Hendra Kharisma

How To Manage Stress To Get Total Stress Relief?

Stress is a complicated web. If I say, it bothers everyone, from the cradle to the grave, from the womb to the tomb, it won’t be an incorrect statement.

Stress has a combined effect, on your body and on your mind. Those who have no jobs are stressed due to unemployment. And ask those who have jobs! They complain about day to day job stress. There may be varied reasons, such as time spent on traveling, low salary, harassment by the boss and lots of outstation tours. To secure relief is the normal expectation of any individual. Nobody wishes to live continuously under stress.

You please note that stress is entirely different from a challenging situation. Difficulties are not to be confused with stress. Stress is mainly your inability to cope up with a particular situation or a cluster of situations.

Can you ever be totally stress-free? In that situation you would not be a human being. You will be an angel in the celestial world! As a human being, you need to know, how to live with a certain level of stress!

I will explain this with an example. A young man wished to take bath in the sea. He went to the sea shore, but saw the waves. He surmised I shall take bath, when all the waves are over. Will such a situation ever come?

The sea has learned the art of living with the waves! You need to know the art of taking bath, swimming in the sea with the waves ever present there! corinna kopf boyfriend

So, the golden rule is, having gone for a sea bath, don’t be afraid of the oncoming waves. If the waves are powerful, duck them, when the waves are friendly, dance with them. When the waves are normal, swim your way further.

There are many strategies for stress relief. Review, yourself and decide whether any lifestyle changes are required. When your body is relaxed, your mind will also be relaxed. Yoga asanas, meditation, breathing techniques, jogging, running and dancing are brilliant techniques of stress relief. Get your body massaged from a professional once in a while. This is a great stress reliever.

The topmost techniques accepted all over the world today for stress relief are meditation, exercise and massage. Each of these serves different purpose, at the same time they contribute to the total purpose of stress relief. They provide you with many additional advantages. Laughter is also one of the best stress relieving methods.

You get ultimate stress relief, when you know the art of working for joy and not from the career view point alone. Work sincerely, by giving the maximum out put, not because your boss is telling you to do it, but only because it is the correct way of life.

Work for a cause- you will have the ultimate stress relief!

Does Stress Damage The Immune System?

Does stress damage the immune system? That question can only be answered by first discussing the difference between acute (short-term) stress and chronic (long-term stress). While acute stress causes responses in the body that include boosting the immune system, chronic stress may impair the immune system.

Better questions are “Does stress damage the immune system on the short term?” and “Does stress damage the immune system on the long term?” The body’s response to acute stress (a real or immediate threat such as a confrontation with a burglar) which is sometimes called the “fight or flight” response includes changes in all the systems of the body. Since the question is “Does stress damage the immune system?”, then we will focus on those responses to acute stress that are temporarily boosting the immune system during this flight or flight scenario.

The most noticeable initial response to the burglar’s appearance is an increase in heart rate. Your body is preparing itself for the possibility that you will need to run. The increase in heart rate triggers the spleen to discharge more red and white blood cells. The red blood cells increase your oxygen supply, while the white blood cells will be necessary for boosting the immune system, in case you fall or the burglar attacks you. Portions of the brain trigger the production and release of cortisol, a primary stress hormone, which dampens less important parts of the immune system, so that white blood cells and other infection fighters can be directed to the areas of the body where injury or infection are most likely to occur, namely the skin, bone marrow and lymph nodes, thus effectively boosting the immune system temporarily. Once the immediate danger has passed, the body systems return to normal.

So, the answer to “does stress damage the immune system” on the short-term is “no”. Acute stress activates the body’s natural defense systems and while this results in boosting the immune system temporarily, it does not “damage” the immune system. Chronic stress, however, is a different story.

Does stress damage the immune system on the long term? It can, if persistent stressful situations, such as a high-pressure job or an unhappy relationship, do not allow the body to return to a normal relaxed state. Instead of boosting the immune system, chronic stress appears to blunt the immune response, increase the risk for infections and impair a person’s response to immunizations. Studies have shown that people under chronic stress have lower than normal white blood cell counts, are more vulnerable to colds and other viruses, take longer to recover from them and experience worse symptoms than people who do not have high stress levels.

