Surprisingly Common Areas Where Germs Thrive

Harmful microbes and germs can lurk in almost any environment. The problem is that they usually remain unseen and hidden. It can be difficult to know where they may be silently wrecking their havoc. It does not help that such germs can also be found in various places commonly exposed to most people. Here are just some of those common areas where germs may lurk.

Bar Snacks

It may be quite a common activity just eating snacks offered at the bar. But imagine just how many hands that have come into contact with the snacks before you put your hands into them. Harmful germs may easily transfer from one person to another this way.

Magazines In Clinics

Waiting for your appointment with your doctor may give you sometime to kill at the waiting room. This may lead you to read the magazines prepared especially for waiting patients. But most clinics may be unaware that it may be easy for microbes to transfer from one person to another. The worse thing about it is that most people coming to the clinic may surely be carrying some microbes and viruses that may easily be contracted by another. Magazines may be just one of the common contact points where these microbes may contaminate.

Day Care Centers

Day care centers may also be a potential area where germs may easily spread. Baby diapers and toys can get easily mixed. Toys can end up in kid’s mouths. Adults picking up used diapers can bring germs along with them. There are just many things happening at day care centers that make it quite an easy place for microbes to spread.

Restaurant Menus

Considering that restaurants are frequent places where people meet to eat, the restaurant menus can be an easy place where different microbes can accumulate. As they go from one eating patron to another, they might carry germs and gets transferred as other people handle the menus. It can even get worse as people eat finger foods along the way.

New Studies Reveal Hidden Risks and Benefits of Aspirin

Recent studies have revealed many things about aspirin. There are previous beliefs that have been debunked while others that show other added benefits that the common aspirin may have. Here are some of them:

Reduce Pre-eclampsia Risk

A study published in Lancet in 2007 indicated that pregnant women who took aspirin or other anti-platelet medication have a 10 percent less chance of developing pre-eclampsia, a condition characterized by sudden increase in blood pressure during pregnancy. This condition can cause serious complications both to the mother and the fetus.

Protect Against Parkinson’s Disease

A 2007 study published in Neurology suggests that women who took aspirin for two or more times a week for at least a month have a 40 percent less chance of developing Parkinson’s.

May Affect Prostate Cancer Test Results

Taking aspirin regularly may hinder the detection of prostate cancer. A study published on the 2008 issue of Cancer suggests that men who regularly take aspirin as well as other NSAID’s had 10 percent lower levels of prostate-specific antigens. This can sometimes hinder the early detection of prostate cancer in regular aspirin users.

May Prevent Asthma In Middle Aged Women

The 2008 issue of Thorax journal contains a study that reported women 45 years old and above who took 100 mg of aspirin every other day also were 10 percent less likely to develop asthma over the next decade as compared to women who took a placebo. It was also noted in the said study that aspirin can worsen the symptoms in about 10 percent of the people who may already have asthma.

What Doctors Want From Patients

When doctors want to provide the best medical diagnosis to their patients and what might be ailing them, utmost cooperation between the two is needed. Many times, doctors may not be able to get all the information that they need from the tests alone and may require help from the patients themselves. Here are some of the things that doctors usually want from their patients every time they come for a visit.

Be honest.

Doctors usually want their patients to be quite honest with them. There are many patients who might try to hide something from their doctors during medical check ups out of embarrassment or shame. This action may sometimes prove serious and may greatly affect a doctor’s diagnosis. Sometimes patients will try to hide something for as long as possible and may only divulge it when it is already to late. It is often better to be quite honest with your doctor and try to tell what might be ailing you right away.

Get a second opinion from another doctor, not from relatives.

A lot of people may find it easy to believe what a relative may say about what might be ailing them. The trust can sometimes get in the way of getting into the bottom of your condition. Getting an accurate assessment of your physical condition and health should come from doctors and medical professionals and not from your mom or relative with no medical experience whatsoever.

