Mitochondrial Disease And Ebola

October 11, 2014

Mitochondrial Disease And Ebola

At the root of the mitochondrial disease is the manner in which mitochondria, tiny microscopic organelles that are found within the cells of the body, function. The mitochondria are made up of different much smaller structures that include ribosomes, granules and two membranes. The internal structures of the mitochondria are the actual sites where the primary function of the mitochondria, which is formation of energy at the cellular level, takes place.

Through complex biochemical reactions that take place inside the internal structures, mitochondria serve the all important purpose of providing the energy that is needed to maintain the process of life. This takes place in all the body cells. It is through the process that takes place inside the mitochondria that body cells are able to get all the energy required to drive their vital processes.

At times and for various reasons, the mitochondria may fail in their primary function. This is the basis of mitochondrial disease. When this happens, the mitochondria are unable to provide energy to the body cells. This translates to complicated physiological conditions in the body of a person. It is in the same manner that the possible relationship between the disease and Ebola Virus Disease is being examined. Just as mitochondrial disease makes it easy for other disease to attack an individual, the same may be said about Ebola Virus Disease.

Signs and symptoms of mitochondrial disease

The different signs and symptoms that are manifested by this disease vary from person to person. Furthermore, they all arise from the fact that the disease results from internal damages to the structure of the mitochondria. This makes them unable to produce energy as is the norm, thus leading to direct interference in the manner in which the body cells function. This condition causes a number of signs that appear on the body of the affected person.

mitochondrion

Because of lack of energy, a person may feel fatigued and fall short of breath at all times. Further, the effect of destruction of the mitochondria is usually seen in the form of overall weakness of the muscles and poor coordination of the limbs.

In the case of children, destruction of the mitochondria has adverse effects. First of all, it leads directly to developmental problems in the affected child. A child who has been diagnosed with mitochondrial disease will fail to fully develop mentally and physically. This results to learning problems and other forms of medical conditions which, if not checked, may lead to death.

Breakdown of the mitochondria in the cells of the body may also be manifested in the form of a number of different diseases. For instance, it is common to find persons who have been affected by the disease complaining of problems with the thyroid. Furthermore, some problems such as seizure have been associated with mitochondrial disease.

How mitochondrial disease is detected

So far, a single test that can be used to detect this disease has not been developed. However, doctors are able to accurately diagnose its development in an individual with relative ease. This is because the symptoms of the disease are quite observable and unique to it. However, in some cases, a DNA test may be carried out to ascertain the existence of the condition in an individual who is showing symptoms.

Treatment options for mitochondrial disease

Getting an effective treatment of mitochondrial disease is not easy. It requires finding a means by which the process of destruction of the structure of the mitochondria is reversed. Currently, there is no particular conventional therapy that has been developed to achieve this objective. Research on how to develop a single drug to reverse the process by which the internal structure of the mitochondria gets damaged as a result of the disease is undergoing.

The fact that there still lacks a single drug that can treat mitochondrial disease does not mean that all is lost. There exist different alternative approaches that are used to counter the effects of the disease. The basic idea behind such approaches is that although it may be difficult to undo the damage to the mitochondria, it is actually possible to tackle the effects of the disease. Effects on the body of het patient such as persistent fatigue, muscle weakness and other physiological conditions can actually be tackled by use of different medical methods.

The alternative approach to treating mitochondrial disease seeks to restore the health of the individual to the best level that is possible. There are several methods that are used to achieve this. Various therapies of vitamins and other nutrients are used to counteract the impact of mitochondrial disease on the bodies of patients. Furthermore, other natural supplements whose efficacy against particular symptoms and effects that are produced by the disease are used to improve the overall health of the patients.

Further, nutritional therapies are usually used to help patients remain healthy. By using a well developed diet, physicians are able to help patients of mitochondrial disease lead healthy and fulfilling lives. Such an approach has proven useful in helping patents attain and maintain a particular level of energy in their bodies, thus reducing the effect of the disease on their lives completely.

