for you to learn more about depression.

There are many types of depression. You might be suffering from a mild depression which if left untreated might blow-up into a more serious kind of depression and may affect your life adversely. If, however, you answered ‘Yes’ to both the above questions, it is strongly suggested that you see a health care professional immediately.

There are many different tests and criteria for diagnosis of depression. These are the most common tests:
Hamilton Rating Scale of Depression (Ham-D-7)
Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)
Patient Health Questionnaire - PHQ-9

There are a few things that you need to remember:
Depression is an illness and has to be treated and Depression can be cured by proper treatment.




 
Posted in Arthritis on December-8-2007

ArthritisArthritis is a term that is used to describe inflamation of the joints. Arthritis is the one of the most painful conditions that people can get, the Arthritis not only can attack the eldery but also children as well.

There are many types of Arthritis. The most common of these is called osteoarthritis. This form of arthritis is characterized by cartilage that becomes pitted, thin and eventually disappears altogether. Symptoms include pain and stiffness in the joints. In the early stages, arthritis can be very mild or even unnoticeable. It rarely affects people under the age of 40, but children can get also. Usually people after the age 60 start to show signs of arthritis and get acute. Women are more likely to develop arthritis than men.

The main cause of arthritis is nutritional deficiency. Taking calcium supplements can greatly improve the condition. Eating meat is not good for people who suffer from arthritis. Those who eat lots of red meat need to take more calcium supplements than those who don’t eat red meat. In order to

help repair the cartilage, people who suffer from arthritis should eat lots of foods that contain sulfur, such as asparagus, eggs, garlic, and onions. These foods also help repair the tissue and also help with the absorption of calcium.

Another thing that is good for treating arthritis is vitamin K. It’s a vitamin not many people know about. It can be found in foods like brown rice, oatmeal, leafy green vegetables and whole grains.

You might want to eat as much pineapple as you can. The reason is because pineapple bromelain. This is good for reducing inflammation.

You also want to eat foods that are high in amino acids and histidine. Histidine helps to remove metals from the body. It has been found that most arthritic people have higher concentrations of metal in their bodies.

You want to stay away from foods like milk, wheat, eggs, corn and pork. These foods tend to worsen arthritic conditions.

By eating properly and taking supplements, you can greatly relieve your arthritic symptoms.