About Health: June 2016

Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is a disease in which the cells of the prostate become abnormal and start to grow uncontrollably, forming tumors. Tumors that can spread to other parts of the body are called malignant tumors or cancers. Tumors incapable of spreading are said to be benign.

Description

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the United States, and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that in 1998, at least 185,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed, and it will be the cause of at least 40,000 deaths.

Although prostate cancer may be very slow-growing, it is a heterogeneous disease and can be quite aggressive, especially in younger men.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic, non-contagious disease characterized by inflamed hyperproliferative lesions covered with silvery-white scabs of dead skin.

Description

Psoriasis, which affects at least four million Americans, is slightly more common in women than in men. Although the disease can develop at any time, 10–15% of all cases are diagnosed in children under 10, and the average age at the onset of symptoms is 28 years of age.

Psoriasis is most common in fair-skinned people and relatively rare in dark-skinned individuals, although the rate among African Americans appears to be slowly rising.

Psychoneuroimmunology

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), is a relatively recent branch of science that enforces beliefs that physicians have held for many centuries, perhaps well before the times of the ancient Greeks.

The premise is that a patient’s mental state influences diseases and healing. Specifically, PNI studies the connection between the brain and the immune system.

Origins

The term psychoneuroimmunology was coined by Robert Ader, a researcher in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York.

Psychophysiology

Psychophysiology is the branch of physiology that is concerned with the relationship between mental (psyche) and physical (physiological) processes; it is the scientific study of the interaction between mind and body.

The field of psychophysiology draws upon the work of physicians, psychologists, biochemists, neurologists, engineers, and other scientists.

A psychophysiological disorder is characterized by physical symptoms that are partly induced by emotional factors. Some of the more common emotional states responsible in forming illness include anxiety, stress, and fear.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy can be defined as a means of treating psychological or emotional problems such as neurosis or personality disorder through verbal and nonverbal communication.

It is the treatment of psychological distress through talking with a specially trained therapist and learning new ways to cope rather than merely using medication to alleviate the distress.

It is done with the immediate goal of aiding the person in increasing self-knowledge and awareness of relationships with others. Psychotherapy is carried out to assist people in becoming more conscious of their unconscious thoughts, feelings, and motives.

Psyllium

Psyllium is a seed used for medicinal purposes taken from the common fleawort, Plantago psyllium. There are about 250 species of the genus Plantago found worldwide; they belong to the Plantaginaceae family.

The most common species producing seed for medicinal use, in addition to P. psyllium, are P. afra, P. isphagula, P. ovata, and P. indica.

Psyllium is extensively cultivated in many parts of the world. Shrubby perennial plants with narrow green leaves put up spikes of small flowers that mature into seedpods. The seeds and husks are harvested and used in healing. The seeds are small (1.5–2 cm) and brown or reddish-brown.

Pulsatilla

Pulsatilla nigricans, commonly known as pulsatilla, is a remedy derived from the plant commonly known as wind flower, pasque flower, or meadow anemone.

The perennial plant is a member of the Ranunculaceae family and is native to central and northern Europe and southern England. This wild plant grows in sunny meadows, pastures, and fields.

A crown of leaves forms on the ground, from which a single flower grows in May and August. The stem reaches a height of about 6 in (15 cm) and has downy hairs that grow on it. The flower is colored dark violet-brown.

Pulse Diagnosis

Pulse diagnosis is a diagnostic technique used in several healing systems to determine the health conditions and course of treatment for patients.

Origins

As used in Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the techniques of pulse diagnosis have been developed over thousands of years, as these two systems of medicine are the world’s oldest.

Acupuncture, a branch of TCM, has long relied on pulse diagnosis as a main tool to determine the course of treatment. In Western medicine, every time a doctor checks the pulse of a patient and listens to the heartbeat with a stethoscope, the doctor is practicing a form of pulse diagnosis.

Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)

Pyridoxine, or vitamin B₆, is a member of the watersoluble family of B vitamins. It is necessary in the processes to metabolize proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, to make hormones and neurotransmitters, and to support the immune system.

It also plays a role in the production of normal, healthy red blood cells and some of the neurotransmitters needed for proper nervous system function. In conjunction with folic acid and cobalamin, it acts to reduce homocysteine levels, thus lowering the risk of developing heart disease.

