While the cause of fibromyalgia is not agreed upon in the medical community, belief that it derives from an oxygen metabolism dysfunction is mounting. The various proposed hypotheses about fibromyalgia’s origin are varied, ranging from an infectious viral agent to a sleep disorder to an emotional disturbance. From an atomic perspective, the smallest building blocks of life, all of the proposed theories behind fibromyalgia genesis can be understood. A system that isn’t metabolizing oxygen (the basis of life) properly, can manifest as fibromyalgia through each of the proposed causes.

Humans metabolize oxygen from air, food and water to create energy and fuel all body processes. According to some experts, impaired oxygen metabolism is the molecular basis of fibromyalgia’s primary symptoms (muscular pain, fatigue and concentration difficulties). Specifically, oxygen poorly metabolized causes fatigue and pain in muscles, memory disruption in the brain and impaired function of all of our body’s cells.

One aspect of this metabolic dysfunction occurs from oxidation’s creation of unstable molecules, also called free radicals. Oxidation is the loss of electrons occurring when oxygen breaks down a substance excessively. A natural process, oxidation is witnessed in our environment when iron rusts and fruit rots. In the human body, the damage incurred from free radicals contributes to aging and the development and perpetuation of chronic disease. Thus, preventing oxidative stress can significantly reduce fibromyalgia’s symptoms.

As published in Rheumatology International, researchers from Turkey studied 85 women with fibromyalgia and compared them to 80 healthy women, matched for age, weight and height. Each woman’s cellular damage by free radicals was evaluated. The results demonstrated that the women with fibromyalgia had significantly higher levels of cellular oxidation, compared to the controls.

Antioxidants can prevent cellular oxidation by scavenging (destroying) the unstable molecules before they wreck havoc. Though seemingly simple, incorporating antioxidants from the food supply or with nutritional supplementation can stop and prevent further cellular damage. Protecting the integrity of muscle and brain cells can end the fibromyalgia cycle of pain, fatigue and impaired concentration. Clinicians everywhere are recognizing this connection, and are prescribing various forms of antioxidant therapy to their clients with fibromyalgia.

Another aspect of oxygen metabolism dysfunction is a lack of available oxygen. Steps can be taken to increase oxygen’s availability for proper body functioning, although the reason behind its deficiency is currently unknown. An undisputed fact about fibromyalgia is the spectrum of breathing difficulties seen in people with this syndrome. Whether insufficiently drawing in breath or experiencing “oxygen hunger,” many individuals with fibromyalgia can’t seem to get enough air. Often physicians will
recommend avoidance of high-altitude locations to patients with fibromyalgia, due to the decreased availability of oxygen in these locations.

Decreased or inhibited blood flow means less oxygen can be delivered to the muscles, causing muscular fatigue and subsequent pain and stiffness. Occurring both in the skin above tender points and in the extremities, sensations of cold go hand-in-hand with a fibromyalgia diagnosis. It is no surprise that people with fibromyalgia typically have a general intolerance to cold temperatures. A decrease in local surface temperature can be the direct result of an absence of oxygen in the body’s blood supply.

Recent studies have confirmed that aerobic exercise benefits individuals with fibromyalgia. The connection between oxygen metabolic dysfunction and exercise is the increase of available oxygen in the body created with physical exertion. A study published in Arthritis and Rheumatology demonstrated that individuals with fibromyalgia improved their health-quality of life and strengthened their lower extremities following exercise in waist-high warm water. This specific type of physical activity is ideal for oxygen deficiency, because the activity increases muscular blood flow endogenously, while the warm temperature invigorates blood flow exogenously.

While fibromyalgia remains a complex, somewhat mysterious disorder, seeing the problem on the most essential of levels can shed light onto future treatments. Most of us take for granted the way in which our body metabolizes oxygen. However, evidence and logic suggest this very process we take for granted may be at fault in fibromyalgia syndrome. The good news is that something can be done about it, without medications or surgery. Preventing free radical oxidation can be accomplished by including a wide range of antioxidants in one’s diet. Increasing blood flow, and thus oxygen to all parts of the body occur with aerobic exercise and warm water immersion.
While these ideas may not be new, now everyone understands why they are so effective at reducing fibromyalgia’s symptoms.

References:

Ali, M, Ali O., Fibromyalgia: An oxidative-dysoxygenative disorder (ODD), J Integrative Medicine, 1999; 3:17-37.

Bagis S, Tamer L, Sahin G, Bilgin R, Guler H, Ercan B, Erdogan C., Free radicals and antioxidants in primary fibromyalgia: an oxidative stress disorder?, Rheumatol Int, Dec 20, 2003.

Gusi N, Tomas-Carus P, Hakkinen A, Hakkinen K, Ortega-Alonso A., Warm Water Exercise Decreases Pain, Strengthens FM Patients in Study, Arthritis Rheum. 2006 Feb;55(1):66-73.

