Juvederm - Answering Your Important Questions

There are many options out there today for individuals looking for ways to improve their appearance. One of the most exciting developments is the advent of dermal fillers, which can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. One such filler is known as Juvederm. Approved by the FDA to produce results lasting up to a year, it can provide the user with restored skin volume, smoothing away many of the facial wrinkles and folds that create an aged look. If you are interested in turning back the years, talk to a good clinic or plastic surgeon near you about the treatment. Here are some commonly asked questions.

What does the treatment do? 

Juvederm is an injectable gel designed to add volume underneath the skin. This boosts facial tissue and gives you a smoother appearance. While there is no product that can literally turn back the clock, dermal fillers such as this can do the next best thing by adding back that volume that gets lost to age.

How is it different from other methods and fillers? 

One of the biggest selling points Juvederm has to hang its hat on is the FDA's approval for a year's worth of results. This is much longer than results achieved through other fillers, which means fewer appointments and touch ups. The company uses hyaluronic acid for the gel, which creates a smooth consistency that provides a smooth appearance. Most other fillers of this type are created with a granular consistency.

How is the product used? 

Juvederm is used in a clinical setting only and is not for sale for home use. A doctor or clinician will inject the gel into the appropriate treatment areas, which allows the gel to provide a substitute for the lost tissue and collagen that disappears from your skin as you get older. It is particularly effective in problem areas like the smile lines and other prominent wrinkles and folds in the face.

Is treatment painful? 

While the smooth consistency of the gel reduces the amount of pain felt by the patient, there will be some degree of discomfort both during and after the treatment process. Doctors use the finest needle possible to allow the gel to flow smoothly, reducing as much of the injection pain as can be done. Some clinics choose to numb the treatment area to provide the patient with as much comfort as possible when injecting the gel. Those with a higher threshold for discomfort may find they need no such topical anesthetic.

How Urgent Care Helps During Flu Season

If flu season is something you worry about, be sure to find a local urgent care to help you to prevent this illness from infecting your home. There are some types of flu that can be very dangerous to a person's health. In fact, influenza kills thousands of people each year. Those with a weakened immune system, the elderly, children and pregnant women are most susceptible to this illnesses more severe form. Yet, chances are good there is help available to you locally to put an end to the problem before it even starts.

Prevention in a Shot

Most of the time, the local urgent care facility will be able to give patients in the area a flu shot. If you are anxious about getting this condition or you are just hoping to avoid it altogether, but you do not want to wait weeks for your local doctor's office to have the shots available, head in to this facility instead. You do not need an appointment. Just walk in and within a few minutes you will be ready to leave protected from this illness.

Cold or Flu?

Once the season gets underway, there will be situations in which you are unsure if you or your child has a head cold or has the flu. Both can have similar symptoms. To find out what you may have, it is best to turn to a local provider to get your questions answered. You also want to use these facilities for help when the condition may be worsening. It can develop into a larger respiratory infection or bronchitis if you are not careful. To find out what you are suffering from, you should visit these centers.

Avoiding Complications

It is also a good idea to visit one of these health centers when you are worried about complications that can stem from this condition. That includes dehydration. Though there are no medications that can cure the flu, there are steps and solutions to help you to avoid the most serious complications. If you do not want to end up in a hospital but the flu is really taking a hold of you this year, it is best to turn to a professional at one of these facilities who can help you. Report any complications you may have right away.

Before the flu comes into your home, make some time to take the entire family to the urgent care. Within a matter of minutes, you will have the prevention you need to avoid the onset of this aliment this year. Even if you are already feeling ill, heading in for treatment now can mean you avoid the worst possible illness.

If You Were Given 2.5 Minutes What Would Choose To Do?

Here are a couple of different approaches:-

Option 1. Physical Exercise

How about losing 200 calories! No giggling about any silly and provocative suggestions as to spend a couple of minutes, the 'henrybot' thatfloats around can hear you!

Colorado University researchers found that exercising vigorously for five 30 second burst on an exercising bike can burn 200 calories. After the 30 second bursts there was a 5 minute sessions of low intensity cycling to aid recovery. So in total the session would take twenty-seven and a half minutes. Subject to where you have the facilities at home, work or at your gymnasium you can hold this session any time of the day.

This form of exercising is not recommended for everybody, since you will need a high level of fitness and health to start, and it is vital that you do not suffer from any circulatory problems.

But it does offer and option for those who claim that they do not have time for exercise, since it takes up so little time. If you manage a session a day for a week you will have used 1400 calories, as well as toned up your body, improved your circulation and have exceeded the recommended minimum exercise levels of 150 minutes or 75 minutes for moderate or intense forms respectively.

Option 2. Eating

How about spending the two an a half minutes on grabbing a pre-cooked cheap burger with a high calorie, saturated fat, salt and chemical content? With one of the mega triples and double burgers, with cheese, bacon, sauces, fries and cola, you will have, in your hand, around a weeks calories that you could have saved in Option 1. And of course you will be helping yourself to a shorter and less healthy life. Just carry on to your own Domesday!

However with healthy diet you save the two and a half minutes and drop the 200 calories without affecting the overall meal. A mixed salad topped with some strips of grilled seafood such as tuna, squid, prawns will look and taste great, look delicious and be packed with useful nutrients. But try to go one stage further use the two and a half minutes by avoiding that temptation of the dressing the salad, especially if it is made with olive oil. Whilst olive oil is beneficial to the body, and in small quantities it is medicinal, it does have one major problem that can influence our fitness and health.

Olive oil, and most other vegetable oils, are very high in calories by volume. One tablespoon having over a hundred calories. So a liberal measure of salad dressing can add many calories - to flavour the salad try freshly squeezed lemon or lime with a sprinkle of smoked paprika. They will be low in calories and add vitamins to the dish.

There are many other options to improve our life in the short-term. Sitting at home on the sofa,or at work at your desk, eating the "mega garbage in a bun, with fries and cola" is not the option that you should consider.

However spending the occasional few minutes on some exercising or thinking how you can change and improve your healthy eating lifestyle is time well spent. For the simple reason - you will live a longer, fitter, healthier and happier life.

Reasons to Find a Saturday Dentist for Your Child

If you are looking for a dentist for your kids, you should find one with weekend hours. Many dentists these days are open for at least a few hours on Saturdays, and there are a few good reasons for this. Before you choose a new office to take care of the teeth of your children, find out why Saturday dentists tend to be convenient.

One of the best parts of dentists offering weekend hours is that they can usually get patients in the same day. This means if your child has a toothache Friday night or Saturday morning, you do not have to wait until Monday or beyond to get it looked at. You can simply call in the morning to have it taken care of that afternoon. Just make sure the dentist you choose offers not just weekend hours, but also same day appointments or even emergency walk in hours on the weekends. This will ensure your child does not have to suffer without getting the right procedure done quickly, or at least a temporary solution until treatment can be performed.

Kids who need lots of dental work may end up missing school frequently. Instead of taking your children out of school for the day or even just half a day, you should schedule an appointment with a dentist with weekend hours. This way, no school is missed, which means students do not have to fall behind on schoolwork just to get the dental care they need. Plus, you do not have to take time off work to take your children to their appointments when you get weekend hours at the dentist.

Even if these benefits do not appeal to you right now, you should look for a practitioner offering Saturday appointments. You never know when you will need this convenience. Toothaches can sneak up on anyone, even on kids who rarely get them and have mostly healthy teeth. You should be prepared just in case if you want to avoid having to watch your child in pain due to a tooth issue. If you work nontraditional hours and therefore do not need to worry about having to get time off for weekday appointments, you should still find a Saturday dentist in case your schedule ever changes.