Dr. Dalal Akoury of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Centre can help in using natural methods to restore the functioning of the mitochondria. In general, maintaining the mitochondria in good shape translates to overall wellness and health. That is why here at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Centre, we seek to help our patients achieve overall health through different alternative methods that have been tried and tested. Our methods of treatment work well to complement other conventional methods being used. We believe that taking such an integrative approach to medicine is the way to go.

Mitochondrial Disease And Ebola

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Suicide and Drug Addiction

October 10, 2014

Suicide Rate in Drug Addiction and How to Naturally Prevent

Drug addiction has been known for its destructive effects on the addicts. Most of the side effects are known by many especially depression and other withdrawal symptoms that an addict faces whenever he tries to stop using the drugs. However there is also another serious problem that has now been linked to drug and substance addiction- suicide. Suicide among drug addicts has become a serious problem that have to be curbed as many addicts are finding it the easiest way to end their suffering and depression as they struggle to set themselves free from addiction. Most of the people who commit suicide do it under the influence drugs. The use of opiates like oxycodone and heroin are leading cause of suicides.

Cocaine Use Increased Odd of Suicide Attempt

Suicide Student Overwhelmed Asking For Help has been a problem that the society has been fighting with. It has very many causes, however as revealed by a study that was led by Richard Ries MD of Harborview Medical Center University of Washington Seattle, Wa, the major cause of suicide attempts are the use of drugs and substance. This study reveals that of all the major causes of suicide attempts, cocaine use leads by increasing suicide attempts 62 times more likely. This is followed by major depression which increases the odd of suicide attempts 41 times more likely. Alcohol use follows by increasing odd of suicide attempts 8 times more likely. This supports the notion that drug and substance addiction increases chances of a person committing suicide.

In this same study it was found that among other factors divorce and separation increased odd of suicide attempts 11 times more likely. A person may argue that now that divorce and separation also increases the likelihood of a person committing suicide then there is no way to link drug addiction to increased suicide cases. However if deviate from your view you will realize that drug and substance addiction has a bigger role in even divorce and separation. Most of the cases where married parties have to separate or divorce are often linked to drug abuse. A person gets drunk and becomes abusive needless to mention he may not be able to stand with his responsibilities causing the family to break. Socially, the use of drugs and getting addicted to them will even determine the people you relate with and what jobs you will even do. So drug and substance addiction will affect a marriage in many and may be the driving factor that leads to separation linked to increased suicide cases.

However it not reasonable to ignore other factors that may lead to divorce and separation such as infidelity, having abusive partners (some people get abusive even without using drugs), financial problems and other mere misunderstandings. In these cases it calls for counseling in order to rectify the problems before it results in divorce. As it turns saving a divorce may count in reducing the rate of suicide. Marriage counselors may help in restoring peace in a marriage.

What Predicts Suicide Attempts in Alcoholics?

Several studies have linked drug use to increase in suicide attempts. The addicts need to be helped through various ways to help them stay away from suicide thoughts. The doctors have found various ways through which they can predict whether a person addicted to alcohol may attempt suicide or not. These insights may help the doctors to find ways to counsel the addicts to be free from suicide thoughts. One of these pointers is the family history of attempted suicides. When a person has a family member who had committed suicide they are said to develop suicide thoughts. When these suicide thoughts become dominant in their minds they begin to view it as the best solution to end their addiction problems. By studying their family suicide attempt history they can be helped to adopt better ways of solving problems. Another pointer is adverse childhood experience. There are childhood experiences that keep haunting an individual. These thoughts may even be the cause why a person becomes alcoholic. Experiences such as rape, neglect or sodomy may leave a person feeling unworthy and such attitude may cause suicide. The doctors may find ways of helping such an addict to avoid suicide.

