Sedation Dentists Banish Fear Of The Dentist For Countless People
For almost 30 to 40 million people in the United States alone just about nothing can match the fear of the dental surgery. For many of us that terrifying experience, first encountered as youngsters, stays with us for the rest of our lives and a trip to the surgery is something we only contemplate when the worst of tooth ache leaves us with no other alternative.
There are a large number of reasons for staying away from the dental office including a fear of the dentist’s drill, a dislike of the smell of the dental surgery, memories of a bad dental experience, an immunity to standard dental painkilling injections, and difficulty in sitting still or controlling your movements to name only a few.
Today, however, the coming of sedation dentists allows us to enjoy the dental treatment that we need without those fears and anxiety.
Sedation dentists do not knock patients out totally, but put them into a very relaxed state so that they don’t feel any pain from the work being undertaken and, by and large, do not even remember the work being carried out.
There are several different choices available to the patient including:
Intravenous sedation - In this case the patient is given an injection, rather than a pill. As is the case with oral sedation this method doesn’t provide pain relief, so a local anaesthetic injection will also be given.
General anaesthesia - In this case the patient is given an injection to render them unconscious. As the patient is unconscious, a local anaesthetic is not needed for the relief of pain.
Nitrous oxide - Nitrous oxide gas (also named laughing gas) is used to induce a relaxed state. A local anaesthetic will be administered alongside nitrous oxide to ensure a pain-free procedure.
Oral sedation - The patient takes a tablet around an hour before their appointment. Oral sedation is designed to relax the patient but without producing pain relief, so an injection of local anaesthetic will also be employed.
Sedation can be used for quick and simple procedures with sedation lasting up to an hour, or for more elaborated multiple treatments, where sedation may last for as long as perhaps six hours.
The arrival of sedation dentists is possibly one of the biggest improvements to dental care in recent years and enables dentists to perform treatment on patients who wouldn’t otherwise think about having treatment.
individuals who avoid dental work because of fear and anxiety do not need to worry any more as sedation dentists have made this vital element of our health care system accessible to all.
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What Can Trigger An Early Menopause
Early or premature menopause is one that occurs before a woman is 40, whether it is natural or induced. The symptoms are similar to those of natural menopause - hot flashes, sleep problems, feeling emotionally upset, dryness of the vagina and often a loss of interest in sex. They can range from hardly noticeable to debilitating.
Women in premature menopause have an increased risk of bone breakage due to osteoporosis as their bones get start getting thinner earlier.
Let’s look at why premature menopause can happen:
CHROMOSOME DEFECTS:
Women with Turner’s syndrome have no second X chromosome or they may be born without a part of it. This means that their ovaries don’t develop properly and the result is a premature menopause.
GENETICS:
If a percentage of the women in your family have stopped their monthly periods early in life, it’s possible that you may too.
AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES:
In autoimmune diseases, like Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis or rheumatoid arthritis, the body’s immune system goes haywire. It’s there to protect the body and fight off disease but it can mistakenly attack the body instead. If it attacks the reproductive system it may damage the ovaries and affect the correct production of female hormones.
If a woman has surgery to remove both her ovaries (a bilateral oophorectomy) she will immediately go into a menopause. Her periods will stop and hormone production will plummet. She may start to experience menopausal symptoms right away. These women are offered MHT - menopause hormone therapy.
If a woman has an hysterectomy but is left with one or both ovaries, she won’t have a premature menopause, as hormone production can continue. As there is no longer a uterus, she will not have any more periods and cannot become pregnant. Rarely, hot flashes may occur but this is due to the blood supply being disturbed during surgery, and not to hormones. These women may have their natural menopause brought forward by a year or two.
Some cancer treatments, including some forms of chemotherapy and radiotherapy to the pelvic area, may damage the ovaries. If damage occurs, the woman’s periods may stop, she may have problems with future fertility or become infertile altogether. This can be immediate or may take several months to occur.
The risks of entering early menopause depend on which type of chemotherapy is given, how much of it was used and how old the woman is when she receives the treatment. As a general rule, the younger a women is the less likely she is to go into a premature menopause.
HOW WILL I KNOW IF I’M IN PREMATURE MENOPAUSE?
If you’re under the age of 40 and suffering any menopausal symptoms, see your doctor. In suspected early menopause, blood tests will be needed to make a true diagnosis.
