What Has Been Learned About the Causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

By Brenlee Place

The causes of chronic fatigue syndrome are difficult to pinpoint. For one, there is no medical test today that will, without a doubt, diagnose CFS. Secondly, tests to confirm or deny a brain chemical link to CFS are cost-prohibitive to run on a mass scale. Thirdly, many of these symptoms appear alongside other illnesses, diseases and conditions, so they are not mutually exclusive to chronic fatigue. Since chronic fatigue syndrome does not appear to be fatal, research funding usually falls on the back burner, as cancer and heart disease take center stage. While researchers are still studying the root cause, there are many theories flying around.

The CDC has a few theories on the explanations for CFS. One is that severe or persistent infections including herpes virus 6 or Epstein-Barr can leave residual effects in the anatomy, such as low energy and aches. A four-city surveillance study was not able to track CFS back to one specific human pathogen, although it is thought that infectious agents may play a part in creating recurring fatigue.

New research indicates that patients contaminated with Ross River virus, Coxiella burnetti and Epstein-Barr virus will pick up a post-infective illness that matches the chronic fatigue syndrome indicators in 12% of situations.

Immunologic dysfunction may be another one of the causes of chronic fatigue syndrome, according to CDC research. There are no particular immune disorders associated exclusively with CFS, but patients sometimes show the presence of self-attacking antibodies similar to that of autoimmune diseases, but without all the tissue damage. Some studies indicate lower levels of natural killer cells and decreased cell activity. Many patients produce inappropriate amounts of cytokines, such as interleukin-1, which affects bone joint degeneration, controls lymphocyte activity and induces a fever. One hypothesis is that chronic infections may lead to increased expression of cytokines and may then eventually lead to CFS.

Finding treatment is often as difficult as finding the causes of chronic fatigue syndrome. Some patients feel better with some lifestyle modifications. They try to eat better, start a regular exercise schedule, steer clear of known stressors and change their sleep habits. Counseling often helps patients find a more positive outlook and identify ways to change their situation. Others try medications for pain relief, depression, anxiety, blood pressure regulation or allergies. Alternative therapies such as acupuncture, meditation, massage and movement therapy have been treatments recommended by CFS and fibromyalgia doctors as well. - 30287

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Chronic fatigue is a real illness that requires education and the right treatment methods. One cure does not fit all with this disease. You need to educate yourself if you hope to start living a normal life again. Visit Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Help to find out more.

Natural Remedies for Arthritis Pain

By David Nettles

Whether you are on prescribed drugs or not, it's good to understand the many natural remedies for arthritis that are available today. And for those fearful of going the 'alternative' rest assured that quite a few of the natural remedies for arthritis can be found without even leaving your house.

For many people a stroll into their kitchens will open up a veritable medicine bag of goodies that can help to both manage their arthritis and take remedial action.

In fact you could already using some of the recommended natural products, but do not even know it.

When you have more understanding of what's in nature's own medicine chest, you can focus more on the natural remedies, working them into your daily eating and schedule consciously.

Begin with the three remedies shown below. one or more are probably already sitting in your cupboard waiting to help.

Ginger

Ginger is a fabulous food and it tastes so good. It boasts a proteolytic enzyme called zingibain, which research shows that is has good anti-inflammatory properties.

Ginger is very easy to take. You can put some in hot water to make tea, take it from a tincture, or my favorite is to mix it in with my food -- it's flavorsome! It is so versatile and is highly recommended as one of the easiest natural remedies for arthritis to take.

Garlic

For centuries garlic has been sought-after for its healing and nutritive properties, not to mention taste! It's widely acknowledged for its circulation boosting effects. This is particularly good for arthritis sufferers.

Improving your circulation will bring oxygen to where it's most needed, your arthritic joints. Now you have a great reason to load your food with this tasty bulb.

Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne is also known as red pepper or hot pepper. You can mix cayenne in with your food or mix it in with an ointment and spread this on your painful areas.

Remember however, that cayenne can be quite hot so go easy on it to start until you find your body's natural tolerance level.

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Arthritis is more than just about pain; it's something that changes how you live. Fight back with more free info on arthritis!

