Resources » Diseases
Although genetics definitely makes some people more likely to get autoimmune diseases, they also require a trigger. Identifying potential triggers can be critically important to the long-term success of a treatment plan. The most commonly cited trigger for autoimmune disease is infection; many viruses, bacteria and parasites have been linked to autoimmune diseases.
It seems that breast cancer has taken the world by storm. Pink ribbons, fundraisers, television specials, newspaper articles everywhere have put this issue on centre stage for the modern woman. Virtually every modern woman is interested in learning as much as she can about preventing this illness. Those who have breast cancer are willing to go to great lengths to make sure that they are survivors. They are among the highest users of alternative therapies. It is important to find out which options are most likely to exceed - based on science and clinical experience.
Integrative cancer care is very controversial. Oncologists and governments are justified in their skepticism because patients are desperate and very vulnerable to any treatment that may offer hope. That being said, there are a handful of so-called 'alternative' cancer therapies with a rational scientific basis - and many are supported by human clinical trials. These approaches, when used in conjunction with conventional treatment, may improve your symptoms during treatment - and your odds of survival.
Heart attacks and strokes are the leading causes of death in Canada and the rest of the world. For the most part, they are caused by the same problem. Although a heart attack affects the heart, it is caused by a blocked artery which has nothing to do with the heart itself. The same is true of a stroke although it damages the brain, it is caused by a blocked artery. Most efforts to improve heart health are really all about healthy blood vessels.
There is an epidemic of untreated chronic pain in Canada, and only recently have doctors begun to understand what it is and learn to recognize it. Regardless of why your pain started or where you feel it, when you have pain that persists, it becomes a separate problem.
Not very serious, but very common. There are ways to prevent them and shorten them when they strike.
There are many non-drug therapies that have been proven to improve blood sugar control in clinical trials. Although every tradition in the world has its own bag of medicinal tricks, some of the most prominent are worth mentioning. You should always monitor your blood sugar closely with your doctor when using natural diabetes therapies, because excessive lowering of blood sugar can be dangerous.
Gallstone attacks hurt. Prevention is the best medicine - and here's some good science to back it up.
Almost everyone has experienced heartburn. It can feel like a dull ache, a steady burning or even a sharp pain that can be very uncomfortable. Twenty percent of the population regularly gets heartburn symptoms1, and they can be more than just a nuisance. It can be dangerous; people with severe reflux have are 40 times more likely to develop cancer of the esophagus.2 It can also be frightening - emergency rooms around the world are very familiar with heartburn that can mimic a heart attack.
High Blood Pressure – or hypertension – is one of the most common medical conditions in the western world. If you don’t have it, you probably know someone who does. It is one of the most underdiagnosed and misunderstood chronic diseases of aging – which is a shame, considering how common it is. Although lowering blood pressure with medication is very important and saves lives, it may be possible to correct the cause of the problem. What is more, there are many ways to lower blood pressure naturally.
It is estimated that these disorders affect 170,000 Canadians. Their impact on everyday living is major and the health problems they can cause are serious. Although there are differences between the two, they share a lot in common and are likely related. The basic problem in both is that the immune system has gone awry, and begins to attack the tissues lining the intestine itself. This is why they are called autoimmune diseases.
Most people who are given a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome - or IBS - eventually become frustrated. Given enough time, their doctors usually become frustrated too. That is because IBS is not really a disease at all. It is a label given to people who don't feel well but don't seem to have anything wrong with them.
To many people, the liver is a mystery. You may not be sure exactly what it does, but if you have a problem with your liver, you should definitely not ignore it. There is a frightening epidemic of liver disease taking place - it is absolutely stunning in scope and it has grown at an unprecedented rate. Eventually this will be making headlines, but in the meantime it is important for you to understand what is going on and what you can do about it.
Sperm counts are falling. This should be a concern to us all, but it is a more immediate problem if you are trying to have children. Many couples who have trouble getting pregnant are not sure what to do about it. A great deal of emotional stress can be created by issues of blame, conflicting values and uncertainty about what is going wrong and what to do about it. Infertility is much easier to identify in men than in women, and it is possible to treat it simply and safely.
If you suffer from migraine headaches, you have had to learn to be strong. They can be so debilitating for some people that normal life becomes impossible. The word migraine comes from the French for "half the head", because they are usually one-sided. They are extremely common; it is estimated that they affect 18% of the population and cost society billions of dollars every year in medical care and lost productivity.
Everyone knows that our bones get weaker as we get older. There is no shortage of information out there about the risks of osteoporosis but there is more to the message. Most people at risk have already taken some steps towards keeping their bones healthy and to prevent osteoporosis, but very few people are getting the best protection they can. There are some important risks that have not yet gotten much attention from the media. One of the most important of these is Vitamin K.
This illness is named after James Parkinson, a British physician who described the shaking or tremor that is classically seen in patients with the disease. Parkinson's affects a part of the brain called the substantia nigra, and it destroys neurons that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine. Unfortunately, up to 80% of these neurons are gone by the time symptoms appear. It can be a very discouraging diagnosis, but a few therapies have been generating a lot of excitement among integrative neurologists.