This post contains further information about alternative health treatments for asthma.  Antioxidants is one of these and they are believed to help manage and prevent oxidation (oxidation is an electron being taken by a free radical molecule from another molecule in your body )induced inflammation.  Inflammation causes some of the symptom of asthma.

If you did not take a basic chemistry class of have forgotten your basic chemistry, a molecule consists of protons, electrons (these have positive and negative charges and balance each other out for stability).  When the composition of a molecule changes (such as losing an electron) the behavior of that molecule also changes.  Antioxidants include vitamin C, vitmain E, lycopene and many others.  With all the news about how healthy antioxidants are, I am sure you won’t have any problem finding supplements that are antioxidants.

 Omega 3 Fatty Acids also have anti imflammatory properties.  The best sources are cold water fatty fish, such as mackerel, salmon, herring, anchovies, tuna and bluefish.  If you don’t like fish, you can also get omega 3 fatty acids in supplement form (sometimes labeled as fish oil),

Homeopathy was developed by a German physician in the 18th century and is based on “like cures like”.  Homeopathy seeks to strengthen a patients natural defenses by introducing a tiny amount of a substance that in larger amounts would create these symptom (sort of like a vaccine).   However, homeopathy is most effective when it is tailored to a patient’s specific needs.

Since homeopathy is generally not effective unless tailored to the specific individual, it is difficult to say which remedies are effective for asthma.  If you are interested in what homeopathic treatment can do for you, you can contact the National Center for Homeopathy at www.homeopathic.org

Pycogenol is a registered trademark for a proprietary extract taken from the bark of the French Maritime pine tree.  Pycogenol is also believed to have anti inflammatory properties as well as immune stimulating properties.

In summation, any of these treatments could pose a problem if you are taking other medications or have any other health conditions.  So it is adviseable to consult with your health care professional before starting any course of treatment.

Not only does asthma affect up to 300 million people world wide but it also kills over 180,000 people per year.  Many researchers believe that asthma is an allergic reaction to an inhaled substance.  Asthma attacks can also be triggered by exercise, emotional stress or medications.  It is also believed that those whose diets are high in food additives and/or perservatives or other chemicals that sensitize the body, who are undernourished or who have been exposed to large amounts of environmental pollutants are more prone to develop asthma.

Alternative treatments for asthma can include, antioxidants (3 star rating), caffeine (3 star rating), omega 3 fatty acids (3 star rating), homeopathy (2 star rating), and Pycnogenol (2 star rating).  I will write another post comparing these treatments shortly.

Randomization simply means grouping people together who are very similar.  This means that the group is usually in the same age range, weight range, and have a simlar sickness level.  There are many criteria for this grouping which can include things like not smoking and/or drinking or not have other health conditions, etc.  In this type of study, participants may be divided into two or more groups.  One group takes the placebo for a period of time and the other group takes the real medicine.  Then the groups switch so that the group that was taking the placebo now takes the medicine and vice versa.

Unfortunately, there is no minimum sample size or duration.  Normally statistics require that the sample size be statistically valid.  However, there is a formula to compensate for small samples.  I personally am wary of this mathematical manipulation.  Also the duration can be an issue as some side effects for exposure to certain things may take some time to manifest.

Lastly, the problem with randomization is not the randomization itself, but the selection of the participants.  Clincial trials have what is known as a “protocol”, this document states who should be included and excluded from the study.  Participants may not be allowed to take over the counter medications or other prescription medications or even drink alcohol during the study.  However when the drug receives approval, it may very well be prescribed to people who drink alcohol or who take other medications and/or have additional health problems.  Add to that the fact that doctors prescribe drugs for treatments other than what they were originally studied for.  This is known as “off label prescribing”.

Off label prescribing unfortunately is often done for young children.  The reason for this is simple, for some reason children react to drugs very differently than adults do, because of this there is a need for pediatric studies.  However, no one wants their child to be the guinea pig.  As a result if your child gets sick, the end up being the guienea pig for that medicine.

Later I will write what all of this has to do with alternative cures.

There are basically three types of studies involving human subjects.  One of these is counting studies which are also known as population studies.  Counting studies are statistical in nature and can link things to each other such as men who eat fish three times a week have lower cholesterol.  However, these studies do not prove that that one causes the other.

Another study type is observing over time.  These studies can follow a group or groups of people over a course of years or even decades.  Similar to the counting study in the fact that link things like those who start exercising young and continue to do so have less heart disease.  This type of study has the same shortfalls of a counting study, the only real difference is the data is accumulated over a period of time.  This type of study also can not prove cause and effect.

The third type of study is known as manipulating studies.  This type of study is looking at cause and effect.  This type of study can also be called a clinical trial, clinical study or experimental study.  This type of study gives some type of treatment like a medicine or herb and tests for results over a finite period of time.

