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What causes allergies?

You have an allergy when your body overreacts to things that don’t cause problems for most people. These things are called allergens. Your body’s overreaction to the allergens is what causes symptoms (see the box below for a list of symptoms). For example, sometimes the term “hay fever” is used to describe your body’s allergic reaction to seasonal allergens in the air, such as grass or pollen.

Your doctor may want to do an allergy skin test to help determine exactly what is causing your allergy. An allergy skin test puts tiny amounts of allergens onto your skin to see which ones you react to. Once you know which allergens you are allergic to, you and your doctor can decide the best treatment. Your doctor may also decide to do a blood test, such as the radioallergosorbent test (called RAST).

What are the most common allergens?

Pollen from trees, grass and weeds. Allergies that occur in the spring (late April and May) are often due to tree pollen. Allergies that occur in the summer (late May to mid-July) are often due to grass and weed pollen. Allergies that occur in the fall (late August to the first frost) are often due to ragweed.

Mold. Mold is common where water tends to collect, such as shower curtains, window moldings and damp basements. It can also be found in rotting logs, hay, mulches, commercial peat moss, compost piles and leaf litter. This allergy is usually worse during humid and rainy weather.

Animal dander. Proteins found in the skin, saliva, and urine of furry pets such as cats and dogs are allergens. You can be exposed to dander when handling an animal or from house dust that contains dander.

Dust. Many allergens, including dust mites, are in dust. Dust mites are tiny living creatures found in bedding, mattresses, carpeting and upholstered furniture. They live on dead skin cells and other things found in house dust.

How can I avoid allergens?

Pollens. Shower or bathe before bedtime to wash off pollen and other allergens in your hair and on your skin. Avoid going outside, especially on dry, windy days. Keep windows and doors shut, and use an air conditioner at home and in your car.

Mold. You can reduce the amount of mold in your home by removing houseplants and by frequently cleaning shower curtains, bathroom windows, damp walls, areas with dry rot and indoor trash cans. Use a mix of water and chlorine bleach to kill mold. Open doors and windows and use fans to increase air movement and help prevent mold.

Don’t carpet bathrooms or other damp rooms and use mold-proof paint instead of wallpaper. Reducing the humidity in your home to 50% or less can also help. You can control your home air quality by using a dehumidifier, keeping the temperature set at 70 degrees, and cleaning or replacing small-particle filters in your central air system.

Pet dander. If your allergies are severe, you may need to give your pets away or at least keep them outside. Cat or dog dander often collects in house dust and takes 4 weeks or more to die down.

However, there are ways to reduce the amounts of pet dander in your home. Using allergen-resistant bedding, bathing your pet frequently, and using an air filter can help reduce pet dander. Ask your veterinarian for other ways to reduce pet dander in your home.

Dust and dust mites. To reduce dust mites in your home, remove drapes, feather pillows, upholstered furniture, non-washable comforters and soft toys. Replace carpets with linoleum or wood. Polished floors are best. Mop the floor often with a damp mop and wipe surfaces with a damp cloth. Vacuum regularly with a machine that has a high-efficiency particulate air filter. Vacuum soft furniture and curtains as well as floors. Install an air cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate or electrostatic filter. Wash carpets and upholstery with special cleaners, such as benzyl benzoate or tannic acid spray. Wash all bedding in hot water (hotter than 130?°F) every 7 to 10 days. Don’t use mattress pads. Cover mattress and pillows with plastic covers. Lower the humidity in your home.

What medicines can I take to help relieve my symptoms?

Antihistamines help reduce the sneezing, runny nose and itchiness of allergies. They’re more useful if you use them before you’re exposed to allergens.

Some antihistamines can cause drowsiness and dry mouth. Others are less likely to cause these side effects, but some of these require a prescription. Ask your doctor which kind is best for you.

Decongestants, such as pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine help temporarily relieve the stuffy nose of allergies. Decongestants are found in many medicines and come as pills, nose sprays and nose drops. They are best used only for a short time. Nose sprays and drops shouldn’t be used for more than 3 days because you can become dependent on them. This causes you to feel even more stopped-up when you try to quit using them.

You can buy decongestants without a doctor’s prescription. However, decongestants can raise your blood pressure, so it’s a good idea to talk to your family doctor before using them, especially if you have high blood pressure.

Cromolyn sodium is a nasal spray that helps prevent the body’s reaction to allergens. Cromolyn sodium is more helpful if you use it before you’re exposed to allergens. This medicine may take 2 to 4 weeks to start working. It is available without a prescription.

Nasal steroid sprays reduce the reaction of the nasal tissues to inhaled allergens. This helps relieve the swelling in your nose so that you feel less stopped-up. They come in nasal sprays that your doctor may prescribe. You won’t notice their benefits for up to 2 weeks after starting them.

Your doctor may prescribe steroid pills for a short time or give you a steroid shot if your symptoms are severe or if other medicines aren’t working for you.

Eye drops. If your other medicines are not helping enough with your itchy, watery eyes, your doctor may prescribe eye drops for you.

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What is eczema?

Eczema is a general term for rash-like skin conditions. The most common type of eczema is called atopic dermatitis, which is an allergic reaction. Eczema is often very itchy and when you scratch it, the skin becomes red and inflamed. As many as 15 million people in the United States have some form of eczema. It occurs in adults and children, but most often appears on babies. You are more likely to have eczema if you have a family history of the condition.

Although the exact cause is unknown, eczema is not contagious. Eczema can’t be cured, but it can be managed, and you can learn to avoid the things that trigger it.

Limit your contact with things that can irritate your skin.

Some things that may irritate your skin include household cleansers, detergents, aftershave lotions, soap, gasoline, turpentine and other solvents. Try to avoid contact with things that make you break out with eczema. Because soaps and wetness can cause skin irritation, wash your hands only when necessary, especially if you have eczema on your hands. Be sure to dry your hands completely after you wash them.

Wear gloves to protect the skin on your hands.

Wear vinyl or plastic gloves for work that requires you to have your hands in water. Also, wear gloves when your hands will be exposed to anything that can irritate your skin. Wear cotton gloves under plastic gloves to soak up sweat from your hands. Take occasional breaks and remove your gloves to prevent a buildup of sweat inside your gloves.

Wear gloves when you go outside during the winter. Cold air and low humidity can dry your skin, and dryness can make your eczema worse.

Wear clothes made of cotton or a cotton blend.

Wool and some synthetic fabrics can irritate your skin. Most people with sensitive skin feel better in clothes made of cotton or a cotton blend.