Clearly, there are many reasons that there are dentists who work on Saturdays. This kind of schedule is convenient not just for adults, but also kids. This is why it makes sense to look for a practitioner who offers this

How To Tell Patients They Have Breast Cancer

October is the celebration of life and cancer of the breast awareness month globally. This celebration is not only given significance by patients, survivors and their families and friends, but as well as medical practitioners and staff of Cancer alternative treatment centers. There are a lot of screening tests available to detect early breast cancer like self and clinical breast exams, mammogram and X-Rays.

We must take some considerations before; during and after delivering the sad news to them and breast cancer alternative treatment specialists helped us in explaining the following:

They have an idea what you're going to say. The primary reason why they asked for help and consulted is they wanted to be aware of status of their health. So they pretty much have an idea of what to expect. A different approach is needed for certain situations like patients who just wanted to have a general checkup and for patients rushed due to an emergency.

It's either bad or good news. If the individual is negative for breast cancer, it's much simpler delivering very good news. On the other hand be extra mindful and gentle in delivering the news that he/she is positive with this particular dreaded disease.

Avoid Medical Jargon. We ought to explain the cause, condition and cure by simplifying words and detailing it meticulously and precisely. Keep in mind that we're dealing with the second killer cancer globally (next to lung cancer) and not just any complication. We should not mix up words in order to avoid confusion.

Consult their family members first. For checkup and consultation situations, the patient ought to be informed as quickly as possible and it is their choice whether to disclose that information to their families and friends. But for emergency situations wherein the patient was rushed and was just diagnosed, it should be advised by the attending medical staff (the doctor to be very exact) to the immediate family about the situation of the patient.

Use reassuring statements. Medical practitioners should advise the patient and/or their loved ones the 3C's (cause, condition and cure) of the said condition. Upon conveying the disease's cause and condition, we should soon after make clear to them the cure. Assure them there exists alternative treatment for breast cancer as well as other options. Additionally, explain how much it might cost to prepare them not just emotionally but financially as well.

Second opinion doesn't mean you don't know what you do as a practitioner. It doesn't imply that you aren't sure that which you have figured out should you refer your patients to other specialists. Tell them that it is also their right as a patient to search for another opinion. It would not give them false hope, but instead it would allow them to have the reassurance that your findings truly are trustworthy.

Always give curative options. We should say to patients, their family and friends the latest innovation in breast cancer research and treatment procedures from cancer experts and oncologists, up to alternate breast cancer treatment nowadays.

It's not easy trying to explain to someone that they are in a situation where most people lose their lives, lose a part of their body, leave them broke, and almost make them give up. But why don't we also provide them with hope and sufficient information that there are still a large number of survivors from breast cancer who stood up and struggled against their disease not only for themselves but for their family. Let's start getting the news out especially the importance of breast self-exam and other early detection exams for breast cancer.

Preventing Osteoarthritis in Men Over 50

Over 50? Take action now to limit your osteoarthritis risk

If you're a man over age 50, your odds of getting Osteoarthritis are going up. In fact, research shows that by age 60, most men will have some form of this degenerative joint disease.

Osteoarthritis simply explained is a deterioration of the soft cartilage material lining our joints. The cartilage breaks down, leaving rougher, uneven surfaces where the joint grinds instead of slides. At worst, the cartilage can wear away entirely, leaving direct bone-on-bone contact.

Osteoarthritis normally shows up in the following joints:

Hips

Knees

Spine

Shoulders

While osteoarthritis causes are subject to much discussion, two main factors seem universal:

Joint overuse or repetitive stress

Joint injury

In limiting the risk of osteoarthritis, we will focus primarily on joint overuse and repetitive stress.

Regarding joint injury, leading a high-impact lifestyle, where you're likely to fall hard or impact the joints with blunt force, will increase your osteoarthritis risk. But hey, you gotta live your life, so make these lifestyle decision with discretion.

Osteoarthritis Causal Factors

Most men over 50 don't understand joints very well. For our purposes, it's important to understand that the skeletal system, including where bones connect as joints, aren't really designed to bear a lot of weight.

Our skeletal role is mostly just to provide a rigid structure for muscle attachment. The following two factors can contribute greatly to joint stress:

Obesity; carrying too much weight

Muscle atrophy; weak muscles

For example, if you're a man about 50 and six feet tall, your body weight should be in the neighborhood of 175 pounds, give or take a few. For this same person who might weigh, say 250 pounds, that's an extra 75 pounds of weight your body must support.

On top of that, throw in a sedentary lifestyle where muscles have shrunk to a limited capacity in supporting the joints. After all, a joint is really only as strong as the muscles and tendons that hold it together.

The combined effect is "settling into the joints", placing tremendous loads on the knees, hips, and spine. Now think of joint cartilage as the "contact points" of this load.

After years of abuse the joint cartilage just starts to fall apart.

Risk Prevention

Limiting osteoarthritis risk in men over 50 then is pretty self-evident, but it's up to you as the individual to take the right actions now, so here are the keys:

Lose weight. Universally, this is the single best thing any man over 50 can do to improve overall health. However, specific to osteoarthritis, maintaining proper weight is an imperative.

Strengthen your muscle base. Resistance training (weight lifting) is the best way to achieve muscle strength gains. If you don't have resistance training experience, find a reputable personal trainer to help start you. Any program must include total body strengthening with heavy emphasis on increasing core strength.

Osteoarthritis is not completely preventable in men over 50, however understanding the causes and taking specific action now will limit anyone's risk in a favorable way.

Remember, it's your body, the only one you'll ever have. It's up to you to take the steps required to maintain a healthy body and a healthy, happy life.

bestMastersFitness.com will show you how to lose weight, get muscle tone and get in shape with BestFit50, everything you need to know in one easy step!

Natural Ways to Treat Leg Pain

To treat leg pain, medical doctors usually prescribe various pain killing drugs. Pain killers usually work within a short amount of time. However, if your body becomes dependent on these drugs, this may have an adverse effect on your vital organs, especially your kidneys and liver. So to prevent this from happening, you may want to opt for natural ways and home remedies to treat the pain. Below you will find some suggestions.

1. Hot compress 

To feel better, you can try applying hot compress on your legs. Doing this will give you a soothing effect. While the most common hot compress technique is to put a hot compress bag on your legs, you can try other procedures such as the following: hot towel, hot brick, or even a hot bottle. Just make sure that the temperature is tolerable enough to prevent scalding and burning.

2. Mind your posture. 

If your job requires you to always stand, you want to make sure that you stand on both legs to distribute your weight evenly on both feet. Don't stand on one foot as this causes you more pain.

3. Never ever cross your legs. 

As previously stated, one of the causes of leg pain is a compressed artery. This compression can be because of several reasons, but one of these reasons is bad circulation or blood flow. So if you have a bad habit of crossing your legs, it's about time that you quit as this will contribute to your pain.

4. Wear a comfortable pair of shoes. 

Women who love wearing heels often suffer from leg pain. Sure, these heels will make you look lovely and sexy, but they can also give you much pain. So as much as possible, wear comfortable shoes or choose a better alternative such as wedges and flats.

5. Get a massage regularly. 

Leg pain can also be caused by aching muscles. So get a massage or a foot rub from time to time. This will relax the muscles and soothe aching and tired feet.

6. Get enough vitamin D. 

If your body does not get enough vitamin D, not only will your legs suffer but also your bones. One of the best natural sources of vitamin D is the morning sun. So as much as you can, go jogging right after the sun shines in the morning to catch some of the sun's healthy rays.

A Treatise on Strength: Part 3, Mental Strength

The topic of Mental Strength is a difficult one to express. This topic involves a lot of my own personal philosophy.

Lets start again with our definition:

"Mental Strength: Having the natural or developed psychological edge that enables you to: generally, cope better than your opponents with the many demands (competition, training, lifestyle) that sport places on a performer; specifically, be more consistent and better than your opponents in remaining determined, focused, confident, and in control under pressure." (Jones, Hanton, & Connaughton, 2002, p. 209)."

