I remember when I was first diagnosed with ovarian cysts. I had just gotten off work from the hospital (ironically enough) and I was driving home. I felt out of sorts during my shift-lightheaded, weak and feverish, but I didn’t think much of it.

As I was driving, every little bump in the road seemed to bother me. I felt cold and clammy. Suddenly, I experienced shooting pains radiating from my lower abdomen (left and right sides) and my lower back. I managed to drive home, but when I got there, the pain was so intense that I was doubled over and I felt like I couldn’t even stand up straight. My parents were at home and my dad thought that I was exhibiting the symptoms of kidney stones.

After a harrowing trip to the emergency room and a pelvic exam (joy to the world), I found out that I had ovarian cysts. The ER doctor prescribed a pain reliever for me, which seemed to help. I met with my general practitioner a few days later and he told me other ways to alleviate the pain.

What are ovarian cysts?

Ovarian cysts are small fluid-filled sacs that develop either within or on the surface of an ovary. Many women have ovarian cysts at some point during their lives. Functional (non-disease related) cysts form as a normal part of ovulation. Usually, the cyst will cause little or no discomfort and will be non-cancerous (benign). Ovarian cysts usually disappear within a few weeks.

Non-cancerous types of ovarian cysts:

• Follicular cyst-the most common type of ovarian cyst. This type forms a yellow mass of tissue and occurs when a follicle does not release the egg.
• Corpus luteum cyst-the cyst forms after a follicle has released its egg. The cyst fills with fluid and remains in the ovary.
• Hemorrhagic cyst-this type occurs when there is bleeding within the cyst. There may be abdominal pain on one side of the body.
• Dermoid cyst-is a type of benign cystic tumor with hair, bone, or other structures. These cysts develop from the ovary’s germ cells (the cells that produce the egg).
• Endometrioma cysts-are also know as the chocolate cysts of endometriosis and develop when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus attaches to the ovaries.
• Polycystic-appearing ovaries-these are caused by a buildup of many small cysts around the outside of the ovary.

Symptoms

• Menstrual irregularities
• Lower abdominal pelvic pain-constant or intermittent dull ache that may also radiate to your lower back and thighs
• Pelvic pain shortly before your period begins or just before it ends
• Pelvic pain during intercourse (dyspareunia)
• Pain during bowel movements or pressure on your bowels
• Nausea, vomiting or breast tenderness similar to that experienced during pregnancy
• Fullness or heaviness in your abdomen
• Pressure on your rectum or bladder-difficulty emptying your bladder completely

Signals for immediate medical attention:

• Sudden, severe abdominal or pelvic pain
• Pain accompanied by fever or vomiting
• Faintness, dizziness or weakness
• Rapid breathing

Causes

The most common type of ovarian cyst is a follicular cyst, which results from the growth of a follicle or fluid-filled sac that houses an egg. Follicles create the hormones estrogen and progesterone and release an egg when you ovulate. When the follicle grows larger than normal during the menstrual cycle and does not open to release the egg, a follicular cyst develops. These usually go away on their own.

Home remedies

My doctor told me to apply a hot compress to the area of discomfort (water bottle, heating pad) and to get a lot of rest. A nice, relaxing bath also seems to soothe away the pain.

Ginger compresses can be help dissolve hardened accumulations of fats, proteins or minerals such as ovarian cysts.

Apply natural progesterone cream topically (14th to the 28th day of your menstrual cycle). Place 1/4 to ½ tsp. on thighs to help regulate your hormones.

Consume more phytoestrogens in your diet to regulate your hormones naturally. Examples would be alfalfa, ginsing, fennel and celery.

-Nolan

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Feeling the winter chill? Don’t stay out in the cold too long; it can be damaging to your health. Hypothermia in humans is when body temperature drops below normal. This happens in 3 stages.

Stage 1: Your body temperature falls 2 to 4 degrees below normal and you start shivering. Outer appendages become numb and you find it hard to use your hands. You skin begins to goose pimple in an effort to keep your body warm.

Stage 2: Your body temperature falls 4 to 7 degrees below normal and your shivering becomes excessively severe and violent. Muscle coordination is compromised and body movement is sluggish. Your skin begins to develop a pallor as blood vessels contract further to keep vital organs warm. Lips, ears, fingers and toes become blue.

Stage 3: Your body temperature falls below 90 degrees and you stop shivering. Muscle coordination is poor and you have difficulty speaking, thinking and moving. Exposed skin becomes blue and puffy. Your heart and breathing rate slows and major organs begin to fail.

What to do to treat mild hypothermia

If you come across someone suffering from mild hypothermia, remove any wet clothing and replace with something dry and then warm them with your body. Blankets are all well and good, but they only help to trap the heat of your body, something a person with hypothermia does not have a lot right now. Do not rub their skin.

If someone is suffering from mild hypothermia, you can treat it by drinking warm liquids like tea. You can also put hot water bottles (that aren’t too terribly hot to begin with) or heating pads on their neck, armpits and groin.

What to do to treat severe hypothermia

Someone suffering from stage 2 or 3 hypothermia should seek medical attention immediately. If heartbeat or breathing has stopped, the person should not be considered dead.

Remarkable accounts of recovery after prolonged cardiac arrest have been reported in patients with hypothermia. This is presumably because the low temperature prevents some of the cellular damage that occurs when blood flow and oxygen are lost for an extended period of time.

How to prevent hypothermia

If you plan on being outside in the cold for a long time, dress accordingly. This means dressing in layers, wearing insulated gloves and socks, a hat, boots, et cetera. Be sure you have eaten and drank enough fluids to keep you hydrated. Winter dehydration is more common than people think.

