What is Allergy?

Allergy, also called hypersensitivity, is a symptom of an over-sensitive or abnormal immune response to allergens - substances, often proteins, that cause an allergic reaction. These allergens are usually harmless, naturally occurring proteins and for many people they don't cause problems. For others, however, they are mistakenly considered foreign invaders by the immune system.

In the UK, 15% of people suffer from allergies and every year the incidence of allergies is increasing by five percent. Allergies can develop at any age but children are most affected by the condition.

Many people assume that if they have sciatica and are in pain they need complete bed rest. In reality, the opposite is true; while you should rest for a day or two when sciatica symptoms first appear, getting back to your day-to-day routine as quickly as possible and exercising will relieve sciatica symptoms and help you to recover faster. Exercising promotes the release of endorphins - hormones that have pain-relieving and mood uplifting properties. If you have pain for more than six weeks (chronic sciatica), it is highly recommended that you consult a medical professional before doing any kind of exercise.

Your bone structure and strength is largely determined by your genes, but your lifestyle helps shape how healthy your bones are throughout your lifetime. And it is never too late to prevent or slow down the development of osteoporosis. Below we have listed lifestyle elements that you can easily follow to build and maintain healthy bones and prevent fractures.

Affecting the knee joint, osteoarthritis of the knee is the second most common type of osteoarthritis after osteoarthritis of the spine. According to Arthritis Research Campaign, more than six million people in the UK have painful osteoarthritis in one or both knees. In 2006/2007, 62.150 primary knee replacements were performed in England and Wales, 97% of which were due to osteoarthritis.

The cause of neck pain will most likely determine the course of treatment; however, most cases of neck pain can be dealt with at home since the majority are due to muscle and joint inflammation caused by bad posture, tension and stress or muscle overuse.

Conventional MPS treatments

• NSAIDS: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen and many more are used to treat muscle pain. However, long-term use of NSAIDs can lead to unpleasant and even fatal side effects such as digestive tract problems (ulcers, bleeding, heartburn, nausea and bloating); fluid retention and swelling; cardiovascular problems (heart attack, blood clots and stroke); and liver and kidney damage.

The International Headache Society classifies headaches into three categories: primary headaches, secondary headaches and cranial neuralgias, facial pain and other headaches.

Hay fever, also called seasonal allergic rhinitis, develops from an over-sensitive or abnormal immune response to airborne allergens (pollen, dust and animal dander), which are harmless, naturally occurring proteins in the environment. However, in a person predisposed to hay fever, the immune system erroneously identifies a harmless protein as a dangerous invader and attacks it resulting in an allergic reaction

Colds and flu have several symptoms in common and some people find it difficult to tell them apart; so how can you tell if you just have a bad cold, the flu (seasonal flu) or even the much-talked about novel H1N1 flu, previously known as swine flu? Generally, the flu tends to be more severe than a common cold.

Back pain is a very common problem; a problem that can often be prevented. For most of us, back pain is a combination of inflamed muscles and ligaments caused by incorrect posture, lifting weight and weak muscles due to lack of exercise. Not having an adequate intake of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant nutrients also contributes to chronic inflammation of neck, shoulder and back muscles.

Natural atherosclerosis treatment 

Conventional treatment for atherosclerosis can have many unpleasant side effects. A natural alternative that many people find effective and safe is to take dietary supplements. Countless scientific, double-blind studies have shown that tocotrienols, tangeretin, nobiletin, grape seed extract and omega-3 fish oil (EPA/DHA) combined with basic vitamins and minerals may prevent and treat atherosclerosis. These nutrients work by lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides, increasing HDL (good) cholesterol, reducing plaque build up, reducing inflammation, and inhibiting platelet aggregation. No serious side effects or known deaths due to ingestion of these nutrients have been observed.

What is Allergic Asthma?

Allergic or extrinsic asthma is the most common type of asthma and results from breathing in certain allergens and irritants that cause an allergic reaction and asthma attack. Allergic asthma can affect anyone at any age, but children are more likely to suffer from this inflammatory condition. Researchers believe that both hereditary and environmental factors are responsible for allergic asthma.