Swine Flu

Swine influenza virus (SIV) is caused by Orthomyxoviruses that are endemic to pig populations. SIV strains isolated to date have been classified either as Influenzavirus C or one of the various subtypes of the genus Influenzavirus A.

Swine flu, unlike bird flu, is able to pass from human to human contact. The 2009 swine flu outbreak is the spread of a new strain of H1N1 influenza virus that was first detected by public health agencies in March 2009. Local outbreaks of influenza-like illness were detected in three areas of Mexico, but the presence of this new strain was not discovered for a month.

Following this discovery in the parts of United States bordering Mexico, its presence was swiftly confirmed in the local outbreaks in Mexico, and in isolated cases elsewhere. By April 27, the new strain was confirmed also in Canada, Spain, and the United Kingdom and suspected in many other nations, with over 1,800 candidate cases.

The new strain is an apparent reassortment of several strains of influenza A virus subtype H1N1, including a strain endemic in humans and two strains endemic in pigs, as well as an avian influenza.

Reassortment is common in influenza viruses, due to the structure of their genome. This particular reassortment is consistent with a transmission of swine influenza from pig to human combined with the mixing of two viral infections in the same person.

In April both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expressed serious concerns about this novel strain, because it apparently transmits from human to human, has had a relatively high mortality rate in Mexico, and because it has the potential to become a flu pandemic.

On April 25, 2009, the WHO determined the situation to be a formal “public health emergency of international concern”, with knowledge lacking in regard to “the clinical features, epidemiology, and virology of reported cases and the appropriate responses”.

Government health agencies around the world also expressed concerns over the outbreak and are monitoring the situation closely.

Recommendations to prevent infection by the virus consist of the standard personal precautions against influenza. This includes frequent washing of hands with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizers, especially after being out in public. People should avoid touching their mouth, nose or eyes with their hands unless they've washed their hands. If people do cough, they should either cough into a tissue and throw it in the garbage immediately or, if they cough in their hand, they should wash their hands immediately.

Many countries confirmed that inbound international passengers will be screened. Typical airport health screening involves asking passengers which countries they have visited and checking whether they feel or look particularly unwell.

On April 27, the CDC recommended the use of Tamiflu and Relenza for both treatment and prevention of the new strain.

Some physicians in the US are recommending the use of masks when in public. The purpose of a face mask is to effectively cover a person’s mouth and nose so that if a person is around someone who is infected, there is a decreased likelihood of transmission.

Cases by country
Country	Laboratory confirmed cases	Other possible cases*	Attributed deaths‡	Refs.
Mexico (details)	26	1,995	149 (20)	[1][2]
United States (details)	48	212+	0	[3][2][4]
Canada (details)	6	28+	0	[2][5]
United Kingdom (details)	2	21	0	[6]
Spain (details)	1	35	0	[7][8]
New Zealand	0	56	0	[9]
Australia	0	19	0	[10][11]
Colombia	0	12	0	[12]
Brazil	0	11	0	[13][14]
Switzerland	0	5	0	[15]
Denmark	0	4	0	[16]
Ireland	0	4	0	[17]
Czech Republic	0	3	0	[18]
Poland	0	3	0	[19]
France	0	3	0	[20]
Guatemala	0	3	0	[21]
Israel	0	2	0	[22]
Argentina	0	1	0	[23]
Costa Rica	0	1	0	[24]
Peru	0	1	0	[25]
Russia	0	1	0	[26]
South Korea	0	1	0	[27]
Totals	83	2,443+	149 (20)
* Not all cases have been confirmed as being due to this strain. Possible cases are cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) that have not been confirmed through testing to be due to this strain. ‡ Deaths with confirmed presence of virus in parentheses.

Questions and answers about swine flu

Mexico is contending with an outbreak of swine flu, suspected in the deaths of dozens of people and sickening perhaps 1,000. In the United States, at least eight cases have been confirmed with the infection, all of them in California and Texas; only one person was hospitalized. Here are some questions and answers about the illness:


Q. What is swine flu?

A. Swine flu is a respiratory illness in pigs caused by a virus. The swine flu virus routinely causes outbreaks in pigs but doesn’t usually kill many of them.

