Tonsillitis is defined as an infection of the tonsils. It is classified into three: acute, subacute and chronic.
Acute- caused either by a bacterium (Group A streptococcal bacteria) or virus (such as Epstein-Barr or Adenovirus)
Subacute- caused by bacterium Actinomyces
Chronic- usually is caused by bacterial infection and lasts for long periods if not treated at once
Symptoms:
severe sore throat
painful and difficult swallowing of food or saliva
headache
fever
change in voice
Characterized by:
redness of the tonsils
swollen tonsils which are usually associated with white patches on the tonsils (infection) referred to as pus
Treatments:
First stages of tonsillitis are approached with medications and lozenges which can lessen the pain. However, if the infection is caused by bacteria, it is then when antibiotics are prescribed. Penicillin is the most common antibiotic used but to patients allergic to penicillin, erythromycin is prescribed.
Medications such as ibuprofen, other anti-inflammatory and analgesics may help in decreasing the inflammation of the tonsils therefore easing the pain. This also helps the patients to swallow liquids.
There are instances when patients are prescribed with topical anesthetics such as viscuous lidocaine for temporary relief against pain.
The patient's recovery period from tonsillitis which is caused by a virus may depend on which type of the virus involved. It is common that the recovery period may take a week. However, there are also some types of infections which take two weeks or more to get cured.
It is mostly advised that patients having tonsillitis gargle with a solution of warm water mixed with lemon or lime juice, honey and salt. This concoction may reduce pain and the degree of swelling.
Home remedies/treatments for tonsillitis:
A.)Lime/Calamansi-Honey-Salt Mixture
10 pieces of calamansi or 1 piece lime 2 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon salt
Squeeze the calamansi or lime into a glass containing WARM water. Add honey and salt. Stir. Take at least twice a day. Usually, you will feel the soothing effect at once.
B.)Tea-Honey Mixture
Add 2 tablespoons of honey into your cup of hot tea. Stir and drink. Just like the mixture above, you will feel the difference at once.
Tonsillectomy is the surgical removal of the tonsils. This is another choice of treatment to patients suffering from chronic cases of tonsillitis.
Posted by
Maxi/Mary Anne
Sunday, September 13, 2009
at
2:34 AM
Revitol Anti Cellulite Cream is another breakthrough after thorough scientific studies and research. This topical product promises a solution in reducing the amount of cellulite in the body. According to its manufacture with continued use, the unwanted lumps and bumps which are usually located on the thighs, waist, tummy and arms will not only be minimized but are also eliminated.
Revitol Anti Cellulite Cream is designed for both men and women. It is easy to apply without aftereffects of tingling irritable sensations. It contains natural ingredients which are easily absorbed by the skin. It does not leave a residue and bad odor so one can apply it before going to school, work, parties and other regular daily routines. It is 100% safe to use therefore does not require a prescription from your doctors.
Benefits from using the product are:
Reduced amount of cellulite after some days of usage
Permanent elimination of cellulite with continued use
Firmed and tightened the skin
Improved and sculpted muscle mass
Components of Revitol Anti Cellulite Cream:
Caffeine – aids in reducing fat deposits especially when directly applied to the skin. It increases blood flow and circulation resulting to removal of toxins, fat and fluids deposited on the skin.
Capsicum Extract – major function is to works together with caffeine to increase the blood flow especially to problem areas of the skin.
Retinol A – is the pure and active form of Vitamin A which effectively reduces the appearance of cellulite by repairing and strengthening the connective tissues of the skin. It also promotes skin elasticity by increasing the production of collagen.
Algae Extract – is a substance which is popular for its detoxifying properties. Due to this fact, algae extracts have been considered to be a common ingredient in most anti-cellulite products. This extract quickly penetrates the skin destroying harmful toxins which are trapped in the body’s fat storage.
With much luck, I was able to work (summer job 2008) for more or less four months in a pharmacy downtown. While attending to my tasks, I was able to learn a lot about the different medicines and health items here in Sweden. I guess it was during my second month there when a new health product was launched - the Shakti Mat.
It was a mat with a size of a pillow with hundreds of spikes on it (see photo of the spikes to your right). I was a bit hesitant at first if the item would sell as it looked so weird, painful and was a bit expensive.