Don’t think that you have every ailment out there.

A lot of people can easily be convinced that they may be suffering from something when they actually do not. It may come from something a relative may say or what they saw on TV atone time or another. They become so convinced that they feel they require some treatment for something that they do not actually have. It can also become quite hard for doctors to convince them that they are actually healthy.

Protecting Against Medical Mistakes

Even medical professionals are liable to make mistakes now and then. Even if you are confined in a reputable hospital does not necessarily mean that you are already safe. It may sometimes take some vigilance on your part to make sure that you can protect yourself from certain medical mistakes. Here are some of the ways how to do it.

Always insist on cleanliness.

When staying at the hospital, you might come into contact with several health professionals who try to look into your welfare. Before they do, try to ask if they have washed their hands. Although it is standard procedure for health professionals to do so before giving medication, changing a wound dressing or removing an IV, it pays to remind them in order to make sure.

Look into the safest hospitals and health facilities in your area.

It really pays to do some bit of research on which hospitals in your area are considered to be the safest ones. You can get inputs from colleagues, relatives and friends. This way, you can have a choice to be confined to a health facility that you know will be safe and where medical mistakes may be less likely to occur.

Avoid being a distraction.

Although you try to have talks with doctors or nurses who are attending to your care, you might try to avoid becoming a distraction. Friendly chitchat may be a cause if interruption that might easily distract the hospital staff from administering your medicines or doing a sensitive procedure.

Get informed.

Try to have a good idea why certain things are being done to you while being confined at the hospital. Have a better grasp of what your doctor or the medical staff might be doing and find out the reason behind them. Try to ask the reason behind the medications being administered to you as well as the tests you have to undergo.

Hidden Signs That May Signal Health Risks

The body usually tries to show its conditions through a variety of signs and symptoms. Knowing what some of these physical signs are can help you become more aware of any possible health risks on your part. Aside from the more obvious ones, there are also other little known signs that may signal a possible health risk. Here are some of them.

Swelling Fingers

There might be a variety of reasons why your fingers may swell. Women going through their monthly period may also experience their fingers swelling. Too much sodium intake may also cause the same thing. But apart from those, swollen fingers may also be a sign of hypothyroidism, a condition where the thyroid gland produces insufficient amounts of hormones required by the body to regulate metabolism.

Yellow Eyelid Bumps

This tiny bumps can appear if you have high cholesterol levels. When your cholesterol is high, it can collect on the upper eyelids and form tiny, yellowish deposits. When you find this bumps increasingly appearing in your eyelids, then maybe its time for you to have your cholesterol levels checked.

Chapped Lips

Chapped lips is normally a sign of dehydration or just dry air. One way to get rid of it is by drinking lots of water or applying some lip balm. But in some cases where chapped lips seem to happen even if you drank lots of water, there might be another reason. One of them is too much vitamin A. Too much intake of vitamin A can become dehydrating causing your chapped lips. High levels of vitamin A can also be dangerous since it can lead to birth defects in pregnant women and even blurred vision among other things.

Pale Whitish Nails

Nails normally changes its color to pale when being pressed but then returns to its normal color a brief moment afterward. But prolonged pale nails that stay white long after they are pressed can be a sign that you are anemic. Lack of iron can cause this condition that can become serious if it is not discovered early on.

Physical Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore

The human body usually has a way to indicate that something is wrong with it. They usually come in the form of certain symptoms. Such physical symptoms can either come gradually or all of a sudden. It pays to be aware of such physical symptoms which may indicate certain health problems. Here are the most common ones that are too dangerous to ignore.

Chest Pain

A sudden chest pain may indicate a lot of things. Most often it may suggest an acute heart attack. When you feel sudden chest pain or have been increasingly experiencing it frequently, a trip to your doctor is advised.

