It’s Entirely Natural - Articles

Millions of Americans suffer from mood disorders and depression. Only one third of those afflicted with depression pursue outside aid for their problem. Anxiety and depression are the most common diagnoses of all psychiatric problems. The World Health Organization believes that depression will be the second cause of disability behind heart disease as the reason for disability worldwide. Depression is most often treated with medications, but can you hopefully find another way to lift your mood? Massage therapy could be the answer for your depression problems.

Massage is said to be one of the oldest forms of treatment. It was recorded in history thousands of years ago. It has a basic element of humanity. It is human nature to pat your friends’ hand or give them a hug if they are having a hard time. Touch and therapeutic massage have been used for centuries as a cure for illness and disease.

Advances in medicine replaced a massage as the medicine of choice in the early 1950’s. New drugs and medical techniques were discovered every day and massage was replaced by technology. Massage therapy was used extensively in mental hospitals and sanatoriums but is just now regaining popularity for treatment of mental and psychological problems.

Studies have been made about the synergistic effect of relaxing massage on depression. Studies prove depression is reduced after massage therapy. Anxiety levels drop as well as stress hormones. The body releases natural endorphins during a massage. Endorphins are responsible for lifting the mood. There is a link between the body and mind and massage helps, but no one understands why. Studies have been made on depressed teen mothers. After receiving 30 minutes of massage or relaxation therapy over a five-week period the selective group showed a marked difference between emotional stress hormone levels and anxiety. Those teen mothers who took part in the study who did not receive massage therapy did not show a reduction in anxiety or depression.

Why does therapeutic massage make you feel better? Scientists are not sure if it is physical or psychological. Could it be as a response to the human touch either physically or psychologically? It could be both. Scientists believe there is a definite link between your mood and emotions and physical touch. Many people express a fundamental need for a hug, the physical link between any human. Massage is a basic and fundamental physical act that bonds us to another human being. Many genuinely believe the sense of touch is a different way of communicating through the skin.

While receiving a massage, the body responds to the relaxing of the muscles and tendons. Toxins stored in the muscles have been massaged out of the muscles and are flushed out of the body. Natural endorphins the body makes goes through the body easing minor aches and pains. Psychologically, the body responds to the gentle touch of another human being. You don’t feel you are the only one in the world, and massage makes you feel pampered and cared for. This is a fundamental part of how individuals are made.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more information on Massage Therapy.

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Tags: anxiety, Depression, Massage Therapy, natural endorphins, relaxation therapy, stress, toxins, world health organization

Africa plays host to numerous tropical diseases including malaria, buruli ulcer, schistosomiasis, leprosy, filariasis, African trypanosomiasis, Ebola, Giardiasis, and African sleeping sickness to name a few.

It is little wonder than that the World Health Organization has so many programs in Africa that focus on prevention and control of tropical diseases. The programs focus on different diseases and may even have different objectives but the goals are the same, to end the suffering of the people of Africa.

The following information was gathered from www.afro.who.int/

Advocacy Social Mobilization’s mission is to strengthen the programs of Africa in order to plan and implement effective advocacy, social mobilization and communication strategies to support immunization.

The World Health Organization (WHO) intends to develop control and surveillance regarding Buruli Ulcer in Africa, to support control activities and case management of antibiotics, surgery and to help prevent future disabilities that occur from the disease through education, research and improved understanding of socio-economic implications that face the African people.

The Communicable Disease Surveillance and response (CSR) is a surveillance and response organization seeking to make regional, national and global awareness of Africa’s plight. The organization plans, monitors and evaluates program activities.

The Emerging, Re-emerging and Other Communicable Diseases (DDC) is a program that provides technical support to the countries of Africa, including training of health personnel, support regarding epidmiology and epidemic management, support needed for the countries of Africa regarding contingency stocks of drugs, vaccines and other supplies to prepare for the needs of epidemics.