Deeply entwined with "strength" is:

"Resilience: The physical property of a material that can return to its original shape or position."(1)

Strength is the backbone, when it gets bent out of shape resilience allows the backbone to return to a healthy position.

From my experience mental strength is measured by how well a person deals with a difficult situation. I think most people can agree with this.

Mental strength has two components to it: the physical health of the brain and the strength of the mind.

Brain Health:

Proper nutrition is a requirement for a healthy mind and body. The brain is a very complex and sensitive organ. There are many common nutrient deficiencies that affect the brain, here are a few:

Vitamin B12(3):

Deficiency Effects: Depression and irreversible nerve damage.

Found In: Animal products such as meat, dairy, and eggs.

Vitamin D(3):

Deficiency Effects: Insomnia, Nervousness, Mood Disorders.

Found In: Synthesized in the body from sunlight, also found in egg yolks, fatty fish, and butter.

Folic Acid(3):

Deficiency Effects: Paranoia, Hostility, Irritability, Memory Loss.

Found In: green leafy vegetables, brewer's yeast, liver

Attention Deficit Hyper-Activity Disorder (ADHD) is linked to excessive carbohydrate intake.(2)

Sleep: Poor sleep is linked to many mental disorders: Schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, and ADHD; to name a few. The lack of sleep has many of the same effects as aging. This is the single best thing you can do for your body and mind. SLEEP!(4,5,6)

Elements of a Strong Mind:

Challenge: Like with muscles you have to challenge your mind to build both strength and endurance. Any physical challenge is going to have a mental component. You also need to mentally challenge yourself, learning something new or traveling are great ways to create new challenges for the mind.

Try some mind-over-matter exercises. Try and go 24 hours without food. Spend a day, dawn till dusk, in the outdoors with no electronics and no contact with other people. Both of these are great habit breakers.

Goals: Having meaningful goals is like having a finish line. When there is a finish line, there is competition, if only with yourself. Having something to strive for will give you the drive to endure and push yourself. With purpose will come confidence in your actions.

A goal is never absolute. You set one, accomplish it, and create another.

Focus: You must have focus. Focus is hugely lacking in society today. Everyone is always going on about "multitasking", but working with focus, on one thing at a time, will give you a better outcome. It will also train you to maintain focus in everyday life.

One way to develop a strong ability to focus is to start meditating. Not necessarily in the traditional sense of sitting meditation. Create time for silence. This will give you time to work through all the thoughts running through your head and clear your mind.

If you have a challenge to overcome, the right goal and focus will help you get through it.

Visualization: Studies have shown that you can increase strength and muscle mass by visualizing work-outs.

Visualization is the practice of imagining the desired outcome of an event. The mind cannot distinguish between what you do and what you vividly imagine. Imagining yourself dong something creates the same neural response as actually doing it. Thus reinforcing the behavior. This is commonly used by athletes. So imagining solutions or pre-running through upcoming, difficult, situations will reduce the stress involved and create a successful pathway through the mind.

How to Prevent Heat Injury

As we get well into summer, temperatures rise, the heat index soars and more and more people are prone to heat injuries and exhaustion. There are different types of heat injuries, all of which occur as a result of dehydration which is intensified when people engage in strenuous daytime activities. Dehydration is the major cause of all the different types of heat injuries and this can be prevented by drinking enough fluids to replace those lost as a result of sweating.

Heat injuries range anywhere from mild to severe; here are some common types of injuries resulting from the heat:

Heat cramps: This is a mild heat injury that happens as a result of a lack of fluids and electrolytes during extended periods in heat. These cramps often occur in the arm leg and stomach muscles, and can be treated by stretching, reducing activity and cooling down with fluids and electrolytes.

Heat syncope: This is a moderate heat injury that happens as a result of not replacing lost fluids and electrolytes. Weakness and fainting are symptoms of heat syncope and this condition can be treated by cooling off, removing tight clothing and rehydrating.

Heat exhaustion: This is a moderate heat injury that occurs as a result of loss of body fluids or electrolytes. Symptoms of heat exhaustion as a result of water loss include: exhaustion, headaches and even fainting. Symptoms of heat exhaustion as a result of salt depletion include: dizziness, nausea, vomiting and even severe heat cramps.

This condition can be treated by stopping activity, drinking electrolyte rich fluids, cooling off and removing tight clothing. Medical attention may be necessary if nausea and vomiting occur.

Heat stroke: This is the most severe type of heat injury and requires medical attention. This occurs when the body becomes too hot to cool itself and can result in body temperature rising above 104°F; when the body temperature gets this high, organ system failure can occur. Symptoms include disorientation and nausea, as well as seizures. Heat strokes can also result in loss of consciousness or even a coma.

Here are some tips to help you reduce the risk of heat injury.

· Keep yourself well hydrated with electrolyte rich fluids while engaging in intense outdoor activities.

· Take a few breaks in between prolonged outdoor activities to avoid overexerting yourself. Take time to cool off in a shade and wear light and loose fitting clothes to help your body cool off.

· If it is your first time engaging in a vigorous outdoor activity, take it easy and don't try to do too much at once. Give your body time to get used to the activity as well as the environmental conditions.

· Avoid engaging in intense outdoor activities when temperatures are at their highest; instead, try to schedule these activities earlier or later on in the day.

Most of the time, heat injuries are very preventable. Be mindful of the weather conditions before going out and make sure that you always have enough fluids to keep your body well hydrated.

Kitchi Joyce is the Director of Administrative Services for Southern Orthopaedics Specialists, a full service Atlanta orthopedic practice specializing in orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine. Southern Orthopaedics Specialists has multiple locations around the Atlanta Metro area where doctors, physicians and medical staff help patients live and perform at the peak of their physical ability. Decades of experience, education and research means that all branches ofAtlanta orthopedics are covered, from cartilage restoration to spine care and sports medicine.

The Dangers of Stairs

Don't be fooled by their commonplace appearance; stairs are a serious danger that cause over a thousand deaths every year. Obviously, the danger that stairs pose is that of falling. However, the damage can vary widely based on any of a number of factors, from what direction you're heading, to how high up you were at the time of the fall..

Falls are one of the top reasons why people have to go to the hospital, and stairs are the top place where people fall. With a few precautions, though, you can mitigate your chances of falling or sustaining serious injury if you do fall.

Who's Most At Risk?

Unsurprisingly, the people most at risk from a serious fall on the stairs are the elderly and young children. However, secondary groups like pregnant women, the immuno-suppressed, those with poor vision or balance, and hemophiliacs need to take special caution around stairs as well.

Simple Risk Reducing Steps

There are many small risk reducing steps you can take in your own home and sometimes on other stairs that can reduce your risk of a fall. 

Install guard rails - guard rails not only allow for you to have something to catch should you start to fall, but also give you a guide to follow if visibility is low.

Light stairs well - by lighting stairs well, you reduce the likelihood that someone will trip because they could not see properly. Keep nightlights on near steps for nighttime use.

Never keep anything on the stairs - teach children to keep toys off of steps and make sure you don't put any of your own clutter on steps to ensure a clear pathway.

Avoid carrying dangerously large or heavy things up or down stairs if you can. It's too easy to trip, fall, and not be able to recover if you are focusing on an unwieldy box or piece of furniture. If you must carry difficult objects up and down stairs, have a partner help you, even if it seems a little silly.

Stair Construction and Maintenance

Don't assume that stairs are safe just because they are accessible or because you haven't had a fall yet. Before using stairs, check to see if they are worn down or smooth in any way: this can make them slippery and difficult to get sure footing on, and stairs that are slightly worn are less obvious but still just as dangerous as heavily worn stairs. A difference in stair depth requires much more concentration and should not be taken lightly. Do the stairs meet building codes? Building codes are a minimum level of safety standards, so hopefully the stairs you encounter will exceed these codes. Avoid wet or icy stairs if at all possible, and keep a hand on the hand rail if it's not possible to avoid such dangerous stairs all together.

