If you’re a man over 40, chances are pretty good that you’ll have an enlarged prostate at some point in your life. And while this is not a reason to panic, it is a reason to take prostate health seriously.

Here’s what you need to know.

The signs and symptoms of enlarged prostate include:
> Difficulty with urination (including incomplete emptying of the bladder.)
> Discomfort or pain (burning sensation) behind the testicles.
> Urgency with urination.
> Dribbling after urination.
> Frequent night-time trips to the bathroom (2 or more) to urinate.
> Possible discomfort with ejaculation or difficulty maintaining an erection.

By far, the most common complaints with BPH relate to frequency, urgency and incomplete urination.

Before you get too concerned, let’s be clear about something.

An enlarged prostate, called “Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy” (BPH) is not cancer. 

And while prostate cancer may result in an enlarged prostate, BPH is not cancerous.

The underlying causes of BPH have to do with how your body processes and testosterone and its by-products. One of the components of testosterone metabolism, and the chief cause of prostate enlargement (as well as hair loss) is Dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

DHT is known to stimulate prostate cell activity, which ultimately results in an enlarged (although benign) prostate.

To counter an enlarged prostate, it is necessary to find herbal supplements that have a “DHT-blocking” effect on the body, and prevent DHT from attaching to, and stimulating, cell receptors in the prostate. Doing this has the effect on the prostate of “letting the air out of the tires”, reducing pressure and improving urination, as well as comfort.

Some of the recommended herbs for prostate health include saw palmetto, pygeum bark extract, pumpkin seed oil, nettle leaf extract and lycopene (from tomatoes).

In terms of mineral supplements, taking 10-30 mg of zinc each day seems to be a recommended guideline for daily intake.

Specific health formulas exist, that mix herbal extracts with zinc, to address BPH–we have a product for this (”Prostate Support–Saw Palmeto Pygeum Plus“) through Miley Labs. It works well for BPH, and seems to have a positive effect on urination within two weeks from the start of taking it.

There are other products like this on the market, and some may be just fine to take.

If you do look into a prostate support formula, make sure you are getting 320 mg of standardized Saw Palmetto Berry extract per day ( with 85-95% fatty acid sterols as the standardized level per capsule.)

Also look for Pygeum bark extract standardized to 12% Beta-sitosterol (3.25 mg) per capsule, and take 11-14 mg of this per day.

Again, the product I put together for Prostate Support in Miley Labs has these levels of ingredients, plus Zinc, Pumpkin Seed Oil, Nettle Leaf extract (standardized to 5% total amino acids) and Lycopene– so take a look if you are interested.

Natural cures for asthma and allergies in children are often sought by parents who are tired of pumping their children full of medications, steroids and other chemicals that have an amazing range of side effects. Day by day the number of asthma attack victims are rising on a rocket speed of people. The attacks can be mild, moderate, severe or life threatening.

There is a distinction between allergies and asthma in adults and children. During allergies and hay fever attacks the sufferer has difficulty with allergic rhinitis or sneezing, congestions, runny and itchy nose. An allergic rhinitis reaction may be either seasonal or perennial. Although allergies can precipitate an asthmatic attack it isn’t necessarily the case.

Most allergies present themselves as symptoms in the head, sinus or nose. However, when the allergic reaction moves into the chest with angioedema and constriction it comes under the associated name of asthma. One of every six Americans has some type of allergy. Many of these allergies are triggered by pollen, weeds, grasses, as are asthmatic attacks.

Almost 40% of children in the US miss some school each year due to allergies. Complications from these allergies can lead to nasal polyps or sinus cavity infections.

There are natural cures for asthma and allergies in children that help to decrease the severity and number of the attacks. Some use hydrogen peroxide in the humidifier or medication aerosolizer. Others use stress reducers to decrease emotional stress and therefore a potent asthma trigger.

Some of the current brand names of medications used to treat asthma include Pulmicort, Beclovent, Flovent, Ventolin, Serevent, Slo-Bid, and Prednisone. They all come with side effects with a wide range of severity and variety. Some can cause facial edema, nausea, nasal irritation, dry mouth, delayed growth in children, infection, osteoporosis, cough and wheezing, headache, permanent loss of smell or taste, pneumonia, rash, cardiac complications, increased risk of glaucoma, psychotic reactions, liver dysfunction and worsening diabetes.

Before beginning any new routine of medication or natural treatments you must consult you doctor. There are many natural remedies that interact with other medications you may already be taking. Natural remedies, although thought of as distinct from chemically produced medications, are actually chemicals themselves that interact with the foods you eat, the environment in which you live and the other medications you ingest or use on your skin.