Q. Can people get swine flu?

A. Swine flu viruses don’t usually infect humans. There have been occasional cases, usually among people who’ve had direct contact with infected pigs, such as farm workers. “We’ve seen swine influenza in humans over the past several years, and in most cases, it’s come from direct pig contact. This seems to be different,” said Dr. Arnold Monto, a flu expert with the University of Michigan.

Q. Can it spread among humans?

A. There have been cases of the virus spreading from human to human, probably in the same way as seasonal flu, through coughing and sneezing by infected people.

Q. What are the symptoms of swine flu?

A. The symptoms are similar to those of regular flu — fever, cough, fatigue, lack of appetite.

Q. Is the same swine flu virus making people sick in Mexico and the U.S.?

A. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the Mexican virus samples match the U.S. virus. The virus is a mix of human virus, bird virus from North America and pig viruses from North America, Europe and Asia.

Q. Are there drugs to treat swine flu in humans?

A. There are four different drugs approved in the U.S. to treat the flu, but the new virus has shown resistance to the two oldest. If you suspects any symptoms of Swine flu, contact your physician.

Q. Does a regular flu shot protect against swine flu?

A. The seasonal flu vaccine used in the U.S. this year won’t likely provide protection against the latest swine flu virus. There is a swine flu vaccine for pigs but not for humans.

Q. Should residents of California or Texas do anything special?

A. The CDC recommends routine precautions to prevent the spread of infectious diseases: wash your hands often, cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, avoid close contact with sick people. If you are sick, stay at home and limit contact with others.

Q. What about traveling to Mexico?

A. The CDC has not warned Americans against traveling to Mexico but advises that they be aware of the illnesses there and take precautions to protect against infections, like washing their hands.

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Posted in: Flu,Swine Flu

Swine Flu Symptoms

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Posted in: Flu,Swine Flu

Cancer Treatment: A Beginner's Guide

By Melanie Haiken, Caring.com

Quick summary

If your parent has received a diagnosis of cancer, he'll soon be plunging into the complex world of cancer treatment. Typically, your parent's doctor will refer him to an oncologist, who plans a course of treatment. This may be a single process, such as chemotherapy, or more likely it will be a combination of different treatment types, such as surgery followed immediately by radiation, followed later by a course of chemo. Within each of these treatment categories, there are myriad distinctions to understand and decisions to make, which can leave you and your parent feeling overwhelmed.

To help you and your parent sort through the maze of cancer treatments, here's a guide to the main types and how they work.

Neoadjuvant therapy and adjuvant therapy for cancer treatment

Sometimes oncologists prescribe chemotherapy, radiation, or other drugs, such as hormones, to shrink a tumor priorto surgery. This is known as neoadjuvant therapy. Adjuvant therapy is the term for chemotherapy or radiation given after surgery.

Surgery for cancer treatment

If the doctor identifies a tumor that's safe for removal, surgery is going to be an important part of your parent's treatment. The oldest form of cancer treatment, surgery is still considered the best way to remove cancerous tissue, particularly when it's localized in one area of the body. The goal in surgery is to remove the entire tumor, including the cancerous cells spreading around the edge, or "margin," of the tumor.

Your parent's doctor may discuss one or a number of different types of surgery:

• Laser surgery. Most people picture a scalpel when thinking about surgery, but today some surgeries are performed using lasers to cut tissue. Lasers are typically used for very precise surgeries, such as in the eye or larynx, but they can also be used to vaporize cancers in particular areas, such as the cervix or rectum. Lasers or cryosurgery (freezing) are commonly used to treat skin cancer.
• Surgery on surrounding areas. Sometimes additional surgery is performed on other areas where the cancer is spreading. Breast cancer, for example, is often treated with surgery to remove the tumor in the breast and additional surgery or biopsy to remove the lymph nodes under the arm. The surgeon may also decide to remove blood vessels close to the tumor to prevent the cancer from spreading.
• Diagnostic surgery. Some types of surgery are used to diagnose and "stage" cancer when the doctor can't see what's going on from outside the body.

Biopsies are the most common type of diagnostic surgery. Using a needle, the doctor draws a tissue sample from a tumor. Biopsies can also be done by cutting through the tissue with a knife or laser. An excisional biopsy is one that cuts out the entire tumor, while an incisional biopsy removes a small part of a larger tumor. Unlike regular surgery, biopsies are often outpatient procedures performed using local anesthesia.

