Archive for February, 2009

Hair loss is a condition that can affect both men and women. Many people do not like to suffer from hair loss which is why many look for ways to prevent and stop hair loss. The ways to stop hair loss come as well documented advice and often just plain old wives’ tales. There are also many ways to stop hair loss naturally which are the methods and ways that are most sought after by people. Preventing hair loss is actually easier to do than stopping it from happening. In some cases, though, hair loss will come due to genetics and some conditions which cannot be averted. For those who do not have any condition that will surely lead to hair loss, there is still hope of natural means to stop hair loss.

Natural Prevention

One way to naturally stop hair loss from happening is to avoid using hot water to wash hair. Hot water can actually be detrimental to the health of the hair shaft and its roots. The same with the use of a hair dryer, hot water can make the hair shaft brittle which can lead to breakage as well as weal follicles which can lead to falling hair. Reducing the use of heat on the scalp can really help stop hair loss for many people, although, this may be considered a case to case basis since many people who use heat on the scalp may not have as much falling hair as others.

Another way to naturally prevent or stop hair loss is to avoid tying up the hair in tight braids of pony tails. The pressure of a tight ponytail, braid or any other way to tie hair can be intense enough to weaken the hair strands from the scalp and promote hair loss. Many hair experts recommend women (or men with long hair) to use clamps instead of an elastic band to tie the hair since there is less pressure from these.

The reduced use of hair dyes and straightening or curling chemicals can also work to stop hair loss. This means reduced visits to the hair salon since most of these visits end with a hair drying job as well as a perm or a hair coloring session. An individual’s diet can also help stop hair loss. Many foods rich in protein and calcium can actually help stop hair loss. The use of shampoo and conditioner which care not too strong can also prevent loss of hair for many people.

Go here for more about Stop Hair Loss and Hair Loss Remedy

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Let’s face it, in the last 10 years we have heard and read a lot about the famous Lasik operations, but still many people out there seem to have a lot of trouble finding the right doctor.

Now that Lasik vision correction surgery has been accepted for a number of years, there are several popular options for the procedure.  One of these is IntraLasik, or Intralase, or bladeless Lasik.  As the name implies, there is no cutting of the eye with a blade involved, instead the flap in the eye is made using a laser.  Since bladeless Lasik is a newer procedure, there are a number of opinions around about how well this procedure works. We will inspect each opinions closely as we go along.

First, more Lasik clients get 20/20 vision or better using IntraLasik.  Any Lasik procedure cannot guarantee perfect vision for every client, though more than 90% get results to at least 20/40 vision.  However, it is true that the new techniques of IntraLasik do get even better statistics for giving clients clear vision.

The second common opinion about LASIK is that it can’t be customized to conform to the needs of the patient.  This is not true. The Lasik physician has control over the use of the laser for each individual in the same way that he can control the microkeratome blade.

IntraLasik can be used for both a standard and a custom Lasik procedure.  This is true.  Custom Lasik procedures using Wavefront technology (another somewhat recent advances in Lasik vision correction) can easily be used with a laser to make the initial flap. In fact, custom LASIK is the number one choice for eye problems involving deformity. It is in this moments where you don’t really want to go cheap and you want to be sure you are investing the right amount in finding the proper doctors that you need.

Some have heard that using the laser is less accurate than the standard Lasik procedure. This is not true since lasers can be controlled to micron level accuracy.  This gives the Lasik Eye Surgery physician extreme control to create exactly the flap needed for this particular individual eye: the precise size, shape, and depth for successful completion of the Lasik procedure.

Other’s say that IntraLase is a relatively new procedure that has a lot of room to improve.  On the contrary, many of the most honored Lasik physicians strongly endorse IntraLase due to the good track record from the Lasik procedures.  In addition, the quality of the machines and the precision that they give these Lasik physicians is very impressive.  So the question is: which are the best LASIK Doctors out there? Well, this is not an easy question to answer. But in my personal point of view, and please remember that this is 100% subjective, I will recommend Lasik Colorado Springs, mainly because they have the top doctors for this procedure in the country.

Many of the top notch Lasik doctors recommend this as a procedure of choice, assuming cost is not a significant variable in the decision of which Lasik procedure to use. The reason I had to mention this is that LASIK is not for everybody. The procedure is relatively pricey. The procedure, however, is very safe and many surgeons around the world recommend LASIK. So if you want the best, you do need to pitch in some amount.

Similar to the contentions above, some people think that Intralase is not a sufficiently tested Lasik procedure option. On the contrary, more than one million of these procedures have been performed, and the impressive track record for this Lasik procedure has been discussed above.  More and more Lasik physicians are trained in this option, and we will see many more such Lasik procedures in the future.

As a last advice, I can only recommend that you take your time choosing the proper doctor, this is a serious procedure and you should only do it with the medical team you feel comfortable with. Best of luck and thanks for reading.

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Failure To Thrive is a blockage in normal physical development which might be the precursor to slow-downs in the normal developmental process and normal maturation.