Care for your skin in the bath or shower.

Bathe only with a mild soap, such as Dove, Basis or Oil of Olay. Use a small amount of soap when bathing. Keep the water temperature cool or warm, not hot. Soaking in the tub for a short time can be good for your skin because the skin’s outer layer can absorb water and become less dry. Soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Then use a soft towel to pat your skin dry without rubbing. Immediately after drying, apply a moisturizer to your skin. This helps seal in the moisture.

Use the medicine your doctor has prescribed for you.

When your eczema flares up (gets worse), use the medicine prescribed by your doctor. Use it right after bathing. Medicine used to treat eczema is usually a steroid medicine that you rub on your skin. Follow your doctor’s directions for using this medicine or check the label for proper use. Call your doctor if your skin does not get better after 3 weeks of using the medicine.

Use a moisturizer on your skin every day.

Moisturizers help keep your skin soft and flexible. They prevent skin cracks. A plain moisturizer is best. Avoid moisturizers with fragrances (perfume) and a lot of extra ingredients. A good, cheap moisturizer is plain petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline). Use moisturizers that are more greasy than creamy, because creams usually have more preservatives in them.

Regular use of a moisturizer can help prevent the dry skin that is common in winter.

Avoid scratching or rubbing the itchy area.

Try not to scratch the irritated area on your skin even if it itches. Scratching can break the skin. Bacteria can enter these breaks and cause infection. Moisturizing your skin will help prevent itchiness.

Avoid getting too hot and sweaty.

Too much heat and sweat can make your skin more irritated and itchy. Try to avoid activities that make you hot and sweaty.

Learn how to manage stress in your life.

Eczema can flare up when you are under stress. Learn how to recognize and cope with stress. Stress reduction techniques can help. Changing your activities to reduce daily stress can also be helpful.

Continue skin care even after your skin has healed.

The area where you had the eczema may easily get irritated again, so it needs special care. Continue to follow the tips in this handout even after your skin has healed.

Source: FamilyDoctor.org

What drugs are good for eczema treatment?

The FDA has approved two drugs known as topical immunomodulators (TIMs) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe eczema. The drugs, Elidel and Protopic, are skin creams that work by altering the immune system response to prevent flare-ups. If you’re sure they are good for your skin treatment, You could order elidel and order protopic online.

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Your busy lifestyle leaves little time for pampering skin care. The result: Your skin isn’t the baby-soft body glove you were born with. As you age, your skin gradually becomes thinner and finely wrinkled. Oil-producing (sebaceous) glands grow less active, leaving your skin drier. The number of blood vessels in your skin decreases, your skin becomes more fragile, and you lose your youthful color and glow.

Good skin care ??” such as avoiding the sun, washing your skin gently and applying moisturizer regularly ??” can help delay the natural aging process and prevent many skin problems. These simple skin-care habits will help you protect your skin to keep it healthy and glowing for years to come.

1. Protect yourself from the sun

The most important way to take care of your skin is to protect it from the sun. Ultraviolet light ??” the invisible but intense rays from the sun ??” damages your skin, causing deep wrinkles, dry, rough skin, liver spots, and more serious disorders, such as noncancerous (benign) and cancerous (malignant) skin tumors. In fact, most of the changes seen in aging skin are actually caused by a lifetime of sun exposure.

For the most complete sun protection, use all three of these methods:

• Avoid the sun during high-intensity hours. The sun’s rays are most damaging from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Reduce the time you spend outdoors during these hours.
• Wear protective clothing. Cover your skin with clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts, long pants and wide-brimmed hats. Also, keep in mind that certain clothing styles and fabrics offer better protection from the sun than do others. For example, long-sleeved shirts offer better protection than short-sleeved shirts do. And tightly woven fabrics such as denim are better than are loosely woven fabrics such as knits. Several companies now make sun protective clothing (SPF clothing), which is specifically designed to block out ultraviolet rays while keeping you cool and comfortable.
• Use sunscreen. Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) greater than 15. Apply liberally 20 minutes before going outdoors and reapply every two hours, after heavy sweating or after being in water.

2. Don’t smoke

Smoking accelerates aging of your skin and increases wrinkles. Skin changes from smoking can appear in young adults after 10 years of smoking.

Smoking causes narrowing of the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of skin. This decreases blood flow, depleting the skin of oxygen and nutrients, such as vitamin A, that are important to skin health. All of these factors increase damage to the elastic fibers (elastin) and collagen, which give your skin strength and elasticity.

In addition, the repetitive facial expressions you make when smoking ??” such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke ??” may contribute to wrinkles. It’s also possible that repeated exposure to the heat from burning cigarettes may damage your facial skin over time.

3. Wash your skin gently

Cleansing is an essential part of caring for your skin. The key is to treat your skin gently.

• Use warm water and limit bath time. Hot water and long showers or baths remove oils from your skin. Limit your bath or shower time to about 15 minutes or less, and use warm, rather than hot, water.
• Avoid strong soaps. Strong soaps ??” those most capable of stripping oil from your skin ??” can leave your skin dry. Instead, choose mild soaps or detergent substitutes with added oils and fats. Good choices include Dove, Vanicream, Cetaphil and Purpose.
• Avoid irritating additives. If your skin is sensitive, avoid products containing perfumes or dyes. These can irritate your skin and may trigger an allergic response.
• Remove eye makeup carefully. Use a soft sponge, cotton cloth or cotton balls when removing eye makeup to avoid damaging the delicate tissue around your eyes. If you wear heavy, waterproof makeup, you may need to use an oil-based product, such as Eucerin, Aquaphor or petroleum jelly, to remove makeup.
• Pat dry. After washing or bathing, gently pat or blot your skin dry with a towel so that some moisture remains on the skin. Immediately moisturize your skin with an oil or cream.

4. Moisturize regularly

Moisturizers help maintain your skin’s natural moisture levels. They work by providing a seal over your skin ??” to keep water from escaping ??” or by slowly releasing water into your skin.

The moisturizer that’s best for you and the frequency with which you need to moisturize depend on many factors, including your skin type, your age and whether you have specific conditions such as acne. A good way to test if you need a moisturizer is to wait 20 minutes after bathing. If your skin feels tight, you should apply a moisturizer.

Select a moisturizer with an SPF of at least 15 to help protect your skin from damaging ultraviolet rays. If you have sensitive skin, look for products free of heavy dyes, perfumes or other additives. If your skin is very dry, you may want to apply an oil, such as baby oil, while your skin is still moist. Oil has more staying power than moisturizers do and prevents the evaporation of water from the surface of your skin. If your skin is oily, you may want to skip moisturizing.

