Universal Health Solutions

Lower Cholesterol Without Drugs

Posted on November 16, 2011

Nowadays many people are obsessed with losing body fat, either to have a more slender physique or to lower cholesterol. Unfortunately they sometimes resort to drug-based slimming tablets and even other more dangerous means. Most of these people are unaware of the damaging effects this may be causing to their liver.

However, there is a natural way to lower cholesterol and shed some of those pounds. It is to have a healthy diet and perform moderate to rigorous exercise at least 3 times a week. Everyone who has tried it will agree, that pounding the treadmill or doing a similar exercise to raise the heart rate, not only helps a person burn off the fat but also live a much healthier life. Clinical studies have shown that doing at least 30 minutes exercise 3 - 4 days every week increases a person's good cholesterol levels by 10% - 20%.

It is not always true that when a person is slender that they have lower cholesterol than someone heavier. Because of our modern society's need for fast food, the unhealthy food we put in our body translates to cholesterol imbalances and even for those with faster metabolisms, cholesterol problems are totally unavoidable if their lifestyle and diet is poor.

To lower cholesterol one good idea is to consume high fiber foods such as pectin, oat bran, psyllium, guar gum and dried beans. These have been shown to significantly lower total cholesterol and low density (bad) cholesterol. This highly recommended daily regime also greatly contributes to keeping a normal bowel movement while cleansing the colon from unwanted body fat and toxins. With proper diet and ample aerobic exercise, bad cholesterol is lowered and good cholesterol is raised. Maintaining an active lifestyle is the best natural way to lower cholesterol, raise your mood and encourage a more positive mental attitude. Read more...

AIDS/HIV Information

Posted on July 3, 2011

AIDS is an acronym for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome it causes a destruction of the immune system. It is the most advanced stage of the HIV virus (HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus). AIDS is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the presence of a positive HIV antibody test and one or more of the illnesses known as opportunistic infections.

The HIV virus, type 1 or 2 is widely known to be the cause of AIDS. HIV breaks down and attacks your T cells so your body is unable to defend itself against different infections. The HIV virus also attacks your peripheral nervous system, this causes nerve and muscle pain, especially in the feet, legs, and hands.

HIV is spread through direct contact with semen or blood of an individual that is infected. This can be transferred in many ways the most common is unprotected sexual intercourse. Other means of infection are infected blood transfusions, mother to infant (at time of birth, or through breast milk), sharing needles with an infected person, and rarely a healthcare worker that gets pricked with an infected needle.

Often people who are infected with HIV have few symptoms and in some cases there are none. Other times, symptoms of HIV are confused with other illnesses such as the flu. This may be severe, with swollen glands in the neck and armpits, tiredness, fever and night sweats. This is where as much as 9 out of 10 of the infected individuals will develop AIDS. At this point the person may feel completely healthy and not even know that he/she has the virus. The next stage begins when the immune system starts to break down and the virus becomes more aggressive in damaging white cells. Several glands in the neck and armpits may swell and stay swollen for an extended period of time without any explanation. As this disease progresses boils or warts may spread over the body. They may also feel tremendously tired, night sweats, high fevers, chronic diarrhea, and they may lose a considerable amount of their body weight. Most cases have shown thrush as a symptom as well. At this point the person is in the final stages of HIV--AIDS. Severe chest infections with high fever are common and survival rate is above 70% but decrease with each recurrence. Read more...

Breathing Exercises for Pneumonia

Posted on May 19, 2011

Pneumonia is a severe infection of the lungs which is characterized by shortness of breath, high fever and chest pain. This condition can be caused by bacteria, viruses or aspiration. Depending on the cause, the treatment will vary. If the condition cannot be treated effectively by medicines, antibiotics or rest, hospitalization may be recommended. If a person faces difficulty while breathing, doing breathing exercises can assist in treating the symptoms of pneumonia.

The exercise of deep breaths moves air in to the tiniest sacs in the lungs, which are known as alveoli. It is here that the exchange of oxygen for carbon dioxide is done. This improved transfer induces better oxygenation to lungs and other body tissues. Good oxygenation promotes better health of the tissues which in turn assists the cells in the body to fight the germs causing pneumonia. The exercise will also assist in controlling of correct breathing pattern thus promoting maintenance of calm state of mind even if the individual is facing stress or illness.

Certain exercises involve inhalation technique which will work towards strengthening the muscles of the chest and avert collapse of alveoli which otherwise worsen the symptoms related to pneumonia. The doctor may also advice the usage of spirometry. This is an apparatus which will show the patient the volume of breaths taken. The person takes deep breaths using a tube. This will be attached to the devise which will display the depth of each inhalation taken. He/she can stand or sit in order to practice deep breathing with the elbows rolled back. The person should inhale slowly, hold the breath for almost five seconds and then exhale slowly. Read more...