You can also prevent hypothermia by putting some of these natural “warming” herbs and spices in your foods: turmeric, ginger, garlic, basil and cayenne pepper. You should also avoid substances which constrict your blood vessels, like caffeine and tobacco. Alcohol should also be avoided.

–Magdalena

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Earaches are a common but painful part of childhood illness. Knowing how badly an earache can hurt made me cringe when my four-year-old started crying and complaining that his ear felt like it was going to explode. His eardrum eventually did burst after a couple of days, and although it was alarming, he felt a great deal better. We used sweet oil and a cotton ball to help alleviate the pain. He was able to run and play in between pangs of pain. Thankfully, the ear infection lasted only two days. He is happy to be back to pre-school and his regular daily routine.

Ear infection Causes:

The Eustachian tube in the ear becomes blocked and fluid becomes trapped in the ear. This becomes a fertile place for germs to grow and may cause a viral or bacterial infection. Because children’s tubes are smaller, their ears become blocked more easily. Allergies and vitamin deficiency are also causes of ear infection.

Symptoms of an ear infection:

• Earache
• Fussiness and/or pulling at the ear accompanied by inconsolable crying in babies and younger children
• Fever may accompany other symptoms
• Thick yellow fluid flowing from ear—this is not serious, but indicates the eardrum has burst and eases the pain

Home Remedies for an ear infection:

• Apply warm compresses or heating pads
• Put 2-3 drops of sweet oil or extra extra virgin oil in affected ear—warmed in a teaspoon of warm water
• Use 1-2 drops of colloidal silver—a natural antibiotic
• Avoid dairy products while symptoms persist

** Consult a physician if there is not any improvement within 2-3 days.

–Anne

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Experiencing aches and pains in or around your tooth? Congratulations! You have a toothache. But what does the pain mean is actually wrong with you? Well, it could be one of many things. A toothache (also known as ondontalgia) can be the result of cavities (dental carries), infection (abscess), tooth decay, gum or jaw disease, a cracked tooth, rupturing wisdom teeth or other some other more serious illness.

Don’t get too worked up quite yet. There is also such a thing as a toothache in normal teeth called atypical ondontalgia. This is more of a dull, aching pain that is not restricted to one tooth. In fact, it often floats to other teeth for as long as a few months to over a year. No one is quite sure of the cause of atypical ondontalgia, though some may liken it to a somatoform disorder.

To find out the true source of the pain in your teeth, it’s best to make an appointment with your dentist.

Home Remedies for a Toothache

Crush a clove of garlic in a garlic press and apply the pulp to the affected tooth. Garlic releases allicin when crushed and has a powerful antibiotic effect. Pure garlic can cause skin irritation in some people, so use caution with this remedy.

Squeeze a lime into a glass of water and drink daily to cure toothache. Lime water also helps to prevent future cavities and decay from forming due to its high vitamin C content. Vitamin C naturally kills bacteria.

Peppermint is a natural anti-inflammatory and may help aid in lessening the overall pain of a toothache. Add a few drops of peppermint extract to hot water and drink. If you have fresh peppermint around, boil a couple leaves in a cup or water for about 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool a little and drink.

Clove oil is a good, natural remedy for the horrible pain of a toothache. Cloves are a natural antiseptic, pain killer and anti-bacterial agent. Soak a cotton ball in clove oil and apply to the tooth for up to one hour. Use this method throughout the day for extra relief.

A bit of vanilla extract applied to a cotton ball can numb the pain of a toothache, somewhat like Novocaine.

–Magdalena

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What is Vitamin E?

Vitamin E, or tocopherol, is a fat-soluble vitamin that naturally occurs in eight different forms of compounds (tocopherols and tocotrienols). Vitamin E in the form of alpha-tocopherol is often used in skin creams and lotions for its ability to retain moisture. It acts as an antioxidant to protect your cells from oxidation and neutralized free radicals, which can harm cells, tissues and organs. Vitamin E is also thought to help speed up the healing process for injuries such as scars and burns.

Dietary sources of vitamin E:

• Liver
• Egg yolk
• Avocado
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Peanut butter
• Wheat germ
• Whole grains
• Margarine
• Nuts—pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts
• Oils—canola oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil

Vitamin E protects vitamin A and essential fatty acids from oxidation within the cells and prevents the breakdown of body tissues. As an antioxidant, vitamin E helps protect skin cells from UV light, pollution, medications, and any other substances that promote free radicals.

What does it do for my skin?

Anti-Aging—the antioxidant powers of vitamin E fight off free radicals, while minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It can also help prevent the appearance of age spots.
Scars—helps soften scars by reducing the strength of collagen strands and making them more flexible.
Sunburns—there’s some controversy regarding this one. While vitamin E does help with sunburns, the question is whether it works as a preventative method or if it can only help after a burn has already developed. Vitamin E lotions are thought to protect the epidermis, or outer layer of the skin from early stages of ultra violet light damage when used around 30 minutes before exposure. In healing sunburns, vitamin E’s antioxidant abilities help shorten the recovery time.
Skin problems—products containing vitamin E can help reduce the appearance of stretch marks. Also, vitamin E cream is often used to treat skin diseases such as psoriasis, erythema, eczema and other skin issues.
Skin cancer—the antioxidants in vitamin E help reduce sun damage, thereby aiding in the prevention of skin cancer.

What to look for:
When searching for a topical form of vitamin E, be sure to check the labels. If you see “alpha-tocopherol acetate” that means that it is the acetate form and not the alcohol form (alpha-tocopherol). The acetate version isn’t as effective as an antioxidant and does not provide as many benefits as the natural alcohol form.

—Nolan

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