Alternative treatments tend to provide less high-quality and objective information than mainstream treatments; nevertheless, it’s essential that we become familiar with all available choices so we can make informed and safe decisions.
Progestogen only pills (also referred to as the ‘mini pill”) work similarly to traditional birth control pills but do not contain estrogen, making them suitable for use after pregnancy or while breastfeeding. When taken correctly, they have an 87% effectiveness rating.
Troches
Troches are medicated lozenges designed to dissolve easily in the mouth, providing direct access to bloodstream without first pass metabolism, making them especially helpful for individuals who find swallowing pills difficult or those suffering from stomach or liver issues.
Compounding pharmacies often make troches with customized flavors to increase patient acceptance and adherence. This is particularly helpful for young children or geriatric patients who may struggle with taking their medication, or those who are sensitive to bitter tasting hormones.
Once placed under your tongue or between cheek and gum, place the troche for 15-30 minutes until completely dissolving, which usually takes 15-30 minutes. However, be careful when placing it into your mouth when distracted, busy, or snacking as it might not have enough time to disintegrate or might even get swallowed before absorption occurs.
Herbs
Herbs can be used in a variety of ways to add flavor, fragrance and color to our foods. They may also serve as medicinal plants or even serve as sexual enhancers and are sometimes combined into herbal remedies for additional therapeutic benefit.
Herbal medicine uses whole herbs or their extracts (pills, liquid extracts, tinctures and dry powders) to treat diseases and promote wellness. Although herbal medicines may provide medicinal benefits when taken properly and at higher doses, they can cause side effects and interact with certain prescription drugs and may even be toxic if misused improperly or excessively.
Herbs can often go unregulated and mislabeled, so physicians should always ask about herbal products during a health history interview. This allows physicians to direct patients towards more appropriate conventional medicine when necessary and foster open dialogue with those using herb-based remedies; an objective book with information on herbs can be an excellent resource.
Teas
Tea can help holistically manage blood pressure. While herbal teas cannot replace medications, their compounds can aid digestion, promote relaxation and have a small but positive impact on your blood pressure levels. But before adding herbs into your tea regimen, always consult with a physician first to make sure that they won’t interact negatively with any existing prescriptions that you are currently taking.
If you took TEAS at an offsite testing location other than NOVA, all retesting policies still apply and your scores must be submitted as an attachment with your Health Sciences & Nursing application. Learn how to submit them successfully using these tips; also review different question types including multi select and ordered response questions.
Minerals
Minerals are inorganic substances formed through geological processes. They typically exist as solid structures with defined volume and shape; their chemical composition can be represented using chemical formulae; they also possess various other features that help differentiate one mineral from the next.
Minerals vary considerably in terms of their cleavage strengths (the ease with which they split apart), densities, and colors. Some minerals such as corundum and diamond are very hard, making them suitable for cutting tools or creating jewelry, while others such as hematite and malachite have vibrant hues which are used to produce paints, lipsticks and colored plastics.
Macrominerals are essential to human life in large amounts; microminerals, however, must be consumed in smaller doses. An example of a macromineral would be iron which helps maintain energy levels by helping red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body.