High Fever

Fever is a way the body may be telling you that it is fighting off an infection. An unusually high fever that lasts for several days and accompanied by other symptoms such as vomiting, nausea and diarrhea should not be taken too lightly. It can be a sign of a possible serious infection that your body may have a hard time fighting off. It is a serious symptom that requires immediate professional medical help.

Abdominal Pain

Persistent abdominal pain is a common symptom for a variety of ailments. Even though it may be mild, abdominal pain that lasts for more than a week may indicate that you may already be developing ulcer or having gallstones. Abdominal pain may also be a result of internal inflammation such as colitis.

Shortness Of Breath

If you suffer from breathing problems while doing a certain physical activity or just by lying down, then it might be a sign that you need to pay your doctor a visit. Such symptoms may indicate problems that might involve your heart or lungs.

Mental Function Changes

Sudden changes in mental functions such as becoming unresponsive or sleepy should indicate a serious condition that requires prompt medical help. Having sudden stuttering or problems speaking clearly may be an indication of a stroke.

moking-Cessation Vaccine

n the US alone, 400,000 deaths per year are linked to tobacco use. Fortunately, there might be a solution for that in the near future.

HealthDay News reported last October 12 that the National Institute on Drug Abuse has given a $12 million grant to company in Maryland to assist it in the final phases of its research on a possible anti-nicotine vaccine.

The research

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals will begin the third phase of its study of a potential vaccine called NicVax. The study could be the last step of the research if the vaccine works. It also represents the most advanced examination of an anti-smoking vaccine e.

This anti-smoking vaccine is created to help people quit smoking and not relapse. According to the statement issue by director Dr. Nora D. Volkow, the vaccine has received "fast track" designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and has survived a successful "proof-of-concept" study.

There is however, no guarantee that study will prove that the vaccine works. It is also not clear whether it will get federal approval.

How the vaccine works

The vaccine works by making the immune system act when it detects nicotine. This is based on the theory that antibodies will bond with the nicotine molecules and prevent them from reaching the brain where they provide the high smokers want.

So far, the results are still preliminary, but they indicate that smokers who acquire high levels of antibodies in their system are most likely to quit for good. Researchers also report few side effects, and expect the vaccine to work for 6-12 months after it is administered.

Source: MSN Health

Lifesaving Health Care Screening Tests for Women

Women, while taking on more active roles in society, career and family, tend to have a lot on their mind. So much so that their attention to personal well-being may be compromised. Due to their increasing responsibilities, most women have a tendency to pass up on opportunities to take advantage of health care screening tests. Unfortunately, such tests are necessary in detecting (and preventing) potential health risks.

Below are the top five lifesaving screening tests every woman needs, as rated by WebMD.

Heart disease screening

According to the American Heart Association coronary heart disease is the largest cause of women’s deaths – about 500,000 cases every year. As much as 80% of this could be prevented by making the necessary lifestyle changes.

One way to assess your risk factors for heart disease is through screening tests for total cholesterol levels, high density lipoprotein (HDL) or "good" cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol, and blood fats known as triglycerides. For women over 50 years of age, it is highly recommended to have tests checking your C-reactive protein (CRP), homocysteine, and lipoprotein (a) [LP(a)] levels.

Inflammation, which may cause heart distress, is indicated by CRP. Homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood, may build up in the bloodstream, increasing the risk of heart attack. Lp(a) is a cholesterol-related risk factor that has a tendency to increase blood clotting.

Be on the lookout for extra heartbeats, chest pain, or shortness of breath. If you experience any of these symptoms, schedule for stress echocardiogram as soon as possible, to determine any significant reduction of blood flow to your heart. Always test your blood pressure as well, as high blood pressure is definitely a major factor in heart disease.

If you have are overweight, and/or have family history of diabetes, blood sugar level or other tests for diabetes are something you should not fail to take.