Today, suicide has become a major catastrophe. In America alone it is reported that suicide is among top 3 or 4 causes of death in the US from teens to 50. To reduce this rate, there are a lot that needs to be done. Fortunately several studies have shown the major causes of suicide and so an action plan can be developed to minimize the causes of suicidal deaths in both teens and adults not only in America but also in other continents.

Suicide Screen, Assessment Risk and Referral

Suicide is one of the major causes of deaths in teens. For this reasons there is need to screen the alcoholics and even teens for suicide risks. Unfortunately screening for suicide risks has not been utilized in the past majorly because many institutions lack these mental health resources. Risk assessment will be done after the screening to show probability of suicidal death occurring and after this probability is known then various measures can be taken to help the person before he becomes a victim of suicide. In most institutions there may not be abled professionals to handle a subject given the suicide risk factor may be high. In this case referrals become necessary where the person may be taken to more equipped centers with abled professionals who can help prevent such deaths.

Drugs and substance abuse contribute greatly to suicidal deaths and that is why here at AWAREmed we approach addiction integratively so that we not only deal with withdrawal symptoms but also assess other risk factors. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) has helped many addicts to retrace their steps and overcome addiction. You can call on her for more help.

Suicide Rate in Drug Addiction and How to Naturally Prevent

The Role of O-shot and Orgasmic Meditation

October 6, 2014

The Role of O-shot in Orgasmic Meditation

There are millions of women who do not experience sexual satisfaction in their lives. Official figures put the percentage of women who experience one of the many forms of sexual dysfunction at between 30 and 50%. This means that all these women are unable to reach orgasm during sex, fail to have a sustained desire for sex or experience pain when having sex. The O-shot and orgasmic mediation (OM) are two new procedures that promise to not only change this trend but also revolutionize perceptions about female sexuality in general. In this article, we shall discuss the role of o-shot in orgasmic mediation.

What is the O-shot?

The o-short is a simple medical procedure that is performed on women. The procedure uses the platelets of a woman which are introduced to the vaginal tissue. The overriding goal of the o-shot is to enable a woman experience deep and satisfying orgasms during sexual intercourse, thus enabling her to lead a sexually fulfilling life. Of course there are many other additional benefits of having the o-shot, but it will suffice to concentrate on the main aim of the procedure which is to enhance your orgasms and make you be fully satisfied sexually.

The role of O-shot in Orgasmic Meditation

How the O-shot Works

The procedure for the o-short is simple. First, you will have to pay a visit to a professional practitioner. Currently, the therapy is not available globally so you will have to check with your doctor for its availability. The practitioner then gets a small sample of blood from your body. The blood is subjected to a special laboratory procedure that separates the platelets from the other components. Then the platelets are injected to your vaginal area.

The secret behind this process is that the platelets are able to stimulate growth of the vaginal tissue. Naturally, platelets play a leading role in the healing process in the body because they stimulate the development of stem cells. It is the same logic that is used in the o-shot therapy and orgasmic meditation. The platelets that are introduced to the vaginal area stimulate growth of the vaginal tissue. This increases the area of the tissue that is sensitive to stimulation during sex, thus boosting your chances of having orgasms.

What is Orgasmic Mediation?

So far, this is a practice about female sexuality that has been growing in popularity at a very fast pace. Started back in 2001, this form of sexual practice is carried out by women who would wish to experience the many benefits of orgasm. Participants usually have their clitorises stroked by individuals known as ‘strokers’ for a specified length of time until they get to orgasm. Of course there are standard procedures and regulations that are used to guide the process.

How Does Orgasmic Meditation Work?

One Taste, the company that is credited with popularizing this practice as a form of therapy for the entire body say that the aim of the process is to enable a woman to form a deep connection with the person doing the stroking. So, it is better not to view orgasmic mediation as sex because it is not. It is a form of mediation that uses orgasm as a tool to help you get the best from the sensations that are associated with it. Reaching orgasm is not a goal in itself. Rather, it is best seen as a means to achieving what you need most, a form of deep relaxation and energy that can be harnessed for you overall wellbeing. That is what orgasmic meditation is all about.