Endoscopies often done in tandem with biopsies, use a flexible tube and scope to pass through the throat or colon in order to examine a potentially cancerous area without cutting through the skin. Endoscopies are also usually done on an outpatient basis.

Laparoscopies are similar to endoscopies, but they do require a small incision -- usually in the abdomen -- through which the doctor inserts the scope.

• Prophylactic surgery. This type of surgery is a proactive treatment used to prevent cancer from developing in people who are likely to develop the disease. For example, women with a strong family history of breast cancer may choose to have a prophylactic mastectomy to protect themselves.

Chemotherapy for cancer treatment

One of the most effective ways to kill off cancer cells is with toxic chemicals called chemotherapy agents, which are drugs developed to target fast-growing cells. There are many different chemotherapy drugs, and some attack a variety of types of cancer while others focus on particular cancers, such as breast cancer or lung cancer.

Chemotherapy drugs work by targeting all fast-growing cells, so they also affect rapidly dividing cells in other parts of the body, such as the hair, the mouth, and the digestive system, which is what leads to common side effects such as dry mouth and hair loss. Unlike radiation and surgery, which are site-specific, or "local," chemotherapy is considered a "systemic" treatment, since the medications travel throughout the body.

• Chemotherapy drugs. Some chemotherapy drugs, called "nonspecific," are capable of killing cancer cells during any phase of growth; others, called "specific," can kill cancer cells only during a specific phase and not while the cell is resting. Doctors often create a chemotherapy regimen by combining specific and nonspecific chemo agents for maximum effect.

When your parent's doctor chooses a drug, she also makes decisions about dosage level, frequency of dosage, and length of treatment. These decisions can affect how easy or difficult it is for your parent to tolerate his chemo regimen. The more you can find out about exactly which drugs will be used, in what dosages, and for how long, the better prepared you and your parent can be to cope with the side effects to come. Some chemotherapy drugs are given through an IV while others can be taken orally or by injection.

• Chemotherapy schedules. Nowadays, chemotherapy is most often performed on an outpatient basis, though if your parent has to be hospitalized for surgery, the doctor may start chemo while he's still in the hospital.

Chemotherapy is usually given in cycles, with periods of treatment followed by periods of rest to let your parent's body recover. Your parent might receive three weeks of chemo followed by one week of rest, or one week of chemo followed by three weeks of rest. Either way, a full four weeks makes up one cycle. Sometimes your parent has to meet certain health criteria in order to go through the next round of chemotherapy. For example, the doctor may monitor your parent's blood cell counts, and if his white or red blood cell count drops too low, the doctor may have to postpone the next round of chemo until the count rises again.

Radiation therapy for cancer treatment

Radiation can be performed after a tumor is surgically removed to catch stray cancer cells, before surgery to shrink a tumor, or as a stand-alone therapy.

There are two general kinds of radiation therapy: internal and external. Doctors usually recommend internal radiation, also called brachytherapy, when they want to target the cancer with a high dose of radiation delivered internally to a small area, such as tumors located in the breast, prostate, head, or neck. The radiation is implanted or injected in wires, "seeds," or capsules, then left in place for a period of time, either until they're removed or until they decay and become inactive. Brachytherapy is usually performed as an outpatient procedure, though sometimes doctors choose to implant a radioactive "source" at the end of surgery.

When the radiation is beamed into the body from an outside source, most often from an X-ray machine or linear accelerator, it's called external radiation. External radiation is usually given in the form of a sequence of treatments, typically five days a week for six to eight weeks. (On weekends, your parent gets a break so his body can recover.)

Radiation therapy is a rapidly improving technology, and there are many different types available.

Hormone therapy for cancer treatment

Used most often to treat breast and prostate cancers, hormone therapy uses the body's own natural hormones to treat cancers that are affected by the hormones produced by the endocrine system. Because hormones fuel the growth of some types of cancer, cutting off or blocking the action of those hormones can stop the cancer from growing. Estrogen blockers, for example, can be very effective in treating some types of breast cancer, while blocking testosterone can be effective in preventing the growth of prostate cancer cells.