Lund, N., Bengtsson A, Thorborg P., Muscle tissue oxygen pressure in primary fibromyalgia, Scand J Rheumatol. 1986; 15(2): 165-73.

www.majidali.com, Ali, M. Seven Aspects of Oxygen and Oxidation.

This article was prepared for fibromanage.com FibroManage.com. Visit us to learn more about fibromanage.com/symptoms.htm fibromyalgia, its symptoms and fibromanage.com/selfhelp.htm self help options.

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If you’re always having trouble sleeping and end up being unproductive during the day, these facts about insomnia can give you a clearer awareness of the condition and direct you to the right insomnia treatment. If you already know some basic facts about insomnia, you may unravel some goldmine tips to conquer insomnia from this informative article.

Basic Facts About Insomnia

Simply put, insomnia is the inability to fall asleep when you want to. It is characterized by little or poor-quality sleep.

There are three types of insomnia depending on the duration of the condition: 1) Transient or short-term insomnia, as the term implies, lasts only for one night to a few weeks; 2) Intermittent insomnia is short-term but recurring; 3) Chronic insomnia is the most serious as it happens at least three times a week for a month, year, or even a lifetime.

A main effect of insomnia is excessive sleepiness, which can be accompanied with restlessness, fatigue, lethargy, and irritability, among others. It can also cause problems in concentrating and focusing. The insomniac is there but not quite there. This is most common among chronic insomnia sufferers, who may find themselves in a constant state of limbo.

Insomniacs can be also more accident-prone. The cause of one out of every five highway accidents is the driver falling asleep momentarily.

In the long term, insomnia can affect relationships at home and work, hobbies, recreational activities, and general state of mind. More than just a sleep disorder, it can greatly affect quality of life; that’s why it is vital to know the facts about insomnia.

Insomnia Causes

Sleeplessness may be caused by any or a combination of the following:

1) Diet high in stimulants. Caffeine is the main culprit. Drinking too much coffee, tea, colas and eating too much chocolate, especially in the evening, can cause problems sleeping. Alcohol is also not recommended – a nightcap may induce sleepiness at first, but prevents you from going into deep sleep, or the REM state, and thus, lets you sleep less soundly.

2) Environmental factors. Noise, light, sudden weather changes, a room that is too hot or too cold, can disturb sleep, if not delay it.

3) Change in routine. Traveling often, sleeping in an unfamiliar bed, and a job with variable schedules are examples of routine interruptions that can cause insomnia, though short-term.

4) Stress or stressful life events. Work-related problems, relationship problems, anticipation of an upcoming event like a presentation or medical exam, and sudden life events like divorce and death of a loved one are only some examples. Anxiety related to stress may very well be the number one reason why you can’t catch a wink.

5) Medical conditions. Asthma, eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, peptic ulcer, anxiety disorders, can prevent you from falling into restful slumber.

6) Hormones. A woman suffering from menopausal symptoms like hot flushes and night sweating may have trouble sleeping. Insomnia in teenagers, meanwhile, occur mostly because of the onset of puberty, where sleeping needs and sleeping patterns usually change.

Insomnia Treatment the Natural Way

There are different insomnia treatment options, ranging from the natural insomnia herbs to the medical. Medical treatment, usually through sleeping pills, have unpleasant side effects and can ironically cause further insomnia in the long run, so therapy and natural methods are safer and more effective. Below are some examples.

1) Aromatherapy. For bouts of sleeplessness from time to time, taking a bath before going to bed using a few drops of essential oils like lavender, marjoram, or ylang-ylang can help. Or you can drop these oils directly on your pillow.

2) Flower essence therapy. White chestnut particularly helps cure insomnia gradually, usually in just a few weeks. Flower remedies can be bought in some health food stores or via mail in some websites.

3) Herbal therapy. Valerian is known as the best herbal treatment for insomnia, as it decreases nervous system activity. Use as per dosage instructions in the pack.

4) Relaxation therapy. This involves progressive muscle relaxation training, imagery training, hypnosis among others. This can be learned alone or with the help of a qualified practitioner. These techniques can relax your body and mind and make you feel drowsy and ready for bed.

5) Reconditioning. This method involves re-associating the bedroom and bed with sleep only. In applying this technique, activities like eating, reading, and watching TV cannot be done in bed. Napping for more than 30 to 45 minutes during the day is also discouraged. A fixed wake-up time is also scheduled to train the body.

Knowing these facts about insomnia, you and your loved ones can deal with the condition better should it come.

Self-help expert Michael Lee has prepared an amazing FREE course revealing secret 20daypersuasion.com/sleep-secret.htm tips to cure insomnia and enjoy energizing deep sleep at 20daypersuasion.com/sleep-secret.htm 20daypersuasion.com/sleep-secret.htm

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It’s been felt for some time now that inadequate or poor quality sleep in teenagers leads to poor performance at school but it was not until quite recently that a formal research study confirmed that teenage children with poor sleeping habits do indeed have lower grade point averages.

