Use of CAM Health Care Modalities in Treating Cardiovascular Diseases

Use of CAM Health Care Modalities in Treating Cardiovascular Diseases
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Use of CAM Health Care Modalities in Treating Cardiovascular Diseases
Health care practitioners worldwide are tasked, mandated and obligated to provide quality and effective treatment to all their patients without favoritism or discrimination. They are supposed to combine the skills they learned during pursuit of their medical qualifications and experience to improve patient outcomes. As such, medical bodies such as the American Medical Association are very strict and conduct regular spontaneous checks to ensure that all medical personnel in health care facilities are qualified and capable of carrying out their duties. Nonetheless, doctors and nurses are faced with new medical conditions daily making their efforts and obligations quite challenging. Some of these diseases have proven untreatable using standard medical procedures and contribute significantly to the high mortality rates being witnessed globally. As such, some health care practitioners have begun to embrace various forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in treatment of their patients. While complementary medicine entails treatments such as acupuncture that can be used concurrently with standard medical care, alternative medicine are primarily used instead of standard medical treatments. It is however important to note that although these CAM health care modalities have their benefits, there are also some risk and effects associated with them. The essay will examine CAM health care modalities in Ginseng, Hawthorn, L-Arginine, and St. John’s Wort impact the cardiovascular system.
Ginseng CAM Health Care Modality
Traditional medicine has been part and parcel of societies around the world for many centuries. It is characterized by the treatment of ailments using herbs, roots and leaves of certain plants. People living in Asia and North America have popularly used ginseng as a form of herbal medicine. According to Kim (2018), “The herbs consist of a light-colored, forked-shaped root, a relatively long stalk, and green leaves with an oval shape” (264). Ginseng is considered a form of CAM because despite it being used in traditional medicine there lacks substantial evidence to show its effectiveness in treating any medical condition. Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States has also not approved it as a prescription drug.
Health Care Benefits of Ginseng: Firstly, ginseng is considered to be a potent antioxidant and as such, has anti-inflammatory benefits. Studies have shown that the compounds found in ginseng inhibit inflammation and improved antioxidant activity in individuals suffering from eczema (Kim, 2018). Similarly, through the reduction of inflammatory markers, ginseng helps to protect individuals from oxidative stress. Secondly, ginseng is also attributed to foster sharper cognitive functioning through improving brain capabilities such as memory and mood. Therefore, it is highly recommended for people with Alzheimer’s disease. Thirdly, ginseng compounds help improve erectile dysfunction because they eliminate oxidative stress from the blood vessels running through the penis (K...