How To Conquer Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And Fibromyalgia

By Anju Mathur, MD

People who were happy, healthy and vital experience chronic symptoms that put an end to their activity. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome seems to take all your energy away and it often lasts for years.

The symptoms include similar symptoms to flu, fatigue that doesn't get better with sleep and actually gets worse with physical or mental activity. The symptoms may appear and then disappear and there seems to be no pattern. Whereas people recover from flu and it goes away in days or weeks, CFS just seems to go on and on.

According to Center for Disease Control (CDC) between one and four million Americans suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). They are seriously impaired, at least a quarter are unemployed or on disability because of CFS. Forty percent of people in the general population who report symptoms of CFS have a serious, treatable, previously unrecognized medical condition.

Chronic fatigue syndrome may precipitate after an infection, such as a cold or viral illness or after a time of great stress. It can also come on gradually without a clear starting point or obvious cause. Women are diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome far more often than men are.

Conventional medicine favors the idea that it's "all in your head." This leads to no remedy at all as the patient is sent to psychologists who prescribe harmful drugs. Sometimes a physical therapist or sleep therapist or dietitian get involved. But mainly medicos tell the patient to learn to live with it.

However, there are ways to handle this disease that can actually bring about results. You don't have to learn to live with it. The pain, fatigue and depression are not all in your head. They have an underlying cause and a medical doctor trained in this discipline can help you identify and treat CFS. Your condition can be reversed and your energy and vitality restored.

If you suffer from fibromyalgia or CFS, your diet can make your condition worse or better. Eating a lot of refined carbohydrates will make the condition worse, whereas eating slow-burning carbs (rich in fiber) will provide your body with more energy. If you consume a lot of saturated fats and refined vegetable oils, the pain will worsen. If you consume foods high in omega-3 fatty acids (like fish and flaxseed oil) your pain will lessen. Diet is very important.

Get an evaluation from a doctor for food allergies. These are often overlooked but are a frequent cause of fatigue and pain.

Depression can accompany CFS and figromyalgia. Low levels of a neuro-transmitter, serotonin if often a cause, because this substance in the brain regulates sleep and contributes to the persons mood. Lack of it increases pain. There are supplements that can be prescribed to alleviate pain, regulate mood and ward off depression - such as St. John's wort, SAMe, natural replacement seratonin and 5-HTP. Whereas Prozac and other prescription drugs merely mask symptoms and come with dangerous side effects, natural remedies do not. Many happier patients will attest to this fact. - 30287

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Find out more about Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy. Find out more about Chronic Fatigue and Anti-Aging

Why Eat a Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet?

By David Nettles

Do you have rheumatoid arthritis? Do you know there is a direct link between the foods you eat and how severe your symptoms are? A rheumatoid arthritis diet can help you feel better!

You may be on 'orthodox' prescription drug to alleviate and manage your arthritis but there's still so much more that you can do to help your body.

Make Note of What Triggers Your Arthritis Pain

First thing you really should do is keep a record of foods that appear to trigger your symptoms. These problem foods will differ from person to person, which is why a log or diary is useful to track down the ones that effect you. Once you have your log, you can then remove these foods from your meals, avoiding needless arthritis pain.

Next up: some foods that really should be part of a healthy diet for rheumatoid arthritis.

Good Foods for Arthritis Symptoms

As with any condition, the 'take in plenty of fluid' rule applies here. Don't forget to keep your liquid levels up, like water (best), soups, unsweetened juices and herbal or green teas. We often don't even know that we are dehydrated, but wonder why we are feeling below par. Here's a tip; if you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Get into the practice of drinking whether you're thirsty or not.

Most fruit and vegetables are full of healthy anti oxidants which have a great healing effect, but there are a few to be wary of. Just keep away from the food items identified to worsen arthritic symptoms, and focus on the good foods like apples and avocados. By the way, don't peel your apples as the skin contains five times more anti oxidants than the rest. And finally, dark green leafy vegetables are best.

What's in Your Kitchen?