Each mat has a size of 67x42 centimeters which costs between £40 to £70 depending on where you order it. It has a detachable foam mattress inside which will makes lying on it a bit comfortable and because it's detachable, you can easily clean the mat by hand washing it in lukewarm water. Anyway, each mat consists of 230 buttons of spikes (again, please refer to the photo to your right) wherein every button has 27 spikes each which therefore means that the mat has a total of 6,210 spikes. Doesn't sound friendly, right?
The idea behind the Shakti Mat being referred to as a health device is because the spikes are acupressure points which can help promote deep relaxation of the body.
Question is, have I tried it? Yes. There have been a couple of days during my stay there when customers can try the product to help them decide whether or not they will want to purchase one. Well, whenever there are not much people around, I get to lie down on the mat and try it myself!
It was a bit painful during the first few seconds as my body was adapting to it. But later on, I felt more relaxed and calmed. We sold lots of Shakti Mats which was a surprise actually. There were even some who came by the store and bought the mat as a present to their loved ones. Hmm... I am now wondering of purchasing one for me and my boyfriend and another one for my family back in the Philippines .
Before finally ending this post, here are some of the benefits according to our customers who have been using the Shakti Mat:
reduced back, neck, shoulders, hips, joints and feet pains (If you are suffering from tired or achy feet, just step on the mat for a few minutes. You will slowly notice that the level of pain decreases.)
improved blood circulation
increased level of energy
better breathing
better sleep
improved digestion
calming, relaxing and rejuvenating effect on the body
Posted by
Maxi/Mary Anne
Thursday, September 10, 2009
at
2:12 PM
I've heard about diet slippers some months ago but I haven't had the time to look through the product until yesterday. The slippers seem to be just like any other in-house slippers. However, if you look through it more, you'll notice that it's really different. Shown on the photo is what people refer to as the diet slipper and no... the lady (or man) isn't wearing a smaller size. Diet slippers are actually designed to be some inches smaller than our feet to force us to walk on tiptoes. Quite puzzling, isnt't it?
The idea behind these diet slippers helping individuals to lose weight is that by walking on tiptoe all the time, one is actually exercising at the same time. Imagine how much exercise you'll be getting when walking without allowing your heels to touch the floor... that's really something!
There's no question about it... I love to brush my teeth. I do it three (even more) times a day. I love the refreshing taste of the toothpaste right after brushing. It makes me feel more confident especially when I need to be around people. Thing is, I am not fond of flossing.
I thought that flossing isn't that important at all and that what I should be doing is just to brush my teeth and that's the end of the story.
However, just recently, I've noticed brownish discoloration in between my teeth. They are not that much so it was a bit difficult to see. But it's still horrifying as those ugly brown stuff weren't there before. I tried to take them off but they just would not leave me alone.
I went to my dentist and had my teeth cleaned. Those stains were gone after the procedure. Just before leaving my dentist's clinic, he advised me to floss. So, I started flossing right after brushing my teeth from that day onwards.
Anyway, brushing and flossing actually go hand in hand when it comes to having good oral hygiene. However, to lazy people like me, we try to neglect the importance of flossing. So, what can "flossing" do for us? Here are just a few of the benefits we can get from it:
Flossing gets in between our teeth which obviously our toothbrushes can not reach. As there are food particles still strongly inserted in between our teeth even after brushing, it is the dental floss which helps in removing them.
Since food particles are removed in between teeth, both our gum and teeth become healthier and stronger by removing substances which attract bacteria.
Flossing reduces the risk of gum disease.
Flossing helps stop tooth decay resulting to fresher breath.
When flossing, remember to floss gently to avoid cutting the gum area!
I have purchased an Infrared Lamp two weeks ago. It's quite expensive but with lots of benefits one can get from it, it's worth it.
Benefits from Infrared Heat Therapy:
increases blood circulation
increases the levels of oxygen in the blood
increases the number of white blood cells
promotes production of collagen therefore, restoring the skin's elasticity, reducing wrinkles, fine lines and crow's feet
aids in better absorption of skin creams
reduces pore size
helps the body to eliminate toxins through perspiration
minimizes body pains
eases migraine
soothes joint sores
and many more
Infrared lamps can be used everyday. However, in my case I have only used the product five times since the day I bought it.
It's actually very easy to use. After applying my facial cream, I just plug in my Infrared lamp and stay for like a meter away from it for at least 15 minutes. I can feel the heat touching my skin - not painful heat so there's nothing to worry about. Rather, it is more of a soothing type of warmth reaching my skin.
