Signs and Symptoms of Minor Depression

Most people who live with depression exhibited signs of minor depression at the beginning. Sometimes, the person suffering from minor depression may hope or think the signs are just temporary and will go away. However, this thinking usually makes the depression worse. Inform friends and family if you notice signs of minor depression.

Sadness
If you are showing signs of minor depression, you may appear sad. This may not occur on a daily basis but perhaps once or twice a week. You may be able to snap out of it easily or at least show an outward appearance of overcoming the depressed mood. The mood may strike at any time, and for no reason.

Poor Attitude
Your desire to participate in everyday activities relating to school, home, and work may diminish. Perhaps going to the store, reading a book, or doing daily chores seem too difficult to accomplish. Recreational activities may even become less important. You may feel the need to make excuses about why something was not completed or finished on time. Depression can bring on an "I don't care" attitude.

Loss of Appetite
Loss of appetite may be a sign of minor depression. Feeling less hungry or even nauseous at the thought of eating something may signal the beginning stages of depression. Food preferences may change as well. Perhaps you crave sweets or foods high in fat to somehow comfort you on days you feel sad. Appetite changes may occur slowly over a period of time.

Regrets
You may feel like you should have done things differently earlier in your life. Perhaps you made poor grades in school and now feel like it has caught up with you somehow. Maybe a failed marriage or a bad career move triggered the depression.

Sleep Difficulty
Sleep can become a chore for minor depression sufferers. You may have trouble falling asleep because your mind is constantly going, worrying about something that needs to be done or should have been accomplished. Perhaps you wake up periodically during the night and have trouble getting back to sleep. People with minor depression may have to rely on medication to get to sleep.

How to Recognize Cancer Symptoms for Women

If you are a woman you should take your health very seriously. Many woman fail to detect the early signs of Cancer and it will eventually cost them their lives. Many times when caught early Cancer can be treated for women. Here is a check list to help you recognize Cancer Symptoms in women. Make sure you refer to this checklist from time to time to see if you have Cancer Symptoms. Also if you are at all concerned you may have Cancer see the advice and expertise of a trained professional.

Tips

1. Wheezing or shortness of breath - Possible Lung Cancer

Look for shortness of breath similar to asthma. This will be noticeable if you are looking for it but could be overlooked if you are not paying attention to recognize cancer symptoms.

2. Chronic cough or chest pain - Possible Lung tumors or leukemia

Look for a persistent cough or a repeated cycle to the coughing. Also look for pain that goes from the chest down the arm or to the shoulder.

3. Frequent fevers or infections - Possible Leukemia

Look for a fever because of your body's inability to fight off infections. This is usually diagnosed after a long period of flu like symptoms with fever and achiness.

4. Problems swallowing - Throat Cancer

Look for problems swallowing. This can also be a sign of lung cancer.

5. Cancer Symptoms for Women
Swollen lumps on the neck, underarm or groin - Leukemia or problems with the lymphatic system.

These can be signs of breast cancer when swelling is in the glands of the underarm. These are usually painless lumps.

6. Excessive bruising or bleeding that will not stop - Early signs of leukemia

Look for bruising in unusual places or bruising more than you would in the past. Also bleeding in the gums could be a sign of problems with the blood platelets and red blood cells which could be a sign of Cancer.

7. Constant weak and tired feeling - Multiple Cancer's

If you have weakness or tiredness that is unexplainable and does not change if you allow your body more sleep you should consult a doctor. This is signs something is not right with your body and it could be Cancer.

8. Cancer Symptoms for Women
Weight gain in the abdominal area - tight pants - Ovarian Cancer

This is different than the regular bloating you would see with PMS, this weight gain will come on pretty suddenly and will come and go over a long period of time.

9. Full feeling and not able to eat - Ovarian Cancer

When women feel full and have not eaten for some time. This is usually seen with the weight gain or tight pants syndrome.

10. Pain in the pelvic or abdominal area - Ovarian Cancer or Leukemia

This one is hard to spot since pain in the pelvic can be a symptom of many things. Make sure you take into consideration the other symptoms you have and if your uncertain see a doctor immediately.