You want to add to your rheumatoid arthritis diet food items that have an anti-inflammatory effect. This will reduce the puffiness in your joints and decrease your pain. Two of the best anti-inflammatory foods are in all probability already in your kitchen cabinet. They are:

Garlic: Eat more of this pungent bulb, as it's full of anti-inflammatories. Eat it raw if you can, as cooking destroys some of the effects. If you really detest the taste, take garlic supplements.

Ginger: Add ginger to your meals or infuse it in a liquid to make a fragrant tea. Ginger is a little on the spicy side, and adds a warming effect to foods.

Foods to Watch Out For

Now how about the foods to keep away from (or eat less of)? Some foods linked to flare-ups include:

Fruit and Vegetables: You may wish to pass up citrus (lemons, oranges, grapefruits), and also tomatoes. These foods are very acidic, which appears to cause more numerous flare-ups.

Meat: The meats to eat less of are beef, pork, bacon and lamb. Essentially, keep away from meats with saturated fats. If you can't do without the special steak or chop, be sure to trim away any visible fat before eating.

Something to keep in mind; various people may have different reactions to foods. This is why your own list of foods to eliminate from your rheumatoid arthritis diet will be valuable.

Treat Arthritis Naturally -- FREE Information - 30287

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Prescription drugs are an option, but here's more FREE arthritis information and how you can feel better naturally.

Improving Joint Strength Results in Six Pack Abs

By Dante Solaris

In these times of gourmet ice cream, gourmet coffee and uh, 'gourmet fast-food', it's becoming increasingly difficult to stay fit and lean. Unless you're a native of Miami Beach, it seems like six pack abs are becoming rare- a common sight only on Baywatch reruns and movies depicting warriors of ancient Greece.

The strong demand for weight-loss products like diet pills, exercise machines and ab gadgets shows that a large portion of society wants to get lean and sport six pack abs. The high percentage of North Americans that are overweight also shows that people are misinformed about effective methods on losing body fat.

Most people, for example, do sit-ups and crunches session after session while leaving-out the lumber and oblique muscles. The imbalance of strength can actually result in back pain and injury because the spinal column is strained. Working-out improperly brings slow results which lead to frustration and quitting.

As any weight-loss expert will tell you, getting rid of unsightly belly flab naturally without the use of scalpels requires burning-off the vast amounts of calories we get from the food we eat. Getting lean enough to get a tight, well-defined stomach takes tons of hard work and discipline, but not really impossible for those that really want it.

Since most of the food modern urbanites dine on have a high caloric content, relying on office work or doing house chores to burn-off excess calories will definitely result in a flabby gut. The only way to make sure we're losing fat is by using-up more calories than we're eating and that is through daily intense physical activity.

Total body exercises which engages several muscle groups in activity are the best for rapid calorie-burn, fat-loss and formation of six pack abs. Cardio and anaerobic strength training both play an important role in building strength and forming six pack abs because they do wonders in raising our basal metabolic rate. Our BMR is responsible for 75% of calories our bodies use-up each day.

The development of muscle that results from regular exercise enforces the joints in our body by strengthening the tissues around them. The constant activity also leads to the production of natural lubricants that prevent friction and cartilage damage.

There is a definite correlation between high obesity cases and osteoarthritis in the U.S. Maintaining a regular exercise regimen will be the proverbial stone that can help solve both of those problems while paving the way to an attractive, well-defined midsection. - 30287

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Want to find out more about joint strength and six pack abs, then visit Dante Solaris's site on how to choose the best fitness program for your needs.

Develop Joint-Strength For Six Pack Abs

By Dante Solaris

In these times of gourmet ice cream, gourmet coffee and uh, 'gourmet fast-food', it's becoming increasingly difficult to stay fit and lean. Unless you're a native of Miami Beach, it seems like six pack abs are becoming rare- a common sight only on Baywatch reruns and movies depicting warriors of ancient Greece.

The strong demand for weight-loss products like diet pills, exercise machines and ab gadgets shows that a large portion of society wants to get lean and sport six pack abs. The high percentage of North Americans that are overweight also shows that people are misinformed about effective methods on losing body fat.