Pap Smear Test

Three years after becoming sexually active or by age 21, women need an annual pap test to detect any abnormal cell changes that could lead to cervical cancer. During a Pap test, a sample of cells is swabbed from the surface of the cervix and examined for abnormalities that may indicate the presence of cancer or the possibility of cancer occurring.

It is recommended to maintain annual testing until the age of 30. After 3 successive tests with satisfactory results, Pap smears may be done every two to three years from then on. However, women should still continue to see their gynecologist for examination regularly, at least once a year.

As a follow-up to an abnormal Pap test, women should take a human papillomavirus (HPV) test. This virus is a common sexually transmitted infection that could lead to cervical cancer. This test will help determine whether one or more high-risk types of HPV caused the abnormal Pap test result. After 30, it is recommended that the HPV test be taken, not only after abnormal pap results, but regularly, along with the annual pap tests.

Mammogram

Women aged 40 should have a mammogram (breast x-ray) every one or two years. If there is a history of breast cancer in the family, a woman should get her first mammogram 10 years before her relative was diagnosed. Unfortunately, this creates a strong psychological impact. Most women would rather not take the test than take it and find out they have breast cancer. But if the cancer is detected at an early stage, there is a 97 percent chance of being cured.

Women should also have annual palpation tests, where doctors feel for suspicious lumps. They may opt to learn how to perform this procedure properly so they can practice it at home.

Colonoscopy

Colon cancer is preventable and treatable. Colonoscopy allows a doctor to search for polyps or other unnatural growths which could eventually become cancerous. After a short process of preparation through diet and medication, the colon is cleansed, and a miniature digital camera is eased into the colon of a sedated patient. The video images are projected on an LCD screen, where the doctor can visually make observations on the interior colon walls.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that men and women with average risk of colorectal cancer should have a colonoscopy every ten years.

Skin Exam

Every woman should have their skin examined annually by a dermatologist, starting at 18 years of age. The doctor will search your body from head to toe for unusual brown or red spots.

Women should also try to do a self exam every month, checking even the scalp with a mirror. Look for new or unusual moles on your fingernails, toes and soles, and under arms. Inform your doctor of any suspicious finds.

Melanoma causes the most skin cancer deaths, and the number of cases is continually rising. Thus, it is wise to be on the lookout for usually overlooked tell-tale signs.

Sports Physical Exams

Playing sports is a fun way to keep us fit and to meet people. We all know this. But what many of us do not know is the importance of a sports physical exam that we may have to take before participating in sports. Also called as preparticipation physical examination (PPE), sports physicals help determine whether it is safe for your kid to participate in certain sports. PPE is required for kids and teens in most states, but even if it is not required, doctors still recommend sports physicals.

Goals and objectives

The goals of sports physical exams can be summed up as follows: determine that the kid has general good health, detect conditions that put the kid at risk of new injuries, assess his or her current fitness level, and evaluate any of the kid’s existing injuries. PPE also assesses the developmental maturation and size of the kid, detect any congenital anomaly that increases his or her risk of injury, and detects poor preparticipation conditions that may put the kid at increased risk.

Key features

According to the American Heart Association, wherever a sports physical is done, it should include a full medical history and physical exam with a blood pressure check. Another key feature of preparticipation evaluation is precordial auscultation (or listening to the heart) in the standing and supine (laying down) positions.

Importance of a sports physical

A sports physical exam can help parents in finding out about and dealing with health issues that might get in the way with their kids’ participation in sports. For example, if your kid has frequent asthma attacks but is into track and field, your doctor might prescribe him or her a different type of inhaler so that he or she can breathe with more ease when running.

The doctor may even give good training tips and some ideas to avoid injuries. In addition, a doctor can also discover some risk factors associated with specific sports. A professional’s advice will make your kid a better and stronger athlete.

Where

Some sports physicals are done in schools. During the physical exam, your kid may go to a number of "stations" that are set up in the school gym. Each station is staffed by medical professionals who perform specific parts of the physicals. However, even if you have sports physical exams at school, it is recommended that you see your family doctor for the physical exam as well. Your doctor knows your child and his or her health history way better than anyone in a gym.