From this point forward we will refer to manipulating studies as clinical trials.  There are also a few sub types within this group.  They are 1) placebo controlled (some patients receive a placebo rather than the actual medicine) 2) controlled (when one treatment is compared to another treatment) 3) blind (this is when the patients don’t know whether they are getting the placebo or the medicine) 4)generally a study is not designated as blind but as single blind (the doctor know who is getting which but the patients do not) or double blind (this is when neither the patients nor the doctor knows who is getting which).  Lastly there are also some studies known as “open label”  Open label studies do not use placebos and everyone knows that all participants are getting the medicine.

Tomorrow night I will write a post that discusses randomization (a common technique used in clinical trials).  I will also discuss some of the potential draw backs of randomization.

This is the last post of a 3 part series on the subject of health and pets.  Most pet owners are not getting the benefits of the pet/owner bond because they haven’t developed a deep bond with thier pet.

Of course, creating a deep bond starts with picking out a suitable pet.  Yes all puppies are adorable and tug at our heart strings, but they do grow up.  One thing to consider is the size of the animal.  Large dogs not only take up more room in the house, but their tails may knock things over (like off of tables and shelves), they will also eat a great deal more food than a small dog and they mature faster and die younger than small dogs do.

You also need to consider the needs of the breed.  Dogs were breed for certain traits, that why some dogs love to swim while others disdain being wet, and some dogs need to do alot of chasing and running, while others may be too sedentary.  Certain breeds like terriers and rottweilers have strong wills.  Also find out if the breed is good with children if you have any.  Make sure to teach your children not to pull the dogs ears and tail or try to ride on the dogs back.  This could cause even the most passive breeds to snap or growl not to mention the potential for physical damage to the dog.

Actually learning to train your pet can help create a very deep bond.  Both animals and children feel more secure and free when they understand the expectations.  Extremely important is taking into consideration the differences in physical activity, etc. of pets.  Some pets were bred for hunting or other longevity activities such as biking and running.  Don’t expect a hound dog to go running with you.

Consider how well your pet would react to another four legged friend if you decide to have two or more pets.  Cats especially can be loners that truly resent sharing their turf with another cat.  The result could be as bad as the cat spraying all over the house to mark their territory.  Dogs can also get confused and have problems when there is more than one and they are treated as equals.  Remember in packs, there is a pecking order.

 If you have a condition such as diabetes, dogs have even been trained to work as a “medic alert”.  To wrap up this post, choose a dog that suits your preferences as far as expense, longevity and personality traits.  Make sure you spend time training your pet and interact with them by taking them for walks and playing with them in an appropriate manner.  Some dogs like cathc, but my terrier just stares at anything you thorw as though she doesn’t have a clue what you are doing.  She does however, like to play sock.  Remember pets are as different as people.

Good luck with any pet that you may choose and it is my sincerest hope that you will be able to get the full health and emotional benefits of having a pet.

It turns out that Canada is doing some serious research on the benefits of massage.  The health benefits of “touch” have been studied long ago by the Swiss and other European countries.  These benefits include stimulating the immune system.  Learn more about the benefits of massage

It is best to avoid antibiotics especially the broad spectrum type if possible.  Unfortunately the broad spectrum antibiotics kill off many bacteria but can create antibiotic resistant breed.  This can cause recurrent bladder infections that can not be cured with an antibiotic.

There is an alternative remedy.  It includes flushing out the bladder with water, drinking cranberry or blueberry juice (this helps stop the bacteria from stickling to the bladder walls), taking magnesium citrate and taking vitamin C and bioflavonoids.

If drinking cranberry or blueberry juice, use the unsweetened type (sugar can depress the immune system).  Drink about 24 ounces a day in 3 8 ounce servings.  If you don’t like the juice or can’t find an unsweetened brand, you can take dehydrated extracts in capsule or tablet form.

One doctor recommends that you drink 64 ounces of water a day to flush out the bladder.  Magnesium Citrate creates alkaline urine which makes it difficult for the bacteria to survive.  The recommended dose is in the 300 to 400 milligram range each day until the infection clears up.  It is also recommended that you take a daily dose of 1,000 to 4,000 milligrams of vitamin C and 300 to 600 milligrams of bioflavonoids.  It is also recommended that you take 50,000 International units of vitamin A.

Of course, this should be done with the supervision of your doctor or health care provider.  Vitamin A at this level can be toxic over a period of time.  It is advised that you not take the vitamin A for longer than a week.

Have you heard a rumor about your urine and Jelly fish stings.  Perhaps you saw the episode of friends where Joey urinated on Monica because she was stung by a jelly fish.

Well it is actually true that urine’s acidic pH actually immediately dissolves the barbs and venom of jelly fish and sea anemone.  You might be thinking ”gross” I could never do that, but if you are in enough pain you will be more willing to do this.

This remedy is very common for native Hawaiians.  This remedy provides quick pain relief.  Depending on where the sting is, you might have to urinate into a cup and then apply the urine to the affected area.