A medication interaction can lessen, increase or completely change the way in which your body reacts to either of the medications. So before getting into trouble with potentially life-threatening side effects ask your doctor or pharmacist to approve the natural cure for asthma and allergies in children.

After you have researched the natural remedies you may want to use you should stock up on the products before the symptoms appear. Asthma attacks are often worse at night although the asthma type might not be nocturnal asthma. Stores are closed and over the counter relief is hard to find. Doctors are charging large fees for calls at night and the emergency room is not cheap. If you can stop the attack early you will save your child medication administration, yourself cost and the worry of a potentially life-threatening event.

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Emory University Hospital continues its strong commitment
of addressing heart disease before its development by
guiding patients to a healthier way of life for themselves
and the ones they love.

This includes adding heart-healthy supplements into your diet,
like Omega-3 fish oil and Coenzyme Q 10.

With this commitment, Emory
University now offers a comprehensive Preventive Cardiology
Clinic through their Heart & Vascular Center.
Preventative Cardiology Atlanta
Those with a history of heart attacks in their family,
obesity, high blood pressure, or little or no exercise or
high cholesterol levels, are very likely candidates at risk
of a heart attack. Cardiac rehabilitation is the best form
of prevention and is important in preventing the number one
killer of Americans. For existing heart patients, cardiac
rehabilitation is meant to help them recover quickly and
improve their overall physical and mental functioning.
Preventative Cardiology at Emory
Emory University Hospital offers a variety of programs
meant for those who are at risk for heart disease; may
already have it, or just want to learn more about it. More information is available on Emory’s website on these
programs including classes and other informative links on
how one can start getting healthier today.

Counseling is a key component of any successful cardiac
rehabilitation program. With counseling, a patient is helped in alleviating the risk
factors described above, such as high cholesterol, smoking,
high blood pressure and others. At Emory Heart and
Vascular, programs include designing an exercise program,
supplying information on physical limitations and lending
emotional support to the patient.

Cardiac rehabilitation is not only integral in the
prevention of heart disease, but it may also help in
managing diabetes, osteoporosis in women, particular types
of cancer, and even chronic low back pain. Even those who
are not at risk may find the information useful for boosting
energy, losing weight and promoting overall good health.
Preventing Heart Disease
The Emory Heart & Vascular Center is dedicated to providing
clinically excellent cardiovascular patient care, promoting
overall heart health, pioneering innovative clinical
research, and training the best heart specialists in the
world. The Center is consistently recognized by U.S. News &
World Report as one of the top heart and cardiovascular
health centers in the country. In addition, many of Emory’s
cardiologists and surgeons are consistently recognized as
Atlanta’s Top Doctors by Atlanta Magazine and as America’s
Top Doctors.

If you have back pain,  you’re certainly not alone. Most people experience some pain in their lower backs or the upper backs, at some point in their lives.

And while everyone’s situation is different, there are some common causes of back pain that are worth discussing.

If you’ve been in a serious accident or have had an injury to the back, this can take a long time to heal if it ever does at all. Those muscles and ligaments not only take a long time to heal as is, they’re always being used whether you’re actually moving or not.

But there are other common back pain causes,  that aren’t as complicated or traumatic.

Many people have injured their back without even knowing it; this can be from slamming the brakes on the car even when you don’t have a collision.

Those sudden movements of the body being thrown forward or the jerking motion made when a car suddenly stops are causes of back pain because they actually do injure the back, even if you don’t realize it at the time.

You can also suffer small injuries like this during everyday activities; suddenly jumping out of a chair or even jumping when you’re frightened all cause trauma and stress to the back.

Sometimes smaller muscles or ligaments get torn and a person doesn’t know it at the time, but these tears, even when that small, are typical causes of back pain.

Overuse and extension such as when lifting weights improperly are also causes of back pain.

Many people who work out with weights have no idea how to do so correctly and wind up using their backs to pull or push far too much weight when they should be working other muscles.

Overusing these muscles or keeping improper form are also causes of back pain for those who are probably just trying to make themselves stronger.

They may not think of the gym as being the problem but in reality those machines are doing more damage than good, if they’re being used improperly! Weights and machines and overexertion in aerobic classes are common causes of back pain.

And of course your place of employment can also provide lots of causes for poor back health. Bad office chairs, being hunched over whatever it is you’re working on, and moving around heavy items without proper back support can all cause severe and chronic pain, even though you may not connect these things to your problem.

Additionally, poor posture and excessive body weight are also common causes of back pain in many people. If you cannot correct your back pain on your own and have tried everything you can to get relief, it’s time to talk to your doctor about your other options.