Difference Between Chiropractor and Orthopaedic Doctors

An unfortunate accident occurred one day while you were playing contact sports and that left you with a knee injury. You know that you need to consult a medical professional for this injury and you start to evaluate the options available. Should you go to an Orthopaedic doctor or should you go to a Chiropractor? Each has its own advantages. For some cases, chiropractic sports are great to treat certain injuries while some injuries fall outside the jurisdiction of chiropractic and only orthopaedic surgery can treat them.

Who are Chiropractors and how do they treat an injury? First of all, Chiropractors are not medical doctors and they do not prescribe medications. Chiropractors believe in hands on and alternative treatment instead of surgery. They believe that the body is able to heal on its own. For example, if mobility to a certain part of the body is observed, they will manipulate that particular part to regain mobility. A visit to a Chiropractor usually cost a lot lesser than a visit to an Orthopaedic doctor. Some chiropractors even make the first consultation complimentary. Not only that, you are also able to fix an appointment at an earlier date as compared to an appointment with an Orthopaedic doctor. However, multiple visits to Chiropractors are required to be able to see results and in the long term, it may cost more than a visit to the latter.

Orthopaedic doctors on the other hand are medical doctors. They specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of our musculoskeletal system. Many people have the idea that orthopaedic doctors are doctors who will recommend surgery for everything, from a torn meniscus to a dislocated bone. This is not true. Orthopaedic doctors will often only recommend surgery when all other available options are exhausted. If the injury can be treated with physical therapy, they will recommend that unless patients insist on surgery in the first place. Orthopaedic doctors will make use of medical technologies such as X-Rays and MRI scans to tell the patient what exactly is wrong with their body. They are also able to prescribe pain relief medications be it orally or via injections, something that Chiropractors are not able to.

Deciding on a visit either to a Chiropractor or an Orthopaedic doctor is purely the decision of the patient. As a patient, you need to know what type of injury you have suffered and make your decision based on that. Different people prefer different things and be sure to know what results you really want.

Blood Donation - Giving the Gift of Life

Donating blood has become a regular routine for me as well as many other people looking to make a difference in other peoples lives. I can remember the first time I donated blood, I'll be honest, I was nervous and wasn't really sure what to expect. After filling out a pretty detailed questionnaire, a technician checked my vitals and took a few drops of blood from my pointer finger to check my iron levels. I watched anxiously as the blood from my finger was dropped into a tube of some sort of liquid. The blood sunk quickly to the bottom of the liquid showing that my iron levels were good enough to donate blood. The reason for the iron test is that a normal blood donor loses between 200-250 milligrams of iron per donation. Iron is a nutrient that is vital in the process of making red blood cells, so needless to say, someone with low iron is not a good candidate to donate blood.

I can remember the first blood drive I participated in. The staff was very friendly and made sure I was comfortable during the process. Once I was hooked up to the bag, I was handed a small ball to squeeze throughout the process to help keep the blood flowing. After about twenty minutes, the technician came over and told me I was finished. I was a bit light headed but still able to stand up and walk to the refreshment area. The refreshments consisted of bottles of water, apple and orange juice, cookies, crackers and a few other tasty items. I sat for a few minutes and had a great conversation with some other donors. It still amazes me that a mere twenty minutes of my time could possibly save the lives of three people in need.

There are four different blood types, A-B-AB and 0 negative, each can be positive or negative. AB is a universal recipient and 0 negative is a universal donor of red blood cells. If you don't know what blood type you are, the blood center will tell you after your first donation. After you donate whole blood, you are not eligible to donate again for at least eight weeks. This is the appropriate time it takes to replace the donated blood. Roughly 4.5 million Americans will need a blood transfusion each year, almost two-thirds of the U.S. population is eligible to donate yet only less than 5 percent of those eligible will actually donate. When I see statistics like this, it makes me wonder why more people don't give blood.

After donating blood for the first time, I decided to donate on a regular basis and have also become active in fundraising efforts to help a very important non-profit organization. If you have never donated blood and would like to save a life or three, contact your local blood bank or stop by a blood drive in your area.

If you are in the Rhode Island area and would like more information or would like to donate blood.

All About Recreational Therapy And What It Can Do For You

People go through a lot of stress in their daily lives. At times, these stress factors are manageable enough. But there are also occasions when they totally get out of control. They tend to consume us and can even be the cause of major illnesses. A lot of things can cause our stress levels to shoot up. It may be rough situations at home, at work, at school, or even when we travel. Also, there are cases where people suffer debilitating disorders which can give rise to a lot of stress. In addition, you also have those who are being bombarded by mental psychological stress issues.

For those of you who are having really difficult times coping with all the pressure, it's time to look into recreational therapy. What is this all about and what does it do? Recreational therapy is actually a treatment option that uses activities to improve your overall well-being. The activities are designed to improve your physical, mental, and psychological state so you will be able to combat stress. But this is not all. With this kind of therapy, you would also be able to overcome depression and anxiety. Moreover, it is also being used to help people recover from serious illnesses.

There are so many activities involved in this therapy. You can look up recreational therapy sites and other similar online resources to check their programs out. In general, these activities are geared towards helping patients restore motor functions and reasoning skills. Also, they work on building one's confidence to face contingencies. Once you undergo this therapy, you will also see how much your socializing skills will improve. For those with major illnesses, it is a way to facilitate their faster recovery, especially those who cannot perform basic functions. That's why it is highly important to secure the best treatment for such purpose.

Nowadays, there are a lot of sites and online resources that provide for a variety of treatment plans to help people return to their normal lives. But you should not confuse this treatment as to literally getting back the functions you have lost. For example, if you lost a limb or lost your sense of sight, recreational therapy won't get that back for you. However, what it can do is help you cope by maximizing your other functions. Hence, you will not feel useless or get consumed by depression. Try to look into this treatment by looking it up online to learn more about it.

How To Party Proof Your Gut For Christmas

With shopping malls and supermarkets gradually bringing in more and more Christmas gifts, decorations and food, Christmas will be here before you know it. Your workplace and friends will be asking you to Christmas parties and gatherings across the upcoming weeks. If you're at University, there's a party every other night. No sooner do you recover from one and you're into another. No wonder your guts are tied up in knots. If you're a bit older and already struggling to manage a home, job, and three children, Christmas can make it a nightmare. The kids are already winding themselves up, your mum and dad have given notice they want to stay again, there's presents to buy, food to prepare and your partner needs more of your time as well. It doesn't stop after you're retired, your children feel it's their duty to visit and you've got to feed them and the grandchildren are so tiring. Christmas! Bah! Humbug! It's bad enough if you're perfectly well, but with IBS, it's just Strictly Come Dancing. You're bowels are doing their own version of the Rumba all the time! So what can you do? How can you party proof your gut and enjoy the festivities?

Well, the answer is to pace yourself. You don't have to stuff yourself silly, and drink yourself paralytic to have a good time. Quite the opposite. You will have a much better time if you keep within your limits. Top tips are:

    Enjoy your food, eat slowly, savour it. Don't eat too much, just have one helping of meat and not too many mince pies and please watch the sprouts. Eat until you are satisfied.

    Enjoy a glass or two of wine, but have plenty of water too. Drink enough, but slowly. Then relax, enjoy the company, stay in control. What you should aim to achieve is that mellow comfortable feeling, rather than reckless.

    Enjoyment is all about regulation. Try to keep to the routine your gut is used to. Try not to eat too late.

    Go to bed at a reasonable time. Try to wind down before you sleep, and don't wear yourself out. Some people may think of you as a party pooper, but that's their problem. The people that really matter will probably know you have a bit of a dodgy gut but will respect you for making the effort and envy you for keeping it together.

