Common alcohol withdrawal symptoms and how to control them

When a person decides to quit drinking, it is always a celebrated move by the individual, family members and even the colleagues. However, this path is not always smooth because it is like getting rid of something that has become part of the person’s personality. Drinking is always so deep that it influences a person’s choice of past time activities, places to hang out and even the choice of friends. The person may have engaged in this activity for so many years that the body has adapted to the contents and the amount it gets daily. Therefore, a person may face some alcohol withdrawal symptoms. This happens because the substance that was sedating the brain has been removed but the body is still producing the stimulant. These symptoms can be mild or severe.

The mild symptoms are visible six to forty eight hours after taking the last beer. These symptoms include being on edge, nausea, uncontrollably moving the eyelids, increase in heart rate, the hands may shake and this person can have unexplained mood swings. If the person does not give in to the urge to get another drink, the symptoms may develop further leading to depressive thoughts, convulsions and being delirious. It may also result to hallucinations. This person is in a stage where the body is craving for the drink so much after several days of abstinence. When it comes to the treatment of alcohol withdrawal, the recommended ways are the ones that do not involve taking medicines. In most cases, this condition does not require hospitalization unless there are problems like damage to the liver and increase in blood pressure among others. The first thing in the healing process is assessing the level of damage and the severity of the condition. Sedatives are greatly recommended to counter the levels of anxiety. As a result, the deliriousness and convulsions cease. If the situation is mild, the family and support groups can help in preventing the person from giving in to the cravings.

In addition, a person can get medication to control the shaky body movements resulting from alcohol withdrawal. A person can also try the natural remedies, which can be done at home. For example, it is vital to detoxify the body in order to provide it with the right nutrients. This can involve avoiding foods that are processed, sugary or are low in fiber content. In their place, grains, fruits and vegetables will even out the level of blood sugar and get rid of the symptoms. Exercise is also a good way to reduce the effect of the symptoms because it will assist in removing the toxins from the body. The most important thing is to take a lot of fluids to keep the level in the body stable.

Defining Alternative Medicine

Alternative medicine is quickly gaining ground as an alternative to the conventional medicine that is prescribed in the doctor’s office and many reasons can be attributed to this among them the need to remain chemical –free. In theory, alternative medicine can be said to be any medicine that is not within western medicine’s scientific framework. Medicines that have been proven to be scientifically effective and that have theories that explain their effectiveness they are no longer seen as alternative medicine. Some countries on the other hand have medical associations that are tasked with dealing with every aspect of medicine and in this countries, traditional medicine is any medicine that these bodies have not accepted as being scientifically valid. In some of these countries massage is classified as alternative medicine as well.

To some people, alternative medicine is just herbs. Well herbs are indeed traditional medicine but they are not the only ones available today. Herbal medicines have been with us for a long time and presently take different forms such as supplements, liquids among others. Herbal medicines treat most diseases that are treatable by conventional medicines and treat more that conventional medicine cannot treat as well. While herbal medicine has been proven to work in many instances, quite a number of people have been affected by them as their herbalists never gave them the correct dosage or never warned them of fillers or side effects. These three areas should be looked into by a trained herbalist before one decides to take on herbal medicines.

Oriental medicine is another kind of alternative medicine and also presents the only one of its kind that can truly be compared to western medication as a good and complete medicine system. This kind of medicine includes herbal therapy, massage, qi gong and acupuncture among others. Traditional medicine from China is a form of oriental medicine and it is the only of its kind that be found in countries such as the USA. In most Asian countries oriental medicine is seen as conventional while the western kind is seen as alternative. Massage presents another way through which the body can be healed without the use of conventional medicines. It involves the use of tools or hands to manipulate the tendons and muscles and is mainly used to ease pains and aches as well as to relieve stress. Massage is effective when it comes to conditions such as fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome and eating disorders. Moreover, it can treat most muscular injuries to avoid the building up of scars as well as restrict motion range. There are different types of massage treatments and they include Deep Tissue, Shiatsu, Swedish Massage, Thai Massage, Chair Massage, Medical Massage, Lomi Lomi, Hot stone among others. It is advisable that one goes to a specialist despite the form of alternative medicine they choose.