Types of Physical Therapy

There are many specialty areas in the field of physical therapy. Although these areas are well known throughout the profession, it is often overlooked by the general public. Here is a brief description of the most common specialty areas in physical therapy and find out which is most appropriate for you or your family member.

Orthopedic physical therapy

It is the diagnosis, management, and treatment for disorders and injuries of the musculoskeletal system as well as rehabilitation of patients’ post-orthopedic surgery. This specialty is most often found in the out-patient clinical setting. Orthopedic therapists are trainied in the treatment of post-operative joints, acute sports injuries, arthritis, and amputations just to name a few.

Common modalities used to expedite recovery are joint mobilization, strength training, hot and cold packs, and electrical stimulation. Those who have suffered injury or disease affecting the muscles, bones, ligaments, or tendons of the body would benefit from assessment by a physical therapist specialized in orthopedics.

Geriatric physical therapy

This area covers a wide area of issues concerning people as they go through normal adult aging, but is usually focused on the older adult. There are many conditions that affect people as they grow older and that includes (but not limited to) arthritis, osteoporosis, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, hip and join replacement, balance disorders, and incontinence.

Geriatric physical therapy helps those affected with such problems in developing a specialized program to help restore mobility, reduce pain, increase fitness levels, and more.

Neurological physical therapy

This is a discipline focused on working with individuals who have a neurological disorder or disease. These include Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, brain injury, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, and stroke.

Common problems of patients with such disorders include paralysis, vision impairment, poor balance, inability to ambulate, and loss of functional independence. Therapists work with patients to improve these areas of dysfunction.

Cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation

CPR therapists treat a wide variety of patients with cardio-pulmonary disorders or those who have had cardiac or pulmonary surgery. Primary goals of this specialty include increasing patient endurance and functional independence.

Manual therapy is utilized in this field to assist in clearing lung secretions experienced in patients with cystic fibrosis. Patients with disorders including heart attacks, post-coronary bypass surgery, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and pulmonary fibrosis are only a few examples of those who would benefit from this.

Pediatric physical therapy

It is the assistance in early detection of health problems and uses a wide variety of modalities to treat disorders in the pediatric population. These therapists are specialized in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of infants, children, and adolescents with a variety of congenital, developmental, neuromuscular, skeletal, or acquired disorders or diseases.

Treatments focus on improving gross and fine motor skills, balance and coordination, strength, and endurance as well as cognitive and sensory processing/ integration. Patients include children with developmental delays, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and torticollis.

How Physical Therapy Work

Physical therapy is one of the less known medical practice in the US, but its responsibility and popularity around the world is unquestionable. It is a health care specialty concerned with treating musculoskeletal disorders and its interaction with physical movement.

Physical therapists are licensed professionals who hold a masters, doctorate, or bachelors degree in physical therapy. They work in a wide variety of setting including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, out-patient facilities, schools, nursing homes, and gymnasiums.

What is physical therapy?

It is a health care specialty involved with evaluating, diagnosing, and treating disorders of man’s muscles and bones. The ultimate goal of this practice is to restore maximum functional independence to each individual patient and in order to achieve it, exercise, heat, cold, electricity, and massage are utilized. Physical therapy is ordered by a physician when it is felt that such treatment would be beneficial. It is offered to a wide variety of patients including newborn babies, children, adults, and the elderly.

Physical therapy is useful in treating many different medical disorders and injuries, neurological and muscular illness, as well as cardiopulmonary diseases. Through patient and therapist interaction, physical therapy can help restore movement and function helping patients returns to their prior level of independence.

What physical therapist do?

Physical therapists are licensed professionals who work with people that have sustained disabilities, impairments or limitations in their overall physical function. These deviations can be the result of disease, injury, or pathological processes. They work to restore function, improve mobility, and decrease pain with the goal of re-establishing a patient’s prior functional level.