General use

Mild deficiencies of pyridoxine are common, despite the low daily requirements. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for babies under six months of age is 0.3 milligrams (mg), and for babies six months to one year old is 0.6 mg. The daily requirement is 1.0 mg for children one to three years old, 1.1 mg for those four to six years old, and 1.4 mg for seven- to ten-year-olds.

Qigong

Qigong (pronounced “chee-gung,” also spelled chi kung) is translated from the Chinese to mean “energy cultivation” or “working with the life energy.”

Qigong is an ancient Chinese system of postures, exercises, breathing techniques, and meditations. Its techniques are designed to improve and enhance the body’s qi. According to traditional Chinese philosophy, qi is the fundamental life energy responsible for health and vitality.

Origins

Qigong originated before recorded history. Scholars estimate qigong to be as old as 5,000–7,000 years. Tracing the exact historical development of qigong is difficult, because it was passed down in secrecy among monks and teachers for many generations.

Rabies

Rabies is a viral illness that can affect any mammal but is most common in carnivores (flesh-eaters). It is sometimes referred to as a zoonosis, or disease of animals that can be communicated to humans.

Rabies is usually transmitted in the saliva through a bite wound. The virus attacks the central nervous system, and is fatal once symptoms begin, with very rare exceptions.

Rabies, also known as hydrophobia, belongs to the rhabdovirus family. Fewer than 10% of animal cases reported in the United States in 1998 were in domestic animals. Raccoons accounted for the largest number of cases in wild animals.

Radiation injuries

Radiation injuries are caused by ionizing radiation emitted by such sources as the sun, x-ray and other diagnostic machines, tanning beds, and radioactive elements released in nuclear power plant accidents and detonation of nuclear weapons during war and as terrorist acts.

Description

Ionizing radiation is made up of unstable atoms that contain an excess amount of energy. In an attempt to stabilize, the atoms emit the excess energy into the atmosphere, creating radiation. Radiation can either be electromagnetic or particulate.

The energy of electromagnetic radiation is a direct function of its frequency. The high energy, high frequency waves that can penetrate solids to various depths cause damage by separating molecules into electrically charged pieces, a process known as ionization. X rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation. Atomic particles come from radioactive isotopes as they decay to stable elements.

Rashes

Rash is a popular term for a group of spots or an area of red, inflamed skin. A rash is usually a symptom of an underlying condition or disorder. Often only temporary, a rash is rarely a sign of a serious problem.

A rash may occur on only one area of the skin, or it can cover almost all of the body. A rash may or may not itch. Depending on how it looks, a rash may be described as:

blistering (raised oval or round collections of fluid within or beneath the outer layer of skin)
macular (flat spots)
nodular (small, firm, knotty rounded masses)
papular (small, solid, slightly raised areas)
pustular (pus-containing skin blisters)

Raspberry

Raspberry (Rubus ideaeus) is a deciduous bush from the Rosaceae family that grows up to 6 ft (2 m) high, with erect and thorny stems, a thin spine and perennial roots.

The bush is well-known for its fruit, a red spherical berry that grows continuously on the branches. Cymes (clusters) of white flowers bloom in late spring to early summer. Raspberries can be grown in many temperate countries, in either dry or moist wooded areas.

General use

Raspberry leaves are used as an astringent and stimulant. High concentrations of tannin found in the plant are the source of its astringent effects. It also contains flavonoids, pectin, citric and malic acids, and a crystallizable fruit sugar and water.

Raynaud’s syndrome

Raynaud’s syndrome is a disorder in which the fingers or toes (digits) suddenly experience decreased blood circulation. It is also called Raynaud’s disease.

Raynaud’s syndrome can be classified as one of two types: primary, or idiopathic (of unknown cause) disease; and secondary, which is also called Raynaud’s phenomenon.

Primary Raynaud’s disease is milder and causes fewer complications.About half of all cases of Raynaud’s disease are of this type. Women are four times more likely than men to develop primary Raynaud’s disease, and the average age of diagnosis is between 20 and 40 years. About 30% of all cases of primary Raynaud’s disease progress after diagnosis, while 15% of cases actually improve.