5. Shave carefully

Shaving is a common and inexpensive way to remove unwanted hair. But shaving can cause skin irritations, especially if your skin is thin, dry or very sensitive. For a smooth shave:

• Press a warm wash cloth on your skin before shaving to soften the hair. Or shave after a warm bath or shower.
• Don’t shave dry skin, which can cause razor burn. Apply shaving cream, lotion or gel before shaving to protect and lubricate your skin.
• Use a clean, sharp razor. If using an electric razor, don’t use the closest setting, which can aggravate the skin.
• Shave in the direction of hair growth, not against it.
• Rinse your skin afterward with warm water.

If irritation does occur, apply a lotion that doesn’t contain ethyl or isopropyl alcohol. Though alcohol and alcohol-based products may feel cooling, they don’t really soothe irritated skin because the alcohol evaporates rapidly from the skin.

By Mayo Clinic Staff
Dec. 28, 2007

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Caralluma fimbriata is a succulent plant, in the cactus family, that has been used as a natural appetite suppressant in India for centuries. It’s a new arrival in the family of cactii and succulent plants that are becoming increasingly popular for their appetite suppressant, and weight loss properties, as well as their ability to lower blood sugar. Supplements made from the popular hoodia gordonii cactus from the Kalahari Desert in Africa, are, for example, growing in popularity and usage in the U.S. and Europe.Like hoodia, caralluma fimbriata has been used to suppress appetite, and as a portable food for hunting. It is used to suppress hunger and appetite, and enhance endurance throughout India. It is also sometimes considered a “famine food,” used during periods of famine to suppress appetite. For centuries, people in rural areas of India have eaten Caralluma fimbriata, which grows wild over various parts of the country. Caralluma fimbriata is cooked as a vegetable, used in preserves like chutneys and pickles, or eaten raw. Caralluma fimbriata is believed to block the activity of several enzymes, which then blocks the formation of fat, forcing fat reserves to be burned. Caralluma fimbriata is also believed to have an effect on the appetite control mechanism of the brain. Ayurvedic (traditional Indian medicine) experts have noted that there are no adverse effects when using Caralluma fimbriata, and the plant has no known toxicity. A patented, tested extract of Caralluma fimbriata has been developed and standardized by a company called Gencor. Known as “Slimaluma,” the extract delivers the plant in a concentrated form. One of the only products available in the U.S. that uses the Slimaluma formula is Country Life’s GenaSlim supplement, which combines the patented Slimaluma extract of Caralluma fimbriata with EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) from green tea. Together they reportedly have a synergistic effect on appetite control and weight loss. In several clinical trials Slimaluma was shown to be effective in reducing body fat through appetite control.If you’re interested in trying this product for weight control, you can compare prices now from various online vendors.SourcesKhan B, et. al. “Hypogylcemic activity of aqueous extract of some indigenous plants.”

Pak J Pharm Sci., 2005 Jan;18(1):62-4. For more information visit: http://www.weightlossoffer.com

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What can cause low back injuries?

Many things can cause low back injuries–muscle strain or spasm, sprains of ligaments (which attach bone to bone), joint problems or a “slipped disk.” The most common cause is using your back muscles in activities you’re not used to, like lifting heavy furniture or doing yard work.

A slipped disk (also called a herniated disk) happens when a disk between the bones of the spine bulges and presses on nerves. This is often caused by twisting while lifting. But many people won’t know what caused their slipped disk. In most cases, slipped disks and other back pain can be relieved by following a few simple methods.

What can I do for relief when I’ve hurt my lower back?

The best position for relief when your back hurts is to lie on your back on the floor with pillows under your knees, with your hips and knees bent and your feet on a chair, or just with your hips and knees bent. This takes the pressure and weight off your back.

You may need 1 to 2 days of this sort of rest for a hurt back. Resting longer than this can cause your muscles to weaken, which can slow your recovery. Even if it hurts, walk around for a few minutes every hour.

What else can I do for relief?

Heating pads can help to relax painful muscle spasms. Use heat for 20 to 30 minutes at a time. Ice packs and massages may also give relief.

Non prescription medicines that reduce pain or swelling include aspirin, acetaminophen (brand name: Tylenol), naproxen (brand name: Aleve), ketoprofen (brand name: Orudis), and ibuprofen (brand name: Motrin).

Call your family doctor if:

• Pain goes down your leg below your knee
• Your leg, foot, groin or rectal area feels numb
• You have fever, nausea or vomiting, stomachache, weakness or sweating
• You lose control over going to the bathroom
• Your pain was caused by an injury
• Your pain is so intense you can’t move around
• Your pain doesn’t seem to be getting better after 2 to 3 weeks

Is there relief for ongoing back problems?

Treatment of ongoing back problems must be directed at the cause. This may mean losing weight (because being overweight can make back pain worse), getting your muscles in better shape, and improving your posture when you’re sitting, standing and sleeping.

Tips for preventing back strain

• Don’t lift by bending over. Lift an object by bending your knees and squatting to pick up the object. Keep your back straight and hold the object close to your body. Avoid twisting your body while lifting.
• Push rather than pull when you must move heavy objects.
• If you must sit at your desk or at the wheel of a car or truck for long hours, break up the time with stops to stretch.
• Wear flat shoes or shoes with low heels (1 inch or lower).
• Exercise regularly. An inactive lifestyle contributes to lower back pain.

Source: FamilyDoctor.org.

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After an especially active weekend of hiking or work around the yard, your osteoarthritis might cause pain despite taking your usual pain medication. So you turn to other ways of soothing your aching joints. Reluctant to pop another pill, some people make a run to the drugstore to pick up an over-the-counter joint cream that promises to dull the pain.

But can these topical pain medications really offer arthritis pain relief? Here’s a look at how topical pain medications work and whether they’re a viable arthritis pain relief option.

What types of topical pain medications are available?