The role of o-shot in Orgasmic Medication

From what we have learned so far, O-shot is a procedure that increases your ability to have orgasm. Orgasmic mediation, on the other hand, is a practice that helps you reap the benefits of an orgasm. It is then logical to say that that o-shot can play critical role in making orgasmic mediation successful.

The role of O-shot in Orgasmic Meditation

By doing this, the o-shot enhances orgasmic mediation so that you achieve the following benefits. First, by successfully going through orgasmic mediation because of the effect of o-shot, you will be able to attain a higher level of vitality. This is a form of inner energy, a feeling of deep-seated ability and strength that flows from the inside of your body and is manifested in your outside appearance.

Second, the o-shot, helps orgasmic mediation build a deep sense of rapport, communication and connection between partners by indirectly enhancing the effect of orgasmic mediation. Since the o-shot is able to help you successfully go through your orgasmic meditation sessions, it indirectly helps you to reap one of the major benefits of orgasmic meditation, which is to enhance the level of connection between partners. This is achieved through the deep communication that takes place during orgasmic mediation sessions. You will be able to communicate quite freely with your partner during the process and this definitely enhances the sense of understanding and connection.

The o-shot can play a critical role in orgasmic mediation. All the benefits that you get from orgasmic meditation including overall relaxation, increase in vitality and even relief of pain can be greatly enhanced when you get the o-shot. Dr. Dalal Akoury of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Centre has been active in this field, training physicians on use of the o-shot and much more. You can contact or visit us in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for a wide range of highly personalized services.

The role of O-shot in Orgasmic Meditation

Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

October 3, 2014

Benzodiazepine Withdrawal and How to Help the Patient

Benzodiazepine The use of any other drug of abuse comes with some of the most undesired side effects. Before we go deep into this topic we should have at least a basic understanding of these terms.

Withdrawal- This term may have different meanings but to many it is associated with getting money from your bank account. That is right but here it means something completely different. Withdrawal in relation to drugs is a term that refers to the feelings of discomfort, distress, and uncontrolled desire for a substance that takes place when a person stops using the substance. For there to be withdrawal, a person must have used a certain substance for quite a good time that his entire body had become adapted to the substance. When a person has used a certain substance for a long time his body may become dependent on the substance to accomplish some critical functions of the body. When a body is metabolically adapted to the use of a certain drug, when a person stops using that drug he will suffer some defects. He will have physical symptoms of withdrawal and these may differ in severity. Some may be mild and flu like while some symptoms of withdrawal might be so severe and life threatening.

What is Benzodiazepine?

Benzodiazepine’s parent compound of several psychoactive drugs (e.g. nitrazepam, temazepam and diazepam) used as anxiolytics,sedatives and hypnotics; they do not specifically contraindicate local anaesthetics, but as they can cause drowsiness, ataxia, dysarthria andimpaired consciousness, their concomitant use could mask early signs of toxic effects of local anesthetics.

This drug was used in clinics mostly as a tranquilizer. However this drug has potential to be abused. These medicines should be used in a hospital setting or better yet with directions from a physician. However other people are using these drugs for their sedative and intoxicating purposes. Benzodiazepine are addictive drugs and when a person uses them for so long he may reach dependence, it is attempts to stop using these drugs after dependence that results in withdrawal. Just like with any other drug of abuse physical symptoms of withdrawal will appear when you stop using Benzodiazepine after using it for quite along time. There are myriads of symptoms that occur while you stop using these drugs but for this article we will handle just a few.

Some of the Withdrawal symptoms when one stops using Benzodiazepine

Seizure

Seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. However a people who have epilepsy are often considered having a seizure disorder this will require medication. Other factors that may cause seizures are low blood sugar level which is common in diabetic patients. Patients suffering from meningitis often suffer seizures as well. However using some drugs may lead to some dependence of brain cells on the drugs so much that when a person stops using the drugs then it may beckon abnormal electrical activity in the brain thereby causing seizures.