Red cedar tree

Red cedar, also called western red cedar, is the species Thuja plicata. It should not be confused with the eastern red cedar, Juniperus virginiana, or the Lebanon cedar, Cedrus libani, which are unrelated species. Eastern red cedar is toxic if taken internally.

Western red cedar is a tree that grows to a height of 125 ft (60 m) in moist soils in mixed coniferous forests. It has red-brown or gray-brown bark with thick longitudinal fissures that is easily peeled. Its foliage develops in sprays about 6 in (15 cm) long with small, highly aromatic leaves. The leaves, twigs, bark, and roots are all used medicinally.

Western red cedar is found in the western United States and western Canada from Alaska through northern California and in the Rocky Mountains from British Columbia through Montana.

Red clover

Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is a familiar meadow herb, one of 250 species in the Leguminosae, or pea family. The Irish shamrock is another species in this family of plants.

Red clover is a European native naturalized throughout North America and Canada. This familiar short-lived perennial grows wild along roadsides, in meadows, and in fields, and is extensively cultivated as a forage crop for cattle.

It grows best in soils that are rich in calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. The common names for this sweet herb include wild clover, meadow trefoil, bee bread, trefoil, cow grass, purple clover, and three-leafed grass.

Red yeast rice

Native to China, red yeast rice extract is the byproduct of Monascus purpureus Went (red yeast) fermenting on rice. Part of the Monascaceae family, Monascus purpureus is identified by its ascospores.

The color of the mycelium is initially white, but soon changes to pink and then yellow-orange due to an increase in acidity and the development of hyphae. They explain that as the culture ages, it is characterized by a dark crimson color at the substratum.

General use

Documented as early as 800 A.D., Chinese red yeast rice was used in the preserving, flavoring, and coloring of food and wine. However, in addition to red yeast rice’s culinary properties, it was soon discovered that red yeast rice possessed medicinal properties as well.

Reflexology

Reflexology is a therapeutic method of relieving pain by stimulating predefined pressure points on the feet and hands. This controlled pressure alleviates the source of the discomfort.

In the absence of any particular malady or abnormality, reflexology may be as effective for promoting good health and for preventing illness as it may be for relieving symptoms of stress, injury, and illness.

Reflexologists work from maps of predefined pressure points that are located on the hands and feet. These pressure points are reputed to connect directly through the nervous system and affect the bodily organs and glands.

Reiki

Reiki is a form of therapy that uses simple hands-on, no-touch, and visualization techniques, with the goal of improving the flow of life energy in a person.

Reiki (pronounced ray-key) means “universal life energy” in Japanese, and Reiki practitioners are trained to detect and alleviate problems of energy flow on the physical, emotional, and spiritual level.

Reiki touch therapy is used in much the same way to achieve similar effects that traditional massage therapy is used—to relieve stress and pain, and to improve the symptoms of various health conditions.

Rhubarb plant

Rhubarb, also called sweet round-leaved dock or pieplant, is usually thought of as a fruit, but it is actually one of the few perennial vegetables in existence.

Ordinary garden rhubarb carries the botanical name of Rheum rhaponticum, though there are other members of this botanical group that are also used for medicinal purposes.

Chinese rhubarb, which is called da huang in traditional Chinese medicine, has the botanical name Rheum palmatum. Chinese rhubarb has a much stronger taste and properties than the common American variety.

Rhus toxicodendron

Rhus toxicodendron is the homeopathy remedy commonly known as poison ivy. This plant from the Anacardiaceae family grows in fields and wooded areas in North America. The plant is commonly identified by its pointy leaves that grow in threes.

There are two varieties of this plant. Poison ivy is a twining vine with a thick stem that branches out into slender stems. Poison oak is a shrub that reaches a height of 4 ft (1.2 m). The plant is also known as mercury vine or poison vine.

A main constituent of the plant is toxicodendric acid, a volatile substance that is most potent after dusk, in damp or cloudy weather, or in June and July. This oil is poisonous when it comes in contact with the skin.

Riboflavin

Riboflavin, also known as Vitamin B₂, has many functions in common with the other members of the B complex family.