Topical pain killers come as gels, creams, lotions or patches that are applied directly to the skin over your aching joints. Three types of over-the-counter joint creams are sometimes used by people seeking arthritis pain relief, including:

• Applications that make skin feel hot or cold. Doctors call these products counterirritants because they contain ingredients that irritate your skin. Ingredients such as menthol, oil of wintergreen or eucalyptus oil produce a sensation of hot or cold that distracts you from your arthritis pain, giving you temporary arthritis pain relief. Examples include Flexall 454, Icy Hot and JointFlex.
• Aspirin-like pain rubs. Some products, called topical analgesics, contain salicylates, the same ingredients that give aspirin its pain-relieving quality. In addition to offering arthritis pain relief, these products may reduce joint inflammation as they’re absorbed into the skin. Examples include Bengay, Aspercreme, Mobisyl and Sportscreme. If you are allergic to aspirin or are taking blood thinners, check with your doctor before using topical medications that contain salicylates.
• Creams made from chili pepper seeds. The seeds contain a compound called capsaicin (kap-sa-IH-sin), which causes the burning sensation you associate with peppers. Creams made with capsaicin are most effective for arthritis pain in joints close to the skin surface, such as your fingers, knees and elbows. Capsaicin creams work by depleting your nerve cells of a chemical called substance P, which is important for sending pain messages. Capsaicin creams may need to be applied regularly for one or two weeks before arthritis pain relief may occur. Examples include ArthriCare, Capzasin and Zostrix.

Some products contain a combination of these three types of arthritis pain relief methods.

Prescription pain gels and patches

A prescription gel containing the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac (Voltaren Gel) may provide some pain relief for people with osteoarthritis in their hands, wrists, elbows, feet, ankles or knees. Diclofenac gel is massaged into the skin around your affected joint four times a day. Side effects may include rash and redness where you apply the gel. NSAIDs, such as diclofenac gel, carry a risk of stomach bleeding and heart problems, including heart attack.

In some cases, doctors may prescribe lidocaine patches (Lidoderm) for joint pain. The patches are approved in the U.S. to treat a painful complication of shingles, but they may be used for other types of pain ??” what doctors call an “off-label use.” Patches are placed on your skin over the painful joint for 12 hours at a time. The lidocaine numbs the area.

Do over-the-counter topical pain medications offer arthritis pain relief?

Over-the-counter topical pain medications may offer temporary relief from arthritis pain. Limited studies using these products showed reductions in pain. But studies have been small and poorly designed, making them less reliable.

These topical preparations aren’t intended to take the place of your arthritis medication and there’s no evidence to suggest they can be helpful when used long term. However, you might find temporary relief from arthritis pain flares by using topical pain medications. Relying on these topical preparations more often may indicate that your arthritis is worsening or that medication prescribed by your doctor isn’t working. Tell your doctor if your arthritis pain isn’t being controlled.

Are these products safe for people with arthritis pain?

Over-the-counter creams and gels appear to be safe, though there are no data about long-term use for arthritis pain relief. Side effects may include burning or stinging where you apply the cream or gel. Some products may have a strong medicinal odor. Products containing salicylates may not be safe if you are allergic to aspirin or are taking blood thinners, so discuss this with your doctor first.

Carefully follow the directions on the product packaging. When using topical pain medications, be careful not to rub or touch your eyes until you’ve washed your hands thoroughly. Don’t use these pain relievers on broken or irritated skin or in combination with a heating pad or bandage.

By Mayo Clinic Staff
Oct. 27, 2007

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Anxiety disorders range from feelings of uneasiness to immobilizing bouts of terror. This fact sheet briefly describes the different types of anxiety disorders. This fact sheet is not exhaustive, nor does it include the full range of symptoms and treatments. Keep in mind that new research can yield rapid and dramatic changes in our understanding of and approaches to mental disorders. If you believe you or a loved one has an anxiety disorder, seek competent, professional advice or another form of support.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Most people experience anxiety at some point in their lives and some nervousness in anticipation of a real situation. However if a person cannot shake unwarranted worries, or if the feelings are jarring to the point of avoiding everyday activities, he or she most likely has an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety Disorder Symptoms: Chronic, exaggerated worry, tension, and irritability that appear to have no cause or are more intense than the situation warrants. Physical signs, such as restlessness, trouble falling or staying asleep, headaches, trembling, twitching, muscle tension, or sweating, often accompany these psychological symptoms.

Anxiety Disorder Formal diagnosis: When someone spends at least six months worried excessively about everyday problems. However, incapacitating or troublesome symptoms warranting treatment may exist for shorter periods of time.

Anxiety Disorder Treatment: Anxiety is among the most common, most treatable mental disorders. Effective treatments include cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques, and biofeedback to control muscle tension. Medication, most commonly anti-anxiety drugs, such as benzodiazepine and its derivatives, also may be required in some cases. Some commonly prescribed anti-anxiety medications are diazepam, alprazolam, and lorazepam. The non-benzodiazepine anti-anxiety medication buspirone can be helpful for some individuals.

Panic Disorder

People with panic disorder experience white-knuckled, heart-pounding terror that strikes suddenly and without warning. Since they cannot predict when a panic attack will seize them, many people live in persistent worry that another one could overcome them at any moment.

Panic Disorder Symptoms: Pounding heart, chest pains, lightheadedness or dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, shaking or trembling, choking, fear of dying, sweating, feelings of unreality, numbness or tingling, hot flashes or chills, and a feeling of going out of control or going crazy.

Panic Disorder Formal Diagnosis: Either four attacks within four weeks or one or more attacks followed by at least a month of persistent fear of having another attack. A minimum of four of the symptoms listed above developed during at least one of the attacks. Most panic attacks last only a few minutes, but they occasionally go on for ten minutes, and, in rare cases, have been known to last for as long as an hour. They can occur at any time, even during sleep.

Panic Disorder Treatment: Cognitive behavioral therapy and medications such as high-potency anti-anxiety drugs like alprazolam. Several classes of antidepressants (such as paroxetine, one of the newer selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and the older tricyclics and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO inhibitors) are considered “gold standards” for treating panic disorder. Sometimes a combination of therapy and medication is the most effective approach to helping people manage their symptoms. Proper treatment helps 70 to 90 percent of people with panic disorder, usually within six to eight weeks.

Phobias

Most of us steer clear of certain, hazardous things. Phobias however, are irrational fears that lead people to altogether avoid specific things or situations that trigger intense anxiety. Phobias occur in several forms, for example, agoraphobia is the fear of being in any situation that might trigger a panic attack and from which escape might be difficult. Social phobia is a fear of being extremely embarrassed in front of other people. The most common social phobia is fear of public speaking.

Phobias Symptoms: Many of the physical symptoms that accompany panic attacks - such as sweating, racing heart, and trembling - also occur with phobias.

Phobias Formal Diagnosis: The person experiences extreme anxiety with exposure to the object or situation; recognizes that his or her fear is excessive or unreasonable; and finds that normal routines, social activities, or relationships are significantly impaired as a result of these fears.

