by: Stuart Drew
As any dialysis patient will tell you, keeping your fluid gain between dialysis sessions in check is not only important to your long term health, it is a major factor in your immediate well-being.
Keeping fluid level gains as low as possible between dialysis treatments will minimize the risk of congestive heart failure, pulmonary oedema, and hypertension. Cramps, headaches and breathing difficulties are short term side-effects of fluid overload, and whilst not as dangerous as the long term effects, these should be heeded as a pointer to fluid overload in dialysis patients.
Whilst every dialysis patient has their own special method of keeping their fluid levels in check, I thought it might be pertinent to explain some of the methods that I have found (relatively) successful.
1/ Buy a bag of ice. I have a large chest freezer in my kitchen, I buy a 5kg (approx 11lb) bag of ice chips from the service (gas) station, place it in the freezer, and suck on ice chips throughout the day. Make sure the freezer is in a convenient place, so you can reach it quickly to grab a few small pieces of ice, so you can avoid the temptation to fill a glass with ice. (In which case you might as well have that mug of coffee you wanted in the first place!)
2/ Get a GOOD set of digital scales. I have a set which measures with an accuracy of 200grams (don’t we all wish we could afford the scales at the dialysis unit which measure to 50grams?!?), which is accurate enough to get a good idea of where you are at with your fluid gain. Work out the difference between your dialysis centre scales, and your home scales, so you can get an accurate reflection of your fluid gain. I weigh myself first thing when I get up in the morning (you’d be surprised how much weight you lose over a warm night!), as soon as I get home from work, and whenever I have a drink.
This method is great in two ways: 1)You never (well, rarely, anyway!) get a nasty surprise when you arrive at dialysis and jump on the scales. And 2) You don’t get the opposite surprise of getting to dialysis with only 1kg of fluid on, thinking: “Damn, I wish I’d drank more!†(I often find myself in the ridiculous situation of forcing myself to have another cup of coffee before I leave for dialysis, as there’s no bank for fluid, once you’ve had that dialysis, the opportunity to have that drink is gone forever!)
3/ Save up your drinks if you’re going to need them. If you know you are going to an event where the temptation to drink more fluid that you should will be strong, save up your drinks beforehand. For example – if you get off dialysis at lunchtime on Wednesday (meaning that you go back to dialysis on Friday Morning), and you have a function to attend on Thursday night, try to drink as little as possible between Wednesday lunchtime and Thursday evening, telling yourself that your reward will be the fact that you will be able to drink (nearly) as much as a “normal†person at the function.
4/ Keep yourself busy! Any dialysis patient will tell you that when they’re busy, they’re not thinking about drinking. It could be a gentle walk, send an email to a friend, jump on the phone, or play with your kids. It doesn’t matter, as long as it keeps your mind occupied.
5/ Frozen water. Freeze a bottle of water, containing the amount you have allowed yourself to drink that day, and drink it as it defrosts. This has the benefit of the drink being ice-cold, as well. The down-side of this is that if your bottle melts too quickly, you could find yourself at 3pm, with all your water gone!
6/ Spray bottle. Get yourself a spray bottle, and fill it with water (maybe with a little lemon juice or mint flavouring), and spray it into your mouth when you feel the urge to have a drink. Whilst this won’t completely sate your desire for fluids, it may help you wait a little longer before indulging!
7/ Mints and toothpaste. Try sucking a strong mint, or even brushing your teeth. The feeling of a clean, fresh mouth will often lessen the desire to blow your fluid limit. (This method will make you nicer to kiss, too!)
I hope that these suggestion will help you in the dialysis patient’s eternal quest to keep their fluid gain under control. But remember, life is for living too, and we, as dialysis patients more than most need to adhere to this edict. So whilst keeping your fluid gain under control is important for both your immediate and long term health, remember that if you’ve blown your fluid this time, there is always next time, so keep trying!
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About the author:
About the author: Stuart Drew is a 34 year old dialysis patient from Adelaide, Australia. He has a wilfe, a son (with another on the way), and two miniature schnauzers. He is a part time web geek, and runs the website http://www.therenalunit.com- a news service for all issues relating to kidney disease and dialysis. He can be contacted at mailto:stuart@stuartdrew.com
Friday, November 5, 2010
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Why Is Black Elderberry Such A Powerful Flu Fighter?
by: John Hart
According to the "Handbook of Medicinal Herbs," black elderberry leaves were touted by European herbalists to be pain relieving and to promote healing of injuries when applied as a poultice.
Native American herbalists used the plant for infections, coughs, and skin conditions.