These include support of the immune and nervous systems and formation of healthy red blood cells. Riboflavin provides essential factors for the production of cellular enzymes that turn proteins, fats, and carbohydrates into energy.

It also participates in cell reproduction, and keeps skin, hair, nails, eyes, and mucous membranes healthy. Folic acid (vitamin B₉) and pyridoxine (vitamin B₆) are activated by riboflavin.

Rhinitis

Rhinitis is inflammation of the mucous lining of the nose.

Rhinitis is a nonspecific term that covers nasal congestion due to infections, allergies, and other disorders. In rhinitis, the mucous membranes of the nose become infected or irritated, producing a discharge, congestion, and swelling of the tissues.

The most widespread form of infectious rhinitis is the common cold. The common cold is the most frequent viral infection in the general population. Colds are self-limited, lasting about three to 10 days, although they are sometimes followed by a bacterial infection.

Rolfing, also called Rolf therapy or structural integration, is a holistic system of bodywork that uses deep manipulation of the body’s soft tissue to realign and bal ance the body’s myofascial structure. Rolfing improve posture, relieves chronic pain, and reduces stress.

Origins

Ida Pauline Rolf (1896–1979) was a biochemist from New York who developed structural integration over the course of many years after an accident as a young woman. She was kicked by a horse’s hoof on a trip out West and developed symptoms resembling those of acute pneumonia.

Rosacea

Rosacea is a skin disease typically appearing in persons during their 30s and 40s. It is marked by redness (erythema) of the face, flushing of the skin, and the presence of hard pimples (papules) or pus-filled pimples (pustules) as well as small, visible spider-like veins called telangiectasia.

In later stages of the disease, the face may swell and the nose may take on a bulbous appearance, a condition called rhinophyma.

Rosacea produces redness and flushing of the skin, as well as pustules and papules. Areas of the face, including the nose, cheeks, forehead, and chin, are the primary sites, but some persons experience symptoms on their necks, backs, scalp, arms, and legs. It is a common disease that afflicts one out of every 20 Americans.

Russian massage

Russian massage is a system of therapeutic and sports massage developed in the former Soviet Union. It uses a variety of manipulations of the body’s soft tissues to achieve benefits, including stress reduction and relief from muscle aches.

Origins

Many cultures around the world developed forms of massage therapy, including the ancient peoples of China, India, and Greece. One early advocate was Hippocrates, the Greek physician widely considered to be the father of medicine.

Per Henrik Ling, a nineteenth-century Swedish physician who employed vigorous massage to stimulate circulation of the blood and lymph, is usually considered the founder of modern European massage.

Rose hip

Rose hips are the edible and nutritious fruit of the beautiful deciduous rose, a perennial member of the most extensive genus of classified plants.

Botanists disagree on the number of species of rose, claiming 30–5,000, or more. There are more than 10,000 cultivated varieties of this fragrant native of Europe and the Middle East. Roses have been a garden favorite as far back as 2,600 B.C. during the time of the ancient Sumerians.

This beneficial beauty was named the “Queen of Flowers” by the Greek poet Sappho writing in 600 B.C. Since that time legend and history have intertwined and volumes have been written about the cultivation and virtues of the much-loved rose.

Rosemary

Rosemary, a herb whose botanical name is Rosmarinus officinalis, is a sun-loving shrub, native to the south of France and other Mediterranean regions. It is widely cultivated for its aromatic and medicinal properties.

This pine-scented evergreen of the Lamiaceae, or mint, family, can grow to 5 ft (1.5 m) in height in favorable settings. Rosemary thrives in chalky or sandy soil in full sun. The herb grows wild on dry, rocky slopes near the sea. Its name is derived from the Latin ros marinus, meaning “sea dew.”

Other common names for the herb include polar plant, compass-weed, or compass plant. The specific name, officinalis, refers to the herb’s inclusion in official Western listings of medicinal herbs. Rosemary was a favored herb in early apothecary gardens.

Rosen method

Rosen method bodywork is a gentle hands-on approach to relaxation and awareness that was developed by Marion Rosen through her 30 years of experience as a physical therapist. Rosen method movement consists of playful, low impact exercises designed to move all of the joints in the body and facilitate breathing.

