Cures?
There are quite a number of traditional remedies toward hiccups. Below listed are the traditional remedies:

Anise seed (for infants) Pour a cupful of boiling water over a teaspoonful of anise seeds; steep; give the baby one or two teaspoonsful. It often cures immediately. Nursing the baby will frequently stop the hiccups, too.

Apple cider vinegar Slowly sip a glass of warm water mixed with one teaspoon of vinegar. Works better when the water is drunk from the far side of the glass.

Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) Mix two teaspoonsful of baking soda, two teaspoonsful of aromatic spirits of ammonia with four ounces of peppermint water. Dose: one tablespoonful; repeat if necessary.

Breathing Breathe into a small paper bag that is tightly pressed around your mouth. Or try spreading your arms out like a “T” and take a very deep breath. Repeat several times. Or try taking a deep breath and holding it as long as you can.

Chamomile Put 1 drop of chamomile essential oil in a brown paper bag; hold bag over nose and mouth; breathe in and out slowly and deeply through the nose.

Camphor Mix three drops of spirits of Camphor in half a glassful of water and drink.

Collar bones Put strong pressure on the collar bones.

Honey Take a teaspoon of honey.

Ice Eat or suck on a piece of ice.

Lemon Mix the juice of one lemon in half a glass of water; drink; repeat if the first drink didn’t stop the hiccups.

Lemon/salt Put a teaspoonful of salt on half a lemon and then suck the juice out of the lemon.

Lemon/bitters Eat a slice of lemon which has been soaked in angostura bitters.

Orange Drink the juice from 1/2 an orange.

Peanut butter Eat 1 teaspoon of peanut butter.

Pepper, red Pour a half pint of boiling water over a quarter of a red pepper; steep; drink a wineglassful. If no red pepper is available, use five drops of tincture of Capsicum in a tablespoonful of water.

Pineapple juice Take a few rapid swallows of canned pineapple juice. Repeat hourly if necessary.

Sugar Cure hiccups by placing a teaspoon of sugar on the tongue and washing it down with a glass of cold water. Another sugar remedy suggests swallowing it dry.

Sugar/lemon Soak a cube of sugar in fresh lemon juice and let it dissolve in your mouth.

Tartar, cream of Add 1/3 teaspoon of cream of tartar to 8 oz. of warm water; drink 2 tablespoons at a time on an empty stomach.

Water Drinking water in various fashions has been an age-old cure. Here are several variations. Plug your ears and drink a glass of ice cold water; or slowly sip a cup of warm water; sip a cup of warm water with honey in it. For infants: hiccups usually disappear in 5-10 minutes. If hiccups do not disappear, give the baby a bottle of sugar water. Mix one-quarter teaspoon of sugar with four ounces of water.

Pap Smear Result
Your Pap smear provider will usually receive your Pap smear result within two weeks. You should contact your general practitioner, clinic or nurse to find out the result.

Many women feel anxious or worried when they have been told that their Pap smear result is not completely normal. An abnormal result hardly ever means you have cancer.

About one in every 10 Pap smear results will have a comment or indicate some kind of problem. Most of these are not serious, and your general practitioner should discuss them with you.

Inflammation
Quite often a Pap smear will show signs of inflammation. This means that the cells of the cervix are slightly irritated.

This irritation may be due to an infection, even though you may not be aware of any symptoms. This might be a bacterial infection or thrush. Sometimes the cause of the infection can be detected by the Pap smear. Your doctor or nurse will talk with you about further tests to identify the infection and what treatment is required. Sometimes there is no cause found for the inflammation and the cell changes will go back to normal without the need for any treatment.

If your result shows signs of inflammation, but the smear is otherwise satisfactory, you do not need a repeat smear sooner than the usual two years between Pap smears.

Endocervical cells
The report from the laboratory may comment on the presence of endocervical cells in the sample. If they are present, it shows that the sample of cells comes from the area where the squamous cells meet the glandular cells. This is called the transformation zone and is where cancer is more likely to develop. It is sometimes difficult to get a sample of the cells from this area, particularly when a woman is past menopause. This is because the transformation zone tends to move up into the cervical canal at this time of life.

If endocervical cells are not seen on your Pap smear, and you have been having regular smears without abnormal results, and you have no symptoms (such as unexplained bleeding), you do not need another one before the usual two year interval.

Atrophic changes
It is common for women who have gone through menopause to have a Pap smear result noting atrophic changes. This is caused by reduction in the hormone oestrogen which is produced by the ovaries. This is a normal result of menopause. This lack of oestrogen can make the vaginal walls look red and irritated and is called ‘atrophic vaginitis’.

Atrophic vaginitis is easily treated. Your health professional will recommend you use vaginal oestrogen cream for a few weeks and have a repeat Pap smear in 3 to 6 months time to make sure the changes picked up on the Pap smear are due to a lack of oestrogen only.

Women who are breastfeeding may also experience a similar effect. Once a woman’s periods return, her oestrogen levels usually increase and any atrophic changes will resolve.

Latin Name–Panax ginseng

What It Is Used For
Treatment claims for Asian ginseng are numerous and include the use of the herb to support overall health and boost the immune system. Traditional and modern uses of ginseng include:

- Improving the health of people recovering from illness
- Increasing a sense of well-being and stamina, and improving both mental and physical performance
- Treating erectile dysfunction, hepatitis C, and symptoms related to menopause
- Lowering blood glucose and controlling blood pressure
- How It Is Used
- The root of Asian ginseng contains active chemical components called ginsenosides (or panaxosides) that are thought to be responsible for the herb’s medicinal properties. The root is dried and used to make tablets or capsules, extracts, and teas, as well as creams or other preparations for external use.