If you are concerned about the answer to the question; does stress damage the immune system, then you may feel that you are in a stressful situation over which you have no control. It may not be possible to leave a high-pressure job in order to reduce your stress level and if doing so would cause financial problems, you could actually increase your stress level. Good nutrition, regular exercise and certain health supplements may help you protect yourself from the effects of chronic stress by naturally boosting the immune system and allowing the body to return to a more relaxed state.

Control of Stress and Violent Behavior: The Facts

Introduction

Stress is a recognized phenomenon among a majority of Americans. Its affects can be felt in the work place, where it can reduce productivity, and in the home, where it has been associated with family violence. Efforts to assist those in need have been undertaken by both the public and the private sectors. Crisis hotlines and outreach clinics are available to offer assistance for those having problems coping with stress, and most Americans are aware of their services. Violent behavior, including homicide, suicide, rape and family violence is a continuing health problem of major concern. Homicide and suicide are leading causes of death among persons 15-34 years of age.

Prevalence

Stress

An estimated 86% of the adult population believes that psychological stress exists.

84% of males surveyed and 88% of females surveyed reported having experienced stress. 40% of those surveyed reported that they experience at least a moderate amount of stress during an average week.

Among those surveyed, 83% of the college graduates, 71% of the high school graduates and 50% of those persons with less than a high school degree reported having experienced stress.

63% of the blue collar workers, 83% of the professionals, 71% of those unemployed, 67% of the homemakers and 79% of the white collar workers reported having experienced stress.

Of those who reported having experienced stress, 35% believed that stress had a negative impact on their lives. 33% said stress had not had any affect on their lives.

Professionals reported illness due to stress more frequently than any other occupational group (23%). They are followed by part-time employees (21%), unemployed persons (21%), white collar workers (20%), homemakers (18%), blue collar workers (13%) and retirees (9%).

Sources of Stress

Among those surveyed, persons earning more than $30,000 per year cited financial and work-related problems as the most frequent causes of stress.

Those persons earning less than $30,000 per year most often cited problems with friends and family as the primary cause of stress.

47% of the 18-29 year olds surveyed reported being able to solve an upsetting problem during the past year. 65% of those 65 years and older reported that they were able to solve an upsetting problem over the past year.

“The proportion reporting the existence of an upsetting situation is greatest for respondents 18-29 years old (22%). Proportions for the remaining age categories vary from 19% for those aged 30-to 44 to 12% for those aged 55-to 64.”

It is estimated that 500,000 or more Vietnam veterans are in need of emotional help. Up to 30% of their drug abuse, violence, emotional instability are alleged to be a direct result of exposure to combat and atrocities.

Public Awareness and Service Delivery

77% of those surveyed did not consider seeking help in dealing with personal or emotional problems; 5% considered, but did not seek help, and an estimated 15% of the population actually sought help from a variety of sources.

Of those surveyed, 17% of the women and 12% of the men sought help. 81% of the men and 74% of the women did not consider seeking help.

Survey respondents who had at least a high school education sought help more readily than those who did not.

Help-seeking behavior did not vary across income levels.

Among those surveyed, 91% had never been a member of a self-help group. 5% had participated in a self-help group during the past year and 3% were currently participating in a self-help group.

Respondents were most often familiar with the following agencies: emergency medicare centers, alcohol and drug abuse centers, community mental health agencies, child abuse services and crisis hotlines or help centers. 45% knew of a suicide prevention hotline.

“A community-based emergency center had been contacted by 30% of those sampled; less than 8% had ever contacted a community mental health agency, an alcohol or drug abuse center, a child abuse service, a crisis hotline or a stress service. 1% had contacted a battered woman’s shelter, a rape crisis center, a suicide prevention service or a Parents Anonymous group.”

Blue Cross of Western Pennsylvania reports that for 136 persons who used insured outpatient psychiatric benefits, medical costs dropped from $16.47 to $7.06 per month.

A Washington-based health maintenance organization reported that users of mental health counseling benefits reduced their nonpsychiatric physicians visits by 30.7% and lab X-ray services by 29.8%.