You may be given a blood test that measures follicle-stimulating hormone or FSH. This is the hormone that ovaries use to make estrogen, so when levels of FSH rise, it indicates that the ovaries are no longer making it. A higher than normal level of FSH would show that you are in menopause - but as estrogen levels vary from day to day, you may need to have this test repeated more than once for a definite diagnosis.
You may also have blood tests for estradiol (a kind of estrogen) and luetinizing hormone (LH). When the ovaries fail, estradiol levels go down, so a lower than normal level would show that you are in menopause. Luetinizing hormone triggers ovulation and if levels of it are higher than normal, the diagnosis will be that you’ve gone through menopause.
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Choosing Organic for Health
We come from a society where growing organic and just growing produce and livestock for food Was once one of the same. Small, family farms still grow their own food using traditional methods passed down through the generations. As commercial farming became big-business, however, growers and farmers started to investigate methods of increasing crops and building bigger livestock in order to increase their profits. This led to increased use of pesticides and drugs to enhance yield.
In this article, we will look at what is required in order to call a product organic, how choosing organic eating and farming impact the environment and our health, discuss the benefits of eating organic foods, and what research says about the nutritional benefits of organically-grown produce.
Calling it Organic
In 1995, the US National Organic Standards Board passed the definition of organic, which is a labeling term denoting products produced under the authority of the Organic Foods Production Act. It states, “Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain, and enhance ecological harmony.”
The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals, and people.
The philosophy of organic production of livestock is to provide conditions that meet the health needs and natural behavior of the animal. Organic livestock must be given access to the outdoors, fresh air, water, sunshine, grass and pasture, and are fed 100 percent organic feed. They must not be given or fed hormones, antibiotics or other animal drugs in their feed. If an animal gets sick and needs antibiotics, they cannot be considered organic. Feeding of animal parts of any kind to ruminants that, by nature, eat a vegetarian diet, is also prohibited. Thus, no animal byproducts of any sort are incorporated in organic feed at any time.
Because farmers must keep extensive records as part of their farming and handling plans in order to be certified organic, one is always able to trace the animal from birth to market of the meat. When meat is labeled as organic, this means that 100 percent of that product is organic.
Although organic crops must be produced without the use of pesticides, it is estimated that between 10-25 percent of organic fruits and vegetables contain some residues of synthetic pesticides. This is because of the influence of rain, air and polluted water sources. In order to qualify as organic, crops must be grown on soil free of prohibited substances for three years before harvest. Until then, they cannot be called organic. When pests get out of balance and traditional organic methods do not work for pest control, farmers can request permission to use other products that are considered low risk by the National Organic Standards Board.
The Environment
According to the 15-year study, “Farming Systems Trial”, organic soils have higher microbial content, making for healthier soils and plants. This study concluded that organically grown foods are raised in soils that have better physical structure, provide better drainage, may support higher microbial activity, and in years of drought, organic systems may possibly outperform conventional systems. So, organic growing may help feed more people in our future!
What is the cost of conventional farming, today? The above-mentioned 15 -year study showed that conventional farming uses 50 percent more energy than organic farming. In one report, it was estimated that only 0.1 percent of applied pesticides actually reach the targets, leaving most of the pesticide, 99.9 percent, to impact the environment. Multiple investigations have shown that our water supplies, both in rivers and area tap waters, are showing high levels of pesticides and antibiotics used in farming practices. Water samples taken from the Ohio River as well as area tap water contained trace amounts of penicillin, tetracycline and vancomycin.
Toxic chemicals are contaminating groundwater on every inhabited continent, endangering the world’s most valuable supplies of freshwater, according to a Worldwatch paper, Deep Trouble: The Hidden Threat of Groundwater Pollution. Calling for a systemic overhaul of manufacturing and industrial agriculture, the paper notes that several water utilities in Germany now pay farmers to switch to organic operations because this costs less than removing farm chemicals from water supplies.
What About our Health?
Eating organic food is not a fad. As people become more informed and aware, they are taking steps to ensure their health. US sales of organic food totaled 5.4 billion dollars in 1998, but was up to 7.8 billion dollars in the year 2000. The 2004 Whole Foods Market Organic Foods Trend Tracker survey found that 27 oercent of Americans are eating more organic foods than they did a year ago.