Failure To Thrive is a diagnosis given to children who are consistently underweight or who do not gain weight for unclear reasons. Many causes involve social and environmental factors that work together to keep the infant from having access to the nutrition the baby needs. There are times when medical conditions prevent a child from growing normally. Another significant cause is the child’s own intolerances and sensitivities.

When There Are Social And Environmental Roots

Many socio-environmental factors can be responsible for Failure To Thrive. Parental neglect or abuse, parental emotional health disorders, and disordered family conditions in which routine, nutritious meals are not provided, may all depress a child’s appetite and intake of food. The amount of money a family has available for food and the nutritional value of the food they buy also affects development. Inadequate intake of food may be a sign of inadequate parenting and environmental stimulation.

If The Causes Are Medical Disorders

Sometimes Failure To Thrive Syndrome is caused by a medical difficulty in the baby. The disorder can be as simple as difficulty drinking, chewing, or swallowing (as with a cleft lip or cleft palate). Medical issues, such as gastroesophageal reflux, esophagus narrowing, or poor intestinal absorption, may also affect a child’s ability to obtain nutrition from food. Infection, tumor, metabolic or hormonal disorders (such as cystic fibrosis or diabetes), heart disease, kidney disease, genetic disorders, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are other medical reasons for Failure To Thrive.

When The Problems Are Based In Intolerances

And, sometimes child and infant Failure To Thrive is caused by the baby’s defenses responding to normal environmental factors as if those normal things were toxic. This is a intolerance of some environmental factors which the child’s defenses thinks is toxic.

This response to this “toxic attack” could be shutting down the baby’s normal developmental process as a temporary protective measure until the “attack” goes away. But, because these environmental factors are not toxic to others, the family and the medical professionals do not know to eliminate these “toxic” factors from the child’s environment. In this case this temporary protective defensive reaction continues without stopping. This means that the infant’s own defenses interrupts the infant’s normal developmental process on an ongoing basis, because of the child’s intolerances.

Diagnosis For The Roots In Medical Problems And Social And Environmental Roots

Doctors diagnose Failure To Thrive when the baby’s weight or rate of growth is much lower than what it should be when compared with past measurements or standard age-height-weight charts. If the physical development is adequate, the infant may be small but still developing normally.

To determine why a child may be failing to thrive normally, medical practitioners ask parents specific questions about feeding, bowel habits, social, emotional, and financial stability of the family, which might affect the child’s access to nutrition, and illnesses that the infant has had or that run in the family. The doctor examines the baby, looking for signs of conditions which might explain the child’s delay in development. The medical practitioner makes decisions about blood and urine tests and x-rays based on this initial evaluation. More extensive examinations are performed only if the doctor believes there is an underlying medical condition.

Determining The Child’s Intolerances and Sensitivities

There are some published diets (GFCF Diet and Feingold Diet) which attempt to address these sensitivity issues. These diets work well for those children who are sensitive to the things which are specifically restricted by these programs. But, for the majority of children whose intolerances are affecting their growth and development, these diets are incomplete and not specifically tailored for them.

It is best to have a specialist, who knows how to perform this specific test for intolerance, work with your child to determine your child’s precise list of sensitivities. Those who specialize in this testing can include some chiropractors, nutritionists, and other wellness practitioners trained for this type of evaluation.

Treatment and Prognosis For The Roots In Medical Difficulties And Socio-Environmental Roots

The medical disorders and socio-environmental roots approach assumes there is something wrong with the infant’s body or the child’s social environment. These treatments are focused on a fault in the baby’s nutritional processing or access.

Treatment depends on the root of the problem. If a medical problem is found, specific treatment is given. Otherwise, treatment depends on how far below normal the infant’s weight is. Mild to moderate Failure To Thrive is treated with nutritious high-calorie feedings taken on a regular schedule. Parents could be counseled about family interactions that are damaging to the child and about financial and social resources available to them. Severe Failure To Thrive is treated in the hospital where nutritionists, social workers, psychiatrists, feeding specialists, and other specialists work together to determine the most likely causes of the child’s Failure To Thrive and the best approach to feeding.

Treatment For The Issues In Intolerances and Sensitivities

The interventions for the intolerances and sensitivities approach is to determine which things in the environment the baby is responding to and eliminates those from the child’s environment. When the infant is no longer reacting to those, the normal developmental process re-engages and development and growth can proceed normally. With this approach, food is absorbed appropriately and growth gets back on track. There are specialists in Failure To Thrive syndrome who can determine your child’s intolerances and sensitivities and coach you in getting your child back on track.

Summary

The socio-environmental approach assumes that something is wrong in the baby’s social environment in such a way that nourishment is not available or is not accepted by the baby.

The medical difficulties approach for Failure To Thrive infants and children assumes that nourishment is not being processed and absorbed by the child because of some medical difficulty.

The sensitivities approach for Failure To Thrive children assumes that the baby is having responses to environmental factors and these defensive responses are shutting down the normal growth and developmental process.

 

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