According to a study recently conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the costs of “executive stress” (based on conservative estimates) are as follows: cost of executive work-loss days: $2,861,775,800.; cost of executive hospitalization: $248,316,864.; cost of executive outpatient care: $131,058,235.; cost of executive mortality: $16,470,977,439.

Violent Crime

Police reports collected by the FBI indicate that the number of violent crimes in the nation increased by 4% between 1984 and 1985. Murder increased by 2%, forcible rape by 4%, robbery by 3%, and aggravated assault by 6%.

Each year about 6 million persons—3.2% of all Americans—are the victims of a violent crime.

Violent crime victims are more likely to be:

• men rather than women (except for the crime of rape),
• Blacks rather than whites or members of other racial groups,
• Hispanics rather than non-Hispanics,
• people with low incomes (less than $7,500 per year).

In 1981, an estimated $223 million in medical expenses was incurred by victims of assaults, robberies, and rapes.

Child Abuse

In 1984 an estimated 1.7 million children were referred to child protective services because of child abuse and neglect in the United States. This represented a 158% increase in the number of such reports between 1976 and 1984.

Neglect, alone or in combination with abuse, accounted for 58% of all reports to child protective services in 1984.

Reports of child sexual abuse have increased by approximately 1600% since 1976. This increase reflects greater public awareness of the existence of the problem, changes in reporting and investigative policies, expansions in definitions of child sexual abuse to include extra-familial abuse, and the increase in the number of treatment programs.

Severe physical child abuse may be decreasing in the United States. Data from two national surveys conducted in 1975-1976 and 1985 indicate a 47% decline in severe violence towards children in intact families with children ages 3 to 17.

Among the possible reasons for the reported decline in severe child abuse are increased use of planned parenthood (including abortion) by the U.S. population, compulsory child abuse and neglect reporting laws in the 50 States, and the appearance of new preventive and treatment programs for child abuse and neglect.

Spouse Abuse

Data from national surveys conducted in 1975-1976 and 1985 indicate that severe violence by husbands against wives has declined. The rate for such violence decreased from 38 per 1,000 couples in the initial survey to 30 per 1,000 couples in 1985. Relative to the 1975-1976 rate, this represents a 26.6% decline in severe wife beating over the 10-year period and comes close to statistical significance.

Severe violence by wives against husbands decreased only slightly between 1975-1976 and 1985. Although the meaning and significance of this violence is poorly understood, it appears that much of it was in self-defense or in retaliation for violence inflicted by husbands.

Murd
ers of wives by husbands, and of husbands by wives, accounted for 8.3% of all murders nationally in 1985.

Although spousal violence is usually thought of in terms of intact marriages, available data suggest that violence of this type is even more frequent among persons who have been divorced or separated from each other.

Homicide

Homicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the United States in 1983. However, the relative rank of homicide as a cause of death varied greatly by race. In 1983, homicide was the 5th leading cause of death among Blacks, the 14th leading cause of death among whites, and the 9th leading cause of death among persons of other races.

Homicide takes its greatest toll among young persons ages 15 to 34. In 1983, homicide was the leading cause of death for Blacks in this age group.

The toll that homicide takes among the young is also reflected in the number of years of potential life lost (YPLL) before age 65. For Blacks in 1983, homicide was the 3rd leading cause of YPLL; for whites and others, it was the 6th leading cause of YPLL.

Males account for nearly 75% of homicide victims. Black males have a 1 in 21 lifetime chance of being murdered; white males have 1 chance in 131.

Most homicides in the United States are committed with firearms. In 1985, firearms accounted for 3 out of 5 homicides nationally. Cutting or stabbing instruments were employed in 1 out of 5 homicides.

Nearly 3 out of every 5 homicides committed in 1985 were perpetrated by persons acquainted with the victim (47%) or by relatives (17%). Arguments are the leading precipitants of homicide and accounted for nearly 40% of homicides nationally during the period 1981-1985.

Rape

In 1983, an estimated 154,000 rapes and attempted rapes occurred nationally, or roughly 1 for every 600 females 12 years of age and older.

Most rape victims are young. The ages with the highest victimization rates for rape and attempted rape are 16 to 24 year olds.

Most victims of rape or attempted rape are white, reflecting the general racial composition of the population. However, the likelihood of being a rape victim is significantly higher for Black women (2.5 per 1,000 annual rate) than for white women (1.5 per 1,000).