11. Cancer Symptoms for Women
These are just a few things you should take into consideration when looking for Cancer symptoms.
Make sure you consult a doctor for medical advice.

5 Stages of Depression

Identification
There are no definitive stages of depression as the illness manifests differently in every individual according to internal and external factors such as gender, age or cultural influences. However, there are some similar, or typical, symptoms or behaviors related to depression that may occur between various individuals.

Feelings
A person experiencing severe or mild depression may have difficulty interpreting or handling their emotional responses. As detailed on Healthy Holistic Living (healthy-holistic-living.com), these emotions may include feelings of hopelessness, a lack of confidence, irritability, anger, fear and tension/anxiety. Depending on the source or type of depression, these feelings will vary in severity and length of time during which they are overwhelming to an individual.

Thoughts
A depressed person's thoughts are often clouded or overburdened. A person may have thoughts of guilt, worthlessness or self-harm; an individual could also experience impaired judgment, memory loss or have difficulty making rational decisions.

Behaviors
Some typical behaviors, or outward warning signs, of depression, as outlined by Healthy Holistic Living, could include lethargy, impulsiveness, neglect of personal hygiene or appearance, loss of appetite, insomnia and a general lack of enjoyment in life's pleasures.

Considerations
Because there is no one cause of depression, it is difficult to determine a specific cycle related to the behaviors and emotions of a depressed individual. These symptoms are merely generalizations and may be indicative of other underlying medical problems. As with any illness, depression should be diagnosed and treated by a medical professional. Because of the nature of depression, it is imperative to look into an individual's specific mental, emotional and environmental triggers to target their specific form of depression in order to plan for an individualized approach to healing.

End of Life Signs for Brain Cancer

Diagnosing signs of death in brain cancer can be unreliable in a small percentage of cases. Sometimes miraculous recoveries occur and patients regain their functioning and lead normal lives. However, in most cases of brain cancer, there are concrete signs that precede death. When stage IV of brain cancer sets in and loved ones begin to notice changes in functioning, eating, sleeping and complaints of headaches and intense pain, they should prepare themselves for the end.

Stage IV
When a patient enters stage IV of brain cancer there is no more a hospital can possibly do to rehabilitate him or her and the patient is told to return home and expect death. Stage IV is the final and most invasive, extreme and painful stage. In this stage the tumor has metastasized out of control in the brain, swelling the tumor until it can no longer be reversed, ensuring certain death.

Eating and Drinking
One of the earliest signs of death in a patient is cessation of eating and especially drinking. Patients will begin to routinely refuse food and deny feelings of hunger. Patients usually die 3 to 5 days after taking their last drink. Nausea may also set in with vomiting, making eating impossible or undesirable. The body is no longer able to maintain itself with basic, vital nutrients like food and water and begins to shut down rapidly as the brain commences to die.

Breathing Changes
Another tell-tale sign is changes in breathing. Patients may breathe more rapidly, take long pauses in between breaths or breathe louder. Breathing may also become more labored and mucus will be present, choking the breathing process, making audible sounds of discomfort.

Dramatic Swelling
In this stage, the cancerous cells creating the brain tumor metastasize wildly, producing more and more deadly cells in the brain, causing the tumor to swell intensely and overtake the brain. The tumor quickly begins to effect cognitive functions such as thinking patterns, thought processing and abilities to grasp abstract concepts. Motor skills will fail as well and the patient may fall, be unsteady and uncoordinated, and possibly suffer muscle spasms. The patient will have trouble doing simple tasks for him or herself that were once easy and may have trouble with memory. The patient's speech patterns will deteriorate along with thoughts and he or she may be incoherent, stop in the middle of sentences or relate stories or sentences with no logical reason.

Clinical Symptoms
Doctors use clinical symptoms to gauge the patient's proximity to death. All of the following clinical scenarios display that the patient is in close proximity to death and can no longer be treated as determined by his or her doctor: If MRI scans indicate that the tumor has grown dramatically since the last visit and is becoming larger and larger uncontrollably over a small span of time, if the cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body rapidly, if there are more "satellite" tumors (tumors on other parts of the body), if the tumor has spread to the spinal cord, if the doctor dismisses the option of further radiation treatment and if the patient's Karnofsky Performance Status is 50 or below.