The Regional Programme for the Elimination of Leprosy gives technical, managerial, and financial support to those African countries where leprosy is still a major threat.

An African program concerned with helping to control African Trypanosomiasis is: Programme Against African Trypanosomiasis (PAAT). The objective of the programme is “solving the trypanosomiasis problem within the broader context of food, security, human health, rural development and sustainable agriculture”

All of these programs whether they are educational in nature or medical have one thing in common and that is to help eliminate tropical diseases from Africa n countries. The programs help to inform citizens about the tropical diseases that plague them, they initiate programs that help to control the diseases, or set up ways to prevent the spread of disease. Some programs are even set up to help financially or to provide needed drugs, or medical supplies. The World Health Organization (WHO) is an instrumental force behind much of the programs Africa has. There are also academic institutions, drug companies and private companies who give aid to Africa some are associated with WHO and some act on their own.

WHO is a coordinating authority for health within the United Nations System. It provides leadership regarding global health matters; it sets standards, provides technical support to countries and monitors health trends.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more informaton on Tropical Diseases.

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Tags: ebola, giardiasis, leprosy, Tropical Diseases, world health organization

Whether traveling to the tropics for business or pleasure, you should be aware of possible dangers including tropical diseases. The following are recommendations to follow in order to avoid contracting a tropical disease.

Be sure to bring this list of recommendations to your doctor when you make your 6-week prior to leaving appointment. Your doctor can go over them and let you know which diseases are active in the area you will be traveling to.

The first step to take is to identify the tropical diseases in the area you will be traveling to. As an example - Yellow fever is a tropical disease found in tropical America south of Panama Canal and sub-Saharan Africa. Currently 11 countries in Latin America and 33 countries in Africa have active cases of yellow fever. Most of the cases of yellow fever occur in sub-Saharan Africa.

Receiving available immunizations is a preventative measure that your doctor can explain to you as well as give to you.

You will need to keep your International Certificate of Vaccination (ICV) in your passport to prove that you have been vaccinated. The vaccine should be administered no later than 10 days before entering an active country for that disease.

Malaria is one of the most common of the tropical diseases and can be contracted in both the rural areas as well as the cities.

Malaria is a highly curable disease if caught early on so detection, diagnosis and early treatment are important.

Here are some tips a traveler needs to follow to avoid malaria:

1. First, take the anti-malarial medication when you are in a risk-free zone

2. Avoid bites by using deet containing insect repellent

3. Wear long-sleeved clothing

4. Do not wear perfumes or colognes

5. Sleep inside in an air-conditioned room or if this is not possible sleep under a good quality mosquito net.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has a policy that states that immunization against Cholera is no longer required for travelers.

Check out this Website: astmh.org during your preparations for traveling to be well informed about what you may need to do to protect yourself against tropical diseases.

Tips for traveling safely in tropical diseased areas:

1. Take antimalarial pills

2. Avoid mosquito bites

3. Use sunblock when traveling to tropical climates to avoid burns as damaged skin can be entry points for disease causing agents.

4. Avoid ice, salads and reheated foods, uncooked shellfish and street vendor food should also be avoided as well as any food that has been left out unattended.

5. If you are traveling to the Caribbean, South America, Africa or the Middle East or
 even Southeast Asia then do not swim in fresh water unless you know for sure it is free of biharzia (schistosomiasis)

6. Avoid walking around in bare feet as parasites can be contracted that way. This is actually good advice for any worldwide location not just the tropics.

7. Use condoms when having sex with foreigners and avoid anal-oral sex as this can expose you to diseases including tropical ones.

8. Use either air-conditioning when sleeping or a good quality sleeping net for protection from mosquitoes. It is also wise to spray all window screens with insect repellent.

Use these recommendations and any advice from your doctor and you should be able to prevent any tropical diseases from spoiling your trip.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more informaton on Tropical Diseases.

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Tags: cholera, malaria, Tropical Diseases, world health organization, yellow fever