Two of the most common disorders of the mouth, the cold sore and the canker sore, are often confused with one another. Knowing the difference between a cold sore and canker sore can affect your choice of treatment or home remedy. The difference between a cold sore and canker sore is where the sore appears. Both cold sores and canker sores cause sores in or around the mouth. However, cold sores are usually found outside the mouth and much less frequently inside it. Canker sores, on the other hand, occur only inside the mouth, where they affect the tongue and the inside linings of the cheeks, lips and even the throat. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, the cause of canker sores is not well understood. Canker sores don’t seem to be triggered by viruses or bacteria, but are rather the result of allergic reactions to food, nutritional deficiencies, some form of autoimmune disease, emotional stress or hormonal imbalances. Treatment of canker sores can involve allergy testing, nutritional supplements, non-prescription numbing agents like benzocaine, and mouth rinses containing an anti-inflammatory agent or the antibiotic tetracycline. A common home remedy is a 1:1 dilution of hydrogen peroxide with water, which is then applied to the canker sore with a cotton swab. Small amounts of milk of magnesia are then applied to the canker sore 3 or 4 times a day. This soothes the sore and appears to help with the healing process. Cold sores are another kettle of fish. These are definitely caused by the herpes simplex virus, which stays in the body after sores disappear. This may cause a recurrence of the cold sores at some later time. Cold sores are sometimes called fever blisters and the herpes simplex virus is extremely contagious when fever blisters exist. Not surprisingly, kissing often transmits cold sores. In fact, the Roman emperor Tiberius once banned public kissing because of an outbreak of cold sores in the Roman capitol. Until science develops a vaccine for the herpes virus, the medical treatment of cold sores will continue to consist of ointments that numb the blisters, anti-viral drugs, antibiotics that control secondary bacterial infections, and ointments that soften the crusts of the sores. A natural cold sore treatment will focus on nutritional supplements like zinc or amino acids, Echinacea and topical antiseptics like tea tree oil.

I am Motor neurone disease, you might also know me as progressive muscular atrophy, or progressive bulbar palsy, or and primary lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease; All the while I just prefer being called MND for short. All these fancy names and all you want to know is if you have me or not. Read on. Usually I, motor neurone disease, exist in those individuals that are between the ages of 40-70, with my average being a respectable 55. Don’t get excited quickly thinking that I only attack those over 40 and under 70 years of age, as I have cases that range from 18 to over 100. Primarily I am characterized by «The progressive loss of voluntary muscle contraction due to the destruction of nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord that are responsible for the stimulation of the voluntary muscles.» Although my initial symptoms can be sneaky and a little under the table (subtle), I will down the road cause progressive physical disability. I am found easily by medical professionals who can easily spot signs, for example: upper motor neuron damage signs. Upper motor neuron damage signs are things such as spasticity, lively reflexes and Babinski signs. Again, don’t get excited as I also can be found in the lower neurones. This can lead to (among others): – Swallowing – Difficulty breathing – Coughing – Speaking If you are experiencing any of my symptoms mentioned above I recommend that you take a look, and quickly, into visiting your local doctor or physician. Once properly diagnosed they will be able to point you in the right direction for how you will be able to deal with me.

Bird flu, which is the lay term for the H5N1 variety of avian influenza, started in Hong Kong in 1997. Since then it has spread to China, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Laos, Russia, Indonesia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Romania, England, Croatia, Macedonia, Kuwait, and most recently to Turkey. The H5N1 virus has infected many species including ducks, chickens, turkeys, tree sparrows, peregrine falcons, great black-headed gulls, brown-headed gulls, gray herons, Canada geese, bar-headed geese, little egrets, pigs, clouded leopards, white tigers, mice, domestic cats, crows, magpies, peacocks, blue pheasants, rare eagles, turtledoves, swans, terns, and others. Human infections have occurred in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Indonesia, and now Turkey. Almost all human infections have occurred by humans ingesting blood or insufficiently cooked meat from birds infected with the virus, or being in close contact with sick birds—children playing with sick or dead birds for example. One recent case involved a person acquiring bird flu by coming into contact with a glove from a person culling (removing and killing) infected birds. There have been several instances where transmission of the H5N1 virus is thought to have occurred directly from human-to-human—parents taking care of their children who had the virus. Transmission of the H5N1 (bird-flu) virus to humans to this point has, therefore—in the vast majority of cases—involved ingestion of, or being in close contact with, infected birds. As the virus continues to spread, via migratory birds from country-to-country, it could come to North American and the United States via this mechanism as well. If that were the case, then American’s could well be exposed to the virus through ingestion of, or close contact with, infected birds. This mode of transmission could also take place once the pandemic begins. However, once the pandemic actually begins, by definition human-to-human transmission will be the primary mode of transmission. In other words, once the pandemic starts, those who become infected will most likely have gotten their infection from someone else—another human. And, given what we know about seasonal influenza and its transmission, it is most likely that children will be the biggest source of infection. Therefore, while we might have to worry about acquiring the virus from both wild and domestic birds, the much more important source of human infections will be each other. Once the global pandemic starts, it will come to the United States through travelers from other countries where the pandemic has already begun—unless the pandemic actually starts in the United States—which is possible but unlikely. Bradford Frank, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A. The Frank Group P.O. Box 138 Lakewood, NY 14750 800-488-2353 http://www.AvoidBirdFlu.com

Diane Jakubowski was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in spring of 2003,and her somewhat confused physician sent Jakubowski to the nearest health food market for answers. Celiac Disease, also known as Celiac Sprue, is a genetically-linked autoimmune disease in which the absorbing surface of the small intestine is damaged by gluten, the protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and sometimes even oats. But as recently as two years ago, this illness was considered very rare in this country, leaving many Celiacs misdiagnosed, under diagnosed, or simply overlooked altogether. Approximately 1 in 4700 people in the USA are diagnosed Celiacs. But recent medical research indicates that this figure is extraordinarily inaccurate. Suddenly, the long-accepted thinking that Celiac Disease was rare has literally exploded off of the medical horizon. It is now known that 1 in 133 folks in this country (or more) are probably Celiacs…again going undiagnosed…and suffering needlessly for many years. In Celiac Disease, nutrients pass through the damaged small intestine, unabsorbed, often creating a host of sometimes devastating health problems. Medical conditions and diseases that have been associated with Celiac Disease are: iron deficiency anemia, osteoporosis, gum problems, skin problems, Multiple Sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, peripheral neuropathy, and infertility. Celiac Disease is frequently misdiagnosed as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, proctitis) pancreatitis, and even gall bladder disease, to name but a few. There are literally millions of Celiac’s running around in this country….who don’t even know they are Celiacs. And the really significant additional concern is that all these folks are simultaneously running the risk of developing secondary autoimmune disease. This, due to the fact that many Celiacs go undiagnosed an average of eleven years…or even longer. In the author’s case, it was 52 years. Jakubowski’s desire is that people will be able to gain answers through information that has been made available on her website. Her wish is that sharing this information may possibly provide a service for those who suffer from digestive disease for decades due to the direct or indirect impact of this insidious disease. Diane Jakubowski http://www.celiacdiseaseinfo.org