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Posted in: cancer

Can Losing Weight Help the Environment?

by Jessica at MSN Health

Living in an environmentally conscious city like Seattle, I’ve become accustomed to talking and learning about climate change. It seems as if everyone is looking for ways to reduce his or her carbon footprint and help the environment. Drive less. Reduce water waste. Buy local. Recycle. But how does losing weight help reduce greenhouse gases?
Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have found that watching your weight isn’t just about improving your health. It can have an impact on climate change.

In their study, published in the April edition of the International Journal of Epidemiology, they found that maintaining a healthy body mass index (BMI) can lower greenhouse emissions.

The researchers calculated that a lean population of a billion people would emit 1,000 million fewer tons of greenhouse gas emissions from food production and car travel per year. A population in which 40 percent of the people are obese , like the U.S., requires 19 percent more food energy for its total energy expenditure. Also, less energy is required to transport slim people.

"When it comes to food consumption, moving about in a heavy body is like driving around in a gas guzzler," say the authors. "The heavier our bodies become, the harder and more unpleasant it is to move about in them and the more dependent we become on our cars. Staying slim is good for health and for the environment. We need to be doing a lot more to reverse the global trend towards fatness, and recognize it as a key factor in the battle to reduce emissions and slow climate change," they conclude.

In nearly every country in the world, the average BMI is rising.

• Globally, there are more than 1 billion overweight adults—at least 300 million of them obese.
• Obesity and overweight pose a major risk for chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and certain forms of cancer.
• The key causes are increased consumption of energy-dense foods high in saturated fats and sugars, and reduced physical activity.

These findings, coupled with the health benefits of losing weight and the fast-approaching swimsuit season, have given me extra incentive to lose a few pounds. I think I’ll be biking to the grocery store this weekend. Not only will I be reducing my carbon footprint and buying local, I’ll be losing weight.

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Posted in: Weight loss

25 Cancer Symptoms Men Are Most Likely to Ignore

By Melanie Haiken, Caring.com senior editor

Annual checkups and tests such as colonoscopies and PSA assays are important, but it's not a good idea to rely on tests alone to protect you from cancer. It's just as important to listen to your body and notice anything that's different, odd, or unexplainable. (You should also listen to those close to you, such as a wife or partner, because others sometimes notice things we're unaware of—or don't want to admit.) You don't want to join the ranks of cancer patients who realize too late that symptoms they'd noticed for a long time could have sounded the alarm earlier, when cancer was easier to cure.

Here, some signs of cancer that are commonly overlooked:

1. Upset stomach or stomachache
One of the first signs colon cancer patients remember experiencing when they look back is unexplained stomach aches. Those with pancreatic cancer describe a dull ache that feels like it's pressing inward. Many liver cancer patients say they went in complaining of stomach cramps and upset stomachs so frequently that their doctors thought they had ulcers. Liver cancer patients and those with leukemia can experience abdominal pain resulting from an enlarged spleen, which may feel like an ache on the lower left side.

If you have a stomachache that you can't attribute to a digestive problem or that doesn't go away, ask your doctor to order an ultrasound. Finding a liver or pancreatic tumor early can make all the difference in treatment.

2. Chronic "acid stomach" or feeling full after a small meal
The most common early sign of stomach cancer is pain in the upper or middle abdomen that feels like gas or heartburn. It may be aggravated by eating, so that you feel full when you haven't actually eaten much. What's particularly confusing is that the pain can be relieved by antacids, confirming your conclusion that it was caused by acid in the stomach, when it's more than that. An unexplained pain or ache in lower right side can be the first sign of liver cancer, known as one of the "silent killers." Feeling full after a small meal is a common sign of liver cancer as well.

If you have frequent bouts of acid stomach, an unexplained abdominal ache, or a full feeling after meals even when you're eating less than normal, call your doctor.

3. Unexplained weight loss
If you notice the pounds coming off and you haven't made changes to your diet or exercise regime, it's important to find out why. Unexplained weight loss can be an early sign of colon and other digestive cancers; it can also be a sign of cancer that's spread to the liver, affecting your appetite and the ability of your body to rid itself of waste.

4. Jaundice
Pancreatic cancer, another one of the "silent killers," is often discovered when someone notices jaundice and asks the doctor to do a battery of tests. Jaundice is most commonly thought of as a yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, but darker-than-normal urine that's not the result of dehydration is also a sign. Clay-colored stools are another little-known sign of jaundice. Oddly, jaundice can also cause itching, because the bile salts in the bloodstream cause the skin to itch. Some people with pancreatic cancer say they noticed the itching before they noticed the jaundice itself.