Two-thirds of rapes and attempted rapes are committed by men who are strangers to the victim. More than three-fourths of all rapes involve one assailant and one victim. Weapons are used in about one-fourth of rapes and attempted rapes.

Social stigma traditionally attached to rape makes it difficult for many victims to report the crime to police. Only half of the victims of rape and attempted rape surveyed nationally during the period 1973-1982 had reported the crime to police.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is an unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury, but not resulting in death.

In 1985, there were 300 reported victims of aggravated assault for every 100,000 persons nationwide. Rates were highest in metropolitan areas (342 per 100,000) and lowest in rural counties (129 per 100,000).

Weapon distribution data for 1985 showed that 21% of reported aggravated assaults involved the use of firearms, and that 31% were committed with blunt objects and other dangerous weapons.

During the five-year period 1981-1985, the reported number of aggravated assaults increased by 9% across the nation.

The term “reported aggravated assaults” refers only to data on such assaults contained in police reports. Recent research has indicated that police reports do not adequately reflect the true extent of aggravated assault in the nation. One study of 41 acute care hospitals in Northeast Ohio found that close to 3 out of 4 cases of assault seen in hospital emergency departments were not reported to police.

Control of Violent Behavior

In 1984, the year end prison population in the United States numbered more than 463,000 persons. This was the largest number of prisoners ever confined in the nation and the 10th consecutive year in which the national year end prison population reached an all-time high.

Since 1980, the national prison population has increased by more than 40%. While an estimated 100,000 new prison beds were added in 1980-1984, the number of prisoners increased by more than 130,000 during the same period.

Although the number of female prisoners has greatly increased in recent years, and reached a total of 20,853 nationally in 1984, women still account for a very small percentage of the total prison population. In 1984, less than 1 in 20 prisoners were female.

A record 223,551 persons were being held in local jails as of June 1983. This represents a 41% increase over the total population recorded in the previous national jail census conducted in 1978.

Relative to the U.S. population, the number of jailed persons rose from 76 per 100,000 in 1978 to 98 per 100,000 in 1983.

With the exception of Massachusetts, every state had more women in jail in 1983 than in 1978, but women still account for only 7% of the national jail population.

The number of juvenile jail detainees is small and relatively stable, totaling 1,736 nationwide in 1983 and 1,611 in 1978.

More than 1.5% of the adult U.S. population is under some form of correctional supervision on a given day. Nearly two-thirds of these are under some form of probation; the remainder are in prison (17%), jail (8%), or on parole (10%).

10 important Facts About Sexually Transmitted Diseases

1. WHAT ARE SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES (STDS)?

Sexually transmitted diseases are diseases that can be passed from person to person through sexual contact. In this case sexual contact means penis-vagina penetration, oral sex which is sexual contact using the mouth, and insertion of the penis into the rectum which is anal sex. Some of these diseases may be transmitted by exchange of sexual fluids such as semen or vaginal discharge. Some of the STD’s result in open sores, and it can be spread by contact with skin of someone else. There are also ways to transmit these diseases in a non sexual way, an infected pregnant woman can either give it to her baby during pregnancy, or when the baby is being delivered. Drug abusers can transmit the disease through sharing hypodermic needles that have been used by an infected person. The seriousness of STD’s varies, some are cured easily by drugs, others need a combination of treatments and drugs, whilst others have no cure, and the only option is treatment.

2. WHAT ARE SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED IINFECTIONS (STI’s)?

Any infection that is usually passed through sexual contact.

3. ARE THE TWO WORDS INTERCHANGEABLE?

Fifteen years ago both these categories came under one name Venereal Disease (VD). To distinguish between them they were separated into infections(STI) and diseases(STD). Infection means that a germ, bacteria, parasite or virus is present in the body. An infected person does not necessarily have any symptoms, which means that they do not usually feel ill. A disease is any abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress, in other words your body tells you that you are unwell. This means that STI covers a wider range than the term STD. STD refers only to infections that are causing problems. Because most of the time, people don’t know they are infected with an STI until they start showing symptoms of disease, the AIDS Resource Center uses the term STD, even though the term STI is also appropriate in many cases.