Conclusion
At this point doctors may suggest home health, hospice care or care administered by a loved one to see the patient to through to the end of his or her life. Providing comfort, courage, joy and companionship is one of the most important things a loved one can do to help a patient find peace during this final stage of life.

Hemophobia Symptoms

Hemophobia is the fear of blood. According to MedicineNet.com, the word hemophobia stems from the Greek terms "haima," which means blood, and "phobos," which means fear. This fear becomes a phobia when the state of the fear becomes persistent and abnormal, resulting in extreme signs of excitement or anxiety when blood is present. While symptoms of hemophobia vary by individual, the most common symptoms include fainting, nausea, increased heart rate, anxiety attacks and excessive sweating. These symptoms are sometimes triggered when an individual sees, smells or touches blood.

One Cause of Hemophobia
Hemophobia is often correlated to a childhood or life-event trauma involving blood. It is possible that the hemophobic individual saw an excessive amount of blood during a specific event in his life--perhaps in the form of an accident or death.

Anxiety Associated with Hemophobia
In the presence of blood or when coming into contact with blood, hemophobic individuals exhibit exaggerated fear in the form of an anxiety attack or panic. The fear these individuals face as a result of hemophobia is at times crippling and can lead to nausea or vomiting, and fainting.

The life of an individual who is hemophobic varies. Some can live a normal life with periodic hemophobic episodes that come and go rather quickly, and symptoms that can be easily managed. For others, hemophobia is a debilitating experience, causing a longer period of symptoms that may be harder to manage.

The anxiety associated with hemophobia can also lead to mental disorders, including depression.

Affects on the Heart
If you or someone you know experiences heart palpitations, chest pain or an increased heart rate when in contact with blood or in the presence of blood, hemophobia may be the cause. Signs of hemophobic symptoms exist when the heart rate noticeably changes when blood is present, then returns to normal when the blood is taken away. A rapid or noticeable decrease in heart rate while blood is present is also a telling sign of hemophobia.

Treatment of Symptoms
Behavioral therapy is one method used to treat individuals and help them understand the phobia. A specialist will assist the patient through a series of behavioral therapy activities, which may include hypnosis, psychological evaluation or periodic discussions. Specialists also may recommend the use of a pacemaker to control the heart rate of hemophobia sufferers.

Safety and Lifestyle
Individuals who exhibit symptoms of hemophobia sometimes fear blood-related diseases such as HIV, AIDS or Ebola. For those who fear blood, it is wise to take extra safety precautions before coming into contact with blood. Wearing protective gloves or gear could help those suffering from hemophobia to feel more secure and safe in the presence of blood.

Hemophobic individuals may choose to change their lifestyle to manage their hemophobia. For instance, some choose to avoid attending events where blood may be present, such as boxing matches or athletic events, avoid clinics or hospitals, or avoid eating red meat.

Radiology and Lung Cancer Detection

Lung cancer is a terminal disease that primarily affects the lungs. However, lung cancer can spread to other tissues and organs through the lymph nodes or the blood stream if not detected early and treated. There are several diagnostic methods of imaging technology that are used by radiologists in the detection of lung cancer, and most lung cancer is detected by routine chest X-rays for other issues before any signs or symptoms of lung cancer arise.

Causes, Signs and Symptoms
Smoking is the No. 1 cause of lung cancer. Other causes include: second-hand smoke, asbestos exposure, lung diseases like tuberculosis (TB) and chronic obtrusive pulmonary disease (COPD), radon exposure and certain occupations.

Most patients with lung cancer do not experience any signs or symptoms until the much later stages of the disease. In some cases, patients will experience one or more of the signs and symptoms of lung cancer, including a cough that is either new or has gotten worse over time; coughing up any amount of blood; chest pain that is dull, achy and persistent; shortness of breath; wheezing or hoarseness; or repeating respiratory infections such as bronchitis or pneumonia. If you have any of these signs or symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.