The outward effect of seizures can vary from uncontrolled jerking movement (tonic-clonic seizure) to as subtle as a momentary loss of awareness (absence seizure) in this state the patient may lay flat without even moving an inch.

Rebound Anxiety

When a person suffers anxiety disorders and walks into the hospital, the most likely drug that he will be prescribed will be the benzodiazepine. These drugs are known to work well in addressing anxiety disorders however these drugs have a share of the darker world too. They have other side effects that are quite serious. One of these serious side effects includes the rebound effect. When these drugs were used to cure anxiety disorders and then stopped the patient will become even more anxious which may in itself lead to even more problems. The disadvantage of using these drugs for anxiety is that you will become dependent on them so much as to cause rebound anxiety.

Insomnia

Typically insomnia is the lack of sleep. Insomnia is a symptom of a disease and not a disease in itself. Insomnia is often defined as inability to either initiate or maintain sleep or both. For anybody to have a sound sleep there are hormones that work. These hormones are subject to drug activities and this explains why Benzodiazepine may cause insomnia.

Intravenous Amino Acid Therapy for Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

What happens during addiction is that Neurotransmitters are damaged. There is need to restore the neurotransmitters if the normal functions of the body are to be reached. One fact however is that these neurotransmitters are made from amino acids and these amino acids control nearly every aspect of the neurotransmitters. Dependence or addiction on benzodiazepine destroys these neurotransmitters hence to help person overcome cravings for more of benzodiazepine among other withdrawal symptoms there is need to restore the neurotransmitters. Amino acid can be given intravenously to the patient, this is effective as IV delivery bypasses the digestive system hence effective in restoring the neurotransmitters. IV delivery of the amino acids helps even patients whose digestive systems have been affected by addiction to drugs, alcohol and other substances.

NAD and Intravenous Amino Acid Therapy for Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

Benzodiazepine Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a coenzyme derivative of vitamin B3 – otherwise known as niacin. This coenzyme is found in all living cells. It is a key metabolism agent as well as many other basic cellular processes. Addicts are often low in energy and because NAD is essential in energy production its supplementation can be of benefit to the addicts. When used in mega doses it helps in making detoxification more rapid. It is given in IV form to reduce the cravings for addictive substances in addicts without exploring replacement therapies. This method of treatment has been used for quite a good time and has been very successful especially on those addicted to prescription drugs like opiates, benzodiazepines and even on cocaine, alcohol and other drugs.

Drug Addiction is a vice that should be fought by all means that is why we at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are committed to availing help to addicts and offering them a place to call home. It does not matter what kind of addiction you are wrestling with right now, just call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) today and begin your journey to victory against addiction.

Benzodiazepine Withdrawal and How to Help the Patient

Pain Addiction Continuum

October 2, 2014

Pain Addiction Continuum and How To Deal With It

Pain management is an important part of treatment especially in situations where the patient is to go through intense like during chemotherapy for cancer patients or after going through surgery. Nobody will like to have intense pain maim him for even the least amount of time. People like to be happy and avoid anything that may bring them pain. However in some instances there has to be pain for a much serious health problem to be solved. To manage pain certain drugs are used that helps you to endure the pain, unfortunately most of these are addictive and so as you are using them to manage pain you are at risk of addiction. Opiates are the mostly used drugs in pain management and they work well in ensuring that your pain is moderated if not done away with completely. However effective they are these drugs are very rewarding and before you know it the body may be adapted to these drugs so much that you will feel like you need to take them every time and increase the dosage over a time. Due to their rewarding nature they can be easily abused and a treatment that once began on the right foot may end up being another nightmare in a person’s life hence there is need for actions to be taken to help patients not to be addicted to this pain drugs.