Origins

Rosen method is one of many somatic, or bodywork, therapies which later developed out of the partnership between physical therapists and psychoanalysts between the two World Wars. Born in Germany, Marion Rosen originally studied “breath therapy.”

After fleeing Nazi Germany, Rosen trained in physical therapy and emigrated to the United States. In 1944 she graduated from a physical therapy program at the Mayo Clinic. After working in Kaiser Permanente Hospital, she opened a private physical therapy practice in Oakland, California.

Sassafras

Sassafras is a small tree, Sassafras albidum, belonging to the laurel family native to eastern North America. Sassafras grows in woodlands in rich sandy well-drained soil from Maine to Florida, reaching a height of about 75 ft (25 m). The tree has also been imported to Europe, probably by the Spaniards who discovered it in Florida.

All parts of the sassafras tree are aromatic with a pleasant odor and a slightly sweet but astringent taste. The root and root bark were formerly used medicinally. The root is thick and woody. When alive, it is whitish but rapidly turns cinnamon-brown on exposure to air.

Other names for sassafras are ague tree, cinnamon wood, saxifrax, saxafrax, and saloop. There are other plants that have the word sassafras in their name that are completely unrelated to Sassafras albidum.

Reishi mushroom

Reishi mushrooms are some of the most widely used medicinal mushrooms in the world. Their scientific name is Ganoderma lucidum.

In Chinese medicine, reishi mushrooms are known as ling zhi, which means spiritual plant as the Chinese believe the herb is healing for the spirit. Some Asians make good luck charms from the mushrooms in addition to using them as medicine.

The Latin name Ganoderma means shiny skin, which describes the reddish brown caps of the mushrooms. Reishi mushrooms are kidney-shaped and grow to 8 in (20 cm) or more in diameter.

Restless leg syndrome

The condition known as restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a movement disorder caused by an irresistible urge to move the legs due to unpleasant sensations. It occurs primarily during times of relaxation, such as when the patient is trying to go to sleep.

Most frequently, RLS troubles people over age 40. Almost half of patients over age 60 who complain of insomnia are diagnosed with RLS.

Those who have a family history of it may have trouble with it as younger adults, or even as children. It is not usually described as painful, although some may complain of a disagreeable creeping, tugging, or aching sensation.

Retinal detachment

Retinal detachment is a serious eye disorder in which the retina, a thin tissue of cells located in the back of the eye, separates from the underlying tissue layers.

There are three layers of the eyeball. The outer, tough, white layer is called the sclera. Lining the sclera is the choroid, a thin membrane that supplies nutrients to part of the retina. The retina is located at the back of the eye and consists of three cellular layers.

The retina contains the light-sensitive receptors for sight and processes visual images. A retinal detachment occurs between the two outermost layers of the retina, the photoreceptor layer that receives light and the outermost pigmented epithelium. When a tear in the retina occurs, the fluids in the eye may leak and pull the retina out of place, or detach it from the layers.

Retinopathy

Retinopathy is a noninflammatory disease of the retina. There are many causes and types of retinopathy.

The retina is the thin membrane that lines the back of the eye and contains light-sensitive cells (photoreceptors). Light enters the eye and is focused onto the retina. The photoreceptors send a message to the brain via the optic nerve. The brain then interprets the electrical message sent to it, resulting in vision.

The macula is a specific area of the retina responsible for central vision. The fovea is about 1.5 mm in size and is located in the macula. The fovea is responsible for sharp vision. When looking at something, the fovea should be directed at the object.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease causing inflammation and deformity of the joints. Other systemic problems throughout the body may also develop, including inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis), the development of bumps (rheumatoid nodules) in various parts of the body, lung disease, blood disorders, and weakening of the bones (osteoporosis).

The skeletal system of the body is made up of different types of strong, fibrous tissue called connective tissue. Bone, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons are all forms of connective tissue that have different compositions and characteristics.

The joints are structures that hold two or more bones together. Synovial joints allow for movement between the bones being joined, the articulating bones.

Almond oil

Almond Oil

A favorite for cakes, desserts, and candies, this clear, sweet, pale-yellow oil is pressed from either bitter or sweet almond kernels. Both flavor and consistency may depend on where the oil was made. In European countries, the oil comes from the “bitter almond,” which is similar to a peach pit.

