I'm scared! A cardiac stress test? Why?

By Dr. T. Johnson

Your heart turned to stone when the doctor told you he was booking you for a cardiac stress test. Take it easy. It's a piece of cake. I did it, anybody can.

It's normal for you to be scared of something with a terrifying name like cardiac stress test. It's like your first day of school. There is nothing to be afraid of.

I was scared silly when I went into the clinic for my stress test. What had I done to deserve this? Why hadn't my doctor just given me a pill or something? What would I do if there was something wrong with my ticker?

You rarely hear of people suffering heart attacks in their sleep. Cardiac events usually occur when a person is walking, shoveling snow or exerting themselves somehow. Road rage also wreaks havoc on the heart as well as on the mind.

The usual first hints of possible disaster come with your blood pressure. A typical blood pressure reading might be 140/90 or, in words, 140 over 90. The first number is called the systolic reading. It is the pressure in your veins at the heart's maximum exertion. The smaller number is the pressure in your blood system when the heart is at rest between beats.

Your blood pressure has two readings. The first one, called the systollic pressure, is the maximum pressure your heart pumps at. The second, lower number, is the pressure between beats. 140/90 is an average reading for a healthy human being.

Cardiac illness is not just for fat people, smokers or old folks. It is sneaky and can lay you out flat in no time with no warning. Blood pressure of between 90/60 and 140/90 is considered normal and any time yours falls outside that guideline, have yourself checked out right away.

A stress test is ordered when you have high blood pressure or you experience dizziness, chest pains or other symptoms. Maybe he or she has detected unusual sounds coming from your heart. There are all kinds of reasons for a stress test. All of them are good.

Unlike a broken bone, heart problems can hide right near the surface of your life and you could be totally unaware of it. Using the cardiac stress test, kind, well trained technicians put your body through its paces a bit so that any problems will stick out like a sore thumb. Don't worry, they are not going to make you run the Iron Man contest.

The people administering the test are trained to make you feel comfortable. Don't worry, they have seen bodies that are, shall we say, a bit short of perfect before. If you are nervous, tell them so. They are trained to help you with that too.

They will connect you painlessly to some equipment as you walk slowly on a walking machine. They will watch closely how your body reacts to the stress of some mild exercise. Their machines will show exactly what is happening in your body. At the first sign of a problem, the machine is turned off and you are closely monitored to make sure you are okay.

The results of the test will be analyzed. If any problems show up, don't get discouraged. Consider it a gift. There are all kinds of treatments and processes nowadays to help or cure what might have shown up. Smoking raises blood pressure. Your doctor might prescribe help to quit. If stress is a big factor in your life, make sure your doctor points you in the right direction for anxiety treatment.

Consider your cardiac stress test a blessing, whether it finds anything or not. It's one of those "pay me now or pay me later" scenarios. Either way you win. - 17606

About the Author:

Traveling the globe, Dr. T. Johnson has found unusual and effective cures to many health obstacles. He shares what he's learned in his latest book: The Monster Book of Self Improvement. Free readings from this massive volume of total well-being can be accessed at Cardiac Stress Test

What Can Acupunture Cure?

By Bi Kun tan

Increasingly, patients in the west are becoming familiar with ancient Chinese and Indian medicines, one example of which is acupuncture. Unfortunately, most people seem to think of acupuncture only as a last resort, although the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes it as a primary cure for a variety of complaints.

The WHO or World Health Organization recognizes over 40 medical problems, which acupuncture can successfully cure. One may ask that what can acupuncture treat?. The answer is a long list. Most people think that acupuncture can only cure pains. This is true that it cures pains of all kinds, but also cures other problems. The pains commonly treated by acupuncture are back pain, frozen shoulder TMJ, carpal tunnel syndrome, trigeminal neuralgia, arthritis plantar fasciitis, sciatica, fibromyalgia, shingles pain and migraines.

Digestive problems are another area where acupuncture treatments have proven effective. Irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, and general nausea can all be relieved with acupuncture. Gynecological complaints such as PMS, endometriosis, and menopausal symptoms can be helped with acupuncture treatment.

