Toxic shock syndrome is a sudden, potentially fatal condition. It’s caused by the release of poisonous substances from an overgrowth of bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus, or staph, which is found in many women’s bodies. Toxic shock syndrome affects menstruating women, especially those who use super-absorbent tampons. The body responds with a sharp drop in blood pressure that deprives organs of oxygen and can lead to death. People who die from toxic shock are killed by the body’s response to the poisons released by staph bacteria. Most people suffer hypotensive shock, in which the heart and lungs stop working.

If you are menstruating and have a high fever with vomiting, especially if you have been using tampons, you must get medical help right away. If you are using a tampon, menstrual sponge, diaphragm, or cervical cap when you become ill, remove it immediately, even before calling your doctor.

Cold sores, sometimes called fever blisters, are groups of small blisters on the lip and around the mouth. The skin around the blisters is often red, swollen, and sore. The blisters may break open, leak a clear fluid, and then scab over after a few days. They usually heal in several days to 2 weeks.

Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are two types of herpes simplex virus: HSV-1 and HSV-2. Both virus types can cause sores around the mouth (herpes labialis) and on the genitals (genital herpes).

To help relieve pain and speed healing:
•Rinse your mouth. Use salt water; baking soda (dissolve 1 teaspoon of soda in 1/2 cup warm water); or a mixture of 1 part — such as 1 teaspoon — diphenhydramine (Benadryl) to either 1 part Kaopectate or 1 part Maalox. Be sure to spit out the mixtures after rinsing.
•Dab a small amount of milk of magnesia on your canker sore a few times a day.
•Cover canker sores with a paste made of baking soda plus a small amount of water — just enough to make a paste.
•Try over-the-counter products that contain the numbing agent benzocaine, such as Anbesol and Orajel.
•Avoid abrasive, acidic or spicy foods that can cause further irritation and pain.
•Apply ice to your canker sores by allowing ice chips to slowly dissolve over the sores.
•Brush your teeth gently, using a soft brush and toothpaste without foaming agents, such as Biotene, Sensodyne ProNamel or Rembrandt Canker Sore.

Parkinson’s disease affects the nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine. Parkinson’s disease symptoms include muscle rigidity, tremors, and changes in speech and gait. After diagnosis, treatments can help relieve symptoms, but there is no cure.

Massage therapy has been shown to have the following benefits for people that have been diagnosed with Parkinson.

Reduction in rigidity and tremor
Improvement in sleep
Increase in daily stamina
Reduction in anxiety
Increased feeling of relaxation

There are several different types of massage. Before your appointment, speak with the massage therapist about the different types of massage he or she offers that will fit your needs. The massage therapist with help you determine the frequency of your massages.

When the occasional headache strikes, most of us head for the medicine cabinet or local pharmacy and take an over-the-counter pain medication, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Motrin), aspirin, or pain-relieving drugs containing caffeine. A rebound headache may be the outcome if these medications aren’t taken as directed.

While over-the-counter pain-relievers are helpful in improving headache pain, they must be taken with caution because they could actually make your headaches worse if they aren’t taken correctly. The overuse or misuse of pain relievers — exceeding labeling instructions (such as taking the drug three or more days per week) or not following your doctor’s advice — can cause you to “rebound” into another headache.

When the pain medication wears off, you may experience a withdrawal reaction, prompting you to take more medication, which only leads to another headache and the desire to take more medication. And so the cycle continues until you start to suffer from chronic daily headaches with more severe headache pain and more frequent headaches.

Pain reliever overuse appears to interfere with the brain centers that regulate the flow of pain messages to the nerves, worsening headache pain.

This rebound syndrome is especially dangerous if your medication contains caffeine, which is often included in many pain relievers to speed up the action of the other ingredients. While it can be beneficial, caffeine in medications, combined with consuming caffeine (coffee, tea, soft drinks or chocolate) from other sources, makes you more vulnerable to a rebound headache.

Here are some ways you can find relief, without medication:
•Apply an ice pack to the painful area of your head. Try placing it on your forehead, temples, or the back of your neck.
•Take a warm bath or shower; take a nap; or take a walk.
•Ask someone to rub your neck and back, or treat yourself to a massage.
•Apply gentle, steady rotating pressure to the painful area of your head with your index finger and/or thumb. Maintain pressure for seven to 15 seconds, then release. Repeat as needed.
•Rest, sit, or lie quietly in a low-lit room. Close your eyes and try to release the tension in your back, neck, and shoulders.
•If you have excessive muscle contractions in the neck, it may be helpful to perform physical therapy exercises every day.

