Archive for June, 2009

Menopause – What Health Issues Accompany this Life Change?

Monday, June 29th, 2009

Every day we are reminded that we are getting older. Whether it’s your doctor suddenly ordering tests after the age of 35 that you had deemed for, “old people” or your body itself suddenly not acting the way it did just a couple of years ago.

It’s a fact of life that we all age and it should be accepted. What I believe shouldn’t be accepted is that there is nothing to be done about it and we should get used to being in pain or discomfort.

One common theme I consistently see when reading client feedback about my program concerns menopause. This is the time in a woman’s life when her menstrual cycle ends.

While at one time in our history, this did mark the beginning of the end of the lifecycle of women, this is no longer true today. With advancements in diet, medicine and technology, women now spend over a third of their life in the post-menopausal stage.

Common health ailments actually tend to start in the perimenopausal stage which can last between 5-10 years before menopause (defined by not having a menstrual cycle in over a year).

During this time and into menopause, women typically experience the following symptoms at least temporarily: Hormone changes affecting mood, hot flashes, fatigue, headache, and anxiety and depression, although women in this age group are no more likely to suffer long term depression than young adult women.

For some, though, other more serious medical conditions can arise. Migraine headache is one example of typical menopausal symptoms gone awry.

Studies have shown that migraines can start during the perimenopausal phase and are usually worse if the sufferer has experienced migraines in the past. Taking hormone replacements like estrogen has proven to be a migraine trigger.

Vertigo is another disorder reported in some perimenopausal and menopausal women. Sudden dizziness or feeling like you or objects in the room are spinning when they are in fact not.

Occasionally, women suffer from a combination of these two conditions known as migraine associated vertigo (MAV). This is dizziness which accompanies the migraine.

Another health concern for women at this stage in life is weight gain. While yes, our metabolism and physical activity tend to decline as we age, studies have shown that it is during menopause that many women gain weight when they never did before.

Given that weight gain can affect one’s health in so many ways, this is important. Overweight people tend to have more fat in the throat and neck area which compresses the airways and can lead to snoring and sleep apnea. Left untreated, this can lead to an enlarged heart, high blood pressure and other heart diseases which one is already at risk for if she is overweight.

Smoking and drinking to excess are two other bad habits that tend to increase during menopause. These on their own can lead to heart disease and stroke, let alone when combined with weight gain.

No matter what the reason if you find yourself suffering from headache or migraine headache, vertigo, MAV, weight gain, snoring, mild sleep apnea or high blood pressure, I highly encourage you to try one or more of my all natural programs. You can find links to each of them on the right hand side of my blog.
EL331002

Posted in Genera Natural Health, High Blood Pressure, Migraine / Headaches, Snoring / Sleep Apnea, Vertigo / Dizziness, Weight Loss | No Comments »

Snoring and Sleep Apnea – What is the Link to Weight Gain?

Friday, June 26th, 2009

“I want my wife to sleep with me again.” This was a recent subject line from a client. Upon reading the email, however, this man’s dilemma was snoring related, not an interpersonal relationship issue.

This man had been relegated to the guest room for the past several months due to the fact that his snoring (a rough snorting sound when inhaling caused by the vibrating of the soft palate and the uvula) had escalated to mild sleep apnea due to his recent weight gain.

What started as a twenty pound increase due to a recent change in professions, where he was suddenly sedentary for much of the day, had grown to a fifty pound weight gain and an increase in snoring.

He wanted to know if his weight gain had caused the sleep apnea (a decrease or complete cessation of breathing several times during the night) or if his snoring and sleep apnea had caused the weight gain.

We’re back to the “chicken versus the egg” scenario. While being overweight or obese is one of the main risk factors for developing snoring and sleep apnea, these conditions can lead to an increase in weight.

As in my client’s case, his initial twenty pound weight gain added fat to the throat and neck area, which led to his airway being partially obstructed and the start of his snoring.

He was in turn, tired all of the time and the thought of exercise when so tired seemed impossible, hence, the additional weight gain.

Side effects of snoring include headache, daytime tiredness and a lack of energy. As with my client, this led to daytime naps (longer than ten to twenty minutes), eating to replace his energy (due to an increase in hormones which increase appetite and a decrease in hormones which decrease appetite) and a few beers at night in order to “get tired.”

Before long, he had gained an additional thirty pounds, bringing his overall weight gain to fifty pounds. This led to the development of mild to severe sleep apnea. While men over the age of forty are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea, it can affect anyone.