5. Wheezing or shortness of breath
One of the first signs lung cancer patients remember noticing when they look back is the inability to catch their breath. "I couldn't even walk to my car without wheezing; I thought I had asthma, but how come I didn't have it before?" is how one man described it. Shortness of breath, chest pain, or spitting blood are also signs of testicular cancer that's spread to the lungs.

6. Chronic cough or chest pain
Several types of cancer, including leukemia and lung tumors, can cause symptoms that mimic a bad cough or bronchitis. One way to tell the difference: The problems persist, or go away and come back again in a repeating cycle. Some lung cancer patients report chest pain that extends up into the shoulder or down the arm.

7. Frequent fevers or infections
These can be signs of leukemia, a cancer of the blood cells that starts in the bone marrow. Leukemia causes the marrow to produce abnormal white blood cells, which crowd out healthy white cells, sapping the body's infection-fighting capabilities. Doctors sometimes catch leukemia in older adults only after the patient has been in a number of times complaining of fever, achiness, and flu-like symptoms over an extended period of time.

8. Difficulty swallowing
Most commonly associated with esophageal or throat cancer, having trouble swallowing is sometimes one of the first signs of lung cancer, too. Men diagnosed with esophageal cancer look back and remember a feeling of pressure and soreness when swallowing that didn't go away the way a cold or flu would have. Consult your doctor also if you have a frequent feeling of needing to clear your throat or that food is stuck in your chest; either of these can signal a narrowing of the esophagus that could mean the presence of a tumor.

9. Chronic heartburn
If you just ate half a pizza, heartburn is expected. But if you have frequent episodes of heartburn or a constant low-level feeling of pain in the chest after eating, call your doctor and ask to be screened for esophageal cancer. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)—a condition in which stomach acid rises into the esophagus, causing heartburn and an acidic taste in the throat—can trigger a condition called Barrett's esophagus, which can be a precursor of esophageal cancer.

10. Swelling of facial features
Some patients with lung cancer report that they noticed puffiness, swelling, or redness in the face. The explanation for this is that small cell lung tumors commonly block blood vessels in the chest, preventing blood from flowing freely from the head and face.

11. Swollen lymph nodes or lumps on the neck, underarm, or groin
Enlarged lymph nodes indicate changes in the lymphatic system, which can be a sign of cancer. For example, a lump or an enlarged lymph node in the neck or underarm is sometimes a sign of thyroid, head, or throat cancer. A painless lump on the neck, underarm, or groin can be an early sign of leukemia.

12. Excessive bruising or bleeding that doesn't stop
This symptom usually suggests something abnormal happening with the platelets and red blood cells, which can be a sign of leukemia. One man with leukemia noticed that his gums bled when he brushed his teeth; another described bruising in strange places, such as on his fingers and hands. The explanation: Over time, leukemia cells crowd out red blood cells and platelets, impairing the blood's ability to carry oxygen and clot.

13. Weakness and fatigue
"I had to stop halfway across the yard and sit down when I was mowing the lawn," said one man when describing the fatigue that led to his discovery of pancreatic cancer. Generalized fatigue and weakness is a symptom of so many different kinds of cancer (and other ills) that you'll need to look at it in combination with other symptoms. But any time you feel exhausted without explanation and it doesn't respond to getting more sleep, talk to your doctor.

14. Rectal bleeding or blood in the stool
"I thought it was hemorrhoids" is one of the most common statements doctors hear when diagnosing colorectal cancer. Blood in the toilet alone is reason to call your doctor and schedule a colonoscopy. Another sign of blood in the stool many people miss is stools that are darker in color.

15. Bowel problems
Constipation, diarrhea, and changes in stools can all be signs of cancer. As with many other cancer symptoms, the way to tell if this is cause for concern is if it goes on for more than a few days without a clear cause, such as flu or food poisoning. People diagnosed with colon cancer say they noticed more frequent stools, as well as a feeling that their bowels weren't emptying completely. One of the early signs of pancreatic cancer is fatty stools, which can be recognized as frequent, large stools that are paler than normal and smelly. This is a sign that your body's not absorbing your food normally, and it should be brought to your doctor's attention.