Phobias Treatment: Cognitive behavioral therapy has the best track record for helping people overcome most phobic disorders. The goals of this therapy are to desensitize a person to feared situations or to teach a person how to recognize, relax, and cope with anxious thoughts and feelings. Medications, such as anti-anxiety agents or antidepressants, can also help relieve symptoms. Sometimes therapy and medication are combined to treat phobias.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Researchers now know that anyone, even children, can develop PTSD if they have experienced, witnessed, or participated in a traumatic occurrence-especially if the event was life threatening. PTSD can result from terrifying experiences such as rape, kidnapping, natural disasters, or war or serious accidents such as airplane crashes. The psychological damage such incidents cause can interfere with a person’s ability to hold a job or to develop intimate relationships with others.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: The symptoms of PTSD can range from constantly reliving the event to a general emotional numbing. Persistent anxiety, exaggerated startle reactions, difficulty concentrating, nightmares, and insomnia are common. People with PTSD typically avoid situations that remind them of the traumatic event, because they provoke intense distress or even panic attacks.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Formal Diagnosis: Although the symptoms of PTSD may be an appropriate initial response to a traumatic event, they are considered part of a disorder when they persist beyond three months.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment: Psychotherapy can help people who have PTSD regain a sense of control over their lives. They also may need cognitive behavior therapy to change painful and intrusive patterns of behavior and thought and to learn relaxation techniques. Support from family and friends can help speed recovery and healing. Medications, such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety agents to reduce anxiety, can ease the symptoms of depression and sleep problems. Treatment for PTSD often includes both psychotherapy and medication.

Source: Samhsa.gov

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What is anxiety?

Anxiety can be a normal “alarm system” alerting you to danger. Imagine coming home and finding a burglar in your living room. Your heart beats fast. Your palms get sweaty. Your mind races. In this situation, anxiety can provide an extra spark to help you get out of danger. In more normal but busy situations, anxiety can give you the energy to get things done.

But sometimes anxiety can be out of control, giving you a sense of dread and fear for no apparent reason. This kind of anxiety can disrupt your life.

Are there different types of anxiety?

Yes. Anxiety can be a general feeling of worry, a sudden attack of panicky feelings, or a fear of a certain situation or object.

What is generalized anxiety disorder?

Generalized anxiety disorder is ongoing worry or fear that isn’t related to a particular event or situation, or is out of proportion to what you would expect–for instance, constantly worrying about a child who is perfectly healthy.

Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder include muscle tension, trembling, shortness of breath, fast heartbeat, dry mouth, dizziness, nausea, irritability, loss of sleep and not being able to concentrate.

What is panic disorder?

Panic disorder is another type of anxiety. It occurs when you have repeated periods of extreme panic, called panic attacks.

Suppose one day you’re getting out of your car to go to work. Suddenly, your chest feels tight. Your heart races. You begin to feel dizzy and faint. You start to choke. You feel as if the end is near. Was it all in your head? No. Most likely, you had a panic attack.

Panic attacks last about 5 to 30 minutes and may include any of the symptoms listed in the box below. Panic attacks can lead to phobias if they aren’t treated.

Panic attack symptoms

What is a phobia?

A phobia is an extreme, unreasonable fear in response to something specific. There are lots of different phobias, including fear of crowds, bridges, snakes, spiders, heights, open places or social embarrassment.
A phobia is only considered a problem when it keeps you from living a normal life. An example is being afraid to leave home because you are afraid of one of the things listed above.

What causes anxiety disorders?

Suppose the fire alarm goes off in your home. You race around frantically to find the fire. Instead, you find that there is no fire–the alarm just isn’t working properly.

It’s the same with anxiety disorders. Your body mistakenly triggers your alarm system when there is no danger. This may be due to a chemical imbalance in your body. It may also be related to an unconscious memory, to a side effect of a medicine or to an illness.

Can anxiety disorders be treated?

Yes. Talk to your family doctor if you think you have an anxiety disorder. He or she can help you form a plan to develop skills to cope with your anxiety. Your doctor may also suggest counseling and prescribe medicine if needed. The following are some tips on coping with anxiety:

Control your worry. Pick a place and time to do your worrying. Make it the same place and time every day. Spend 30 minutes thinking about your concerns and what you can do about them. Try not to dwell on what “might” happen. Focus more on what’s really happening. Then let go of the worry and go on with your day.

Steps to deep breathing

Learn ways to relax. These may include muscle relaxation, yoga, or deep breathing (see box to the right).

Muscle relaxation is simple. Start by choosing a muscle and holding it tight for a few seconds. Then relax the muscle. Do this with all of your muscles. Try starting with your feet muscles and working your way up your body.

Exercise regularly. People who have anxiety often quit exercising. But exercise can give you a sense of well-being and help decrease feelings of anxiety.

Get plenty of sleep.

Avoid alcohol and drug abuse. It may seem that alcohol or drugs relax you. But in the long run they make anxiety worse and cause more problems.

Avoid caffeine. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, soft drinks and chocolate. Caffeine may increase your sense of anxiety because it stimulates your nervous system. Also avoid over-the-counter diet pills, and cough and cold medicines the contain a decongestant.

Confront the things that have made you anxious in the past. Begin by just picturing yourself confronting these things. By doing this, you can get used to the idea of confronting the things that make you anxious before you actually do it. After you feel more comfortable picturing yourself confronting these things, you can begin to actually face them.

If you feel yourself getting anxious, practice a relaxation technique or focus on a simple task, such as counting backward from 100 to 0.

Although feelings of anxiety are scary, they won’t hurt you. Label the level of your fear from 0 to 10 and keep track as it goes up and down. Notice that it doesn’t stay at a very high level for more than a few seconds. When the fear comes, accept it. Wait and give it time to pass without running away from it.

Use medicine if it helps. Your doctor may give you medicine to help reduce your anxiety while you learn new ways to respond to the things that make you anxious. Many types of medicine are available. Your doctor will decide which medicine is right for you.

Talk about your anxiety with your doctor. Your doctor can help you make a plan to cope with anxiety. Counseling can help you learn to express your needs and wants so you can feel more in control and hold in less of your anger and anxiety.

The most important thing is to take action. Any action you take will help you gain a sense of control over your anxiety.

Source: FamilyDoctor.org

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Costs for commonly-prescribed antidepressants vary from $32 to more than $200 per month. This report shows how you can save $100 a month ($1,200 a year) or more if you have to take an antidepressant.