You may be the one that's doing most of the work, if so plan ahead, allocate times to get presents, work out what you are going to buy well in advance, organise shopping, prepare as much food as you can beforehand, so that you can relax when your guests come. Then if you know that your mum always winds you up, plan for that too, just think about how you can organise the time so you are both diverted by other activities, involve her, bring out the best in her. She will feel good and you will too. Get your partner, your family involved with the cooking. Switch off the television and talk, play games and basically enjoy each other's company. It's what bonds families together. You may, in some circumstances, not see each

Treating Addictions With Acupuncture

Addiction has become one of the major problems of society nowadays. Addiction actually takes many forms, from mere addiction to chocolates to substance addiction, and in any way, it can negatively affect the overall health and balance of a person.

Defining Addiction

Addiction usually results from long term and excessive consumption of what the person considers to be pleasurable substances and/or engagement in activities which affect the overall functioning of an individual. According to a medical dictionary, addiction refers to the physiological or psychological dependence on certain practices or substances that has gone beyond one's control. Some people would consider that addiction occurs when the substance or activity controls the person and not the other way around.

Addiction is classified into two types depending on the item which is being addicted to. It can either be substance addition or behavioural addiction. While substance addition refers to addiction towards harmful substances like cocaine, nicotine and alcohol, behavioural addiction meanwhile refers to extreme obsession towards engaging in activities like gambling, internet browsing, exercise to the extreme and sex.

At some point in time, users may not be aware that their behaviours are getting out of control and it already causes problems to other people. Aside from their inability to control their consumption or usage of certain substances, and incapacity to control themselves from engaging in certain activities, addicts have become so highly dependent on these substances to cope with their daily lives. When a person is addicted to a certain substance, they continue using it regardless of its adverse impacts on themselves and others around them.

According to research, frequent use of certain substances or undertaking certain substances provides pleasure to the brain. As time passes by, the user realises that the higher dose he takes, the greater pleasure he derives. Consequently, his tolerance with the substance increases also. According to experts, the higher the tolerance level is, the higher is the risk for addiction. In the long run, the user no longer finds pleasure in taking substances. More often than not, users are taking substances to prevent suffering from its withdrawal symptoms. Intake of substances can help them feel normal.

To treat addiction, the user must first acknowledge that he is actually suffering from addiction. Treatment normally involves joining in self-help groups, counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy and psychotherapy. Through time, acupuncture has emerged to be one of the most effective complementary treatments for addiction.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Explains Addiction

Acupuncture is an ancient form of medicine, whereby the insertion of special needles into the acupuncture points of the body, which lie along the meridians (pathways of energy) is considered to adjust the energy or qi of the body. Stimulating the flow of energy or qi alters many aspects of physical and mental functioning. In fact, it helps in promoting a natural process of detoxifying from substance abuse and addiction.

Those who practice and believe in the system of traditional Chinese medicine have different explanations with regards to the occurrence of addiction. The explanation is solely based on the concept of balancing the yin and the yang. Addicts are said to have yin deficiency. This imbalance of energy results to the feelings desperation and emptiness which drive addicts to use, consume and abuse. However, it only results to yin depletion which leads to further desperation.

Acupuncture Deals With Addiction

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which most often uses acupuncture, as well as specific herbs, is believed to be effective in reducing cravings and in promoting calmness and relaxation. Research shows that acupuncture actually helps in alleviating anxiety as well as in reducing the frequency of occurrence and intensity of withdrawal symptoms. Whether you are addicted to your morning coffee or you cannot control your use of heroine, acupuncture promises effective and natural process of detoxifying your body from substances.

According to research, auricular acupuncture is beneficial in treating various forms of addiction which include alcohol, heroin, morphine, cocaine, crack, methadone, caffeine, coffee, tea and even the use of pain medications such as oxycotin, hydrocodone and vicoden.

The NADA Protocol

According to the NADA Protocol, there are five acupuncture points which can be managed to treat addiction. These are the sympathetic point, kidney point, liver point, lung point and shenmen point.

Stimulating the sympathetic points creates a strong analgesic effect and it helps in restoring the balance of parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system. Stimulating the shenmen points induces a relaxing and calming effect which helps in alleviating nervousness and anxiety that usually come as withdrawal symptoms.

When the liver point is stimulated, it resolves aggression and anger and repairs the liver from alcohol and drug abuse. Aside from accelerating the process of detoxification, the stimulation of the lung point helps in strengthening the immune system which is important when dealing with the withdrawal symptoms. Lastly, stimulating the kidney point is beneficial in restoring the essence and source of energy which are usually damaged during substance abuse. It also increases the willpower to overcome addiction and resolves fear.

Acupuncture is usually preferred by many in dealing with addiction because it doesn't generally have any side effects. The treatment is normally given until a person becomes clean from their addiction. Once you cease taking substances, you can reduce your acupuncture treatments but experts suggest that you continue taking acupuncture treatments at least once a month to ensure long term recovery. In fact many ex-addicts learn the benefits along the way and enjoy to come for regular treatments, knowing that it helps their feeling of balance and well-being.

Improving Your Memory - How to Memorize Things for an Exam

Getting a strong memory always added benefits us in every way in our life. It does not only boosts our performance, also aids in occasions in many ways. Whether you are a student or a working person, a good memory is always essential. But to have a sharp memory, you have to nurture your brain like you nourish your health with food and. You have to do some work out to increase your brain power.

Here are few tips on how to enhance your memory. If you do exercise daily, your brain tissue are served with more oxygen along with the other cells of your body. It simply reduces the chances of memory disorder or memory loss. This is a way to keep it healthy. But there is another way you can work out your brain and that is playing chess. This is actually a very good and a common way of brain workout. Cause playing chess is all about playing with strategies and connected to brain. Even it is seen that people who are good in playing chess, also the owner of sharp memory. It is said that if you keep your brain lively, it increases memory power. Along with playing chess, Sudoku puzzle is also a very good game indeed. Some instances using challenges is also good. It may come with expertise and some mental efforts. It will undoubtedly help if you try to discover some new languages or play any instrument. however, it won't help if you do something that you are good at, and you do that. Try to do something that you are not familiar with, and take you out of comfort zone.

In today's life, we are so busy that we don't get enough time to sleep. But it is totally wrong. Overtime working is a big reason of dull memory, because less sleep is a reason of drained brain tissue. And if we don't have the expected sleeping time, our brain cell doesn't work appropriately. It is researched and proved that less sleep is a cause of poor overall performance and also reduces the ability of solving any problems quickly. Our brain performs at the stage when we are sleeping.

Stress is one of the biggest enemies of memory. Stress destroys brain tissues. There is a region in our brain called hippocampus. It aids to remove the old memories n exchange it new ones. chronic stress damages this region. So it causes bad memory power.

When it comes to nourishment, your brain also needs some healthy foods as your body. having right diet really assists. Polyphenols can be found in green tea. It is a strong antioxidant that protects your brain from free radicals which is a cause of damaged brain tissues. possessing inexperienced tea regularly enhances memory. it also slows getting older of your brain. eating more many fruits serves more antioxidants to your brain. green vegetables are also helpful in this case. possessing a good amount of complex carbohydrates is good for your brain.

These are just some tips or tricks to enhance your memory. right after all a healthy brain is all we need to have a good life.

Glen Gould is a blogger, writer, and internet marketer. Jack of all trades! Dedicated to helping others improve memory and have great mental health

Be Ripped Lose Fat

Would you would like that? But the thought of training in a gym or a fitness club just does not inspire you with a warm glow to be ripped. Getting a six pack sometimes requires changes in what you do but they need not be too radical, painful or expensive. A healthy looking mid abdomen on your tummy will boost your confidence and if it means getting rid of belly fat, then that is all the better. OK how do I get abs I hear you ask?