Do You Know the Warning Signs?

Nearly 800,000 Americans have strokes every year. However, studies show most Americans don’t know how to recognize five established warning signs that indicate when someone is having a stroke.

A stroke is when a blood vessel carrying blood to the brain either bursts or is blocked by a clot, thus depriving the brain of oxygen. According to the American Stroke Association, more than 137,000 people die each year from stroke–on average, that’s one person every four minutes. Risk factors include age and heredity, as well as artery disease, diabetes, high cholesterol or blood pressure, physical inactivity, obesity, and smoking,

Five Warning SignsThe best treatment for stroke is the drug “tissue plasminogen activator” (tPA), but it must be administered within three hours from the first symptoms of the stroke to be most effective. To help ensure the quick recognition of a stroke, familiarize yourself with these five established warning signs:

–Numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, usually on one side of the body.

–Sudden trouble walking and loss of balance.

–Sudden confusion and difficulty speaking.

–Severe headache with no obvious cause.

–Vision troubles from one or both eyes.

Someone suffering a stroke may not show all five symptoms simultaneously, but if any of these conditions are present, seek emergency medical assistance immediately. Call 9-1-1 and also record the time that the symptoms first presented. Being aware of the warning signs and being prepared to respond to them quickly could be the difference between life and death for you or someone you love.

Have Fun While Burning More Calories

Imagine the lone hiker, backpack laden with sleeping bag and bedroll, wielding a well-worn walking stick as she climbs the side of a snow-covered mountain. For centuries, trekkers have used walking sticks, partly as a defense against attacking wildlife, partly to aid in balance, and partly as support on long, arduous climbs. But in recent years, many hikers have replaced the single wooden walking stick with hiking poles.

Held in both hands and used to distribute weight more evenly through the four limbs, wilderness hikers have found poles invaluable for safety, efficiency, and comfort on long hikes. What wilderness hikers have known for some time now is that walking poles are a great way to relieve pressure on knees, ankles, and the back. They encourage better posture and provide a total body workout by engaging the upper body.

Now, hiking poles are showing up in urban areas as fitness walkers discover the benefits they provide. Nordic walking–similar in technique to cross- country skiing–is a great way to get a whole body workout, increase oxygen consumption, and burn more calories than regular walking or even speed walking. This total body workout burns 40 percent more calories and consumes 25 percent more oxygen. Poles can be purchased at most outdoor sporting stores, along with rubber tips for use on paved paths.

TechniqueAdjust your poles to approximately 70 percent of your height and loosely secure the straps around your wrists. Hold the poles at an angle behind you so they propel you forward with a slight bend at the elbow. Use an opposite hand-and-heel motion as you walk–right heel strikes as left pole tip contacts the ground. And you’re on your way! Don’t be shy with your poles. Remember: You’re burning 40 percent more calories.

For more information, visit www.walking.about.com/od/ nordicwalking/index.htm.

Balance Digestion, Improve Immunity, and Prevent Disease

In some form, yogurt has existed since at least 2000 BCE, and many food historians believe it predates recorded history, possibly going back as far as 9000 BCE Why such staying power? A bit of a wonder food, yogurt improves digestion, which can boost immunity and even help prevent colon cancer. One dairy product even most lactose intolerant people can eat, yogurt is loaded with active bacterial cultures, the key ingredients that make it so healthy.

While we typically think of bacteria as dangerous bugs that cause disease and infection, the body is host to billions of bacteria that live in the intestines and help digest the foods we eat. These good bacteria, or microflora, actually fight off the bad bacteria that cause illness.

Some of these same good bacterial species are used to ferment milk, and it’s these cultures that give yogurt its texture and tart flavor. They also process much of the milk sugar, called lactose, during fermentation, which is why yogurt usually doesn’t bother people with lactose intolerance.

Eating yogurt helps maintain the microflora in the gut, optimizing digestion and keeping harmful bacteria in check. Ever noticed how a course of antibiotics is often followed by a bout of diarrhea? This is because antibiotics kill off all the bacteria in the gut–the bad stuff and the good–leaving the gastrointestinal tract compromised. Fortunately, yogurt can help counteract this imbalance.