Black elderberry is a plant that grows primarily in Europe and North America. It's a natural remedy with three flavonoids that have antiviral properties. Flavonoids are very effective against different strains of influenza virus. Black elderberry also has other compounds, called anthocyanins, which have an anti-inflammatory effect, thus reducing aches and pains.
A popular brand is Sambucol. Sambucol has been shown to be effective in vitro against 10 strains of influenza virus.
Studies have demonstrated that Sambucol formulations activate the healthy immune system by increasing inflammatory cytokine production, which mediates the viral load in the human system.
On average, flu patients given Sambucol recovered in 3.1 days compared to 7.1 days for those given placebo, and there are no known side effects.
A prominent Israeli virologist, and developer of the Sambucol extract, Dr. Dr. Madeleine Mumcuoglu said "Sambucol is one of our best treatments for the flu, especially when taken at first sign of symptoms. Flu viruses are covered by tiny protein spikes of hemagglutinin, which they use to attach to, and infect, healthy human cells," she says. "While working on my doctoral thesis we isolated key active substances within black elderberry that disarm hemagglutinin and thus stop the first step of viral invasion."
Sambucol syrup seems very safe for children and adults as a treatment, not a preventative, against influenza.
About the author:
Mr. Hart is the author of the popular ebook, "How to Protect Your Family Against the Coming Pandemic," and president of Oregon Digital, the worldwide distributor of NanoMasks and NanoFilters, the only filter mask guaranteed to kill Bird Flu, SARS, and other deadly pathogens on contact. Learn more at http://www.buyNanoMask.com
According to the "Handbook of Medicinal Herbs," black elderberry leaves were touted by European herbalists to be pain relieving and to promote healing of injuries when applied as a poultice.
Native American herbalists used the plant for infections, coughs, and skin conditions.
Black elderberry is a plant that grows primarily in Europe and North America. It's a natural remedy with three flavonoids that have antiviral properties. Flavonoids are very effective against different strains of influenza virus. Black elderberry also has other compounds, called anthocyanins, which have an anti-inflammatory effect, thus reducing aches and pains.
A popular brand is Sambucol. Sambucol has been shown to be effective in vitro against 10 strains of influenza virus.
Studies have demonstrated that Sambucol formulations activate the healthy immune system by increasing inflammatory cytokine production, which mediates the viral load in the human system.
On average, flu patients given Sambucol recovered in 3.1 days compared to 7.1 days for those given placebo, and there are no known side effects.
A prominent Israeli virologist, and developer of the Sambucol extract, Dr. Dr. Madeleine Mumcuoglu said "Sambucol is one of our best treatments for the flu, especially when taken at first sign of symptoms. Flu viruses are covered by tiny protein spikes of hemagglutinin, which they use to attach to, and infect, healthy human cells," she says. "While working on my doctoral thesis we isolated key active substances within black elderberry that disarm hemagglutinin and thus stop the first step of viral invasion."
Sambucol syrup seems very safe for children and adults as a treatment, not a preventative, against influenza.
About the author:
Mr. Hart is the author of the popular ebook, "How to Protect Your Family Against the Coming Pandemic," and president of Oregon Digital, the worldwide distributor of NanoMasks and NanoFilters, the only filter mask guaranteed to kill Bird Flu, SARS, and other deadly pathogens on contact. Learn more at http://www.buyNanoMask.com
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Natural Alternative Flu Home Remedy
by: Brian Carter
When Chase-Manhattan lender David Givens began to feel some of the early symptoms of the flu - fatigue, muscle aches and pains (not from exercise), and a slight fever - he had no reason to expect he'd be, as he put it, "amazingly better within 2 days" because of a flu home remedy.
Fortunately for him, one of his basketball-playing friends, the author of this article, is a Chinese medicine acupuncturist and herbalist. When he called me about his symptoms, I recommended he take a modern Chinese herbal flu home remedy called Honeysuckle & Bupleurum (pronounced Boo-plur-um).
It was also fortunate for David that I edit the work of a well-known Chinese Medicine translator, Philippe Sionneau. Sionneau's book (published in France, but not yet in English), Modern Chinese Herbal Formulas, contains a bevy of home remedy solutions that marry ancient wisdom with modern-day pharmacology (drug actions). According to the research, all 12 of the traditional Chinese herbs in the Honeysuckle & Bupleurum flu home remedy have either antiviral or antibacterial actions.
For most people, the flu is a miserable two-week inconvenience. When you get sick, you miss work, you're less able to fulfill your responsibilities, you feel horrible - fun is out of the question - when you do begin to feel better, there's a backlog of things to catch up on. You may start the catch-up process before you have your energy back, thus ensuring more fatigue, and prolonging your recovery time.