Antidepressants can improve the symptoms of depression, but they can also have serious side effects. You may not need one. A thumbnail guide:

• If you are feeling “down” or “blue” — for example, in the wake of a stressful life event such as the death of a loved one, divorce or job loss — you may have mild depression. That’s especially likely if you are still able to work and function and have no history of depression. Your symptoms may resolve on their own, aided by family support, professional counseling, or psychotherapy — and without the need of an antidepressant.
• If you are not functioning well, and your symptoms (see page 6 of the full report) have lasted three weeks or longer, you are more likely to be a candidate for taking an antidepressant. That is especially true if there is no apparent reason for you to be in the doldrums, or if you have had repeated episodes of depression.

Use the information in this report to enhance your understanding of whether an antidepressant might be right for you, and if so, which one. Then talk with your doctor or a mental health professional. Bear in mind that individual needs vary and people respond to antidepressants quite differently. Some people have to try two or three before one works.

Your doctor may not be aware of price differences between medicines, and be cautious if he or she offers you a free sample of an antidepressant that’s the only one on hand in the office. It may not be the right drug for you.

Taking effectiveness, safety, side effects and cost into account, we have chosen three Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs as initial options to consider for depression:

• Generic fluoxetine at a dose of 10 mg or 20 mg taken once a day, at a cost of $32 to $37 a month.
• Generic citalopram at a dose of 20mg or 40mg once a day at a cost of $50 to $52 per month.
• Generic bupropion at a dose of 75mg to 100mg taken three times a day at a cost of $60 to $71 per month.

These medicines are substantially less expensive than most other antidepressants, and are as effective as any of them. If you have drug coverage, talk with you doctor about finding the antidepressant that has the lowest out-of-pocket cost under your insurance plan.

Other important considerations:

• Talk with your doctor about starting with a low dose to minimize side effects. If the drug doesn’t help within 8 to 12 weeks, talk with your doctor about a higher dose or switching to another antidepressant.
• Tell your doctor about other mood, emotional or mental symptoms, such an anxiety or panic attacks. These are important in deciding which antidepressant is right for you.
• If you have taken an antidepressant before and it worked, you may want to stick with that one, or its generic equivalent.
• Tell your doctor whether the differences in side effects among the antidepressants are important to you. (See page 10 of the full report.)
• If you have frequent thoughts about suicide in the first few weeks of taking an antidepressant, contact your doctor or therapist to discuss this.

Source: http://www.consumerreports.org/health/best-buy-drugs/antidepressants.htm

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Breast-feeding in the first three months of life appears to help shield children from developing food allergies.

That’s just one of a number of findings on food allergies scheduled to be presented this week at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in Dallas.

Research has determined a possible role for food allergy prevention strategies in high-risk children, including maternal food avoidance in pregnancy, breast-feeding, maternal food avoidance while breast-feeding, use of hypoallergenic formulas, delayed introduction of allergenic foods and probiotics, noted one expert.

“A review of 18 studies demonstrates a significant protective effect of exclusive breast-feeding for at least three months for children with high risk for atopy (genetic tendency to develop allergic diseases) against the development of atopic dermatitis and early childhood asthma-like symptoms,” Dr. Robert Wood, international health director for pediatric allergy and immunology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement.

He offered a number of recommendations for children at high risk of allergic diseases:

* Women should avoid peanuts and tree nuts during pregnancy and while breast-feeding.
* Mothers should supplement breast-feeding with a hypoallergenic formula (extensively or partially hydrolyzed).
* Delay feeding these children solid foods until they’re six months old.
* Delay introduction of milk and egg until age 1 and peanut and tree nuts until age 3.
* Start early intervention when signs of food allergy appear (secondary prevention).

In a planned presentation about allergies and dietary restrictions, another expert noted that a person may have an allergy to one member of a food family, but may be able to eat other members of the same food family.

For example, one study on nine common fish found cross-reactivity and allergenicity were highest among cod, salmon and pollack and lowest among halibut, flounder, tuna and mackerel. Another study on edible nuts found cross-reactivity was strong among walnut, pecan and hazelnut; moderate among cashew, pistachio, Brazil nut and almond; and extremely low between peanut and tree nuts.

“You may be allergic to a particular part of a food, but not to another part,” Dr. Sami Bahna, chief of allergy and immunology at Louisiana State University in Shreveport, said in a prepared statement.

Another expert said doctors need to consider food allergy as a potential cause of gastrointestinal or dermatological symptoms in patients.

“The eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGID) which may affect the esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum are mostly chronic and recurrent disorders that adversely impact quality of life for patients and families,” Dr. Amal Assa’ad, director of the Food Allergy & Eosinophilic Disorders Clinic at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center, said in a prepared statement.

“Patients with EGID have a high rate of sensitization to food and environmental allergens, and many of them have a high rate of clinical symptoms with various food ingestions. A subset of patients respond to removal of major food allergens from their diet,” Assa’ad said.

“EGID management often requires multiple specialists, including the primary physician, allergy and immunology, gastroenterology, nutrition and psychology,” she noted.

– Robert Preidt

SOURCE: American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, news release, Nov. 14, 2007

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Chronic insomnia may predict the development of anxiety disorders and also indicate current depression.

That’s according to a Norwegian study published in the latest edition of the journal Sleep.

The study defines chronic insomnia as the subjective feeling of having trouble falling or staying asleep most nights for at least a month.

People with chronic insomnia should be screened to see if they have an anxiety disorder or depression, note the researchers. They included Dag Neckelmann, MD, PhD, of the psychiatry department at Haukeland University in Bergen, Norway.

Neckelmann’s team tracked depression, anxiety, and insomnia in more than 25,000 Norwegian adults.

Participants completed a health survey that included questions about chronic insomnia, anxiety disorders, and depression. They took the survey twice — once in the mid-1980s and again 11 years later.

Insomnia, Anxiety Disorders, and Depression

The researchers excluded participants who had anxiety disorders or depression at the time of the first survey.

People who reported chronic insomnia in the first survey were particularly likely to note anxiety disorders in the follow-up survey 11 years later.

Chronic insomnia didn’t predict depression’s development. People with chronic insomnia in the first survey weren’t especially likely to report depression 11 years later in the second survey.

But that doesn’t mean that insomnia and depression weren’t related.

People with chronic insomnia were more likely to have current anxiety or depression than people without insomnia.

The results held when the researchers considered other factors, including participants’ age, sex, and educational level.
Sound Sleep, Less Anxiety?

Easing chronic insomnia might help prevent the development of anxiety disorders, Neckelmann’s team notes.

However, they didn’t test that theory directly. Their study doesn’t prove that insomnia causes anxiety disorders, or that ending insomnia heads off anxiety.