Let’s see if we can simply un-muddy the waters here. Genital herpes has two states when the blisters are present and when they are absent. When they are present they are causing symptoms, ie the blisters, at this stage it is an STD, and it is that this stage that the infection is most likely to be spread to another person. When the blisters are absent then there are no symptoms, and this is then an STI, and the likelihood of an infection is reduced. However HIV can be an infection, in the sense that there may be no symptoms, when they develop symptoms then they have AIDS which is an STD. However it is important to remember that HIV infection can be spread at any time.

4. WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STD’S AND HIV?

A person who is already infected with STD, has a higher risk of contracting HIV if they have unprotected sex, without a condom. This risk is greater if the STD causes open genital sores, as these wounds provide a break in the skin which enables the HIV infection to enter the blood stream. STDs that can cause genital ulcers include genital herpes, syphilis, chancre, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis, and scabies.

5. WHY IS IT DIFFICULT TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU MAY HAVE A STD?

First of all the majority of the people with STD have no immediate symptoms and when they do have them it can be misleading to diagnose as the symptoms can be confused with non sexual diseases. Please note that this applies much more to women than men.

6. WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS FOR WOMEN WHEN THEY ARE SUFFERING FROM AN STD?

Unusual or A bad-smelling vaginal discharge, severe itching or burning in the genital area, unusual bleeding, pain in the pelvic region, pain during sex, rashes on the genitals, open sores or warts on the genital area, and/or recurrent urinary tract infections.

7. WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS FOR MEN WHEN THEY ARE SUFFERING FROM AN STD?

In men, the most common symptoms of STD are: pain when urinating, open sores or warts on the genital area, genital rash discharge from the penis, and/or pain in the scrotum/testicles.

8. WHAT ARE THE OTHER SYMPTOMS NOT CONNECTED TO THE GENITALS?

The following symptoms are present in both men and women. discharge from the anus, swelling of the groin, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes), oral thrush (white tongue), arthritis, sores or bumps in and around the mouth, and generalized rashes.

9 CAN I CONTRACT STI AS A RESULT OF MUTUAL MASTURBATION?

Yes you can and listed below are some examples. Bacterial Vaginosis Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Herpes Simplex Human Papilloma Virus (HPV, Warts) Pubic Lice Scabies.

10. CAN I PREVENT GETTING STI OR STD?

The only foolproof way is abstinence from sex. A condom merely reduces the risk, and it must be used every time, before any sexual fluids are exchanged.

Do Condoms Work? The Truth About Condom Effectiveness

All methods of contraception are used to prevent pregnancy, but condoms have the added advantage of providing protection against infection and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). How effective are condoms at doing these two things? Are they really as effective as other contraceptive methods at preventing pregnancy? And since one of the most common reasons for using a condom is to provide protection against infection, are they really an effective barrier against being infected by STDs?

In this article we look at some of these questions.

Does using a condom prevent pregnancy?

Condoms are an extremely effective means of preventing pregnancy. Of course, no method of contraception is 100% effective because there will always be instances of incorrect or inconsistent use. This is as true of “the pill” or any other form of contraception as it is of condoms. However clinical studies have shown that high quality condoms, when used consistently and correctly, provide an excellent barrier against pregnancy. These trials have shown that correct and consistent use of condoms can have between 95% and 98% contraceptive efficacy rate.

How often do condoms fail?

The main reason that condoms “fail” to prevent pregnancy or infection is not because the condom itself has “failed”, but because of incorrect or inconsistent use. Latex condoms can be weakened by oil-based lubricants like petroleum jelly. They can also be weakened by exposure to sunlight or by age. Sometimes they are torn by teeth or fingernails. But putting these incorrect uses aside, condoms almost ever “fail”.

How often do condoms break or slip off?

In the United States, most studies of breakage caused by fault in the condom itself have shown breakage rate is less than 2 condoms out of every 100. Studies also indicate that condoms slip off the penis in about 1-5% of acts of vaginal intercourse and slip down (but not off) about 3-13% of the time. Again, these rates are influenced by the care one takes when using a condom.

Are condoms effective at preventing infection from HIV or STDs?