Furthermore, this food is a good source of nutrients, including B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Whole milk yogurt also contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), an essential fatty acid with cancer fighting properties, especially beneficial in preventing breast and colon cancers. And CLA has been shown to increase fat metabolism, helping the body convert fat to lean muscle.

Maintaining the good bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract is key to healthy digestion, and eating quality yogurt is a great way to do this. Be sure to read the labels and choose varieties that contain live active cultures to ensure you’re getting the most from your yogurt.

New Studies Show Health Benefits

It’s not like we need a specific reason to eat chocolate, but it doesn’t hurt that studies are finding increasing health benefits associated with the popular indulgence. While chocolate is high in sugar and saturated fat, it does contain chemical compounds with proven benefits, so enjoy–in moderation–and expect to reap some of these rewards.

Improved Heart HealthA study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that women over 70 who ate chocolate at least once a week were 35 percent less likely to suffer from heart disease during the survey period. Researchers suspect that the flavonoids found in chocolate, which are known to reduce blood pressure, likely improve overall cardiovascular health.

Reduced Liver StrainThese same flavonoids in dark chocolate that help decrease blood pressure can also reduce post-meal abdominal blood pressure spikes that strain the liver by widening and relaxing blood cells. A Spanish study of patients with end-stage liver disease showed that dark chocolate helped reduce some of the risks associated with conditions like cirrhosis.

Safer PregnancyDark chocolate has been shown to help pregnant women avoid preeclampsia–a significant complication where blood pressure spikes to dangerous levels–by nearly 40 percent when consumed five times a week. Dark chocolate is especially rich in theobromine, which relaxes muscles and dilates blood vessels. As an additional benefit, it also seems to improve circulation in the placenta.

Increased EnduranceResearch out of the University of California, San Diego, demonstrated that mice given epicatechin, a flavonoid found in dark chocolate, could run for 50 percent longer than those who only drank water. The mice also grew new capillaries and mitochondria in their muscles, changes that explain their enhanced endurance capacity. Unfortunately, perhaps, for chocolate lovers, is that researchers say just one-sixth of 1 ounce of chocolate each day is the ideal serving size to receive this benefit.

Get the Inside Scoop

Considering massage but have a few concerns? Get your answers here!

I’m a bit uncomfortable taking all my clothes off when I go for massage. Do I have to be completely naked to receive massage?
Some people go under the sheets without a stitch on, others wear underwear, and some people prefer to wear shorts, sweatpants, or even their regular street clothes. No, you don’t have to take off more clothes than you are comfortable with to receive massage. Talk to your therapist and he or she will adapt to your needs. Be aware that wearing more clothes can interfere with the use of certain techniques, but there’s no reason you can’t enjoy receiving massage in casual clothes. Therapists won’t be able to use lotion and may be unable to work as deeply, but they can adapt to your comfort level and still deliver a satisfying massage experience.

People who are self-conscious about their bodies might get massage more often, and with less apprehension, if they had the added underwear barrier. For some, it creates a psychological boundary that allows them to more fully relax during the massage, and that’s okay, too. Rest assured, massage therapists work with all kinds of bodies, from the very young to the very old and all shapes and sizes in between. Massage therapists are a very caring and giving group. To be successful at what they do, they have to be. Your therapist strives to strike a balance between engaging with you as the complex individual you are, as well as seeing your body and all its unique qualities from a clinical perspective. Bodywork is about the careful application of techniques to muscles, ligaments, and connective tissue as a means to enhance your whole being; it’s not about judgment.

I’d like get massages more often, but I can’t afford it. Do I talk to my massage therapist about this?
Yes, talk to your massage therapist. Your practitioner may have a client loyalty or frequent-buyer program in place to bring down the total cost of massage, or a time-pay option to spread out the cost.

Many therapists take credit cards, and some will take postdated checks or a series of postdated checks to work out a payment plan. Some therapists have a sliding scale of fees depending on annual income and financial hardship, or they may accept coupons from bartering networks.

If you have some flexibility with your schedule, ask your therapist if she/he does a standby list. Your therapist might consider a discount fee if you can pop in for a last-minute appointment and fill a late cancellation.