Most people who suffer from sleep apnea also snore but not everyone. Your doctor can order a sleep study to determine if you suffer from mild to severe sleep apnea.

Contributing factors to snoring and sleep apnea include the aforementioned weight factor but also includes alcohol consumption, certain muscle relaxation medicines, jaw anatomy, and body position when sleeping (sleeping on one’s side can reduce or eliminate snoring for some).

Snoring and sleep apnea are more than just an annoying sleep habit. The added stress to the heart for those who snore and especially those with sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and recent evidence indicates an imbalance in insulin.

Treatments include sleeping on one’s side, elevating one’s head (for mild snoring), breathing machines to keep the airway open like a CPAP and surgery for severe sleep apnea. Weight loss, however, is still the best thing to ensure immediate improvement.

If you suffer from snoring and/or mild sleep apnea, I highly recommend both my all natural Stop Snoring program and my Weight Loss Breeze program. It’s easy to do (especially if you feel you have little to no energy to invest initially) and best of all, it works!

EL331002

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Sleep Disorders and Irritable Bowel Syndrome – What’s the Connection?

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

I know I’ve said it before but feedback from my customers is what makes my programs the success they’ve become. Honest communication about how my program has helped or what could help even more has become the cornerstone of my business.

Recent feedback from a client really got me to thinking. She wrote to me telling me that she tried my Stop Snoring program to treat her snoring/mild sleep apnea. It worked, which is of no surprise to me but then she told me that her irritable bowel syndrome had cleared up as well.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is actually a collective term describing disorders that affect the gastro-intestinal tract. While some foods can trigger symptoms (diarrhea, constipation, severe abdominal pain, bloating, and changes in bowel function and feces color), stress and anxiety are thought to be the real culprits.

It does in turn, make sense that many of my programs including my Stop Snoring program would work, since in turn, they contain breathing and relaxation exercises, but I was really more interested in what the relationship is between sleep disorders and IBS.

Many people with IBS report sleep disorders like snoring and sleep apnea, especially women (more women suffer from IBS than men or at least more women seek treatment than men for IBS).

In fact, recent studies suggest that over 50% of IBS sufferers also have a sleeping disorder.

Many report that their IBS wakes them from a sudden sleep or that due to their IBS they don’t sleep well through the night.

While the exact cause of IBS isn’t known, research indicates that it is likely sleep interruption that brings about IBS symptoms – not the other way around.

One recent sleep study of IBS patients and control patients reported no differences in the amount of time dedicated to sleep or the REM (rapid eye movement) cycles.

The study did find, however, that for those suffering from sleep interruptions during REM state (sleep apnea can cause the patient to stop breathing over 100 times per night), morning IBS symptoms ensued.

This leads researchers to believe that it is actually the brain not getting the proper rest and oxygen that can lead to all sorts of body ailments, including IBS.

If you suffer from sleep disorders such as snoring and/or mild sleep apnea and you suffer from IBS as well, please consider that the two are very likely related. I also encourage you to try my all natural Stop Snoring program. It’s easy to get started and you will see results immediately.

EL331002

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Migraine Associated Vertigo – Yes, There IS a Connection

Friday, June 19th, 2009

The response to my Migraine and Headache program has been overwhelmingly excellent. Based on feedback from my clients, my Vertigo and Dizziness program has also helped thousands. So much so that many have written in telling me that they experience vertigo and migraine at the same time.

Just how related are these conditions? Very, if you consider that 10% of the population experiences migraine (this number is actually up to 30% for some women). Add to that the fact that vertigo is in essence, dizziness.

Hence, vertigo is a symptom, not a disease. While there are many several causes of vertigo, the most common being benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) where sudden dizziness is brought about by moving one’s head into a certain position, migraine associated vertigo, or MAV does make the list.

The most common type of MAV is where the sufferer experiences vertigo and an “aura,” seeing spots, colors, lights, hearing voices or a feeling of numbness occurs.

The vertigo tends to either immediately precede the migraine headache and/or occurs during the headache. This can last for just a few minutes but can last over 24 hours.

As with other types of vertigo, hours of rest are needed for the dizziness to subside. Migraine sufferers tend to need quiet dark places to rest once the headache has started so it’s no wonder that throwing sudden dizziness into the mix would require even more rest.

There are some individuals who experience dizziness without headache but also experience the “aura.” For this reason, the vertigo is still linked to migraine, especially if the sufferer has experienced migraine before.