SOURCES: Neckelmann, D. Sleep, July 1, 2007; vol 30: pp 873-880. News release, American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

?© 2007 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.

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Older men who suffer from chronic anxiety substantially increase their risk of having a heart attack, a new study reports.

While stress has been linked to an increased risk of heart problems, this is the first time that chronic anxiety has been identified as a risk factor also.

“There is an independent contribution of anxiety that can predict the onset of a heart attack among healthy older men,” said lead researcher Biing-Jiun Shen, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Even after accounting for anger, hostility, depression and type A personality, anxiety still predicted the onset of a heart attack, Shen said. “The relationship between anxiety and heart attack cannot be explained by depression, hostility or type A personality,” he said.

In the study, Shen’s group collected data on 735 men who participated in the Normative Aging Study, which assesses medical and psychological changes associated with aging. Each of the men completed psychological testing in 1986 and had no heart problems at the time. The men were followed for an average of 12 years.

The report appears in the Jan. 15 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

During follow-up, the researchers found men who had chronic anxiety had a 30 percent to 40 percent increased risk of heart attack. Those with the highest levels of anxiety on psychological testing had an even higher risk of heart attack.

The risk posed by anxiety remained even after the researchers adjusted their data to account for standard cardiovascular risk factors, health habits, and negative psychological and personality traits, Shen said.

Whether treating anxiety reduces the risk of heart attack isn’t known, Shen said. “But the implication is there,” he added. “It is something that doctors can look out for.”

Shen’s team is hoping to study that possibility. “Hopefully, that will reduce the risk for heart disease,” he said.

In addition, it isn’t known if women are also at risk for heart attack from chronic anxiety, Shen noted.

One expert agreed that psychological factors play a significant role in the risk for having a heart attack.

“Psychological characteristics including anxiety, anger, hostility and type A personalities have been associated with increased risk of heart attack in a number of prior studies, and this study again shows that chronic anxiety appears to raise an individual’s heart attack risk,” said Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, a cardiology professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.

“An important finding of this study is that anxiety not only represents an independent risk factor for heart attack but may also explain the associations between heart attack risk with other psychosocial risk factors,” Fonarow said.

Exaggerated response to acute and chronic stress in anxious individuals may trigger a number of pathways which increase the risk of developing coronary artery disease and being stricken with a heart attack, Fonarow said.

“Highly anxious individuals should be aware they may face an increased risk of a heart attack and take proactive steps under physician supervision to control those cardiovascular risk factors which are modifiable including blood pressure, lipid levels, activity level and weight,” Fonarow added.

SOURCES: Biing-Jiun Shen, Ph.D., assistant professor, psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles; Gregg C. Fonarow, M.D., professor, cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles; Jan. 15, 2008, Journal of the American College of Cardiology

Copyright ?© 2008 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Over time, the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light damages the fibers in the skin called elastin. The breakdown of these fibers causes the skin to lose its ability to snap back after stretching. As a result, wrinkles form. Gravity also is at work, pulling at the skin and causing it to sag, most noticeably on the face, neck, and upper arms.

Cigarette smoking also contributes to wrinkles. People who smoke tend to have more wrinkles than nonsmokers of the same age, complexion, and history of sun exposure. The reason for this difference is not clear. It may be because smoking also plays a role in damaging elastin. Facial wrinkling increases with the amount of cigarettes and number of years a person has smoked.

Many products currently on the market claim to ???revitalize aging skin.??? According to the American Academy of Dermatology, over-the-counter ???wrinkle??? creams and lotions may soothe dry skin, but they do little or nothing to reverse wrinkles. At this time, the only products that have been studied for safety and effectiveness and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat signs of sun-damaged or aging skin are tretinoin cream and carbon dioxide (CO2) and erbium (Er:YAG) lasers.

Tretinoin cream (Renova), a vitamin A derivative available by prescription only, is approved for reducing the appearance of fine wrinkles, mottled darkened spots, and roughness in people whose skin doesn’t improve with regular skin care and use of sun protection. However, it doesn’t eliminate wrinkles, repair sun-damaged skin, or restore skin to its healthier, younger structure. It hasn’t been studied in people 50 and older or in people with moderately or darkly pigmented skin.

The CO2 and Er:YAG lasers are approved to treat wrinkles. The doctor uses the laser to remove skin one layer at a time. Laser therapy is performed under anesthesia in an outpatient surgical setting.

The FDA currently is studying the safety of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), which are widely promoted to reduce wrinkles, spots, and other signs of aging, sun-damaged skin. Some studies suggest that they may work, but there is concern about adverse reactions and long-term effects of their use. Because people who use AHA products have greater sensitivity to the sun, the FDA advises consumers to protect themselves from sun exposure by using sunscreen, wearing a hat, or avoiding mid-day sun. If you are interested in treatment for wrinkles, you should discuss treatment options with a dermatologist.

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Exfoliate, hydrate, moisturize, cleanse…most of us barely have time to
gulp a low-fat, half-caff latte, so who has time for complex skin care?

Yet who doesn’t want that good-skin glow? So, with your time (and pocketbook) in mind, WebMD sought the help of experts to create these quick, basic skin care tips. With these simple steps you can love the skin you’re in in minutes.

Basic Skin Care Tip 1: Wash Your Skin Each Day

You don’t need fancy products to clean your way to super skin. Everyday soap and water removes the grime, sweat, pollution and dead cells that accumulate through the day and costs pennies to boot.

And a daily scrub or two is all you need; washing more often can disturb your skin’s natural protective lubrication. Skin care experts suggest using a mild, unscented soap with emollient and moisturizing properties. They warn against deodorant body soaps or antibacterial cleansers, which can be harsh to your skin.

Basic Skin Care Tip 2: Moisturize Your Skin

With our constant exposure to steamy showers, cold weather, and hot sun it’s no wonder the pros say we need moisturizer even if our skin is naturally oily.

Fortunately, locking in moisture for soft, smooth skin is easy: Just pat on your preferred product after stepping from the shower. And pricey products need not apply: Some skin care professional recommend white petroleum jelly, even hair conditioner. Have oily skin? Try noncomedogenic products, which don’t clog pores.

And don’t forget to moisturize from the inside out with plenty of water.

Basic Skin Care Tip 3: Use Sunscreen to Protect Your Skin

Whether the weather promises snow, sun, or showers, sun protection is a must, say the specialists at the American Academy of Dermatology. Snow and water both reflect the sun’s rays, and even on cloudy days we get a healthy dose of skin-sizzling ultraviolet.