You may also want to check with your employer or insurance carrier to see if you might be covered for massage therapy.

If you love massage and communicate to your therapist how much you value it, you might be able to work out an arrangement that’s fair to all parties.

I’m never sure about gratuities for massage services. What should I tip?
Massage therapists working in spas don’t usually receive the full fee charged for their services. They work on a percentage split with the spa owner or receive a salary. If you are visiting a spa, tipping is common (15-20 percent) and therapists may depend on tips for their income, just as restaurant servers do.

Your solo practitioner will likely appreciate tips as well, although not all massage settings accept tips (a doctor’s office with a practitioner who offers massage, for example). Bottom line is, if you feel like tipping, offer. If you don’t feel tipping is appropriate, don’t.

What should I do when I feel ticklish on the massage table?
Some people are sensitive to particular techniques, which make them feel uncomfortable and want to giggle. If that happens, your therapist may use a broader stroke or deeper pressure so it doesn’t tickle. In the unlikely event you’re still way too ticklish with those variations, the therapist can skip that part of the body and concentrate on less sensitive areas. It’s your massage, so you can dictate what works and what doesn’t. Be sure to tell your therapist beforehand about any sensitive or particularly ticklish areas of your body so he or she can accommodate you more effectively.

Isn’t it true that massage has to hurt to do any good?
Massage does not have to hurt to help. You can gain therapeutic benefits from a relaxing massage, which doesn’t hurt a bit, or you can seek out more aggressive treatment options, which can cause some discomfort. Trigger point therapy and friction are examples of techniques, which are briefly uncomfortable, but very helpful for many conditions. If you don’t want heavy pressure, say so. Massage therapists want to help you. If you’re wincing under the pressure and tightening up, that will work against the goals of massage, which is to invite your body to relax, reduce pain, increase well-being, and have long, supple muscles. Massage therapists aren’t in the torture business. Let your therapist know what feels good and what doesn’t. Recognize that your needs and pain threshold might change with each visit.

From the male client: What if I get an erection during a massage?
It rarely occurs, but if it does, don’t panic. Sometimes as a result of your nervous system going into relaxation mode (or because of certain medications) erections happen. Therapists know that this is a physiological reaction and will treat the situation accordingly. Usually your therapist will try to redirect your attention with a shift in the focus of his or her work, maybe by altering pressure or moving to a different area of your body. Your unintended erection, and any embarrassment, will soon pass.

Any more unspoken questions for your therapist? Ask. Your honesty will strengthen your therapeutic bond with your caregiver and let you deepen your relaxation time and feeling of healing. And that’s what it’s all about: You.

Robert Chute

Easing Nausea, Joint Pain, and Allergies

This pungent spice is found in cuisine around the globe, but ginger has also been used for more than 2,500 years for its medicinal properties. The ancient Chinese knew that it aided in the absorption of many herbal preparations and they prescribed it extensively as a digestive tonic.

A native root of southeast Asia, ginger is a potent ally in the treatment of nausea, motion sickness, and joint pain. Current research confirms ginger’s efficacy as an anti-inflammatory, GI calmative, and antihistamine. The active ingredients found in ginger — gingerols and shagoals — lower levels of prostaglandins, the chemicals responsible for pain and inflammation in joints and muscles. By reducing prostaglandins, ginger can even have a positive effect on heart health and circulation because chronic, systemic inflammation increases the risk of heart attack and blood vessel compromise.

Ginger comes in several forms. Fresh and dried ginger is available in supermarkets for use in cooking. It’s also available in capsules, an extract pill form, prepackaged tea bags, crystallized, and as a topical oil.

Recommended UsesMotion Sickness and NauseaMost medications for nausea and motion sickness work to calm the nervous system and can cause drowsiness and dry mouth. On the other hand, ginger calms the digestive tract directly and has been shown to reduce nausea after surgery and chemotherapy. For motion sickness, take 100 mg two hours before departure and every four hours afterwards or as needed.

Arthritis and Muscle AchesMassage ginger oil into affected areas and/or take up to 1 g of powdered ginger daily to reduce inflammation.

Colds and AllergiesDrink up to 4 cups of ginger tea daily or enjoy authentic ginger ale (made from real ginger).

While ginger has no known side effects, it’s always a good idea to consult your health care practitioner to make sure it’s right for you.