A study conducted by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation reports that the number of people poisoned by drifting pesticides increased by 20 percent during 2000.
A rise in interest and concern for the use of pesticides in food resulted in the passage of the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act, directing the US EPA to reassess the usage and impact of pesticides for food use.
Particular attention was paid to the impact on children and infants, whose lower body weights and higher consumption of food per body weight present higher exposure to any risks associated with pesticide residues.
Publishing an update to its 1999 report on food safety, the Consumers Union in May 2000 reiterated that pesticide residues in foods children eat every day often exceed safe levels. The update found high levels of pesticide residues on winter squash, peaches, apples, grapes, pears, green beans, spinach, strawberries, and cantaloupe. The Consumers Union urged consumers to consider buying organically grown varieties, particularly of these fruits and vegetables.
The most common class of pesticide in the US is organophosphates (OPs). These are known as neurotoxins.
An article published in 2002 examined the urine concentration of OP residues in 2-5 year olds. Researchers found, on average, that children eating conventionally grown food showed an 8.5 times higher amount of OP residue in their urine than those eating organic food. Studies have also shown harmful effects on fetal growth, as well.
Pesticides are not the only threat, however. 70 percent of all antibiotics in the US are used to fatten up livestock, today. Farm animals receive 24.6 million pounds of antibiotics per year!
Public health authorities now link low-level antibiotic use in livestock to greater numbers of people contracting infections that resist treatment with the same drugs. The American Medical Association adopted a resolution in June of 2001, opposing the use of sub-therapeutic levels of antibiotics in agriculture and the World Health Organization, in its 2001 report, urged farmers to stop using antibiotics for growth promotion. Studies are finding the same antibiotic resistant bacteria in the intestines of consumers that develop in commercial meats and poultry.
Is it More Nutritious?
Until recently, there had been little evidence that organically grown produce was higher in nutrients. It’s long been held that healthier soils would produce a product higher in nutritional quality, but there was never the science to support this belief. Everyone agrees that organic foods taste better.
In 2001, nutrition specialist Virginia Worthington published her review of 41 published studies comparing the nutritional values of organic and conventionally grown fruits, vegetables and grains. What she found was that organically grown crops provided 17 percent more vitamin C, 21 percent more iron, 29 percent more magnesium, and 13.6 percent more phosphorus than conventionally grown products. She noted that five servings of organic vegetables provided the recommended daily intake of vitamin C for men and women, while their conventional counterparts did not. Today there are more studies that show the same results that Ms. Worthington concluded.
Considering the health benefits of eating organic foods, along with the knowledge of how conventionally grown and raised food is impacting the planet should be enough to consider paying greater attention to eating organic, today. Since most people buy their food in local supermarkets, it’s good news that more and more markets are providing natural and organic foods in their stores. Findings from a survey by Supermarket News showed that 61 percent of consumers now buy their organic foods in supermarkets. More communities and health agencies also are working to set up more farmer’s markets for their communities, also, which brings more organic, locally grown foods to the consumer. The next time you go shopping, consider investigating organic choices to see if it’s indeed worth the change!
Marjorie Geiser is a registered dietitian, certified personal trainer and life coach. Marjorie has been the owner of a successful small business, MEG Fitness, since 1996, and now helps other nutrition professionals start up their own private practice. To learn more about the services Margie offers, go to her website at megfit.com megfit.com or email her at mailto:margie@megfit.com margie@megfit.com.
Home Remedy for Toe Nail Fungus
If you are looking for a good home remedy for toe nail fungus, you’re not alone. Many people hate the look of nails infected with a fungus, but they’re reluctant to take a prescription drug to clear it up. Fortunately, there are many alternatives to taking oral prescription drugs. You only need to find the one that’s right for you. No matter what remedy or remedies you decide to try, remember two things: fungal infection in a nail (onychomycosis) typically takes a long time to clear up, and no treatment, not even a prescription drug, works for everyone.
Although less common than toenail infection, hand nail fungus infection can be treated using the same methods. Treatment tends to be more difficult because we use our hands so much more and have a tendency to wash them frequently - it’s hard to keep a topical treatment on the nail. If you are searching for fingernail fungus treatment, as opposed to just a home remedy for toe nail fungus, keep practical considerations in mind - some methods will fit better with your lifestyle than others.
