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Alternative Medicine/Treatment
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Alternative Medicine/Treatment
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Peppermint Oil (2007)
The medicinal use of peppermint leaf (and other mint plants) probably dates back to ancient Greece where it was used as a digestive aid as well as used to manage gall bladder disease. Peppermint oil has also long been inhaled to help relieve upper respiratory infections and cough. Peppermint oil can be extracted from the stems, leaves and flowers of the plant. It is currently popular as a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome, headache, and dyspepsia (epigastric discomfort following meals). . . .
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An Intervention for Parents who Question Immunizations (2009)
Parents who request nonmedical exemptions to school-required immunizations put their children at risk of contracting vaccine-preventable diseases and put others at risk of getting these infections from their children. Exempt children are 22-35 times more likely to contract measles and six times more likely to contract pertussis. Not surprisingly, these parents are more likely than parents with vaccinated children to question vaccine safety and efficacy. . . .
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OTCs for Enuresis (2009)
Primary nocturnal enuresis affects approximately 15% of 5-year-old children and 2-5% of those at age 12 to 13 years. This is defined as intermittent urinary incontinence only while sleeping (at least twice a week for at least 3 months) in a child who is at least 5 years of age, with no periods of untreated nighttime dryness that lasted more than 6 months since birth. Usual medication treatments are desmopressin and imipramine, as well as behavioral conditioning (enuresis alarm). These treatments are usually based on modifying urine production, considering bladder capacity, sleep arousal, and the balance between bladder filling and spontaneous micturition. . . .
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Mexican Folk Remedies (2009)
Mexico remains the largest point of origin for immigrant children in the U.S. Exposure to certain illnesses is more common in this population than for other U.S. children. These include: Mycobacterium bovis (from exposure to unpasteurized milk and cheese products), Tuberculosis, and certain parasitic infections (e.g., pork tapeworm, giardiasis). It is important to be aware of these diseases when presented with a child with symptoms. But it is also worthwhile to know about folk remedies that are historically used by some segments of the Mexican population that can cause the same symptoms or are used to treat these symptoms. . . .
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Do MDs Believe in Alternative Medicine? (2009)
A self-administered postal questionnaire was sent to 875 family physicians in Canada to rate their "belief in the degree of therapeutic effectiveness" of 15 complementary and alternative therapies. Factor analysis was applied to the ratings of the 15 therapies in order to explore whether one could categorize these therapies as being accepted therapies versus rejected therapies. . . .
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The Juice on Pomegranates (2006)
Many people are drinking pomegranate juice, such as POM Wonderful hoping to stave off heart disease, cancer, aging, and more. Pomegranate juice contains plenty of antioxidants… more than red wine, green tea, blueberries, or cranberries. Some evidence suggests that 2-8 ounces per day of this drink may improve atherosclerosis or ischemic heart disease. In this article, the authors' professional judgment of the situation is that more research is still needed before we can be sure there are benefits. . . .
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Herbs for Tummy Aches (2005)
Patients with recurrent or chronic symptoms are most likely to use complementary and alternative medicines. This article looks at the most commonly used herbal medicines and how they are purported to work. Some are described here: . . .
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More on Herbal Drugs (2006)
ECHINACEA: Previous studies suggested that echinacea is modestly effective for treating colds, but not for preventing them. Now, a large clinical trial, a very well designed study, found that echinacea is not useful for either treatment or prevention. This study only tested Echinacea angustifolia. Earlier studies used different varieties. If echinacea works at all, its effect on a cold should not be expected to be significant. . . .
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New Head Lice Treatment (2009)
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Benzyl Alcohol Lotion (5%) as a treatment for head lice. It is known by the trade name, Ulesfia by Sciele Pharma. The lotion has to be applied twice, one week apart and for 10 minutes each time. In one study, these patients were followed for 14 days. It turned out that more than three-quarters of them were found to be lice free at that time. . . .
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Cough and Cold Treatments: A Review (2009)
There are over 800 over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medications in the USA designed to relieve a variety of symptoms. These formulations contain many common ingredients, and their efficacy and side effects should be understood by health professionals: . . .
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Belief in Cranberries (2006)
Urinary tract infections are the most common serious bacterial illnesses treated by pediatricians. The risk of recurrence ranges from 10-30%. Long term adverse consequences of recurrent urinary tract infections include hypertension, impaired renal function, and end-stage renal disease. Many children are prescribed prophylactic antibiotics to reduce the risk of subsequent infection, but compliance rates are often low for prophylactic antibiotics. . . .
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Autism and Massage (2009)
It is common for children with autism to have impairments that involve their sensory nervous system and that affect their sleep. Qijong is an intervention (pronounced "chee-gong") that is comprised of massage, slow movements, breathing, and meditation. It is practiced widely in China. . . .
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Anti-Oxidants: All They're Cranked Up to Be? (2008)
Observational studies suggest that high intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with reduced cancer incidence and mortality. Many believe that it is the high level of antioxodants (particularly beta carotene and vitamin E) in fruits and vegetables that provides this health benefit, possibly by inhibiting oxidative stress. This article is a systematic review of research designed to estimate the extent to which antioxidants taken as dietary supplements affect total cancer incidence and total cancer mortality. . . .
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Antioxidant Supplements: Do They Reduce Cancer Incidence? (2008)
Many observational studies have suggested that high intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with reduced cancer incidence and mortality. It is believed that the high levels of antioxidants (particularly beta carotene and vitamin E) found in fruits and vegetables inhibit oxidative stress and contribute towards cancer prevention. . . .
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ADHD and St. John's Wort (2008)
Attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder (ADHD) affects between 3% and 12% of children in the U.S. Up to one third of them do not respond to pharmaceutical medications or have adverse effects such as nausea, insomnia, or weight loss from the medications. Many parents seek complementary or alternative medications, in response to this situation. . . .
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