16. Difficulty urinating or changes in flow
Hands-down, the most common early sign of prostate cancer is a feeling of not being able to start peeing once you're set to go. Many men also report having a hard time stopping the flow of urine, a flow that starts and stops, or a stream that's weaker than normal. Any of these symptoms is reason to call your doctor for an exam and a screening test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA).

17. Pain or burning during urination
This symptom can also indicate a urinary tract infection or sexually transmitted disease, of course, but in any case it warrants an immediate trip to the doctor. This symptom is often combined with the feeling that you need to go more often, particularly at night. These same symptoms can also indicate inflammation or infection in the prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia, the name for what happens when the prostate grows bigger and blocks the flow of urine. However, you need to get checked out to tell the difference.

18. Blood in urine or semen
Men are often warned about blood in the urine, but they may not realize that blood in semen is also a danger sign for prostate cancer. Blood in the urine or semen isn't always visible as blood; urine may just be a pink, dark red, or smoky brown color, while blood in the semen may just look like a pinkish streak.

19. Erection problems
As prostate cancer progresses, another very common sign is difficulty getting or sustaining an erection. This can be a difficult subject to talk about, but it's important to bring it to your doctor's attention. It could be a sign of sexual dysfunction with another cause, of course, but it's a reason to have an exam and a PSA test.

20. Pain, aching, or heaviness in the groin, hips, thighs, or abdomen
One sign of prostate cancer is frequent pain in the hips, upper thighs, or the lowest part of the back. Men with testicular cancer report noticing a heavy, aching feeling low in the belly or abdomen, or in the scrotum or testicles themselves. They sometimes describe it as a feeling of downward pulling or as a generalized ache throughout the groin area. Prostate cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes often makes itself known as discomfort in the pelvis or swelling in the legs.

21. Testicular swelling or lump
The lumps that indicate testicular cancer are nearly always painless. It's also common for a testicle to be enlarged or swollen, but lacking any specific lump that you can see or feel. Some men report feeling discomfort from the enlargement, but not an outright pain.

22. Unexplained back pain
Back pain can mean all sorts of things, of course—most often pulled muscles or disc problems. But unexplained, persistent back pain can be an early sign of cancer as well, so get it checked out. Pain in the lower back and hips can be a sign of prostate cancer, while pain in the upper back can signal lung cancer. A pain in the upper abdomen and back is one of the few early signs of pancreatic cancer.

23. Scaly or painful nipple or chest, nipple discharge
Men do get breast cancer; they also get a condition called gynecomastia, which is a benign lump in the breast area. Breast cancer is usually detected as a lump, but if it's spreading inward it can also cause chest pain. Other signs of breast cancer include patches of red, scaly, or dimpled skin or changes to the nipple such as turning inward or leaking fluid. Bring any lump, swelling, or skin or nipple problem, or any chest pain, to your doctor's attention.

24. A sore or skin lump that doesn't heal, becomes crusty, or bleeds easily
Most of us know to watch moles for changes that might indicate skin cancer. But other signs, such as small waxy lumps or dry scaly patches, are easier to miss. Familiarize yourself with the different types of skin cancer—melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma—and be vigilant about checking skin all over the body for odd-looking growths or spots.

25. Changes in nails
Unexplained changes to the fingernails can be a sign of several types of cancer. A brown or black streak or dot under the nail can indicate skin cancer, while newly discovered "clubbing," which means enlargement of the ends of the fingers, with nails that curve down over the tips, can be a sign of lung cancer. Pale or white nails can be an indication that your liver is not functioning properly, sometimes a sign of liver cancer.

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Posted in: cancer,Men's Issue

Can’t Sleep? 20 Natural Tips to Stop Tossing & Turning

Sweet dreams - got ‘em? Many of us don’t. For some, bedtime is a nightly battle of tossing, turning and exhausted frustration; believe me, I’ve been there myself. As with any of life’s imbalances, there’s usually an underlying reason for insomnia and although stress and tension are usually the root cause, there are natural solutions to help you get the rest you deserve. Try some of these ideas and see which ones work for you.

Before going to bed, stretch out.

The day’s tensions are held in your body, so a gentle, relaxing stretching session – even a brief one – can do you a world of good.