Chest Radiology (X-ray)
Chest X-rays are one of the most readily available diagnostic tools. Chest X-rays are the first step taken in the diagnosis of lung cancer. This type of imaging exposes the patient to small doses of radiation. These X-rays take images of the lungs from side, frontal and back views, revealing the presence of any abnormal masses. However, X-rays cannot determine if the mass found is cancerous; further testing is needed. This additional testing will also determine the extent of any damage.

Computerized Tomatography (CT)
CT scans are enhanced 3-D X-rays producing cross-section images of the area being scanned, including the abdomen, chest and head. With this enhanced 3-D ability, a CT scan is much more accurate than the typical chest X-ray in the detection of lung cancer. The imaging of a CT scan is so precise that it can detect specific features on tumors found in patients with lung cancer, enabling doctors to better detect any damage and spreading caused by this terminal disease. CT images also can pinpoint the location and size of tumors in lung cancer patients. Radiation exposure is minimal with a CT scan.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
This type of imaging is produced by radio waves, magnetism and computers to give very detailed images of the areas that are scanned. CT imaging is not as accurate as MRI imaging in the detection of lung cancer tumor types, and there is no exposure to radiation. MRI scans are becoming more available, but tend to be a much slower process than the CT scan. MRIs are also significantly more expensive than a CT scan. In addition, special resolution is poorer on MRI imaging and respiratory movement can blur images.

Patients who have undergone any procedure involving the implantation of a heart valve, pacemaker or any other metal implant of any kind, cannot have an MRI scan. Doctors fear that the magnetism of the machine would displace or interfere with these implanted devises.

Positrom Emission Tomography (PET)
Measuring metabolic activities and tissue functions, PET imaging can detect where glucose is being used in the body. This allows doctors to differentiate between benign (non-cancerous) tumors and malignant (cancerous) tumors. PET imaging is done using intravenous (IV) radioactive drugs that move through the blood stream and attach to various cells in the body producing a colored 3-D image for doctors to examine metabolism in tissue cells. PET imaging can determine whether or not a tumor is actively growing and spreading. In addition, PET scans help determine the particular type of cells within a particular tumor to provide extensive information on the growth of such tumors. This method provides detailed information on lung cancer, and goes a long way in properly diagnosing and treating the disease.

How to Treat a Sinus Toothache Naturally

Sinus toothache is caused when an infection of the sinuses causes pressure on the roots of the teeth. A sinus toothache can be difficult to diagnose and treat. There are, however, several different ways you can treat a sinus toothache naturally with items found in your kitchen pantry. Try some of these methods first, and if your sinus toothache pain still cannot be controlled, you might want to consult a physician. Typically, treating the sources of the pain - the sinus problem - will get rid of the sinus toothache quickly.

Things You'll Need

• Garlic (capsules and cloves)
• Clove essential oil
• Turmeric
• Ginger root
• Oregon Graperoot tincture

Tips

1. Take garlic to fight a sinus toothache. This common kitchen herb is a powerful natural bacteria fighter, and is used to treat all the causes of a sinus toothache. Take up to three 600 milligram capsules per day, until the pain subsides. If the pain is severe, bruise a fresh garlic clove, and hold it directly to the affected tooth. Remove if/when it begins to sting.

2. Use clove essential oil to treat a sinus toothache. Cloves are one of nature's most powerful pain relievers. Place a few drops of the essential oil on a cotton swab and apply directly to the affected area. Relief from the sinus toothache should be felt immediately, and the numbness will last up to an hour.

3. Make a turmeric paste to a sinus toothache. Not only is this spice antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, it will also decrease the pain associated with a sinus toothache. Make a paste of turmeric by mixing it with a little water, and then apply the paste directly to the pained area.

4. Take ginger root to treat a sinus toothache. This root is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent, and also contains pain-relieving properties. It will fight the underlying infection, as well as relieving the pain caused by the sinus toothache. Take up to eight 600 milligram capsules per day, or up to one teaspoon of chopped fresh root per day, or 10-20 drops of tincture mixed with water three times per day.

5. Take Oregon graperoot tincture to treat a sinus toothache. A powerful antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory, this herb is useful for treating both the infection and pain caused by a sinus toothache. Combine 15-30 drops of the tincture in water, and take up to three times per day until symptoms persist.