Those suffering from brain disorders, depression, anxiety, or insomnia can benefit from acupuncture. In fact, properly administered, acupuncture can be used to treat almost any disease. People have begun to realize its many benefits and acupuncture institutes are springing up everywhere to train practitioners.

The answer to aWhat can Acupuncture Treat?a cannot be summed up into a small article as the treatment which acupuncture can offer is endless. One can logon to the internet to find out the various cures which acupuncture offers. It can be used to cure almost all digestive, Neurological Upper Respiratory, Urinary and Reproductive, Immune Function, Musculoskeletal Emotional and Psychological Circulatory Disorders Eye and Ear Disorders and other addictions

In addition to the benefits acupuncture offers those suffering from major illnesses, acupuncture treatment can also help people who have just a small, nagging concern, or those who have no disease at all and are just interested in preventing illness.

A major reason that acupuncture has taken hold in the west is that many people have discovered its benefits for reproductive health. Many people who struggle with impotence, PMS, or infertility have turned to acupuncture for help. Once acupuncture has helped a couple conceive, it can also help a mother-to-be cope with morning sickness!

Hopefully, this article has convinced you of the many, varied, successful applications of acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture may have its roots in ancient Chinese medicine, but it should be apparent that it has an important role to play in our modern world. - 17606

About the Author:

To discover the ultimate acupuncture resource, visit my website at acupuncture doctors.

Advantages of Organic Shampoo

By Amy Nutt

Contemporary consumers are a bit more social conscience than they have been in the past. Whether the gas and energy crisis or the hole in the ozone layer is the catalyst, more and more people are looking for eco friendly products.

Today, unlike the merely functional farm grown products of old, today's green products have to be both environmentally friendly and perform just as well as mainstream products.

There used to be a time when lets say, an organic shampoo may not have produced the same results of regular on-the self varieties found in popular stores. No longer the case, you can use an all natural grooming product and still have luscious, soft and shiny hair!

Locating a shampoo that is truly organic however, is the real challenge.

Defining organic As most of us know, the Food and Drug Administration handles most over the counter merchandise, however, organic skin care items are often overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This makes the rules of engagement a bit different and some companies are taking advantage.

For instance, a manufacturer who uses only two natural ingredients can state that their product is "organic", even if 90 percent of it is synthetically altered by chemicals.

Emerging regulations that safeguard the interests of customers are slowly turning this tide. Until this happens, be sure to do some investigative sleuthing of your own. Read the labels on the back of the organic shampoo-if you are uncertain about a particular ingredient, look it up.

Truly organic shampoo will be free of chemical pesticides that have been shown to be harmful to health. Organic products use all natural pesticides, like citrus and are fertilized with substances lacking irritants.

You can research the maker of any product online or call the company itself and ask about their process.

Dangers of non-organic shampoos and products Most people are blissfully unaware of the fact that common personal grooming items, like shampoos and soaps, are chock full carcinogenic chemicals. While manufacturers promise that these substances occur in small dose that are harmless to human beings, one has to wonder about the long term effects of prolonged use.

The harsh reality is that the any product that is transdermally applied ( i.e. placed on and absorbed by the skin) is more thoroughly ingested than when it is swallowed. This means that deadly synthetic ingredients can wreak havoc on your system far faster by being rubbed into the skin.

This makes it especially crucial to identity any potentially lethal ingredients in your shampoo-or better yet, one should avoid synthetic products at all costs.

Organic Shampoo: Good for the environment and the skin Because organic shampoos have unadulterated natural ingredients like aloe vera, hemp, honey or citrus, they are often very good for the skin. Makers of true eco friendly shampoos have learned how to create excellent products that are preservative free but maintain a shelf life due to creative green engineering.

Once again, this fact is beneficial because it lessens the chance of exposure to compounds that would cause harm to the skin or health.

How to find Organic shampoos

Many health food and holistic goods stores carry natural skin care products, but as more and more consumers scream for environmentally safe goods, manufacturers are creating them and placing them within easy reach of mainstream stores.

Online homeopathic and green living websites also offer organic shampoo at bargain basement prices.