Here are 10 simple tips to ensure that an otherwise healthy child gets the quality of sleep needed to perform well in school:

Tip 1. Set a regular time for going to bed and try not to vary this time by more than a few minutes from day to day.

Tip 2. Make sure that you get up at the same time every morning, whether or not it is a school day. Teenagers commonly have a lie-in at the weekends and during the school holidays and, rather than helping to make you feel better, this simply disrupts your pattern of sleep.

Tip 3. If you find that you cannot get to sleep within about 15 or 20 minutes of getting into bed then don’t simply lie in bed trying to sleep, because the harder you try the more difficult it will become. Instead, get up and do something such as reading a book (not a school book) or listening to some relaxing music. Once you begin to feel tired, climb back into bed and you’ll be asleep in no time at all.

Tip 4. Don’t be tempted to stay up late doing homework or studying for a test. Although this may seem like the answer to a specific problem in the short term, and might well keep you out of trouble for handing in your homework late or get you through a specific test, in the longer term your overall performance will suffer and any short term gain will soon be lost.

Tip 5. Avoid the temptation to take a nap in the afternoon after school. If you do find that you’re so tired you can’t keep your eyes open then go ahead and take a nap but limit it to no more than an hour.

Tip 6. Avoid any form of drink that contains caffeine after about 3 o’clock in the afternoon. This of course means tea and coffee, but also includes colas and chocolate drinks.

Tip 7. Avoid eating a heavy meal too close to bedtime. You certainly don’t want to go to bed feeling hungry and a light snack before bedtime is fine, but going to bed on a full stomach can make it difficult to get to sleep and affect the quality of your sleep.

Tip 8. Although teenagers will often spend a lot of time in their bedroom and turn it into more of a ‘living’ than a ’sleeping’ room, avoid using the bed for anything other than sleeping. Don’t sit in bed reading, writing, watching TV or playing games but reserve it only for sleeping so that your body associates climbing into bed with going to sleep.

Tip 9. Don’t take any vigorous exercise within several hours of going to bed. If you want to play football or engage in other sporting or vigorous activities then do these shortly after school and not an hour or two before going to bed.

Tip 10. When it comes to bedtime make sure that your bedroom is quiet, dark and cool. Don’t shut the room up, turn up the heat and climb into bed to watch TV. Instead, turn the heating down, open the window a little if possible to let in some fresh air and have the room as dark as you can get it.

Follow these 10 tips and within no time at all your quality of sleep will improve, you’ll feel more awake and active during the day and your grades will improve.

Help-Me-To-Sleep.com provides a wealth of information on a variety of sleep disorders including help-me-to-sleep.com” target=”_blank insomnia, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy and jet lag. In particular, Help Me To Sleep provides information and advice on natural remedies as an help-me-to-sleep.com/insomnia/” target=”_blank insomnia cure.

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It is well known that sleep apnea sufferers are also at risk from a number of other health problems and one of these is the risk of having a stroke. It is now becoming clear however that treating sleep apnea can significantly lower stroke risk.

Many sleep apnea sufferers also suffer from lesions caused by what are known as silent brain infarctions. Also referred to as subclinical cerebrovascular disease, silent brain infarction is the effective death of tissue within the brain resulting from a poor blood supply. Normal clinical tests do not detect the presence of this condition (hence the term ’subclinical’) which will however show up on a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scan. The presence of silent brain infarctions is often seen as a precursor to a stroke.

In addition, many sleep apnea sufferers also show increased levels of several inflammatory markers which are associated with coronary artery disease and these in turn are indicative of a heightened risk of silent brain infarction.

As a result of these findings researchers conducted tests on some 50 men suffering from moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea and noted that some 25 percent of the test group demonstrated evidence of silent brain infarctions. This compares to a figure of around 8 percent in people suffering from only mild obstructive sleep apnea.

The same researchers then treated 24 men with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) delivered nasally and found that in all cases the subjects showed significantly reduced levels of the protein markers associated with cardiovascular disease, indicating a similarly significant reduction in the risk of cerebrovascular disease and thus of stroke.

In many cases the treatment of one particular condition can not only improve that condition, but can also have a knock-on affect. This is clearly the case with moderate to severe sleep apnea and the administration of simple CPAP treatment can not only considerably improve the sufferer quality of sleep, but also significantly reduce the sufferer’s risk of having a stroke.

Help-Me-To-Sleep.com provides extensive information and advice on a whole range of sleep disorders including help-me-to-sleep.com/sleep-apnea/” target=”_blank sleep apnea. In addition, Help Me To Sleep looks at natural ways to provide an help-me-to-sleep.com insomnia cure for millions of sufferers today.

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