There is no doubt that dropping belly fat to be ripped is an essential process in achieving your aim to lose weight. That means in easy terms that the energy output or the calories burned will have to exceed the calorie intake. That is, burn more energy eat a nutritious diet which contains the proper fluid intake, in order to lose weight.

Your diet includes part of the changes in lifestyle needed such as eating fruit and vegetables with lean meat and no fries. A fat reduced milk for breakfast cereal and other uses is advisable to help be ripped. Chicken, (not fried) roasted is lean meat, for example. If you want to have bacon then remove the fat and grill it. Look at the fat which falls off! All these little changes add up to a huge change over a year. Or even better for the rest of your life.

If you cannot eat fruit because the taste does not appeal, you could always liquidise the fruit and or vegetables and drink it as a smoothy. You will soon learn in your quest to be ripped that you can adapt the taste and texture of the drinks to your preference.

Be Ripped Now

If you are totally out of shape and want to be ripped then use a large exercise ball which is very useful to help get some stretching exercise done as a warm up to stretch the tummy area. Make sure the ball is secured (It has a habit of rolling when you do not want it to.) Lean back with your back, on the ball to get the balance right. Then start gently reaching towards your toes or knees. Practice this exercise gently and start to gain confidence in what you can do. This can be done in the home and does not involve a large outlay of money to be ripped.

Look for an inexpensive set of hand weights from a retailer. With a hand weight, get the weight you are comfortable with, in each hand then start to rotate from the waste to the right and left alternately, side to side. This is the start of the exercises to be ripped. Keep your hips towards the front and do not move them as you rotate. Doing this, you should feel the rotation around your spine. TO START HOLD THE WEIGHTS IN CLOSE TO YOUR BODY. That is important to start with. When you have the space around you and are sure there is no one who could hit weights as you move you can extend them away from your body to increase the load and gain more calorie burn. In your goal to be ripped, starts off slowly and build up your exercise levels.

Do these exercises gradually. If you were to lose a pound a week and do this for a year, imagine the difference in 3 months time. Be ripped, not fat.

Diets That Work For Women - Tips to Lose Weight Easily

There is no doubt that diet is a very important way to lose weight but there is no consensus on what are the best diets that work for women. If you wish to lose weight then you certainly need to find the most suitable diet for you. Since dieting is unfortunately very difficult you need to make sure that the one program you select is easy to follow and is also very effective.

There are many different diets that work for women. These include South Beach Diet, Atkins Diet, Mayo Clinic Diet, Weight Watchers Diet and Fertility Diet, just to name a few.

You need to select the right diet after considering various factors such as your lifestyle, current health status as well as your dietary preferences. Only if you are very comfortable with the diet will you be able to stick to it for the duration necessary to lose weight. For instance, there is no point going on a vegetarian diet if you really hate the taste of vegetables. The following tips have been found to be very helpful for a lot of women trying to lose weight:

1. Count calories at all times: An online calorie counter is a great resource for a woman who is trying to lose weight. If you input every single meal that you eat then you will be able to exercise proper control over what you are eating. You will be able to control one meal, supper for instance, if your calorie counter tells you that you have eaten too much at lunch.

2. Plan your shopping well: This ensures that you always have healthy ingredients at hand. If not, you might end up eating snacks or ordering unhealthy (and expensive) takeaway.

3. Sign up for a diet food delivery service: If you are at a complete loss regarding how to prepare healthy and low-calorie food then you should consider signing up for a tailored food package program. The company will deliver healthy meals and snacks to you based upon your dietary preferences; you won't have to struggle with recipe books any more.

All the diets that work for women require a certain amount of self-control from the dieter. However, it is a big mistake to agonize over your inability to follow a particular diet plan. If you cheat on the diet occasionally you should not feel very bad about it. You will be a lot more successful if you have a positive attitude towards dieting and weight loss.

Get useful tips to help you get best results from diets that work for women. Use these tips to lose weight for good.

Plyometrics Are a Safe and Effective Way to Increase Jumping Ability

There are two important elements in exercise science that should be understood: why a certain movement is made and what factors should be considered as part of risk injuries. Athletes are conditioned in their respective sports to mimic, or re-enact, game situations. Plyometrics, or jumping movements, are thought of as a way to prepare the body for unexpected situations. Risk factors dramatically increase when body movements are performed in an unstable environment. In their study, Weinhandi, Smith, and Dugan investigated the effects of repetitive drop jumps on join kinematics and kinetics. They focused on the lower body extremities of the knee, ankle flexors, and ankle extensors.

The study was performed in a controlled lab environment; the experiment did not simulate competition. The protocol and the criteria of measurements of the study were clearly explained to the 12 subjects prior to the testing. The subjects warmed-up on a treadmill for five minutes followed by an active warm-up consisting of 20 drop jumps from a height of 20 cm. Three maximal efforts were recorded for each subject, and the highest height was used during the protocol. The subjects were then fatigue-induced by continuously jumping from a platform every 20 seconds. Arm movement was restricted by holding a PVC pipe across their shoulders. Protocol stated that the exercise would stop once the subject could no longer reach 80% of the mean of their first five drop jumps for three consecutive trials. 3 subjects who successfully completed 200 jumps without change of 20% decrement were viewed as not giving full effort and were excluded from the data analysis. Ground reaction force was taken as each subject jumped down from the platform. Positive and negative values were given based on hip flexion, dorsiflexion of the knee and ankle, hip and knee extension, and plantar flexion of the ankle. Dependent variables that were analyzed were jump height, peak vertical ground reaction force, trunk and lower extremity joint positions at contact, range of motion, and minimum and maximum from joint power.

Results showed that even though peak VGRF had no significant difference, there was an increase in knee flexion and ankle plantar flexion at ground contact as a result of fatigue. An increase in ankle absorption was collected with a reduction in knee absorption. As an individual fatigued, the knee extensors were ineffective at handling the ground impact, leading to the absorption of the impact to the ankle. The idea of muscle damage may have disturbed the ability of the muscle to stretch and flex reducing performance. Fatigue's presence could lead to the knee joint requiring more control versus the hip or ankle joints, increasing the risk of injury. The authors give evidence that neuromuscular fatigue could be a limiting factor during prolonged activity leading to injury. With these changes, it is thought to negatively affect posture and landing structure. After repetitive drop jumps, the ability to produce force decreases and, as a result, landing becomes more stiff and places more pressure or stress on the ankle. During this action, the ankle is said to absorb the force of landing as a protective mechanism to the knee joint. Reducing the amount of force able to be generated at the knee joint puts the individual or athlete at a higher risk of injury.

8 Surprising Causes Of Ill Health

When you are feeling unwell and wondering what is the cause of your illness, your answer probably will be:

-Well, I've caught a virus/bacterial infection.

- One of my 'organs' (the liver, the heart but also the pancreas, the thyroid etc...) isn't functioning correctly

- Something in my body isn't functioning properly (such hormones imbalance, allergies...).

But what IF illness could be due to something else?

ILL HEALTH IN CHINESE MEDICINE

In Chinese Medicine, illness is seen as an imbalance in the body. This can be due to the 'invasion of a pathogenic factor' (quite close to what we call having caught a virus), but also to another 7 other causes!

1- Pathogenic factors

These are basically our viruses and bacterial infections such as a cold or the flu.

2- Food and Diet

Remember the saying 'We are what we eat'? Food has a huge influence on how well we are and a lot of the problems we have, including tiredness, hayfever, headaches, stems from what we eat.

As our energy comes from the food we eat, eating the right food for us is crucial to get and stay well. As a very general rule, a diet that is varied with no food that is preponderant (such as lots of wheat or dairy) is better. Eating according to the seasons (nice, warming and comforting foods in winter and lighter, cooler meals including salads in summer) also makes a big difference.

3- Emotions

We rarely think about emotions as a cause of disease, unless perhaps when talking about depression (and even then, emotions, such as anxiety, are the expression of the disease rather than the cause of it).