When the bitter substance in the oil has been removed, the oil is then used to make candy. Almond oil from France, “huile d’amande,” has a delicate flavor and smells like toasted almonds.

It is also expensive. Oil produced in the United States is considered less pleasing by serious cooks, but it is more moderately priced.

Canola oil

Canola Oil

Canola oil is a bland-tasting oil made from rapeseed. Its health advantages over other oils has made it a popular choice in the United States, although it is also used around the world. Elsewhere, it may be referred to as lear oil or low erucic acid rapeseed oil.

Canola oil is the lowest in saturated fats of all oils. Only olive oil has more mono unsaturated fat. Another positive aspect is that canola oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are thought to play a role in reducing cardiovascular disease.

Preparation Tips

Because canola oil is relatively bland, some cooks combine it with olive oil to add additional flavor.

Safflower flower

Safflower is an annual herb whose botanical name is Carthamus tinctorius. It is a member of the Asteraceae family. It has long, spiny leaves and yellow or reddish flowers on a stiff, upright stem. The seeds produce an edible oil. Safflower grows to a height of about 3 ft (1 m) in poor, dry soils in full sun.

The origins of this plant are not clear, although some herbalists suggest the basin of the Euphrates River. Today safflower grows wild in Iran, northwest India, and North Africa. It has also spread to the Far East and North America. Safflower is cultivated extensively both as a herb and as a food crop.

Other names for safflower include false saffron, dyer’s saffron, American saffron, bastard saffron, Mexican saffron, and zaffer.

Blooming sage

Sage (Salvia officinalis) is native to the Mediterranean and naturalized throughout Europe and North America. Known as garden sage, meadow sage, and true sage, this pungent herb is a member of the Lamiaceae, or mint, family.

The genus name is taken from the Latin salvare meaning “to save.” The specific name officinalis indicates that sage was included on official lists of medicinal herbs.

There are numerous species of sage, including clary sage (S. sclarea) named because of its traditional use as an eyewash. Native Americans used the roots and leaves of lyre-leafed sage (S. lyrata L.), also known as cancerweed, as a salve for sores and in a tea to treat colds and coughs.

Manifestations of rheumatic fever

Rheumatic fever (RF) is an illness that occurs as a complication of untreated or inadequately treated strep throat infection. Rheumatic fever causes inflammation of tissues and organs and can result in serious damage to the heart valves, joints, central nervous system and skin.

Rheumatic fever is rare in the United States, though there were outbreaks in both New York City and in Utah in the 1990s. The disease is more prevalent in the developing world, where rheumatic fever is the leading cause of heart disease. In some countries, as many as one to two percent of children are afflicted with the disease.

Though the exact cause of rheumatic fever is unknown, the disease usually follows the contraction of a throat infection caused by a member of the Group A streptococcus (strep) bacteria (called strep throat). The streptococcus A bacteria has also been linked to many serious diseases, including “flesh-eating” disease and toxic shock syndrome.

Somatics

Somatics, from soma, a Greek word for living body, is a movement therapy that employs mind-body training to manage muscular pain and spasticity, improve balance and posture, and increase ease of motion. It presents an alternative to treatment by osteopathy, physical therapy, chiropractics, and/or massage therapy.

Somatic therapy was developed by Thomas Hanna in 1976. Hanna was a follower of Moshe Feldenkrais, a twentieth-century physicist whose self-named method is based on the philosophy that all movement, thought, speech, and feelings are a reflection of one’s self-image.

The Feldenkrais method is practiced in group sessions called Awareness Through Movement and in individual sessions called Functional Integration.

Sargassum seaweed

Sargassum seaweed is a type of seaweed found along the coasts of Japan and China. Two species, Sargassum fusiforme and Sargassum pallidum, are both referred to as sargassum seaweed or gulfweed in English and hai zao in Chinese.

Sargassum seaweed is a brown algae with leafy segments supported at the surface of the ocean by air bladders. Many species of sargassum are found worldwide.

In fact, the Sargasso Sea, an area of the Caribbean near the West Indies, is named for its large floating masses of sargassum seaweed. However, sargassum used in healing is usually of Asian origin.