There was this one time when I was suffering from shoulder pains. I decided to use the lamp for awhile with hopes to at least minimize the agony and it did!
As I've mentioned, it is quite expensive (affordable but expensive) but really worth it.
In a certain social networking site, I encountered an inquiry which was stated more or less like this:
"Is it true that when you add Coke onto a piece of pork meat, maggots will appear?"
Do you think that one's interesting and confusing? Watch this video which can surely draw huge question marks on your faces:
(not recommended for the faint of heart)
This has been used as a form of publicity, both negatively and positively even years ago. Fact is, with or without the presence of Coke on the meat, maggots can still possibly grow on it.
Question is, aren't maggots supposed to be only present in rotting organic matter such as dead bodies, spoiled food, garbage, etc.?
Answer is, maggots are commonly present on what we call "rotting organic matter". However, they can also infest even fresh fruits, vegetables and meat products. How? Simple. Once flies take even a short visit on your fresh food items, there is a huge possibility that the flies have not only paid your food a visit, they have also laid their eggs on it. These eggs do not take so much time to hatch. In fact, there are even very tiny larvae (young, immature flies which are also referred to as "maggots") which do not undergo the egg stage anymore.
Because of the reasons stated above,
it is very important to avoid exposing the food to air by covering them or placing them inside your refrigerator.
it is very important to wash the meat with running water before even cooking them.
cook your food properly (especially meat products).
Going through the video thrice, I guess I figured some possible mysteries covering the entire "show"
Could it be that they placed maggots on the meat during the two-hour pause which was cut from the video?
If not, could it be that they exposed the experiment (if it can be considered as such) to air by leaving it open and unattended, giving a very huge chance for the flies to drop their eggs on the meat?
It's up for you to decide what you want to believe in. Have a great day!
Posted by
Maxi/Mary Anne
Friday, September 4, 2009
at
4:19 PM
I usually suffer from leg and foot pain after taking a long walk, playing sports or standing for too long. The common trend is to take in painkillers to get quick relief. However, I am one of those who avoid taking in medicines as much as possible. That is why whenever I am having lower body discomfort, the bath tub's my first choice of treatment.
It might sound weird for others but it is a proven fact that dipping your body in warm bath for 30 minutes or more can actually help to ease away pain. This is because of the common knowledge that warm bath does not only relaxes our overall body and mind. It also loosens up tired veins.
Anyway, to make my bath more soothing, I add 50 ml (equivalent to about 3½ tablespoons) of any oil with mint essence. As of now, I make use of Efficascent Oil Extra Strength which I brought here with me from the Philippines. I am not sure if Efficascent is available in other countries (I guess not) so if in case you do not have the same brand, you can use any mint oil to mix in your warm bath. Vicks VapoRub and other vaporub brands will also work well with the treatment.
After preparing my mint oil (or vaporub) and warm water mixed, I dip my body in the bath for at least 30 minutes. It only takes a few minutes for me to feel a lot better. The cooling sensation of the mint oil relaxes my feet and legs. The aroma also makes my breathing a lot better making my bath more pleasant.
By the way, if in case you are interested in trying this trick, I suggest that you don't add any shower or bath cream to the water as is decreases the soothing effect of the oil.
Difficulty in eating or swallowing due to very large tonsils
Tonsilloliths (also called tonsil stone, tonsillar debris, tonsillar pearl, zot or calculus of the tonsil)
Patients have abnormally large tonsils with impacts in the tonsils
Tonsillectomy - Harmonic scalpel procedures:
The operation is done by an Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist surgeon in a hospital who is also referred to as the Otolaryngologist. The patient's tongue is first depressed using "Davis Gag" which is a surgical device ensuring that the mouth is open during the entire procedure and the tongue depressed.
During the operation, the surgeon removes the tonsils from the side of the throat. This step is done by carefully scraping away the tonsil tissue located in between two muscles in the back of the throat using surgical stainless steel tweezers and scalpels.
The entire surgery may last from 30 to 45 minutes.
Posted by
Maxi/Mary Anne
Thursday, September 3, 2009
at
1:21 PM
Born and spent my first 5 years in Quezon City, Philippines. Grew up and lived in Davao City until the age of 28. Been living here in Sweden since 29 June 2007 with the love of my life, Janne. For comments, suggestions and questions, email me at maryannemax@yahoo.com
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