Contrary to the perception of the general public, the path to six pack abs doesn't rely on countless sit-ups and crunches. In fact, focusing too much on the abdominal muscles can even lead to strain on the lower back. Expensive, gimmicky gadgetry featured on fitness infomercials aren't the answer either. Diet shakes and low-fat food? Forget it! Studies prove that we tend to eat 75% more when we're eating diet food.

As experts have long figured-out, the key to getting a sculpted midsection is losing enough body fat by creating a daily calorie deficit. This means making it a point to burn more calories than our bodies take in each day to achieve a body fat index of at least 10% for men and 15% for women.

Because most of the culinary delights we partake of each day are loaded with trans-fats and processed sugars, it's quite impossible for us to lose fat by going about our daily routines without exercising. The vast amounts of surplus calories we get from the jelly donuts and cheezy fries can only be off-set by an effective exercise regimen every day.

Total body exercises which engages several muscle groups in activity are the best for rapid calorie-burn, fat-loss and formation of six pack abs. Cardio and anaerobic strength training both play an important role in building strength and forming six pack abs because they do wonders in raising our basal metabolic rate. Our BMR is responsible for 75% of calories our bodies use-up each day.

Working-out consistently also strengthens and develops muscle tissue and in turn reinforces the joints of the body- making them last longer as we grow old. Strong connective tissue around our joints prevents injury which can keep us from being consistent with our exercise regimen and prolonging the process to a chiseled abdomen.

Osteoarthritis is the leading cause of disability in America. It is mostly caused by too much joint-stress brought about by excess weight. Working-out consistently will not only prevent this by lightening the load on our joints, we also get an awesome set of shredded abs in the process!

Watch this super-informative video on joint strength and effective weightloss exercise. joint strength

- 30287

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Learn more about joint-strength and six pack abs. Stop by Dante Solaris's site where you can find out all about using six pack ab exercises and what they can do for you.

Heated Slippers | Microwavable Slippers Heated Foot Warmer For Chronic Cold Feet

By Barbera Wellbout

Have you heard of heated slippers? If so, you understand that they offer added warmth thanks to a small bead pack placed within each one. However, did you know that in today's world they offer aromatherapy benefits? It's true, and we want to share some of this with you today.

When you grab a pair of heated slippers you are able to choose the type of herbal heat pack your microwavable slippers will be using. In fact, you can even choose more than one herbal pack. The best part is they can be heated over and over again, giving you longevity of use.

Enjoying this extra heat is very beneficial, but it's the aromatherapy properties that give these heated slippers a big A+. The scent in the air is something wonderful, but in all actuality it can help you deal with health issues like pain, circulation complications, and even anxiety.

One of the most important things you can do is figure out which herbs are appropriate for your health needs. For instance; if you're dealing with aching muscles, headaches, or even challenging health conditions like fibromyalgia, it would be wise to choose something like white willow, peppermint, rosemary, lemon grass, or lavender.

Anxiety is a hot topic today, and if you're dealing with this sort of issue it's important to utilize herbal packs containing chamomile, passion flower, valerian root, cinnamon, and or spearmint. Circulation issues should be helped with yellow dock root and yarrow.

You should also understand that these are easy to use. All you do is pick an herbal bead pack that is geared for your ailments, grab the microwavable slippers, put them in the microwave for about 2 minutes, and then stick them on your feet.

However, we would suggest that if your microwave doesn't contain a turntable, you should stop it halfway and flip the herbal pack over. This way when it's finished both sides will be heated evenly. Then the only thing left to do is place the herbal packs in the heated slippers and onto your feet. In moments you will realize the warmth and aromatic sensations building around you.

conditions, that several individuals just like you will benefit from using heated slippers.

Our favorite is seeing individuals who suffer from insomnia come back to tell us it was the best purchase they ever made. We can't imagine going years without A good night's sleep. The good news is with heated slippers you can help this issue as well as many others just by the touch of microwavable slippers. They will offer warmth, better circulation, and basically enhance each one of your senses. - 30287

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FindYourSlippers.com is your one-stop Resources and information for slippers. We will help with Heated Slippers, men's slippers, Microwave Slippers. All of us strive to help to give you all that you need to make the best decision to find the best pair of slippers that will suit your style.