Over time, those ultraviolet rays can lead to wrinkles, discoloration, moles, and skin cancer.

What to do? Cover up exposed skin and slather on a sunscreen of SPF 15 or more, with UVA and UVB protection. And reapply often.

Even Skimpier Skin Care

Really pressed for time? It’s easy to shrink these three skin care steps into a two-step process:

• Merge washing up and moisturizing steps by using a moisturizing soap.
• Unite your moisturizer and sunscreen: Buy a moisturizer with SPF 15 or higher.

Most known skin care medications

• Retin-A skin care drug (tretinoin) - used to treat acne and aged, sun damaged skin. Tretinoin works best
  when used in combination with alpha hydroxyacid preparations.
• Cleocin skin care drug - used to treat infections of the respiratory tract, skin, pelvis, vagina, and abdomen.
• Dovonex skin care drug (calcipotriene) - used to treat psoriasis. It works by controlling the overproduction of skin cells in areas affected by psoriasis.

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Antidepressant: Anything, and especially a drug, used to prevent or treat depression.

The available antidepressant drugs include the SSRIs or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, MAOIs or monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, tetracyclic antidepressants, and others.

The SSRIs or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors include:

• citalopram (Celexa, Cipramil)
• escitalopram oxalate (Cipralex, Lexapro)
• fluvoxamine maleate (Luvox)
• paroxetine (Paxil, Seroxat, Aropax)
• fluoxetine (Prozac)
• sertraline (Zoloft, Lustral)

The MAOIs or monoamine oxidase inhibitors include:

• phenelzine (Nardil)
• tranylcypromine (Parnate)

The tricyclic antidepressants include:

• amitriptyline (Elavil, Endep)
• clomipramine (Anafranil)
• desipramine (Norpramin, Pertofrane)
• doxepin (Adapin, Sinequan)
• imipramine (Tofranil)
• nortryptyline (Pamelor)
• protriptyline (Vivactil)
• trimipramine (Surmontil)

The tetracyclic antidepressant is maprotiline (Ludiomil).

Other antidepressant drugs include:

• bupropion (Wellbutrin)
• buspirone (Buspar)
• duloxetine (Cymbalta)
• mirtazapine (Remeron, Zispin, Avanza, Norset, Remergil)
• nefazodone (Serzone)
• reboxetine (Edronax, Vestra)
• trazodone (Desyrel)
• venlafaxine (Effexor)

Antidepressants should not be used unless the depression is severe and/or other treatments have failed. As with all drugs, the use of antidepressants requires monitoring for side effects, and suicide should be considered a possible side effect of the newer antidepressants.

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Back pain is one of the most common causes of lost work in the US, with herniated discs the focal point of the pain. Now, a new procedure is helping patients with disc problems get back on their feet.

Andrew Hudson enjoys playing golf. It’s hard to believe he had back surgery six months ago. “it got to the point where I couldn’t walk. You have trouble speaking because you hurt so much all the time.” Heavy lifting resulted in four ruptured discs and a pinched nerve. After exhausting all non-surgical methods, he was sent to neurosurgeon, doctor Brent Faircloth.

“If somebody is becoming paralyzed, you’ve got to operate on them.” But for many people, back surgery can involve greater risks. “The old operation, you make an incision in the middle and you would pull the muscle away from the bone. The problem with that is healing. It hurts!”

So Doctor Faircloth performed the minimally invasive Metrix procedure on Andrew through this small incision. How does it work? “Make an 18 millimeter incision, go down, split the muscles, put the tube in. I bring a microscope in, then operate through that tube. Take off the small piece of bone, find the nerve, find where it is pinched, bring that nerve to the side, that part that’s sticking up, I take that out. I take out enough of the inside, not all of it, but enough, so the capsule will seal and then close.”

The nerve is repaired and the operation is complete. It takes about an hour and a half. Most people go home the same day. “Nine weeks from surgery, most people, 92 percent of people with surgery return to full activity.” That goes for Andrew also. “Within six weeks. I haven’t felt this good in 20 years.”

There are some things you can do to alleviate back pain. Limited rest combined with exercise and education is the main mode of therapy, and an ice bag or hot water bottle applied to the back will help along with taking anti-inflammatory drugs.

Some back pain relief medications:

• Celebrex pain relief drug - a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) which relieves pain and inflammation (swelling). It is used to treat pain, swelling and stiffness due to arthritis.
• Ketorolac pain relief drug - used for the short-term treatment of moderate to severe pain in adults, usually after surgery.
• Ponstel pain relief drug - used for the short-term treatment of mild to moderate pain from various conditions.

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The Food and Drug Administration has just approved a powerful new option to help millions of adults who suffer from migraines, and while it’s not new to the drug market, it is beating migraine pain.

Some 28 million Americans suffer from migraines, the majority of them women. Michelle Carpentier-Lazarz knows first hand how bad these headaches can be. “They usually start at the front of my head. It’s always on the left side for me, and they typically will be a throbbing pain over my head and then it, as they get more severe, they can go back and they kind of grip at the back of your head, kind of like a vice.”

Now the FDA has approved a new treatment option called Vioxx. In clinical studies, Vioxx relieved migraine pain and migraine associated symptoms. “In reality, a migraine isn’t just a headache. The pain of migraine is usually moderate to severe. Different patients need different treatments and this is the first one we have approved in this class of drugs. Vioxx is an excellent new option for patients to treat their migraine attacks.”

In the trials, one Vioxx relieved moderate to severe headache pain within two hours after patients took the medicine. “The approval of Vioxx for treatment of migraines in adults is so important because it gives us another tool for patients to use for their acute migraine attacks.”

Vioxx also is approved for the treatment of osteoarthritis and adult rheumatoid arthritis, management of acute pain and primary dysmenorrhea. For patients, like Michelle, the new migraine indication for Vioxx is important news.

Patients taking Vioxx did have some side effects, including dizziness and nausea, and people with allergic reactions, such as asthma, to aspirin or other arthritis medicines should not take Vioxx.

More pain relief medications:? 

• Ultracet pain relief drug - Combination medicines containing opioid analgesics (nar-KOT-ik an-al-JEE-zicks ) such as tramadol (TRA-ma-dole) and acetaminophen (a-seat-a-MIN-oh-fen ) are used to relieve pain.
• Ultram pain relief drug - used to relieve moderate to moderately severe pain.
• Fioricet pain relief drug - the combination of acetaminophen, butalbital, and caffeine is used to relieve tension headaches.

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