The Complete Herbal Guide: A Natural Approach to Healing the Body - Heal Your Body Naturally and Maintain Optimal Health Using Alternative Medicine, Herbals, Vitamins, Fruits and Vegetables (97 page)

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Amnesia
is memory loss that may be caused by a head injury, a stroke, substance abuse, or a severe emotional event, such as combat or a motor vehicle accident. Depending upon the cause, amnesia may be either temporary or permanent.

Treatment

As you get older, it is normal to experience some memory loss. Usually, an occasional memory loss does not mean you have a serious problem or medical condition. Some treatments include:

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Focus your attention. Often forgetfulness may indicate that you have too much on your mind. Slow down and pay full attention to what you are doing.

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Establish a routine

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Use clocks

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Use calendars

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Use lists

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Use notes

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Use helpful technologies as reminders, such as a cell phone’s components.

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Write your daily activities on a daily planner, and keep it in a place where you can see it easily.

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Store easy-to-lose items in the same place each time after you use them.

Memory techniques:

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To remember a person's name, repeat it several times after being introduced to it.

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To recall numbers, group them and then relate them to a date or story. For example, if your personal identification number (PIN) is 2040, remember it with the phrase “20 plus 20 equals 40.” Use the same PIN number for all of your accounts.

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Retrace your steps if you cannot remember why you went into a room.

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Reduce your stress. Being anxious can impair your memory.

Lifestyle

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Eat a well-balanced diet

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Exercise

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Don’t smoke

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Play stimulating mind games

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Seek treatment for depression

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Check with your doctor to see if any medications you are taking is causing the memory loss

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Another name for hives is called urticaria.  Hives are raised, red, itchy welts of a variety of sizes that appear and disappear on your skin. As many as one in five people experience acute hives at one time or another.

In most cases, hives are harmless and don't leave any lasting scars, even without treatment. The most common treatment for hives is antihistamine medications.

Symptoms

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Hives can be either acute or chronic.

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Acute Hives - acute hives can last from less than a day to up to six weeks

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Chronic Hives - chronic hives last more than six weeks — sometimes occurring for months to years at a time.

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Hives are raised, red bumps of various sizes that appear and disappear on your skin. They are often itchy and may look similar to mosquito bites. Hives tend to occur in batches.

Causes

The lesions of hives are caused by inflammation in the skin. Hives are triggered when certain cells release histamine and other chemicals into your bloodstream and skin.

Allergic reactions to medications or foods can cause acute hives.
Some allergens include:

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Foods:
Many foods can cause problems in sensitive people, but shellfish, fish, nuts, eggs and milk are frequent offenders.

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Medications:
Almost any medication may cause hives are common culprits include antibiotics, aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and blood pressure medications.

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Other allergens:
Other substances that can cause hives include direct contact with pollen, animal dander, latex and insect stings.

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Physical factors:
Environmental factors also can result in the release of histamine with subsequent hives in some people. Examples of these factors include heat, cold, sunlight, and water, pressure on the skin, emotional stress and exercise.

Dermatographism.
The name of this condition literally means, "write on the skin.

In addition to these triggers, hives may occur in response to your body's production of antibodies. Some examples include blood transfusions; immune system disorders, such as lupus or cancer; certain thyroid disorders; and infections, such as hepatitis, or even a cold.

Risk factors

You may be at greater risk of hives if you:

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Have had hives before

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Have had other allergic reactions

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Have a disorder associated with hives such as lupus, lymphoma or thyroid disease

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Have a family history of hives

Diagnosis

It is sometimes impossible to determine the cause of hives. Your doctor will begin by asking you about your medical history. This may include asking you to create a detailed diary of exposure to possible irritants. It's important to tell your doctor about all medications you take, including over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and herbal remedies, even if you don't take them every day. Your doctor may also want to conduct allergy tests, such as skin tests.

If your doctor suspects hives, he or she may ask for blood tests to check for levels and function of specific blood proteins. If your doctor suspects allergy to food, latex, animal dander, pollen or medication, he or she may recommend allergy skin or blood tests.

Treatment

If your symptoms are mild, you may not need treatment. The standard treatment for hives is antihistamines, which block the symptom-producing release of histamine.
These include:

Nonprescription medications

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Diphenhydramine (Benadryl, others)

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Chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton, others)

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Clemastine (Tavist, others)

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Loratadine (Alavert, Claritin)

Antihistamines such as diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine and clemastine may cause drowsiness. Loratadine usually does not cause drowsiness.

Prescription medications

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Desloratadine (Clarinex)

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Fexofenadine (Allegra)

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Cetirizine (Zyrtec)

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Hydroxyzine (Atarax, Vistaril)

Occasionally for severe hives, doctors may prescribe an oral corticosteroid drug such as prednisone, which can help lessen swelling, redness and itching.

Emergency situations

For a severe attack of hives, you may need an emergency injection of adrenaline (epinephrine) and a trip to the emergency room. If you have repeated attacks, despite treatment, your doctor may prescribe and teach you how to use adrenaline to carry with you for use in emergency situations.

Prevention

To lower your likelihood of experiencing hives take the following safety measures:

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Avoid situations you know will cause hives.
These may include certain foods or medications, or situations, such as temperature extremes, that have triggered past allergic attacks.

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Keep a journal.
If you suspect foods of causing the problem, keep a food journal. Be aware that some foods may contain ingredients that are listed by less common names on the label.

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Many women experience libido problems.  They have enjoyed a healthy, satisfying sex life and then suddenly, intimate moments with your partner are not more satisfying than they once were. You might feel as though your sexual desire has decreased. Or you may be realizing that things that once brought you pleasure now seem painful.

You're not alone. Many women experience sexual difficulties at some point in their lives. By some estimates as many as four in 10 women experience at least one sexual worry. This is called female sexual dysfunction.

Female sexual dysfunction is when persistent or reoccurring problems come up in one or more of the stages of sexual response. What you're experiencing isn't considered female sexual dysfunction unless you're distressed about it or it depressingly affects your relationship with your partner.

Although sexual problems associated with female sexual dysfunction are multifaceted, they're treatable. Communicating your concerns and understanding your anatomy and your body's normal physiological response to sexual intimacy are important steps toward recapturing your sexual pleasure.

Symptoms

Sexual concerns occur in women of all ages but may become more prevalent during hormonally vulnerable times, such as postpartum or with the menopausal transition. Sexual concerns may also occur with major illness, such as cancer.

Your problems might be classified as female sexual dysfunction if you experience one or more of the following
and
you experience personal distress because of it:

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Your desire to have sex is low

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Your desire to have sex is absent.

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You can't maintain arousal during sexual activity

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You do not become aroused even though you have a desire to have sex.

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You do not experience an orgasm.

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You have pain during sexual contact.

Causes

Several reasons may be part of the cause to sexual dissatisfaction or dysfunction you are experiencing. These factors tend to be interrelated. Women with sexual concerns gain help from a combined treatment approach that addresses medical as well as emotional issues.

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Physical:
Arthritis, urinary or bowel difficulties, pelvic surgery, fatigue, headaches, other pain problems and neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis can cause sexual dysfunction. Certain medications, including some antidepressants, blood pressure medications, antihistamines and chemotherapy drugs, can decrease sex drive and your ability to achieve orgasm.

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Hormonal:
Lower estrogen levels during the menopausal transition may lead to changes in your genital tissues and your sexual responsiveness. The folds of skin that cover your genital region (labia) shrink and become thinner, exposing more of the clitoris. This increased exposure sometimes reduces the sensitivity of the clitoris, or may cause an unpleasant tingling or prickling sensation.