You will find that a home remedy for toe nail fungus will usually fall into one of two categories: a folk remedy type of treatment using readily available substances such as vinegar, bleach, hydrogen peroxide, mouthwash etc., or an alternative medicine approach that requires the purchase of a product - a blend of essential oils or an herbal remedy. You will find testimonials for all the methods from people who have self-treated both foot and hand nail fungus successfully. The alternative remedies do have the advantage of being supported by scientific evidence in some cases - scientific studies on the effectiveness of bleach or vinegar for onychomycosis have not been published.
It’s not possible to give instructions for every home remedy for toe nail fungus, but an example would be to soak the feet in a 50/50 solution of natural apple cider vinegar and water for 15 minutes each day. For a hand nail fungus, you might apply undiluted apple cider vinegar several times each day directly to the nail. To keep the treatment in contact with the fingernail longer, soak the absorbent pad of a bandage and wrap that around the finger. Treatment with bleach, mouthwash, and other solutions requires a similar approach. Remember however, that these solutions may be skin irritants or caustic substances. Chlorine bleach and concentrated hydrogen peroxide should never be applied directly to the skin. Use common sense, do a little research, and proceed with caution.
An alternative home remedy for toe nail fungus will come with its own instructions and precautions.
Many of these products contain essential oils and extracts from plants that show promise as antifungal agents. It’s likely that many of these will help you fight off your onychomycosis, but one that shows particular promise in scientific research is tea tree oil. Tea tree oil can be purchased as pure oil or as one of a number of ingredients in a blended preparation. If you buy a pure preparation of any herbal oil, avoid applying it directly to the skin as it is likely to be irritating. Direct application to a toe or hand nail fungus, however, should be okay.
Before self-treating any suspected fungal nail infection, have it examined by a physician: other nail conditions can mimic onychomycosis.
R. Drysdale is a freelance writer with more than 25 years experience as a health care professional. She is a contributing editor to nail-fungus-treatment.blogspot.com Home Remedy for Toe Nail Fungus, a blog dedicated to the treatment of fingernail and toenail fungus.
Bowtrol Colon Cleanse Treatment
Nowadays, it is a norm to eat unhealthy foods, highly processed foods, fried foods and the likes. But all of these foods have an impact to your body in terms of eliminating waste in a right manner.
There are a lot of herbs that can be helpful and used as traditional recipes, and these were ginger, Aloe leaf, Senna, Cascara Sagrada and Cayenne pepper. These few herbs mentioned are some of the herbs that aid to eliminate impurities by promoting right bowel movement. There are a lot more herbal recipes that can be use, such as barberry which can be use by the body to promote bile flow, this plant is bitter. Garlic and fennel are also some plants that can be use as part of the herbal colon cleansing recipe; these plants will help to avoid the gas and to eliminate the harmful bacteria and leave the good bacteria.
There are a lot of herbal recipes that you can choose and purchase from plenty of health food stores. Indeed, you can purchase a colon cleansing product from health food stores but make sure to read and follow the directions very carefully for your own safety. There are some colon cleansing products that come with ready to use packages, which makes it easier for you to use. As a piece of advice, you have to make use of these products moderately, just use the right dosage, because if not, it can cause dehydration.
An important part in colon cleansing program is by taking regular fiber with your meals. So it is advisable to eat foods such as rice bran cereals, oat bran, wheat germs for breakfast. It is better to have at least 20 to 30 grams of fiber each day. Drinking the right amount of water is also helpful. Eating fruits and vegetables is another dietary change that you should do. You really have to make sure that your body will have sufficient or enough nutrients that it needs.
Abdominal pain, lack of energy and constipation, are some of health problems that are related with the improper working colon. One of the ways to get rid of the unwanted build up in the colon is by using colon cleansing recipe. Drinking the right amount of water is also an helpful way in cleansing the toxins out in your body. With the help of water and fiber, it can help you in eliminating the toxins out of your system.
If you are looking colon cleansing products online which are effective and safe, Bowtrol Colon Cleanse is one of them. This herbal remedy can assist you to eliminate the toxins out of your system.