Wear comfortable clothing - or none!

You might be surprised to find that going to sleep in your birthday suit helps you get more relaxed. Or, simply changing the type of PJ’s you wear can work wonders. If you’ve been sticking to cotton or flannel, try bamboo, which breathes well.

Skip the bedtime TV show.

I know a lot of people like to fall asleep to the TV, and if that works for you, great. But if you find yourself wired after watching Colbert or the midnight sci-fi flick, take the hint and turn off the tube. With all those flashing images, TV stimulates the brain and that’s the last thing you need if you’re trying to sleep.

Unplug electrical appliances in your bedroom at night.

The subtle electrical hum might just be enough to keep you awake, not to mention digital numbers or standby lights. If you use an alarm to wake up, keep it at least 3 feet from your bed.

Keep your workspace separate from your bedroom.

Using your laptop in bed, or even having your desk right next to your bed will keep stress and sleep intertwined - not a good combination. If you can, remove clutter your sleeping space and make it harmonious and beautiful. Perhaps some beautiful art or make an altar of special objects - anything but the office supplies!

Snack smart.

Is it too health-nut of me to remind you not to drink coffee or eat sugary snacks before bedtime? Hey, even a few bites of dark chocolate were enough to keep me up an extra few hours one night recently, so watch what you eat in the evening. Good choices are nuts, cheese, and nut butters.

Is your mattress uncomfortable?

Are you using the right pillow? Make sure your sleeping situation is exactly right for you. If you’re tossing and turning on a regular basis, it’s probably time for a different mattress.

Keep oxygen circulating in your bedroom.

If you don’t like to leave your windows open, at least crack them or use a small, circulating fan. The white noise might help you sleep better, too.

Aromatherapy

Try aromatherapy to help you relax and sleep. Some good essential oil choices are lavender, ylang ylang, jasmine or sandalwood. Nectar Essences has a misting spray - appropriately called Sleep - made of relaxing flower essences and essential oils.

Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone produced in the brain that regulates sleep cycles and synthetic melatonin pills are a gentle, over-the-counter option for helping you get to sleep. There are a few contraindications and potential side-effects, so do your research before taking it, but in general melatonin is considered a very mild and helpful supplement.

Listen to relaxing music.

Try ocean sounds or a meditation podcast, but make sure your stereo doesn’t stay on all night with lights and electrical feedback to keep you awake!

Tea

Try the old standard for nighttime relaxation: chamomile tea. If that’s too wimpy for you, check out the recipe for EcoSalon’s Sweet Dream Elixir. If you consume dairy, a glass of plain old warm milk can help, as well.

Save shower or bath time for your evening ritual.

The warmth and the water will help you relax, unwind and wash away the stresses of your day. This is especially effective if you use some of those essential oils in your bath.

Valerian root

This is a well known drowsiness-inducing herb. It is generally considered safe, with few side-effects, but as with any supplement, do some research and chat with your health care practitioner before deciding if it’s the right remedy for you.

Kava

The Hawaiian kava root is also well known for its relaxing properties. I tried it a few times when I was living on Maui and I can tell you that it does have a soothing, relaxing effect without any major hangover or side effects. But kava root is not the ideal herb for everyone. Do some research before trying it, and get pure kava powder.

Wear a sleep mask.

We sleep best in total darkness, and those little slivers of light from the streetlamp outside your window or the bright numbers of your digital alarm clock are enough to be a distraction. Simply slip on a mask and enter your own dark cocoon.

Save bedtime for relaxing activities.

You’ve turned off the TV, now what? Read a book (but not a thriller!) or journal just before going to bed. Or, try a little yoga.

Write your worries or your to-do list.

If your mind is racing, grab a notebook and write everything down. Write write write until you’re out of things to write about, until you’re tired, even bored… then you’ll be able to shut your eyes and sleep.

Use a pleasantly scented dream pillow.

It sounds strange, but German scientists found that certain smells help us dream better, while other, unpleasant smells play a part in disturbing our dreams.

Slow, deep breathing.

Before you go to bed, do some deep breathing - this will help relax you. Anytime you notice your mind has drifted away from your breath, gently bring it back. Or do this meditation lying down in bed and you’re sure to fall fast asleep.

from: ecosalon.com

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Posted in: Sleep