There is no defined test for MAV. Diagnosis is achieved when other medical conditions such as Meniere’s disease can be eliminated. Clinical analysis is needed but the condition can be defined by the response to therapy.

Certain foods like chocolate, alcohol, cheese and MSG can be considered and should be avoided if you are a regular migraine headache sufferer.

There are also prescription drugs available but they ALL contain very serious side effects, not to mention the “rebound” effect of the drugs – the migraine headache does go away but is often replaced by a secondary headache as a result of the drugs.

While there is no defined cause for migraine headaches, it stands to reason that the cause of migraine associated vertigo is also elusive. It is thought though that there is a disorder in the gene which is responsible for the perception of pain.

I recently discovered that the main cause of migraine is a lack of blood flow and oxygen delivery up to the brain. It’s like the brain is being suffocated. This is also one of the main causes of vertigo. So again, those two conditions go hand in hand.

I encourage anyone suffering from MAV to try my Migraine and Headache program or if you experience the dizziness without headache, my Vertigo and Dizziness program.

The programs are completely natural and easy to do. With both programs, the object is to get necessary oxygen to the brain in order for it to perform the job it is meant to do!

EL331002

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Snoring and Pregnancy – Increased Risk?

Monday, June 15th, 2009

“We had a bear in the room last night.” That was the way a friend of mine let his wife know that she had started snoring. She was in the last month of her pregnancy and was previously a non-snorer.

My friend had confided in me that he couldn’t even stand to hear planes fly at night when trying to sleep, let alone a “bear” lying next to him. He wasn’t sure how he was going to last another month of it.

What my friend was describing happens to 25-30% of pregnant women – they snore. This generally happens during the last stages of the second trimester and during the third trimester of pregnancy.

As annoying as this habit was to my friend, my concern was actually for his wife. Snoring can be much more serious than annoying sounds when sleeping. Add to that hormones and extreme body changes that accompany pregnancy.

Snoring occurs when the airways become obstructed and allow for less oxygen to pass to the lungs. Snoring can be barely noticeable or quite loud and disturbing.

Unless you sleep with a partner, however, your likely won’t know you snore other than having perhaps a congested nose in the morning and perhaps not feeling as rested as usual, even though you slept the usual amount.

There are theories as to why women who suddenly develop snoring in pregnancy. One is that with the added weight/fat gain during pregnancy, fat does accumulate in the neck which can put pressure on the airways and constrict them.

Another theory is that with the added blood supply women gain during pregnancy to nourish both mother and baby, blood vessels throughout the body (including the neck and throat) expand and can cause the mucous membranes in the same area to expand, thus again, blocking the airways.

Of the 25-30% of women who snore during pregnancy, up to 15% of those women will develop chronic breathing problems including pregnancy induced hypertension (high blood pressure) so snoring needs to be taken seriously.

For some, the snoring becomes so chronic and severe that sleep apnea develops. This is where the airway is not only constricted but completely closes for several seconds during sleep, essentially depriving mother and baby of essential oxygen.

For women who already snored before becoming pregnant, the chance for sleep apnea is even further increased. Left untreated, this can lead to both preeclampsia (a condition during pregnancy involving high blood pressure in the urine, and is the number one cause of illness and death to mother and baby) and edema (swelling in the face hands legs and feet).

Additionally, babies born to mothers who suffered from pregnancy induced snoring and sleep apnea have a greater chance of low birth weights and Apgar scores (tests heart rate, reflex, breathing, muscle tone and skin color).

Some things which can reduce your chances of pregnancy induced snoring and sleep apnea include: maintaining a healthy weight, not becoming pregnant if obese, propping the head with an extra pillow, sleeping on one’s side to maintain open airways and avoiding excessive caffeine which can expand blood vessels.

Whether pregnant or not, if you suffer from snoring or mild sleep apnea, I’m certain my Stop Snoring program will work for you. The exercises are all natural and easy to do – even when pregnant!

EL331002

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Diabetes and High Blood Pressure – What’s the Connection?

Friday, June 12th, 2009

A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, (also known as adult onset or non-insulin dependent diabetes). This was a surprise to her as she didn’t seem to suffer any symptoms typical of this disease, frequent urination, lack of energy, thirst and weight loss.

In fact, the only reason she discovered she had diabetes is because her doctor ordered a test at her yearly physical.

I, along with her doctor took this diagnosis very seriously as my friend had previously been diagnosed with high blood pressure, or hypertension, a few years ago.