Stress is a big cause of ill health in our country. From IBS to chronic, recurrent headaches or back pain, stress is certainly one of the main causes of illness in my clinic.

However, this is just not about stress. For example, sadness and grief affect the Lungs in Chinese Medicine and we know that people tend to catch cold and chest infections more easily when they have just lost a loved one.

4- Climate

This is the climate that we are living in, such as a hot climate or a damp house. But it's also man-made climates such as air conditioning in a car or working in an extremely hot environment (eg close to a furnace in a factory). Even wearing a cold wet swimming costume for too long can have some dire consequences on some women.

5- Drugs

I am sure I don't have to tell you that some medicines have some strong side effects. Antibiotics can give bad diarrhoea, a sign that the antibiotics has weaken the digestive system (or to put it another way, that it destroyed the gut flora).

6- Overwork

This is another disease of our modern society. Even when someone doesn't bring work back home or works very long hours, we are always on the go, even when we are at home. Not content with long working hours, we also associate a frenetic game of squash or partying until 2am with relaxation, which are both as far it can be from true relaxation!

The lack of sleep is also a big issue in our society. We are currently sleeping about 2 hours less than our grand-parents but obviously still need the same amount of sleep. One simple rule is to always try and go to bed before midnight to be a restful night of sleep.

7- Physical work

This is both about having a hard manual job or being on your feet all day along and not getting enough exercise!

Obviously, being on your feet all day or having a physical job is more taxing on the body and the person will have to take particularly care of her energy levels.

But it's also about the right level of exercise for you (and your constitution). Within the western culture we tend to associate fitness with health, while they are actually very separate topics. It's possible to be a world-class athlete who has back pain, emotional instability, and troubled digestion. Super-fit, but not at all healthy. It's also possible to be perfectly healthy, without being able to jog more than a mile. While it's easy for this healthy person to develop greater levels of fitness, because their body is prepared and has plenty of energy to draw upon; the athlete is already nursing injuries and has used up available energetic reserves to build their body, so finds it difficult to cultivate wellness. You can see why it's important to match the level of exercise with your right level of energy/constitution so that exercise doesn't become taxing and 'unhealthy'.

8- Weak constitution

Weak constitution is linked with our constitution at birth. Some people are born with less pre-natal energy and it will show in illnesses such as asthma appearing in young children, some developmental delays etc...

WHAT ABOUT ACHIEVING GOOD HEALTH THEN?

What it means is that good health is the result of a careful balance between all these influences. Trying to beat an illness by addressing just one these factors, such your level of exercise, will only give limited results but having a balanced diet and lifestyle will ensure long lasting health.

Sabine Green is an acupuncturist practising in the Middlesbrough area (UK). She is also a member of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC).

Homeopathic Remedies For Trigeminal Neuralgia - Why More Patients Prefer Them

Patients with trigeminal neuralgia are more inclined to choose homeopathic remedies over others. You only need to look at how many patients who are seeking a cure for their trigeminal neuralgia go out of the country and venture in far-flung places just to have homeopathic treatments. They no longer seem to mind that they have to spend a lot of money, time and energy; all they care about is finding the cure. We actually see people with trigeminal neuralgia leaving their western countries, and heading to the oriental countries which are known to be centers of excellence when it comes to homeopathic treatments. Importing of the homeopathic medicines have also become the norm among those who do not have the physical capability to make the trip. Unfortunately, the expenses are far greater. The question that needs an answer here is the one as to why homeopathic treatments for trigeminal neuralgia are so attractive to patients.

The first attraction of homeopathic remedies for trigeminal neuralgia that draws patients to it is the evidences that point to their effectiveness in actually solving the problem. There have been so many anecdotes and stories shared by many people who have tried - and failed - practically every conventional medical treatment there is for trigeminal neuralgia. And then, when they tried out homeopathic treatments, they saw a significant improvement and became even cured of their condition. Their firsthand knowledge of the pains that one with trigeminal neuralgia convinced them then to share their stories of how they prevailed over their illness. As a result, others who are also suffering from the same illness are convinced that they, too, could find the solution that they are seeking in the same manner that the others have tried.

For the most part, homeopathic remedies that are currently used to treat trigeminal neuralgia are safe, which is why patients are wanting more and more to try them out. There are a lot of oral medicines in the homeopathic system of medicine that can be effectively used by patients who are suffering from trigeminal neuralgia. Surgery has its risks, but it is the main course of treatment for trigeminal neuralgia if you are to take the conventional medicine route. The benefits obtained from such (rather risky) surgical procedures are quite comparable with those which are obtained from the non-invasive homeopathic therapies. Common sense would dictate that the patients would prefer a procedure that is both non-invasive and safe.

The third attraction that homeopathic treatments hold for patients with trigeminal neuralgia is the cost. They are more cost-effective than conventional medical methods. If you are going to make use of conventional medicine methods, there are two approaches that are applicable. Medications and drugs are the first option. However, more often than not, they serve only to improve the condition. If you're looking for a complete cure, you won't find it with them. Surgery would be the other option. This approach is preferred because it is deemed to be a more permanent fix than medications. Both approaches are, however, not known to be cheap. Homeopathic remedies are, on the other hand, considered to be quite cost-effective (especially when one opts to take a long-term view of the whole thing). If you consult with practitioners of homeopathic medicine, you will find that they are very hard to find. When you do, they do not come cheap, either. However, if you get the simple prescriptions these practitioners provide, they are not at all complicated.

What Keeps Your Heart Healthy?

Your most important organ, the heart, is also the key to a longer life. As much as it may want to, your heart cannot defend itself from the risk factors that endanger it, leaving it all up to you to keep it healthy and beating, supplying your organs with blood and keeping you alive. Factors that you have no control of such as age, genes, gender, living conditions, and other precipitating factors will have to stay as they are, which means you have to make use of the ability to control the predisposing factors, ones which you have full control of.

To keep your heart healthy, you have to take good care of it and avoid the things that may harm it. Here are some tips to keep in mind to keep your heart healthy.

1. Maintain a healthy diet. A diet rich in fiber and omega-3 acids can help you maintain a healthier heart. On the other hand, a diet that's high in cholesterol and fats can make your heart weak, and can pose tons of major illnesses that your heart can't handle. A healthy diet can also strengthen most other organs in your body, making it a win-win situation for you.

2. Get enough sleep. Sleep helps improve your function and prevents clogging in the heart's arteries, making it work less and stay healthy. Studies have also linked good circulation to getting a few more hours of sleep every night.

3. Don't smoke. Or quit, if you're already one of the millions of people (and growing) who suffer an addiction to nicotine. The harmful chemicals found in cigarettes can seriously put your heart at risk in developing irreversible damage and tons of different serious illnesses.

4. Physical activity. Without this, your heart can suffer from different cardiovascular diseases. Exercise can make your heart stronger and more resistant to other risk factors. Just a few hours a day can mean a lot to your heart, so do yourself a favor and start moving to keep your heart healthy and strong.

5. Avoid excessive alcohol intake. Alcohol can help increase the good cholesterol in the heart, but too much of it can lead to heart failure and hypertension, making your heart tired and weak. That's no way of keeping your heart healthy.

6. Consult your doctor regularly. There's nothing like keeping track of your heart's activities, knowing about necessary precautions and knowing what to do, and what not to do. Who else can give you the best pieces of advice but a doctor?

Living a long life is one thing, living a healthy and long life is another. Being able to enjoy everything that life has to offer is possible as long as you have a healthy heart.

Variations of Urinary Incontinence

Simply stated, urinary incontinence involves the loss of capability to hold urine. This condition has long been perceived as a standard element of the aging process. Well this could not be further from the truth. Urinary incontinence is a medical disorder that affects men and women and can happen at different periods over the course of one's life for numerous reasons. It is of grave significance to see a physician as soon as this matter is identified. Obtaining an accurate analysis is essential to an effective treatment regimen. There are several forms of the disorder including bedwetting, developmental abnormalities, functional incontinence, mixed incontinence, overflow incontinence, stress incontinence, temporary incontinence and urge incontinence.