Now back to the point pain and addiction may occur as a continuum or just two different entities. Here we see how pain addiction continuum occurs and how to deal with it. When the drugs are given for pain management you will be using them for just that for quite a time without feeling the intense craving for them. But as time goes by and you are still using them you will begin to have craving for these drugs not only to use them within the specified dosage but you may begging to desire mega doses which is now addiction so pain addiction continuum is rather the changes that takes place in your body demanding for more of the drug and hence dependence on these drugs. The use of opiates in pain management may work well for some people while for others it may not and their treatment may work better if they stopped using the opiates therefore it is important to work with experts in this field who will know when to use and when to stop using these opiates to avoid the dangers of addiction that may come with them. This means that the treatment must have a clear exit strategy from the opiates to help the patient overcome the cravings for more of the pain drugs.

Pain management demands that the doctor must be able to assess the patient well that is before issuing a prescription and during the course of treatment. The doctor should improve patient care by bio psychosocial model assessment of the patient’s past and even present aberrant if any of such exist. All this will help the doctor decide on how best to prescribe the drugs in dosages that will reduce risks to addiction. Today the doctors are aware that pain management drugs poise a great threat to addiction in patients unlike in the past when it was thought that if a patient did not have a history of drug abuse disorder. The risk of getting addicted to the opiates used in pain management is higher and this fallacy and past belief that it had low chances of inducing addiction in patients with no history of substance use disorder has never served this industry. It is quite fortunate that avenues are now opening as the doctors are slowly waking up to the reality of pain addiction continuum and proper exit strategies are being developed to help the cancer patients to evade addiction. The addiction that arises from use of opiates in pain management may be caused by many factors but the biggest culprit is poor management of chronic pain.

Poorly managed chronic pain

Now that we have learnt that there is risk of addition from the use of pain management drugs like the opiates it is better to exercise better management of chronic pain. Today chronic pain is one of the nightmares that many people are fighting every day. These people can use anything given to them to kill that pain without thinking twice and this shows how vulnerable they are. It therefore calls for professionalism in dealing with these people and doctors must find better ways to manage chronic pain in a way that reduces their risk to addiction.

In the past pain had been poorly manage owing to such beliefs that I have discussed above. Patients were put on opiate drugs to kill pain without assessing them and this often led to serious health problems since every patient is unique owing to the fact that they have different history relating to the substance use disorder. There is also need to explore other ways of pain management methods as opposed to singly using the opiates in pain management. Some of the natural pain management methods that work better are discussed here.

Proliferative therapies for pain (Natural)

Prolozone™ Therapy– Dr. Frank Shallenberger pioneered this type of proliferative therapy, Prolozone therapy uses ozone, a naturally occurring form of oxygen with powerful regenerative capacity owing to its extra oxygen atom. It works by increasing oxygen circulation and delivery into the damaged areas. This helps in strengthening ligaments and tendons as well as in rebuilding cartilage in the treated joint.

Prolotherapy– this therapy was pioneered by Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop who had used it successfully to treat his chronic back pain. It is the oldest and most widely used form of proliferative therapy that has been used since the 1930’s.it involves injecting a natural substance such as dextrose to purposefully provoke mild localized inflammation. This increases the blood supply and flow of nutrients to the area, and the body responds by regenerating the damaged structures.

Platelet Rich Plasma Injection (PRP) Therapy -involves the use of the body’s own platelets for treatment of pain. It involves drawing a small amount of blood that is centrifuged to separate out the plasma this creates blood that is concentrated in platelets. The high concentration of platelets in the plasma is rich in bioactive proteins and growth factors that can accelerate tissue repair and regeneration. Today this therapy is become more popular with athletes.

Here at AWAREmed we are dedicated to finding the best solutions to chronic illnesses and that is why Dr.Dalal Akoury (MD) is always in the forefront advocating for integrative medicine since it is only through integrative medicine that a person can be healed wholly. Do not hesitate to call on her for help in managing any sort of chronic pain as well as other diseases.

Pain Addiction Continuum and How To Deal With It

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