Do your homework and make sure that the product you choose is primarily herbal in makeup and/or organically grown. In this way, you'll be assured that you have a shampoo that performs as promised while protecting your skin and your family's health. - 17606

About the Author:

Offers quality organic skin care products, aromatherapy products and natural cosmetics. Keep informed with skincare tips and top beauty tricks posted on our skin care blog.

Build Muscle Fast With These 4 Tips

By Caleb Lee

Want to have a better looking body? Want to burn more calories even when you're not exercising? Want to reshape your body the easy way?

Whether your goal is to bulk up and get really big or to just get that "ripped" look -- you need to know how to build muscle. It's the easiest way to get the look you want. Here's some tips to build muscle fast.

Building muscle is not that hard (believe it or not). You can easily burn more calories, even when you're not working out, just by following a few tips to help you build muscle fast.

Great Tip #1 - Eat a LOT

When you are working hard to build muscle, if you want to build it up quickly, it's important that you eat a lot, especially if you're trying to get bulky muscle. When you work the muscles, they tear and then repair themselves.

If you want to build muscle fast, then you need to FEED your muscles. You need to give them plenty of food so they can repair and regrow stronger and bigger than before. If you eat good foods then you'll build muscle without gaining much fat.

Tip Number 2 -- Increase Your Rep Volume

Another important way to build up your muscles is to make sure that you do plenty of reps; however, you don't have to go crazy with it. Doing about 10 reps or so for each group of muscles will really help and they'll keep your workouts from being too long as well.

Tip Number 3 -- Eat Lots More High Quality Protein

Protein is very important for the regrowth and repair of your muscles. You have to make sure you give your muscles plenty of protein if you're going to build muscle.

You don't want TOO much protein though -- some people go over board and some people just don't get enough. Here's a good guideline: about 1 gram of protein for each pound of your bodyweight.

Tip Number 4 - Don't do too much cardio

IF you do too much cardio, it's possible you'll hamper your muscle building results. So when you're focusing on putting on quality muscle, lay off the cardio a bit. - 17606

About the Author:

Visit the experts website to read more the best bodyweight exercise routine and all about non surgical spinal decompression.

Lap Band Surgery Qualifications and Considerations

By Amy Nutt

Lap Band surgery may seem like the perfect solution to obesity for those who are struggling to lose weight. After all, a simple, non-invasive surgery could make you feel full with just a few bites of your meal, thus helping you to lose weight. Who wouldn't like that idea? Before you sign up for the surgery, however, you need to know that not everyone who wants the LapBand system is qualified to receive it.

Patient Qualifications

Lap Band and other weight loss surgery options are not available for all patients. In the United States, the National Institutes of Health made regulations that state that weight loss surgery is only an option for people who are clinically obese or are suffering from ill health due to their weight.

Clinically obese people, or people with a body mass index of 40 or greater, qualify for the surgery. Body mass index is found by taking your weight in pounds, multiplying it by 703, and dividing it by the square of your height in inches. It can also be found by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters.

Patients who have a body mass index that is between 35 and 39 can also qualify for the surgery, but only if they have serious medical conditions as a result of their obesity. Serious medical conditions include diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. The NIH feels that the danger of these conditions makes the risk of surgery worthwhile.

Non-Medical Considerations

Some patients who qualify for the surgery under the basic physical qualifications should not have it done. Lap Band surgery requires a change in the patient's diet once the surgery is complete. Since the patient will not be consuming as much food as before the surgery due to the smaller stomach created by the procedure, the nutrients in the food that is eaten must be carefully considered. Patients who eat junk food after surgery can suffer from deficiencies in certain essential vitamins and other nutrients.

Also, the small pouch created by the Lap Band system can stretch, because it is still part of the stomach. Patients who continue to overeat after the surgery in spite of the increased feeling of fullness will not lose weight. They will simply have wasted their money on the surgery, because they will not get the results they want.

Those who are good candidates for Lap Band surgery are those who are ready to make a commitment to change their lifestyles afterwards. Those who have tried to diet and follow a workout routine without successfully losing weight are good candidates. They have already shown that they can make the changes necessary to lose weight. They simply need the extra help that weight loss surgery can provide.