Studies have shown that if a latex condom is used correctly and consistently (every time you have sex), they are a highly effective barrier against infection. This has been demonstrated most clearly by studies of “discordant” couples in Europe. A “discordant” couple is one in which one partner in infected with HIV and the other one is not. In a study of 123 couples in which condoms were used consistently, none of the infected partners became infected.

Do thinner condoms give less protection against pregnancy and STDs?

Thinner condoms are equally effective as a protection against both pregnancy and infection by STDs. However they may be more easily damaged by fingernails, teeth, jewelry and other incorrect uses, so extra care should be taken when using a thinner condom.

Are all condoms thoroughly tested before being sold?

All brand name condoms are subjected to rigorous quality control tests at every stage of the manufacturing process. In the US, each condom is electronically tested for holes and defects. Samples are taken from each lot and visually examined using a water leak test. In this test the samples are filled with 300 ml of water and suspended for 3 minutes.

Samples from each lot are also subjected to an Air Inflation Test. This involves filling the test condoms with air until they reach the bursting point. They typically will hold about 40 liters of air — the equivalent of 9 gallons of water!

Other samples are checked for size and thickness, some are tested to destruction for physical strength, and still others are prematurely aged by applying high temperatures to ensure that they will retain their quality well beyond their 5 year product life.

In all regards, condoms have been shown to be an effective way to prevent pregnancy as well as being a highly effective way of guarding oneself against HIV or STD infection.

Your Sexual Health Can Enhance Your Relationship

Sexual health seems to be on everyone’s mind these days and with good reason. Everyone wants to be healthy when it comes to sex; no one wants to think that they have problems with this most basic of human activities.

Many men, however, find themselves faced with serious sexual issues, such as erectile dysfunction and impotence. While most seek to hide what they think of as a deficiency, those who are able to communicate their issues find that help is a lot closer and a lot easier to find than they might have thought. Pills like Viagra and Cialis are there to help, however in some cases the side effects are worse than the problem.

Sex pills are sweeping airwaves and inboxes; a new miracle product seems to arrive on the market every day. Some of these drugs are promised to be all-natural; many others are advertised to have lasting effects on penis size and sexual abilities. Most of these sex pills are not worth the paper that their advertisements are printed on, or effective enough to justify the use of an iota of bandwidth.

People are getting more information about their sexual health these days thanks to the overwhelming set of sexually transmitted diseases that are now sweeping the nation. Diseases such as: AIDS/HIV, and syphilis which can actually kill you and diseases that cannot really be treated like genital warts and herpes are running rampant these days. Even though there is much information available about these diseases, many people are newly diagnosed every year.

It seems as though the onset of knowledge and resources has not deterred people in the 18-24 age bracket from engaging in unprotected sexual activity. Too many people seem to live under the belief that these diseases will not reach them. If the diseases are not fatal most people do not care about getting infected. Right now, the only prevention method for sexually transmitted diseases is latex condoms. With this in mind, it is a wonder that more people do not just take the extra few minutes out of their day to use one. Every year thousand of people die from AIDS; you would think that this would be a wake up call for those who know what AIDS can do.

Enhancing your relationship can be easy, but you have to be responsible in your sex life if it is to be enhanced. If you have or have had an STD in the past, you have to be sure that you are keeping up to date with your physician. Your sexual health is a very important aspect of your sex life. Protection is important in making your relationship better. With all of the potential problems that are out there these days, you just cant be too careful.

Constipation, Hemorrhoids or Piles, and inactivity go hand in hand. If you have been constipated for quite a while, chances are you have hemorrhoids. If you are inactive because you just like sitting around or are confined to a bed or chair, then you will have constipation and hemorrhoids.

So if you want to get rid of hemorrhoids, you need to take 3 steps. These three steps can be done at the same time, especially if you have hemorrhoids that are itchy, painful, and are in need of attention.

First you need to do something about your hemorrhoids. There are many different natural remedies for reducing, relieving, and eliminating hemorrhoids. Since everyone is different in his or her chemical make-up and nutritional requirements, one remedy will not work for everyone.

Each of you has to find out what remedy works best for you. Use the remedy that feels right for you, the remedy where you have the ingredients, or that one based on the severity of your hemorrhoids.