Bowtrol is made with all natural hoodiaremedy.com” target=”_blank herbal colon cleansing treatment which has already help hundreds and thousands of people to have safe and effective internal cleansing with their bodies. Bowtrol won’t give you any uncomfortable cramping with your frequent healthy bowel movements. Actually, it will assist in cleansing the vital organs and lymphatic system.
So if you are looking for a way to easily clean out the toxins, the harmful bacteria and to enhance your colon function, then Bowtrol Colon Cleanse is the best way to have a colon cleansing naturally and quickly.
Eliza Ayson
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Diet Control for Diabetes - How to Prevent Diabetes from Happening-Part I
Type2 diabetes typically occurs to older adults who are aged about 40 or above. Actually, such was the case till 30 years ago. With our fast changing lifestyle patterns and the type of food we are having, even young adults and teenagers are now suffering from this disease. This is the reason why scientists and researchers are putting much stress on diet control for diabetes. We have nothing but our food and lifestyle to blame for the increasing number of type2 diabetes. The type of food we eat everyday and the kind of fast-faced lifestyle we lead is responsible for the doom. Diet control for diabetes is essential in order to stop the growing menace of type2 diabetes. In this article I will discuss how you can change your lifestyle in such a way so that you will be able to actually prevent this disease from even afflicting you!
Remember that no lifestyle or diet pattern is set in stone that cannot be changed. We, if we want to, can take charge of our lives. Once we take charge of our lives then controlling our lifestyle is not that hard. In fact, we can set a trend by following a healthy diet patterns and doing exercises regularly. And this is not a baseless claim. In fact, just now, I will show you some proof that will support my statements.
In order to determine what is the real cause of diabetes, researchers recently conducted a study on several of the diabetes patients whose blood sugar levels were much higher than normal. The patients were divided into two groups-Group A and Group B. patients belonging to Group A were asked to do regular exercises and eat foods which contain low amounts of carbohydrates but high quantities of fat and protein. Patients belonging to Group B were not asked to exercise or change their diet patterns. They were allowed to live their usual sedentary lifestyle and have their regular diet. They were given some medicines and the usual treatments. After six years, the results of the study were out. And it is no surprise that researchers found that patients in Group B had a considerable increase in the blood glucose level which is rather a bad indication for them. However, patients in Group A showed a considerable drop in blood glucose level. I think it is obvious to you from this case study how important diet control for diabetes is.
In the second part of this article, I will discuss what type of foods you can include in your diet in order to prevent diabetes from happening, and how exercises can improve your blood sugar levels. To access the second part of this article, simply click on the link in my resource box below.
Excessive diabetes can damage your health beyond imagination. To learn more about diet control for diabetes, read her full article diabetesdietcontrol.info/diet-control-for-diabetes-2.php” target=”_blank Diet Control for Diabetes- How to Prevent Diabetes from Happening-Part II
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You Should Be Jelqing My Man
Exactly what is jelqing? Jelqing is a added technique for penis enlargement. This technique is also called milking. Yes this procedure is just like milking a cow. What you are doing with this method is, breaking down the fibers of the muscle and rebuilding again allowing your penis to grow.
This jelqing method have been around for 100’s of years. It is the process of enlarging your penis by doing exercise. It has become one of the most popular ways of increasing your penis. You should be jelqing at least 20-30 mins daily. These exercises will consist in getting good blood flow through your penis.
The way to do this is, you take a towel and let it soak in some hot water. Now don’t make the water too hot. You do not want to burn your penis. Take it easy man. You will then wrap this towel around your penis and hold it for 5 minutes. This will relax your penis and allow more blood flow. This will help expand the blood vessels. Once this process has been done, you can start exercising your penis.
Before starting your jelq techniques through exercise, jelqing is best performed with a semi-erect penis(about 1/2 to 3/4 erect.). Lubrication will also be needed like Vaseline, oils, etc. Now, do not jelq in the shower or use soap. If you use soap, you will be soar.
When you are jelqing and you have the urge to ejaculate, then this is a sign of a poor pc(pubococcygeal )muscle. If you have this feeling of ejaculation, stop and wait for the feeling to pass. It is a must that you learn ejaculation control techniques. You should not have the feeling of ejaculation at all when jelqing. This is a sign and and call for help. Start building that pc muscle. Watch it man.
This is what you can do. If you are interested in the jelqing techniques, make sure you first review instructions, get some background information, videos and pictures of the exercises before starting any jelqing exercise program.