Physical therapists focus on the evaluation of strength, balance, range of motion, coordination, endurance, and posture of each individual patient. It is through the results of this examination they then develop a treatment plan geared towards reaching specific rehabilitation goals. However, they would also help in determining realistic goals through their knowledge of pathology and prognosis.

Over the course of the rehabilitation period, they document progress, re-evaluate physical findings, and modify treatment strategies as appropriate. They often work as a team with a variety of other professionals including physicians, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and recreational therapists.

Cognitive Restructuring for Stress Relief

Stress management involves different ways on how to handle stress. One of them is the use of cognitive restructuring for relieving stress. Cognitive restructuring has actually been developed as a form of therapy used for treating conditions such as severe stress, anxiety disorders as well as depression.

What is cognitive restructuring?

Cognitive restructuring as a form of therapy was developed in the belief that situations and circumstances that seem to bring or cause stress is borne out of a person’s way of thinking. This can be explained better at how different people may look at spending some of their vacant time.

Some people may see it as an opportunity to feel relaxed and get lost in the moment. Others may think of it as time wasted with nothing productive to do and may even feel distressed or get bored. A person’s way of thinking can determine the resultant action or behavior to a given situation.

The theory behind cognitive restructuring states that a person’s own unrealistic beliefs can be directly responsible for bringing out certain dysfunctional emotions and feelings that further lead to behavior and attitudes resulting from it such as depression, stress or anxiety.

By trying to get rid of such emotions and feelings, stress and other similar conditions can be prevented. But in order to get rid of them, there would be a need to restructure or change certain unrealistic beliefs or faulty thinking that may be giving them life.

Faulty thinking

In cognitive restructuring, faulty thinking or beliefs is referred to as cognitive distortions. Cognitive restructuring is the process of identifying, challenging and then changing the cognitive distortions and negative and unrealistic thinking patterns with more accurate and beneficial ones.

When it comes to stress management, cognitive restructuring can help change certain unrealistic beliefs and thought patterns that usually lead to negative behavior as well as stress. Self-talk usually have a big impact as to how this way of thinking is gradually ingrained into a person’s subconscious mind.

Self-talk

Self-talk can either make life better or worse for a person. It is the internal dialogue that a person makes that initially tries to interpret, explain and judge every situation encountered. The way a person process the internal dialogue based on certain beliefs can lead to different resulting behavior or actions.

If the internal dialogue is based on cognitive distortions are faulty thinking, then it would most likely lead to negative behavior and thought patterns, many of which lead further to stress, anxiety and depression up to a certain period.

The "I Must Be Loved" thinking

The "I Must Be Loved" way of thinking can be considered as one of those cognitive distortions and unrealistic views that can lead to negative results in terms of behavior and attitude. It is unrealistic in a way that it is impossible for all people to experience being loved by everybody.

If a person is led to believe as such, this can result to failure, false hopes and unfulfillment. Cognitive restructuring works to try and recognize and change these faulty beliefs and way of thinking into something positive and reachable. As people undergo a restructured thinking and beliefs, they begin to see things differently little by little.

Concealing Medication in Food and Drink

When we were kids, our parents used to conceal medication in our food and drink when we were sick. It is admissible when there is no other way to give a drug. Covert administration of drugs for adults is an entirely different matter, even for mentally ill patients who will not or cannot take their medicine.

Is it ethical to conceal medication in food and drink? Should drug concealment be medically sanctioned and recorded? How common is it?

The extent of concealing medication

Studies about the extent of covert drug concealment are patchy but suggestive. A 2000 study revealed that medications were administered covertly at some point in 24 of 34 nursing, inpatient and residential units in southeast England. In Norway, a recent study of caregivers for patients with dementia in nursing home and special care units showed that 11%-17% of 1,362 patients were given drugs mixed in food or drink at least once every week.