Here’s one remedy you can try – Collinsonia Root Powder Collinsonia is a vegetable, known as “Stone Root” because of it hardness. It comes in powder and liquid. Stone Root is found in Canada and in Florida. It has been found quite helpful in aiding hemorrhoids.

Linda Clark in her book called, Linda Clark’s Handbook of natural remedies for common ailments, 1976, says this about collinsonia root. “I have heard people rave enthusiastically about the results of this remedy, which works quickly.” It’s benefits come from,

Supporting blood vessel contractions and flow

Reducing irritation and inflammation of veins

Providing a tonic effect on weaken veins, capillaries, and tissue

Improving digestion

Helping to keep mucus membranes healthy
Secondly, you need to do something about becoming regular and to eliminate mild or chronic constipation. To start with, do these simple changes in your diet.

Eat fruits as a snack between meals – oranges, apples, bananas, prunes, grapefruits, mangos, watermelon, grapes, cherries.

Stop eating bread, flour products, milk, sodas, back off on eating a lot of protein.

Eat a few serving of vegetables during the day – green lettuce, celery, carrots, and so on

Drink at least 2-3 glasses of water every day or drink more water than you normally do.
The third thing you need to do is add some exercise to your daily routine. It can be any thing as long it is something you like and you do it regularly – walking, swimming, or rebounding. Don’t over exercise; all you need is 10 – 20 minutes per day.

There you have it, the threes step to getting rid of hemorrhoids – a hemorrhoid natural remedy, a slight change in your diet, and 10 minutes of daily exercise that you like.

Drugstore Hemorrhoid Medications

There are many drugstore and alternative Internet products for treating hemorrhoids. Most of the products are not made to cure or eliminate hemorrhoids but to give you temporary relief of itching, pain, swelling or bleeding. I don’t recommend using any type of product that is not natural or that comes from a drugstore.

If the product contains petrochemicals, additives, coloring, dyes, or other chemicals, which enhance its appearance and feel, I would not use them. Most, if not all, of these chemicals will be absorbed into your body where your organs of elimination will have to deal with eliminating them.

All products whether drugs, drugstore medications, or natural formulations use chemicals, substances, oils, and herbs that have the following properties:

Anesthetics – suppresses pain and gives relief…any name with the suffix “caine” like tetracaine

Analgesics – suppresses and give pain relief – some of them are Anacin, Tylenol with Codeine, OxyContin, Darvocet, Ultracet

Vasoconstrictors – helps to narrow or constrict hemorrhoidal veins…any name with the suffix “rine” like phenylephrine

Lubricants – provide lubrication in the colon to relieve constipation – mineral oil, flax seed oil, castor, oil olive oil. bad baby

Astringents – help to tighten tissue, which have been pushed out by hemorrhoid action – zinc oxide, witch hazel, calamine

Keratolytics – help to remove excess hemorrhoidal tissue. They are compounds of sulfur and salicylic acid
Many of the drugstore medications have anesthetics. They can aggravate and irritate the hemorrhoids you’re trying to eliminate. If you are using one of these drugstore medications, consider using a more natural remedy.

In 1975 Carl I. Flath, wrote a book called The Miracle Nutrient – How Dietary Fiber Can Save Your Life. In his book he talks about the effectiveness of drugstore suppositories,

“Suppositories quickly work their way up in the rectum beyond the location of most internal hemorrhoids, and so are of limited value in reducing local pain. As antiseptics they are essentially worthless, since the surface areas they are supposed to protect are under constant exposure to new bacteria….

Anesthetic agents do offer temporary relief from local irritations and pain… Neither the suppositories nor the ointments, however, do anything whatever to correct the basic cause of hemorrhoids—constipation.”

How Do You Get Hemorrhoids?

A lot of people don’t even know they have hemorrhoids. The rectum is not an area you can readily see. Some times you don’t know you have hemorrhoids until you see blood in the toilet water after a bowel movement, when you start to have pain or discomfort in the rectum, or when you feel extra tissue around the rectum.