Bedwetting, or nocturnal enuresis is a genetic, anomalous sleep disorder. It strikes numerous school age children at an estimated rate of fifteen to twenty percent, as well as, materializing in adults. Bedwetting veers more towards boys than girls. It keeps one from responding to bladder pressure and can transpire countless times per week.

Developmental abnormalities can trigger urinary incontinence as a loss of bladder function from the nervous system due to injuries and disease. An irregular gap between the bladder and fistula can also be the culprit.

Functional incontinence is a mode of urinary incontinence that is inclined to ensue in the elderly or with persons who have a mental or physical disability that averts them from retaining control of the bladder muscles before reaching the restroom. Circumstances that can produce functional incontinence include Alzheimer's' disease, arthritis, Parkinson's disease and severe depression.

Mixed incontinence is noticed more frequently in women. It is a mixture of stress incontinence and urge incontinence. Origins of this ailment are related to a protruding bladder or vagina stemming from deteriorated muscles from childbirth or pregnancy.

Overflow incontinence is often attributed to deteriorated bladder muscles related to nerve damage from diabetes, kidney disorders and tumors, enlarged prostate glands in men or birth defects. The bladder is never completely empty. This results in either a continuously full bladder or a leaking bladder. This complaint is more commonplace in men and is rarely seen in women.

Stress incontinence is the most familiar form of urinary incontinence and is more widespread in men than in women. It is defined as an involuntary loss of urine due to waned pelvic floor muscles, weakening in the inside layer between the bladder and the vagina, and from an alteration in the location of the bladder. This type of urinary incontinence can arise due to sudden pressure on the bladder from physical activity such as coughing, sneezing, laughing or lifting.

Temporary incontinence can be brief or very lengthy depending on changes in the body. It can often leave people with feelings of mortification. There are many causes including taking medications such as muscle relaxers, sleeping pills, diuretics, narcotics and antidepressants. Alcohol consumption, severe constipation, caffeine, over hydration, vaginal infections and urinary tract infections can also lead to this condition.

Urge incontinence consists of a frequent and sudden impulse to urinate with insufficient bladder control. This happens more with older people and bedwetting is often one of the effects. This disorder is also known as overactive or spastic bladder. It can also be a consequence of diseases such as uterine cancer, nervous system diseases like Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's, stokes, inflammation of the prostate and urinary tract infections.

So many forms of urinary incontinence are instigated by additional underlying health illnesses. A medical doctor can give the best diagnosis and treatment options. Ignoring this dilemma is simply not an option.

Mold Exposure, Additional Health Risk for Officers Who Work Indoors

Police officers have arguably one of the most perilous occupations in the country. However, when we consider the dangers associated with this profession, our first thoughts typically turn to violence that has been known to happen during patrol, answering calls for assistance or taking down drug dealers. Still, the serious risks for officers are not limited to the threats of the field. Officers working indoors, particularly in drug vaults and evidence rooms, are exposed to totally different, but equally hazardous conditions.

While almost no one discusses these risks, the reality is that officers working behind the scenes are faced with health risks that those in the field do not encounter. Toxins such as chemicals fumes and particulates in the air are the cause of many illnesses that continue to plague individuals long after their initial encounter. However, the fumes and particles in the air are not the only issue; mold is one of the biggest problems.

How does mold get into these areas?

Intercepted drugs, stored in plastic evidence bags or containers, collect moisture and subsequently begin to grow mold. This group of molds that are known to cause significant health problems is known as Aspergillus. Able to grow on most any biological host, Aspergillus requires only minimal amounts of moisture to thrive. Thus seized marijuana, which even in a dried state may contain as much as 10-15% water, can promote an ideal environment for this toxic mold.

What are the long-term implications?

Through the handling evidence, spores are released into the air where they flow into the noses,, mouths and ears of law enforcement officers. This exposure can lead to cold and flu symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing and stuffiness, skin problems, eye irritation and burning, and in some cases permanent damage to the lungs and respiratory system.

What can be done?

There are numerous ways to decrease the risk of exposure to the hazardous mold related to the seizure, documentation and disposal of drugs. Of course, one of the simplest solutions is to reduce the source of the mold. This can be achieved by more frequently disposing of drugs to reduce the amount of mold that grows in the first place. Another way to reduce the mold growth is by adding a drying chamber to drug vaults and drying plant-based drugs, such as marijuana, before they are put into storage containers. Additionally, seized prescription medications need to be properly sealed and stored in durable plastic garbage bags, to prevent them from ripping or tearing.

While the preferred method of storage is in plastic containers, some drugs are stored in glass containers. Though this might seem like a more secure way to store them, if the glass container breaks, the risk of exposure rises drastically. To combat this problem, glass containers should be wrapped in insulation, such as bubble wrap.

Mold needs a moist environment. Therefore, minimizing humidity will also minimize mold growth. Additionally, attention to the facility's ventilation system can considerably decrease the hazard of exposure to toxic mold. A consultation with a ventilation engineer may be the most effective way to ensure that the ventilation system is doing the best job possible.

Finally, when they are transporting drugs to and from the police department, officers should use a lockable enclosure to store them. This will minimize accidental exposure to many potential hazards.

Post Nasal Drip - The How And Why

You know how it is, you're about to embark on something good and, bingo the old problem of post nasal drip comes up.

Sniff it away if you must, but the pesky drip is gong to come back again and again.

The malady is common; It's extremely annoying but yes, it can be treated.

If taken lightly as to seasonal fluctuations or not treated, post nasal drip becomes chronic and with it come associated problems:

Bad breath - halitosis - is often blamed because of post nasal drip. Another problem is that of hoarseness. To sufferers these are embarrassing and they do not want any truck with these nasties.

All sorts of things are - and sometimes wrongly - attributed to PND.

Hay fever, a cold, dust, pollen etc. On top of that there's infection which can cause inflammation of the sinuses and even being p[regnant can cause pregnancy rhinus, a condition where the nasal passages are inflamed by the hormones going each and every which way.

Heard Of GERD?

Another reason for PNDis a nice, long medical term called, gastro esophageal reflux disease, Short title GERD. Victims know when they've got it because problems such as heartburn, regurgitation and trouble swallowing are prevalent.

Folks who have deviated septum -An abnormal condition in which the top of the cartilaginous ridge leans left or right, causing obstruction of the affected nasal passage - are also victims of post nasal drip.

When do you suspect you have It?

Well, according to some experts. Some people complain of having mucous adhering to the back of the throat bringing on a dry, persistent cough which manifests itself in the morning or when you're flat on your back at night. PND is also blamed for causing sleep troubles, and yes, even snoring. Victims often complain to their GP about lack of sleep and nausea caused by the mucous build-up. The dripping nose is there too.

You Can Fight It.

A lot of people ask what can they do combat this problem.

    Improve hydration and help combat the post nasal drip by having a humidifier operating at night, this aids in thinning out the thick mucous that causes post nasal drip. A good idea is to try this out before going for the over-the-counter medicines or aids.

    Drink more water - water virtually the panacea for a lot of ills and a good way to help beat post nasal drip.

    When on the water treatment ask your chemist/druggist about Guaifenesin-based medicines (such as Mucinex) - medicines that can be sold over-the-counter as either syrup or tablets. However! Please check with your doctor before doing so.

    Beat it through the nose. Yes, the good old nasal saline spray can work wonders.

Not all the remedies will work. Give the natural remedies and the drugstore supplied medication first. Give it a week and if symptoms persist, take a visit to your GP to sort out the problem. There are many causes of post nasal drip, but for your own peace of mind and well being, get your doctor to rule out nasal polyps, septum and other anatomical problems.