The Norway study also found that only 40% of the nursing documents recorded the concealment of medication in food or drink. When a doctor authorized the concealment, it was found that medical records were more likely to have written confirmation of the practice, 57% as opposed to 23%.

According to former American Psychological Association (APA) President Paul Appelbaum, concealing medication is rare in inpatient settings in the United States. Overall, there is little information about the extent of this questionable practice in the country.

Support for the practice

Concealing medications in food and drink of patients has supporters. Try talking to a professional caregiver and he or she can often cite good examples of times when covert drug administration seemed logical and sensible.

Caregivers and physicians might consider concealing medications in food and drink to avoid delays in treatment. Delays in treatment could result in self-destructive behavior or means increased morbidity, prolong the patient’s agony, or worsen outcomes.

Criticisms of the practice

Critics of the practice argue that it is a violation of trust by the physician or the caregiver or by members of the family who administer the medications. Many patients are upset and refuse treatment when they learn that their doctor or family betrayed their trust. This in turn breeds paranoia.

It is illegal and unethical in the United States to perform this practice without the consent of a competent and responsible person. According to Spencer Eth, APA Ethics Committee Chair, "Can you treat someone without his or her consent? Not without violating the patient’s autonomy and the core ethical principle of consent. It is a paternalistic attitude that is an anachronism in psychiatric practice. You can’t justify it in the name of ‘the patient’s best interests.’"

What is Hydrotherapy Treatment?

Hydrotherapy is the practice of using water to sooth away pains as well as in treating diseases. It is a practice that has its roots way back in ancient times. Egyptian royalty took their baths with essential oils and flowers. The Romans were known for their communal public baths. The Father of Medicine from ancient Greece, Hippocrates, was known to prescribe bathing in spring water to treat sickness.

Benefits

There are a number of benefits attributed to the use of water therapy. One of the known benefits is that it helps increase blood circulation. This enables the efficient circulation of the body’s white blood cells for better immune function. Hydrotherapy is also known to help induce the production of endorphins which can help improve overall well-being as well as relax and energize the body.

The use of hydrotherapy helps in supplying fresh nutrients and oxygen to tissues as well as helps it dispose of toxins and waste products. Hydrotherapy also helps aid physical rehabilitation for people who are injured or have suffered through a stroke. Hydrotherapy has also been used to help reduce the pain and inflammation caused by arthritis and other similar ailments such as rheumatism.

Forms of Hydrotherapy

There are various forms of hydrotherapy treatments being used today. The use of different compresses is considered as hydrotherapy. Cooling and heating compresses are being used to help reduce inflammation and congestion. They can be used for either short or long periods.

Baths are also considered another common and popular form of hydrotherapy. Baths are usually used as therapy using a combination of both hot and cold water. The effect on the body through this therapy is said to help aid blood circulation as well as help stimulate the body’s nervous system.

An internal form of hydrotherapy is colon cleansing. It is also known as a basic enema where the colon is flushed using water in order to clear it. It is said to help get rid of toxins that may have accumulated inside the colon. But doctors believe that such practice may cause an imbalance between bacteria and chemicals found in the colon which can lead to other problems.

Hydrotherapy in the form of full body immersion in water is usually used to aid in physical therapy. It can be used to aid an injured muscle to gain strength in a more sensitive manner than ordinary exercise. The water helps provide some resistance as well as buoyancy that help injured muscles react to forces gradually.

The Therapeutic Effects of Writing

Writing is one of the first things we learned in school as kids. We were instructed to trace letters, write words through colored pictures, describe our surroundings through phrases and sentences, until we eventually learned to write coherent paragraphs.

As we grow up, though, we learn about things that go beyond the four corners of the classroom. As such, we learn to make use of writing for different purposes.

Many people resort to writing down their thoughts in black and white when they feel down or sad or desperate. Unintentionally, they are actually resorting to what is known as journal therapy.