Shane Wade is a freelance writer specializing in men health issues. He is also a personal trainer and into some photography in his spare time. Any subject that he writes about concerning men health issues is more knowledge for you that you need to know. Learn how to add
What Causes Acne?
Though the exact cause of acne is unknown, many doctors believe it is a direct result of a variety of factors. One of these factors is the increase in androgens during puberty. Androgens are hormones, and can cause the enlargement and overstimulation of the sebaceous glands in people with acne.
For both males and females, the increase in androgens during puberty can cause these sebaceous glands to produce more sebum, which is oil. This oil mixes with dead skin cells and bacteria on the skin and blocks pores. Inside of these blocked pores bacteria multiplies and leads to swelling, which then causes spots and pimples.
Some researchers also believe that acne is hereditary, and that people with parents who had acne are likely to inherit acne.
Though stress has not been found to be a direct cause of acne, it can lead to aggravated cases of acne. This happens because when someone is laden with anxiety, their body produces hormones such as cortisol, which exacerbates acne.
Other possible causes of acne include certain medications, drugs, steroids, have or oily make-up, and harsh skin cleansing.
Greasy foods and dirty skin have often been blamed for acne, but there is little evidence supporting these as direct causes of acne. Acne is also not contagious.
acnejournal.com acnejournal.com
The Best Treatment for Acne Vulgaris - TCA Skin Peels-Used by Plastic Surgeons Everywhere
Acne vulgaris (acne) is a condition, popular with teens and young adults, that is characterized by red, inflamed bumps and patches. These bumps and patches are formed by overactive sebacious glands (usually due to hormonal imbalances), high skin pH, oil, and basteria that thrive in these conditions. This acne can be worsened by summer heat, improper cleaning, itching and picking at the bumps (they are not pimples and will only get worse when picked at), pH imbalance, bad nutrition, etc…
By changing our habits we can improve this condition. Using mild soaps and cleansers will prove less irritating. Eating a well balanced diet will average out the condition and slowly improve it. And we all know not to pick at acne postules and bumps, but to stop it and possibly cure it we have to get to the source deep in the skin.
Surface treatments like benzoyl peroxide creams and solutions are at best minimally effective and can further irritate the condition. We need to get several layers down to the source, the bacteria, inflamation, and the sebacious glands where acne forms.
Plastic surgeons know that glycolic and salicylic peels are better than hydrogen peroxide treatments, but they will not reach the source. This is where plastic surceons and doctors use TCA peels (trichloroacetic acid) which is a deeper peel to reach the source, change the skin pH (which kills off the bacteria - they cannot survive in high acidity conditions), and increase skin regeneration by sloughing off several layers. TCA peels have been clinically prove to treat and cure acne better than any other treatment (including lasers and Accutane) without any of the horrible side effects).
TCA peels used to be something only the wealthy could afford, but not anymore. You can still go to your doctor and pay $500 or you can do it yourself. TCA peels are the easiest, safest, and most effective of all the skin peels and are now easily available. For more details about TCA peels contact the author below or look it up on the internet. Get a TCA peel and start enjoying cleaner, more youthful skin and stop wasting your money on products that don’t work.
David Maillie is a chemist with over 12 years experience in biochemical research and clynical analysis. He is an alumni of Cornell University and specializes in biochemical synthesis for public, private, and governmental interests. He can be reached at M.D. Wholesale: bestskinpeel.com bestskinpeel.com or by visiting or mdwholesale.com mdwholesale.com.
Autism and Biofeedback
Johnny, age 7, was fascinated for hours by running water, lost in his own world. Like many autistic children he ran on his toes and flapped his hands to self-stimulate in hopes of controlling all the noise in his head. Even minor frustrations turned into emotional meltdowns including seizures.
When Johnny came to his first brain biofeedback sessions he would retreat under the chairs. He did not talk or read. One year and 60 sessions later he makes friends wherever he goes and acts like the Mayor of the waiting room. All his autistic symptoms have now disappeared except that he is reading one year behind grade level. He now hugs his mommy out of his love for her.
Autism is a severe lifelong neuro-biological disorder characterized by limitations of communication and socialization. Autism has grown at an alarming rate from 5 in 10,000 births in 1970 up to 1 in 166 births in 2003. Little is known about the cause of autism and related disorders on the Autism spectrum such as Asperger’s.