So how do you develop hemorrhoids? For sure, constipation is not the only way you can get hemorrhoids. Here are some additional ways:

Alcoholism or drinking to many alcoholic drinks

Being pregnant and not eating enough fiber

Doing daily heavy lifting and holding your breath while you do it

Eating excessive processed foods, which are low in fiber and move slowly through your colon.

General body weakness, which will affect the colon function

Having a predisposition to constipation or inheriting a weakness in the colon and rectum area * Holding fecal matter too long in the rectum causing pressure to buildup in the rectum veins – postponing a bowel movement

Having a weak liver, which reduces the amount of bile released into the intestines. Bile helps to active peristaltic action.

Having inflammation in the rectum that causes you to have constipation

Irregular eating patterns

Lack of protein leading to weak tissues and slow healing of wounds

Not eating foods that keeps you constipation free such as fiber, vegetables, essential fatty acids, protein, water.

Not getting the right vitamins and minerals in your food.

Being overweight

Poor muscle tone in the anal area from lack of exercise

Pressure on rectum veins from cysts or tumor in the colon

Sitting in a chair at home, at work, in a car, or in a truck for long periods

Using laxatives to the point where your colon no longer works properly and you end up with constipation
As you can see there are many reasons that you can develop hemorrhoids. And most of them relate to the function of your colon. If you want hemorrhoid relief look at the list and see which condition or situation relates to you and try to make changes in these conditions. In addition to changes add new foods that will help your colon to work better.

Using Herbs to Relieve Hemorrhoids – Aloe Vera, Bilberry, Butcher’s Broom

To relieve hemorrhoids first look for ways to get your bowels moving easier and more frequently so they produce softer stools. I have suggestion ways, in other articles, to do this by changing your diet.

Any straining and puffing you do to push hard or even soft stools out during a bowel movement will aggravate your hemorrhoids and can lead to bleeding and pain.

When completing a bowel movement, make sure you are using the softest tissue available so that when you clean yourself you don’t scrape or aggravate your hemorrhoids. You can also use pre-moisten tissue. Just make sure that the tissue you use is not colored or scented because these chemical additives can aggravate your hemorrhoids.

You may have to take a shower a couple times a day to keep your rectum area clean.

Here are three natural remedies that you can use to aid in eliminating your hemorrhoids.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera gel is an astringent that helps to heal open wounds. It is useful in hemorrhoids by applying the gel directly onto your anus. The best type of gel for this is directly from the aloe plant. If you don’t have one, then 100% organic whole leaf aloe gel is second best. You can get this organic aloe at a health food or nutrition store.

If you have a fresh plant, wash a leaf thoroughly with distilled water. Peel it on one side, bend it with the peeled side outward, and slip it into your anus. This will provide you with pain relief and reduce your hemorrhoid bleeding. Just trim down the leaf so it slides into your anus easily.

Aloe Vera juice, that you drink, is also good for hemorrhoids. It helps to soften your stools and to activate peristaltic action. If you like aloe juice, then drink around 1/2 a cup of Aloe Vera juice three time a day.

You can add 1/4 or 1/3 part aloe juice to a cup of apple juice to make the taste easier to handle. To make this aloe-apple juice more effective, add 10 drops of barberry extract.

Barberry is an astringent for blood vessel congestion along the colon and rectum. It will improve blood circulation; it stimulates the immune system to resist disease, and will tone body tissues. It also is capable of stopping bleeding hemorrhoids.

Bilberry

Bilberry’s active ingredients are flavanoids. Bilberry contains chemical called “anthocyanosides.” This fruit like herb has been used in Europe for a long time. In clinical studies, it has shown to be effective in treating weak capillaries by strengthening their walls.

Buy the 25% standardized formula and take 100 mg three times a day of bilberry. Bilberry will give you hemorrhoid relief.

Butcher’s Broom

Butcher’s broom, an evergreen bush, has a history of being used for varicose veins and hemorrhoids. As an extract, it contains “ruscogenins”, which can narrow blood vessels and decrease their inflammation and swelling. It strengthens and tones veins and capillary walls.

Take 100 mg of butcher’s broom three times a day. Use the type that has 9-11% ruscogenins.

Now you can use either of the three herbal remedies for hemorrhoid relief. If one is not working to good, try the other. Once you have gotten the hemorrhoid relief that you want stop using the herbal remedy.