What’s the big deal? For starters, over two thirds of people with diabetes also have high blood pressure. OK…so?

Let’s start with what diabetes is. Diabetes is a disorder in which the body can’t properly process sugar. There are two types: Type 1 diabetes is when the pancreas does not produce insulin which is needed to regulate blood sugar in between meals. Sufferers of this type of diabetes must inject themselves with insulin in order to regulate their blood sugar.

Type 2 diabetes is a condition where the body does actually produce insulin but it is unable to properly process sugar. Of the over 5 million sufferers of diabetes (experts believe this number is actually double and that many people suffer from the disease and don’t realize it), between 90-95% of those suffer type 2 diabetes.

For those with type 2 diabetes, tissues become targets of the uncontrolled sugars and begin to erode. The most susceptible are the eyes, nerves, kidneys and heart. In fact, diabetes is the number one cause of kidney failure and the sixth highest cause of heart failure.

Like high blood pressure, the sufferer often feels no symptoms at all so their major organs and eyes are literally under attack for years.

Add to that a potentially life threatening disease like hypertension, which, surprise – also harms the eyes, kidneys and heart. In fact, those with high blood pressure and diabetes are over 75 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke!

While medication is needed for many with diabetes, the good news is that you can help delay or prevent the effects of the disease from spreading simply by maintaining a healthy weight and exercising. Additionally, avoid excessive alcohol intake.

Like diabetes, there are many things that those who suffer from high blood pressure can do to reduce the effects, they include, maintaining a healthy weight, not drinking alcohol to excess, not smoking and exercise. Medications are available but have serious side effects, exacerbated by a parallel condition like diabetes.

If you suffer from high blood pressure and would like an all natural proven treatment, I recommend my High Blood Pressure program. It’s natural breathing and relaxation exercises have helped thousands like you and it may even help for your type 2 diabetes since the two are closely connected.

EL331002

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Sore Throat – Could Snoring be the Cause?

Monday, June 8th, 2009

An occasional sore throat is not terribly uncommon, especially for those who suffer allergies or just seem to be prone to catching colds. It is uncomfortable for sure, but most of the time it subsides as the allergy or cold dissipates.

Chronic sore throats though tend to have a different cause. I know of people who actually just got accustomed to this discomfort since it did not necessarily adversely affect their day to day lives. It is one of those things some people “just learn to live with.”

A common complaint is waking with a sore throat. Again, although this seems a fairly minor ailment, a daily or almost daily sore throat is a good indicator that something is not “quite right.”

To be clear, if the sore throat is accompanied by a fever, difficulty breathing, rash or other symptoms, medical attention should be sought.

However, a sore throat that appears without other symptoms could be caused from snoring or sleep apnea.

Unless we are disturbing someone else with the noise, it is understandable that many of us do not even realize we are snoring. After all, we are sleeping while it occurs.

There are a number of reasons why a person snores. It may be that the tongue has fallen back into the throat blocking air flow. Narrow nasal passages could be the culprit. A narrow jaw or tense muscles that support is can also narrow the breathing passage.

Why does this matter if you’re not disturbing anyone and the sore throat is just a minor discomfort?

Inadequate air flow means you are not getting the oxygen flow to your body that you should be. This can cause headaches as well as rob you of restful sleep. That of course leads to decreased energy and lethargy throughout the day.

A more severe problem associated with snoring is sleep apnea. Someone suffering from sleep apnea actually stops breathing many times throughout the night. This is a very serious problem and a sleep study is recommended to properly diagnose it.

Sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure which of course can then lead to stroke or heart attacks.

Therefore, a chronic sore throat merits attention, especially if it seems to occur upon waking.

Alleviating snoring or apnea can make a huge difference in your overall well being. The sore throat should of course disappear, but you should also find that you wake well rested. You’ll also find that your memory and motivation improve since you are finally getting the rest and oxygen the body requires to function properly.

If you suspect you may be snoring or could be suffering from sleep apnea, I highly recommend my Stop Snoring Program. It addresses the reasons you snore and provides all natural exercises for stopping it-permanently. Very often, snoring ceases after only performing the exercises a night or two.

EL331001

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Bell’s Palsy and TMJ Disorder – What’s the Connection?

Friday, June 5th, 2009

If you’ve ever seen someone with Bell’s Palsy, often times you would describe that person as appearing like a stroke victim. One side of the face with no muscular control, slack and paralyzed.