Givens summarizes his experience: "I was leaving for my brother's wedding back East. Within 2 days of starting the flu home remedy, I felt amazingly better. I didn't feel it right away but by the end of the 2nd day, my symptoms were gone - it was a total turnaround. I started taking the herbs on Wednesday, and left Friday. I didn't feel any symptoms at all during the weekend."
The influenza virus can be life threatening - it kills about 36,000 people (mostly over age 65) each year. For employers, it's a major loss of revenue and productivity. The New England Journal of Medicine reported in 1995 that it costs employers $3 to $5 million annually. We don't yet have a study to verify it, but my and other herbalists' observation is that a flu home remedy like Honeysuckle & Bupleurum cuts cold and flu time down to 2 or 3 days. If every American employee used them, we'd save millions!
How do you personally stand to gain from this flu home remedy? David Givens felt better in 2 days, despite having to pack, fly across the country, and socialize away from home. Travel and overdoing it can stress the immune system, plane travel can irritate the sinuses, and David's immune system had already been compromised by the flu. So, the herbs not only turned the tide, but also kept him healthy despite greater than normal stressors.
Givens adds, "There are so many side effects with over the counter remedies - your nose gets dried out and you get sleepy. There's always a drawback you feel right away, whereas, with this flu home remedy, there wasn't one. It's a much cleaner change within body."
If you're not a licensed medical professional, as with many diseases, please don't make your medical decisions solely on the basis of your reading and research - consult your medical doctor, and a licensed and trained herbalist/acupuncturist.
It's also important, when considering various treatments, to differentiate between colds, flu's, and sinus infections. You can find the specific symptoms of each on the National Institute of Health's MEDLINEplus internet health information website (www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/).
About the author:
Since 1999, Brian Carter has been helping people improve their lives with alternative medicine therapies. He is the author of Powerful Body, Peaceful Mind: How to Heal Yourself with Foods, Herbs, and Acupressure has written hundreds of alternative medicine articles, and edits his own Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture website (http://www.pulsemed.org/pulse-of-oriental-medicine.htm)
When Chase-Manhattan lender David Givens began to feel some of the early symptoms of the flu - fatigue, muscle aches and pains (not from exercise), and a slight fever - he had no reason to expect he'd be, as he put it, "amazingly better within 2 days" because of a flu home remedy.
Fortunately for him, one of his basketball-playing friends, the author of this article, is a Chinese medicine acupuncturist and herbalist. When he called me about his symptoms, I recommended he take a modern Chinese herbal flu home remedy called Honeysuckle & Bupleurum (pronounced Boo-plur-um).
It was also fortunate for David that I edit the work of a well-known Chinese Medicine translator, Philippe Sionneau. Sionneau's book (published in France, but not yet in English), Modern Chinese Herbal Formulas, contains a bevy of home remedy solutions that marry ancient wisdom with modern-day pharmacology (drug actions). According to the research, all 12 of the traditional Chinese herbs in the Honeysuckle & Bupleurum flu home remedy have either antiviral or antibacterial actions.
For most people, the flu is a miserable two-week inconvenience. When you get sick, you miss work, you're less able to fulfill your responsibilities, you feel horrible - fun is out of the question - when you do begin to feel better, there's a backlog of things to catch up on. You may start the catch-up process before you have your energy back, thus ensuring more fatigue, and prolonging your recovery time.
Givens summarizes his experience: "I was leaving for my brother's wedding back East. Within 2 days of starting the flu home remedy, I felt amazingly better. I didn't feel it right away but by the end of the 2nd day, my symptoms were gone - it was a total turnaround. I started taking the herbs on Wednesday, and left Friday. I didn't feel any symptoms at all during the weekend."
The influenza virus can be life threatening - it kills about 36,000 people (mostly over age 65) each year. For employers, it's a major loss of revenue and productivity. The New England Journal of Medicine reported in 1995 that it costs employers $3 to $5 million annually. We don't yet have a study to verify it, but my and other herbalists' observation is that a flu home remedy like Honeysuckle & Bupleurum cuts cold and flu time down to 2 or 3 days. If every American employee used them, we'd save millions!
How do you personally stand to gain from this flu home remedy? David Givens felt better in 2 days, despite having to pack, fly across the country, and socialize away from home. Travel and overdoing it can stress the immune system, plane travel can irritate the sinuses, and David's immune system had already been compromised by the flu. So, the herbs not only turned the tide, but also kept him healthy despite greater than normal stressors.