What the Science Says
Some studies have shown that Asian ginseng may lower blood glucose. Other studies indicate possible beneficial effects on immune function. To date, research results on Asian ginseng are not conclusive enough to prove health claims associated with the herb. Only a handful of large clinical trials on Asian ginseng have been conducted. Most studies have been small or have had flaws in design and reporting. Some claims for health benefits have been based only on studies conducted in animals. NCCAM is supporting research studies to better understand the use of Asian ginseng. NCCAM is studying how Asian ginseng interacts with other herbs and drugs and exploring its potential to treat chronic lung infection, impaired glucose tolerance, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Side Effects and Cautions
When taken by mouth, ginseng is usually well tolerated. Some sources suggest that its use be limited to 3 months because of concerns about the development of side effects. The most common side effects are headaches and sleep and gastrointestinal problems. Ginseng can cause allergic reactions. There have been reports of breast tenderness, menstrual irregularities, and high blood pressure associated with ginseng products, but these products’ components were not analyzed, so effects may have been due to another herb or drug in the product. Ginseng may lower levels of blood sugar; this effect may be seen more in people with diabetes. Therefore, people with diabetes should use extra caution with Asian ginseng, especially if they are using medicines to lower blood sugar or taking other herbs, such as bitter melon and fenugreek, that are also thought to lower blood sugar. It is important to inform your health care providers about any herb or dietary supplement you are using, including Asian ginseng. This helps to ensure safe and coordinated care.

However, about half of these women report that the conceived while practicing contraception.

This led Bakhru and Stanwood to determine if a contraceptive patch might do better than an oral contraceptive in reducing such consequences. They studied information on 1,230 women that underwent contraceptive counseling at Planned Parenthood centers.

The women had never before used hormonal contraception. Most were considered at high risk of unintended pregnancy. In all, 579 started on oral contraceptives and the remaining 651 began with the contraceptive patch.

A total of 468 women (38 percent) had no further contact with the clinic after their initial visit. Initial loss to follow-up was higher in patch (45.2 percent) than in pill users (29.5 percent).

Continued use of contraception beyond the first three cycles was significantly higher in the pill users (89 percent) than was the case in patch users. Moreover, only 3.3 percent of patch users found skin irritation to be a treatment-limiting factor.

The researchers also found that the pregnancy rate was markedly lower for pill users than for patch users.

There is a lot of talk these days about a new meal planning tool called the Glycemic Index (GI). But there is also a lot of misunderstanding about the GI, which has actually been around for more than 20 years.

When you eat food that contains carbohydrates, the sugar (glucose) from the food breaks down during digestion and gives you energy. After you eat, your blood glucose level rises; the speed at which the food is able to increase your blood glucose level is called the “glycemic response.” This glycemic response is influenced by many factors, including how much food you eat, how much the food is processed or even how the food is prepared (for example, pasta that is cooked al dente – or firm – has a slower glycemic response than pasta that is overcooked).

How Does the Glycemic Index work?
The glycemic index is complicated and cannot be generalised to all people. Different people will have different reactions to food. The body’s response to food will relate to several factors including; age, activity level, insulin levels, time of day, amount of fibre and fat in the food, how refined (processed) the food is, and what was eaten with the food. In addition to this, other factors such as the ratio of carbohydrates to fat and protein as well as how the food was cooked (eg. Boiled compared to fried or baked) and metabolism will determine the way your body’s sugar level responds after eating. Foods that have a low glycemic index will have little effect on the body’s sugar levels. Comparatively, foods that have a high glycemic index will have an instant affect on blood sugar levels. Ratings on the glycemic index have resulted from numerous studies; however, individuals should test their own reactions to food in relation to the glycemic index.

The Glycemic Index and Dieting
Health experts and dieticians contest that the glycemic index is difficult to use because it is complicated and will vary from person to person. They do concede however, that the glycemic index is a useful meal-planning tool especially when individuals monitor their own individual responses to foods. Low glycemic food is especially helpful in assisting those who want to lose weight. Low glycemic index foods will increase the sugar levels in the body to sustain energy levels for longer periods of time. This means an individual will feel less inclined to eat because energy is being slowly released into their bloodstream. A good understanding of the glycemic index will also assist with exercise. If you exercise then eating high glycemic foods will help you recover from your workout. Specifically, faster carbohydrates that are high on the glycemic index are great for raising low blood sugars after intense exercising whereas low glycemic index foods are helpful in maintaining blood sugar levels for long periods of exercise. Health experts encourage using the glycemic index in conjunction with other meal programs to assist in managing diabetes and/or controlling weight.

LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX FOODS (55 or less)
Skim milk
Plain Yogurt
Soy beverage
Apple/plum/orange
Sweet potato
Oat bran bread
Oatmeal (slow cook oats)
All-Bran™
Converted or Parboiled rice
Pumpernickel bread
Al dente (firm) pasta
Lentils/kidney/baked beans
Chick peas

HIGH GLYCEMIC INDEX FOODS
Watermelon
Dried dates
Instant mashed potatoes
Baked white potato
Instant rice
Corn Flakes
Rice Krispies
Bagel, white
Soda crackers
Jellybeans
French fries
Ice cream
Digestive cookies
Table sugar (sucrose)