Bell’s Palsy is a sudden onset (generally a day or less) of weak, numb, tingling, pain and/or paralyzed face muscles. It’s affectation is unilateral (one side of the face only).

As mentioned above, the sufferer looks like he or she has suffered a stroke but because the face muscles are controlled by the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII) which leads directly to the skull and not the spinal cord, the paralysis is confined only to the face.

Bell’s Palsy has no known organic cause and so diagnosis is exclusionary – other causes such as brain tumor, stroke, diabetes, meningitis and head trauma must first be ruled out.

Research indicates that in 60 percent of Bell’s Palsy cases, Herpes Simplex 1 (cold sore, not STD) is thought to be the cause but again this is still a theory. In such cases, anti-viral treatments can be prescribed but the benefits of such treatment are still largely controversial.

Other tried cures include steroids and chiropractic treatments to the head and neck. Again though, a “cure” has yet to be found.

Oftentimes, the condition will correct itself in as little as two weeks without treatment, especially if the condition is only partial paralysis of one side of the face, not complete paralysis of one side of the face.

If complete paralysis, the condition can last for weeks, even months, with some reporting symptoms as long as up to a year. This isn’t the only cause for concern though.

The eye muscles control the ability to blink and even close the eye. If the eye dries out, permanent corneal damage can occur.

Additionally, the ability to chew and swallow are affected by Bell’s Palsy, depending on the level of paralysis.

Recent studies however, report relief from Bell’s Palsy symptoms when patients are treated for TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder.

Although the conditions do not appear to be related (TMJ disorder affects the joint that connects the jaw to the skull, whereas Bell’s Palsy affects the facial nerve), the TMJ treatments seem promising to provide relief to Bell’s Palsy sufferers.

If you suffer from TMJ disorder or Bell’s Palsy, I encourage you to try my all natural TMJ No More program. It has been successful at helping thousands of people and I hope you will be one of them!

EL331002

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High Blood Pressure and Dizziness – Are they Related?

Monday, June 1st, 2009

“Whoa, that was strange!” This was the comment recently from a friend who was standing in line for a movie with me recently. Always interested in “strangeness” I asked my friend to expand on that statement. “I just had that dizzy feeling again like when you stand up to quickly from a seated or lying position.”

The fact that this dizzy feeling was happening “again” indicated a pattern to me so we began to discuss this symptom. I knew my friend had been diagnosed with high blood pressure a few months back and through our discussion, I learned that this is also when the dizzy spells started happening.

This is not so surprising, as one of the symptoms of chronic high blood pressure is dizziness, in addition to headache, blurred vision and fatigue. My friend, however, had none of these symptoms before a routine physical indicated a high blood pressure reading and more tests were ordered.

Additionally, much research on dizziness and blood pressure indicates that low blood pressure is generally the culprit. When the blood pressure drops, dizziness is a common side effect.

How low blood pressure drops is of less importance than the fact that the blood pressure is dropping at patterned intervals and so the side effect is important because it could be denoting a serious medical problem.

The important thing to take note of is what your blood pressure readings are when you experience the dizziness whether low or elevated. Purchasing an ambulatory cuff will help with that.

It also occurred to me that my friend’s dizziness could also stem from vertigo (the sensation that objects and people around you are moving when they are not or that you are moving when you are not). Vertigo, quite simply, means dizziness.

There are several causes of vertigo including trauma to the head but the most common is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, or BPPV. This is an inner ear disorder which can suddenly cause dizziness when the head is moved in a certain position.

The fact that my friend’s dizziness started immediately after being prescribed high blood pressure medicine was of concern to me. In fact, his doctor didn’t mention anything about dizziness as a side effect.

His first cause for concern was when he picked up the prescription and noticed no fewer than 4 warning stickers on the bottle indicating severe side effects, the least of which was dizziness.

His doctor at first shrugged off the link but after 4 months and no other causality, he eventually prescribed a different medication. This helped to alleviate certain other high blood pressure symptoms but it wasn’t until my friend tried my High Blood Pressure program that the underlying causes were treated.

Almost immediately, my friend was feeling better and within just a few weeks he was able to go back to his doctor and begin to wean himself off of the medication. My program is all natural and easy to follow, but the most important fact is that it works! I highly recommend it if you suffer from either high blood pressure or low blood pressure. And if you suffer from dizziness or vertigo, my Vertigo and Dizziness program will help you.

EL331002

Posted in High Blood Pressure, Migraine / Headaches | No Comments »

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