Intense fears of being in situations in which you don’t know people. this can make it hard to interact with strangers or initiate a conversation.

Anxiety to the level that it interferes with day-to-day living. this can make it difficult to use a public restroom, return an item to a store or order food in a restaurant.

Avoiding speaking to people out of fear of embarrassment.

Avoiding situations where you might be the center of attention.

Worry about reacting in ways that you know are out of proportion to the situation, or being afraid that others will notice that you look anxious.

The anxiety you feel may cause physical signs and symptoms of nervousness and fear. These may include blushing, sweating, trembling, nausea, stomach upset, confusion, heart palpitations, diarrhea and cold, clammy hands.

when interacting with other people affects you in this way, over time it may hurt your social skills, or lead to extreme sensitivity to criticism and low self-esteem.

Symptoms of social anxiety disorder tend to persist over time, but they can change. Symptoms may flare up if you’re facing a lot of stress or demands. You may have fewer problems if you can avoid situations that would make you anxious.

Talk to your doctor if your symptoms disrupt your life, such as by making you feel distressed, affecting your daily functioning or causing you to avoid activities.

Diagnosis of social anxiety disorder typically involves having a detailed discussion with your doctor or mental health care provider and often filling out psychological questionnaires or self-assessments. If a diagnosis of social anxiety disorder is reached, initial therapies — which are often used in combination — include cognitive behavioral therapy and certain anti-depressant medications.

Cognitive behavioral therapy improves symptoms in up to 75 percent of people with social anxiety disorder. It’s based on the idea that social situations generally won’t change or go away. however, you can decrease your anxiety by changing your patterns of thinking and acting.

In therapy, you may learn to recognize and change negative thoughts about yourself. You may also practice exposure therapy, which involves gradually working up to facing situations that you fear. Social skills training, role-playing, relaxation training and stress management techniques may be part of your treatment plan.

ASTHMA IS a common condition affecting almost 10% of the population, characterised as intermittent, reversible difficulty in breathing caused by narrowing of the airways, inflammation and excessive mucus. There are a number of triggers which can initiate an attack such as allergy, cold air, exertion (e.g. exercise), infection and stress. the main symptoms are; shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing (especially at night and early morning) and a feeling of tightness in the chest.

the aim of treatment is to keep the condition under control so as to minimise the effects on the sufferers’ lifestyle as much as possible. this is achieved using an on-going step-wise approach in order to match the treatment to the severity of the condition: the aim is to reduce the number of asthma attacks to 3 or less per week or no more than one night time episode per week.

Mild asthma can often be controlled sufficiently by the use of short acting beta-2 agonist inhalers (e.g. salbutamol = Ventolin™ or terbutaline = Bricanyl™). These act by relaxing the muscle in the airways causing them to open; they act immediately, but can cause side effects such as shaking or tremor. Unfortunately, in most cases, additional drugs are required to achieve adequate control and the next step is to add a steroid inhaler (such as beclometasone = Becotide™ or budesonide = Pulmicort™). These act by reducing the inflammatory response in the airways and can be very effective if used regularly. they must be used for several days initially before reaching their full effect.

low doses have few side effects, but can cause oral thrush so rinsing the mouth with water after each use is advised. Higher doses can result in typical steroid side effects of; weight gain, lowering the immune system (leading to infections), glaucoma and acne. More severe asthma may require other forms of treatment if high-dose inhaled steroids are still insufficient to control symptoms. the next step is to introduce a long acting beta agonist (LABA) inhaler (salmeterol = Serevent™ or formoterol = Oxis™). These act in the same way as the short acting types, but their actions lasts for several hours and are delayed. they do NOT give immediate relief and so mustn’t be used for acute attacks. There was some concern after a large study found that people using LABAs were more likely to suffer from severe asthma that required hospitalisation or caused death. it is very important to use these products correctly and in combination with other treatments, never alone. it is imperative that any worsening of asthma symptoms are reported and treated quickly.

if asthma symptoms are still troublesome the next step is to add oral medication, either; a leukotriene receptor antagonist (montelukast = Singulair™), theophylline = Uniphylline™ or a beta 2 agonist tablet (salbutamol = Ventolin™). the last step in treating unresponsive asthma is to add the oral steroid tablet prednisolone. this is often used for short periods of 5 to 10 days for asthma flair ups, such as may occur with a chest infection. Long term treatment is associated with a number of complications and patients should be monitored for; high blood pressure, osteoporosis, cataracts, adrenal suppression, diabetes and high blood fats.

the regular use of asthma drugs saves lives but it is important to use them correctly. if you have difficulty using the normal pressurised inhaler, then using a spacer device or a different type of inhaler (powder inhaler or breathe activated inhaler) may improve treatment tremendously. if asthma symptoms worsen or reliever inhalers fail to have their normal effect, medical advice must be sought without delay.  Emergency treatment with nebulised drugs, oxygen and steroid injection are not uncommon and is often avoidable if the worsening symptoms are reported early. in the UK alone three people die every day from asthma and it has been estimated that 75% of hospital emissions for asthma could be avoided.

Asthmatics should have their condition and treatment monitored regularly and their medication adjusted accordingly. the step approach outlined above can be used in both directions, so some drugs can be reduced or stopped if symptoms improve sufficiently. Michael Lord BPharm(hons) MRPharmS. UK Pharmacist with 20 years experience. Now at Health & Beauty Abroad, Flamenca Beach Commercial Centre, Orihuela Costa. Tel: 96 532 5116  HealthandBeautyAbroad.com

Cystitis is an infection of the urinary tract system. Know the treatment of cystitis in women.

Cystitis is an infection of the urinary tract, especially of the bladder. it is more common in women than in men and it mainly affects them before they reach menopause. There are even women who experience frequent and recurrent episodes of cystitis. The causes of this illness are in the great majority of the cases bacterial infections. E-coli are usually the most common type of bacteria, but there can be other types also.

Normally the bacteria in the bladder are washed away when urinating. However, there are certain factors that can contribute to the occurrence of cystitis. not drinking enough water is the main one, but you also need to take care not to wear tight underwear, to wipe correctly when going to the toilet and to avoid using perfumed cosmetics for the genital area.

Cystitis in women has very unpleasant symptoms. Women usually experience pain when urinating and also a burning sensation. they also feel a frequent and urgent need to urinate, even at a distance of minutes. Even so, they find it difficult and painful to initiate urination and they feel a constant pressure on the bladder. All these symptoms are very uncomfortable and they might prevent a woman from going on with her normal activities. Cystitis in women makes traveling and driving almost impossible.

Cystitis is usually diagnosed by a physician based on your description of the symptoms and, for being 100% sure, sometimes a urine test is recommended. Cystitis in women treatment can either consists of antibiotics or natural remedies. Many women, especially those who have had recurrent episodes of cystitis, choose the natural methods of treatment because they prevent the illness and they also avoid taking a large quantity of antibiotics. However, there are cases (for example when the infection reaches the kidneys) when antibiotics are really necessary.

Women that are interested in treating cystitis naturally need to know that they have to increase the liquid consumption and to go the toilet each time they feel the need. this way they wash away the bacteria in the bladder and they avoid the perpetuation of the bacteria. Cranberry juice is one of the most efficient natural remedies for cystitis in women. it seems to fight bacterial infections and to also prevent them from happening. Parsley juice and blueberry juice are also effective. During treatment women should restrain from having sexual activity and should wear comfortable underwear. following all the recommendations should provide relief from the pains and burning feelings pretty fast.

Read about Breast Enlargement Pills. Also know effective ways to Increase Female Libido.