Scabies

Scabies, also known as sarcoptic acariasis, is a contagious, parasitic skin infection caused by a tiny mite (sarcoptes scabiei).

Scabies is caused by a tiny, 0.3 mm-long, parasitic insect called a mite. When a human comes into contact with the female mite, the mite burrows under the skin, laying eggs along the lines of its burrow.

These eggs hatch, and the resulting offspring rise to the surface of the skin; mate; and repeat the cycle either within the skin of the original host; or within the skin of its next victim, causing red lesions.

Scallion

A variety of onion, the scallion (Allii fistulosi) is a pointy-leafed perennial that can reach about 20 inches in height.

The herb has been a popular remedy in Asian folk medicine for thousands of years, having been first described about 2,000 years ago in the Chinese herbal classic Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing. The plant, which flourishes in warm climates, is native to Asia but has been found growing in many parts of the world.

While the scallion’s fresh bulb is the part that is most often used as a drug, the entire plant is believed to have medicinal properties. Scallion, which belongs to the Liliaceae family, is sometimes called green onion, spring onion, Welsh onion, or Japanese bunching onion. The scallion bulb is called Cong Bai in Chinese and the root of the scallion is called Cong Xu.

Scarlet fever

Scarlet fever is an infection caused by a streptococcus bacterium. It can be transmitted through the air or by physical contact and primarily affects children between four and eight years of age. In temperate climates, scarlet fever is most common during the late fall, winter, and early spring.

Scarlet fever is characterized by a sore throat,a fever of 103–104°F (39.4–40°C), and a sandpaper-like rash on reddened skin.

If scarlet fever is untreated, such serious complications can develop; as rheumatic fever (a heart disease) or kidney inflammation (glomerulonephritis).

Schisandra

Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) is an aromatic woody vine that is native to northern and northeastern China. It is predominately cultivated in the Chinese provinces of Jilin, Hebei, Heilongjiang, and Lianoning. Schisandra is also found in Russia and Korea.

The schisandra plant reaches a height of up to 25 ft (7.5 m) and has pink flowers. Schisandra fruit is fully ripened in the fall and appears as numerous spikes of tiny, bright red berries.

The berries have sweet, sour, hot, salty and bitter tastes—hence the Chinese name for schisandra, “Wu Wei Zi” (five-flavored herb). Other names for schisandra include schizandra, five-taste fruit, and herb of five tastes.

Saw palmetto

Saw palmetto is an extract derived from the deep purple berries of the saw palmetto fan palm (Serenoa repens), a plant indigenous to the coastal regions of the southern United States and southern California.

There is an estimated one million acres of wild saw palmetto palms in Florida, where the bulk of commercial saw palmetto is grown.

General use

Saw palmetto is used by natural health practitioners to treat a variety of ailments in men and women, such as testicular inflammation, urinary tract inflammation, coughs, and respiratory congestion.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder (or group of disorders) marked by severely impaired thinking, emotions, and behaviors. The term schizophrenia comes from two Greek words that mean “split mind.”

It was coined around 1908 by a Swiss doctor named Eugen Bleuler to describe the splitting apart of mental functions that he regarded as the central characteristic of schizophrenia. (Note that the splitting apart of mental functions in schizophrenia differs from the split personality of people with multiple personality disorder.)

Schizophrenic patients are typically unable to filter sensory stimuli and may have enhanced perceptions of sounds, colors, and other features of their environment. Most schizophrenics, if untreated, gradually withdraw from interactions with other people, and lose their ability to take care of personal needs and grooming.

Sciatica

Sciatica refers to pain or discomfort associated with the sciatic nerve. This nerve runs from the lower part of the spinal cord down the back and side of the leg to the foot.

Injury to or pressure on the sciatic nerve can cause the characteristic pain of sciatica: a sharp or burning pain or even numbness that radiates from the lower back or hip, possibly following the path of the sciatic nerve to the foot.

The sciatic nerve is the largest and longest nerve in the body. About the thickness of a person’s thumb, it spans from the lower back to the foot. The nerve originates in the lower part of the spinal cord, the so-called lumbar region.