Givens adds, "There are so many side effects with over the counter remedies - your nose gets dried out and you get sleepy. There's always a drawback you feel right away, whereas, with this flu home remedy, there wasn't one. It's a much cleaner change within body."
If you're not a licensed medical professional, as with many diseases, please don't make your medical decisions solely on the basis of your reading and research - consult your medical doctor, and a licensed and trained herbalist/acupuncturist.
It's also important, when considering various treatments, to differentiate between colds, flu's, and sinus infections. You can find the specific symptoms of each on the National Institute of Health's MEDLINEplus internet health information website (www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/).
About the author:
Since 1999, Brian Carter has been helping people improve their lives with alternative medicine therapies. He is the author of Powerful Body, Peaceful Mind: How to Heal Yourself with Foods, Herbs, and Acupressure has written hundreds of alternative medicine articles, and edits his own Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture website (http://www.pulsemed.org/pulse-of-oriental-medicine.htm)
Don’t Eat the Flu!
by: Teddy Sun
Every year, there are always families that are embarrassed since all their family members come down with a serious flu bug that seems to be on “unlimited repeat” throughout the whole flu season. They really don’t know what’s wrong with them, but they complain about it all the time.
This is very true of many people, and it’s sad that they do not have the basic knowledge to prevent the flu. We often read reports that say, “Wash your hands before eating.” However, how many really obey this fundamental rule? It’s so simple and basic, yet people forget this healthy policy for themselves and their family. Once one family member gets the flu, there is a very high possibility of spreading it to the whole family. If you don’t want to complain about the flu, you should first ask yourself, “Have I become too lazy?”.
In a public place, parents often put food into their child’s mouth to make sure the child is eating well. It’s love from the parents, but it’s also the source of flu. If that parent has not cleaned his or her hands with hot water and soap before eating, bacteria stays on the hands, and that person—or their child—eats all that bacteria. Ingesting such germs is the best way to catch the flu, just as surely as if you had opened the door for the virus and said “welcome” to the flu bug. People often enjoy delicious food in a buffet restaurant. Many lick their fingers after eating on their way to making a second trip to the buffet line. If that person has the flu, then touches those public ladles, the next person in line uses that ladle and then licks their fingers—“delicious!” But what happens? They get the flu! Isn’t that right?
No one wants to be in bed with the flu or make their family unhappy. Ask yourself: “Who decides whether I get the flu or not?” The answer is simple: You do!We must remember that we always have to protect ourselves as much as possible by any method. Moreover, we are not even for ourselves but also the whole members of our family if we keep that simple goal in mind. We have to prepare everything enough to face the flu seriously. At least, we have to ask ourselves "what's flu exactly?" to make sure that we know it well! Moreover, Is there the other option of protecting ourselves? Think about it.
Don’t eat the flu from now on!
Every year, there are always families that are embarrassed since all their family members come down with a serious flu bug that seems to be on “unlimited repeat” throughout the whole flu season. They really don’t know what’s wrong with them, but they complain about it all the time.
This is very true of many people, and it’s sad that they do not have the basic knowledge to prevent the flu. We often read reports that say, “Wash your hands before eating.” However, how many really obey this fundamental rule? It’s so simple and basic, yet people forget this healthy policy for themselves and their family. Once one family member gets the flu, there is a very high possibility of spreading it to the whole family. If you don’t want to complain about the flu, you should first ask yourself, “Have I become too lazy?”.
In a public place, parents often put food into their child’s mouth to make sure the child is eating well. It’s love from the parents, but it’s also the source of flu. If that parent has not cleaned his or her hands with hot water and soap before eating, bacteria stays on the hands, and that person—or their child—eats all that bacteria. Ingesting such germs is the best way to catch the flu, just as surely as if you had opened the door for the virus and said “welcome” to the flu bug. People often enjoy delicious food in a buffet restaurant. Many lick their fingers after eating on their way to making a second trip to the buffet line. If that person has the flu, then touches those public ladles, the next person in line uses that ladle and then licks their fingers—“delicious!” But what happens? They get the flu! Isn’t that right?
No one wants to be in bed with the flu or make their family unhappy. Ask yourself: “Who decides whether I get the flu or not?” The answer is simple: You do!We must remember that we always have to protect ourselves as much as possible by any method. Moreover, we are not even for ourselves but also the whole members of our family if we keep that simple goal in mind. We have to prepare everything enough to face the flu seriously. At least, we have to ask ourselves "what's flu exactly?" to make sure that we know it well! Moreover, Is there the other option of protecting ourselves? Think about it.
Don’t eat the flu from now on!
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