Why Choose Lap Band

If you are a candidate for weight loss surgery and have decided that the potential lap band risks and high cost are worth it in return for finally being able to lose the weight, LapBand is an excellent choice. This surgery will help you to feel full on far less food. It is an adjustable surgery, which means that your doctor will be able to make simple changes to adjust for too rapid or to slow of weight loss results.

Before choosing Lap Band surgery, be sure that you discuss the potential benefits and risks with your physician. Make sure you understand what will be required of you after the surgery. If you still feel like LapBand will give you the help you need to get back to a healthy weight, then schedule the surgery. If you meet the qualifications, you will find that Lap Band is an excellent alternative to gastric bypass or other weight loss surgeries. - 17606

About the Author:

The CIBO weight loss program's adjustable gastric band offers the safest, sustainable results in weight loss by reducing the amount of food your stomach can hold. You can lose weight without hunger and feel full longer with support before and after your lap band surgery.

Eat and Lose Body Fat, Nutritional Facts About Fat

By Ricardo d Argence

Today, we are constantly bombarded with offers selling the latest fat loss plan or gadget. From medications and drink concoctions to tiny magnetic devices, each targeting the same thing: body fat. Sounds good, right? Getting rid of fat from our bodies either by burning it off through physical activity or taking it our fo our diets. The body actually needs fat for its processes and requires fat consumption in order to remain healthy. Yes, you heard correctly.

While we are all trying desperately to lose excessive amounts of weight it is important that we understand that a small amount of fat is actually good for us. Fat cells help regulate hormones, provide energy stores, and cushion our internal organs.The problem then is not in the presence of fat but the amount. When we cross, the three percent threshold is when a necessary part of the body becomes dangerous.

When you eat there are two types of fat that you will consume. You can choose to either eat good fats or bad ones. Polyunsatured and mono-unsaturated rank among the good fats, while saturated and trans fats are harmful to the body. The latter we need to avoid while the former is an essential part of a balanced diet. The body is unable to manufacture its things like omega 3 fatty acids are essential to the human body however. Therefore, we must get it from our diet.

You should be familiar with the kinds of fat contained in different foods in order to get the good fats your body needs. Examples of good fat foods are nuts, avocados, sunflower seeds and fish oil.

In deep fat fried foods and heavily preserved foods will be contained the kind of fat you should avoid. When we eat high levels of saturated or tran's fats we can run into health problems in a hurry a short list of examples would lood something like eggs, cheese, french fries and potato chips.

Tran's fats are really harmful for your body as they decrease the good cholestrol besides increasing bad cholestrol in your body.

Therefore, in addition to adding pounds around your midsection, you realize that fat storage may adversely impact your health. Besides the risk of high cholesterol, you are risking developing diabetes, stroke or heart attack. Exercise more and you will lower you risk of these and other health problems,the short answer is cut back on the bad fats.

How to Find Tubal Reversal Doctors

By Sandra Wilson

Your first chore once you have decided to untie your tubes is to find tubal reversal doctors. Following are some tips on how you can go about doing this.

1. The old way to find the surgeon to help you with reversing your tied tubes is to simply ask your primary care physician for a referral. He should know about some of the doctors in your town that do this procedure. The question becomes, however, is the doctor you are referred to the best one for you and can you afford it.

2. Now, let's move online with our search. Pick the browser of your choice and do a simple search on what you are looking for. In this case, your search would be "tubal reversal doctors". You might want to add your town and state to that search.

3. A refinement of the search technique above is to go to Google Maps and do a search again adding the state and/or city at the end of the words. This will give you a list and the locations of the doctors on a map. However, you will have to be sure all of those medical centers listed actually do the reversal surgeries.

4. Now use that search engine that is your favorite to locate different message boards that might discuss tubal reversals. This will allow you to talk to other women who are trying to find doctors or who have already had the surgery. Depending upon the quality of the forum, you will get a lot of good information this way.

5. Our last tip is to search out doctor rating websites. On some of these, you can see what different patients have thought of the various tubal reversal doctors. Other types of doctors are on these sites,too.

Hopefully, the above tips will help you come up with a list of a fewtubal reversal doctors that you can then check out against the other factors you should consider. Look for these factors in other articles by this author and other helpful sites.