Autistic infants typically grow normally for 12-18 months and then begin losing social and communication skills. The ability to imitate disappears. There is usually poor expressive language skills. An autistic child’s outward expression never includes the triad of facial expression, word and gesture. These children do not socialize with others on the playground. Rather than a true relationships, interactions are utilitarian. Autistic children use people as tools, for example bringing mom to the refrigerator and guiding her hand to get food.
Scientific research and clinical practice are showing brain biofeedback to be a very promising remedy for autism spectrum disorders. All biofeedback starts with monitoring an aspect of your body’s functioning and consists of interacting with a display of your physiology. For example, as people are relaxing their hands grow warmer. Imagine holding a digital thermometer in your fingers and letting your hand temperature go up as you relax. Biofeedback is natural, benign and non-invasive. Adverse effects from biofeedback are rare and minor such as a brief headache.
The most exciting research for autism is with brain biofeedback, called neurofeedback. For 35 years brain wave biofeedback has used software connected to an EEG to produce significant improvement in numerous disorders including seizures, migraine, and ADHD. Long term follow ups show that results are sustained and that people can shed their medications.
Recent research is proving that neurofeedback also reduces the symptoms of autism. One recent study reported a 92% success rate with an average 42% reduction in autistic symptoms. We know that biofeedback generally enhances self-regulation. Speculation about how neurofeedback works includes fostering self-repair of communication pathways and promoting maturation of brain functions.
The newest form of neurofeedback is called hemoencephalography (blood-brain-image) or HEG. HEG is proving especially effective for autism. Infrared heat sensors on the head can detect blood flow within the brain. In HEG biofeedback sessions you train to increase either blood perfusion or oxygenation at specific sites such as the frontal cortex. Infrared photos show the effect to last for days and the total effect to be cumulative.
HEG training seems to work like exercise that irrigates underdeveloped areas of the brain. Think of adding more RAM into your computer. Greater brain metabolism becomes improved neural function which shows up as better behavior and new levels of achievement.Progress from neurofeedback tends to be across the board spanning: frustration tolerance, habits, sleep, cognitive, social, emotional, behavioral and executive mental functioning.
As technology advances specific neurofeedback strategies and combinations are still being developed. Some neurofeedback practitioners focus on correcting brain wave amplitudes and bringing them in line with norms. Some use EEG brain maps to guide their training of certain frequencies at particular parts of the scalp; others use symptoms to guide placement and frequencies. For example if there are too many fast beta waves in the occipital cortex (corresponding to a busy mind) then sensors would be placed on the back of the head and the client would play computer games that reward reduced activity at 23-38 Hz.
Other professionals train down excess variability of EEG signals across the entire spectrum of brain waves at central locations on the scalp. A few practitioners have clients perform various types of mental processing challenges while training such as reading or listening to stories.
In addition to brain wave amplitudes, inter-site coherence can be a goal of EEG biofeedback training. The idea here is that you don’t want too much nor too little correspondence between activity at separate sites within the brain. Specialized brain maps indicate abnormality of co-modulation between each pair of 19 sites. This mapping guides training to normalize this aspect of the EEG. All of these methods and other approaches are integrated into the neurofeedback regimen in several ways depending on the case and the practitioner. A standard of practice has not been defined.
Using any variety of neurofeedback approaches, we see near complete success for 90% of those with migraines in 20 sessions. Garden variety ADD takes 40 sessions to clear up for 80% of clients. Autistic spectrum disorders are more severe and take a larger number of sessions to produce more modest results.
Biofeedback software is now so advanced that it is fairly easy to use. The price of equipment has come down so that it has become practical for some parents to do neurofeedback training in their home under the guidance of a professional.
No one is talking about a complete “cure” for autism. However clinical successes and experimental research are progressing just as it has for the several other disorders that neurofeedback has virtually conquered. For autism, there is promising scientific research of significant improvement and reports of seriously impaired clients like Johnny completing neurofeedback training with no more autistic symptoms whatsoever.
Gary Ames is a licensed psychologist specializing in biofeedback in Bala Cynwyd, PA. Contact him via his web site: AlertFocus.com AlertFocus.com or phone 610-668-3223.