Journal therapy is defined as the purposeful act of writing down our thoughts and feelings in an effort to further psychological healing and personal growth. Through therapeutic writing or journal therapy, a person is able to:

● cope with stress
● reduce physical symptoms of certain diseases
● foster self-awareness
● reduce anxiety
● and develop self-esteem

For the most part, writing is also an individualized process of personal growth. It is an effective distressing method which has the ability to settle the mind and release pent-up emotions. It also gives us an honest insight into our real selves. For Lyn Petit’, author of The Philosophy of a Thought, writing is a form of therapy.

Like most of us, Lyn also went through a lot of adversities in life. She made use of these personal experiences to put all her thoughts into writing. According to her, her counselor urged her to write her thoughts on paper as a form of therapy. To her surprise, her counselor’s advice worked, so much so that Lyn was able to publish her first book in 2007.

Through writing, Lyn was able to express herself more. At the same time, she was also able to give out advice to other people about simply putting both feet down and saying no, standing up for oneself, and not allowing people to take the rein of one’s life from one’s own hands. Lyn accomplished all of these, in spite of the fact that she is a dyslexic, a tad autistic, and a little deaf.

Understanding Stroke Rehabilitation

Stroke rehabilitation is an important means to help stroke victims and patients regain certain skills that they may have lost as a result of a stroke.

It is the best means to help stroke patients get better as well as a way to help them avoid sinking into depression as a result of their stroke. Stroke rehabilitation aims to help stroke victims try to gain back their independence as well as confidence and be more able to cope up with their condition.

Stroke Rehab Team

There is a team of specialists who make up a stroke rehab team. Their mix of medical specialties aims to help people recover from stroke. Aside from the doctors and nurses who make up the large part of the stroke rehab team, there are also a number of therapists included like:

Physical therapist- works with the stroke victim to help on physical problems concerning balance, movement, and coordination.

Speech/Language Therapist- works with the patient to help regain speech and language skills that may be affected by the stroke. The therapists may also help patients in trying to overcome difficulties in swallowing.

Psychologist or Counselor- works with the patient to try and cope up with the emotional dilemma and psychological complications brought about as a result of a stroke.

Occupational therapist- works with the stroke patient to regain the skills of doing everyday activities. This therapist helps the patient practice eating, dressing up, taking a bath as well as doing other related tasks.

Recreational and Vocational Therapists- although they may or may not be a part of the stroke rehab team, recreational and vocational therapists may also play a big role in helping patients regain a source of normalcy even after the stroke. A recreational therapist can help a patient try to develop and regain the enjoyment of certain activities that the patient once enjoyed before the stroke. A vocational therapist can aid a patient with concerns dealing with finding a job or getting back to work.

Duration

The duration of a stroke rehabilitation program can vary, depending on the degree of damage caused by the stroke as well as the level of development a stroke victim undergoes.

But for most people, stroke rehab may be a lifelong process. Some people may do better after several weeks or months of stroke rehab while other people may take years and years to show considerable improvement.

Quitting Smoking and Weight Gain

Quitting smoking can be a challenge for most people. Aside from the challenge of quitting the habit because of nicotine addiction, there is also the issue of weight gain. According to studies, people who quit smoking gain around ten pounds on average.

Why Quitting Causes Weight Gain

The main reason why quitting smoking leads to considerable weight gain is due to the changes in the body’s metabolism. Nicotine has the ability to increase the body’s metabolic rate. Once the body experiences nicotine withdrawal as what happens when one quits smoking, the metabolic rate also drops. This can then cause the body to pile up excess poundage easier because of the lower metabolic rate.

Another reason why those who quit smoking may also gain weight is that people tend to eat more. When a habit such as smoking is being removed from the usual daily lifestyle, people tend to find something to substitute for it. The easiest alternative available for most people is food. Most people who try to quit smoking tend to substitute eating as their habit. This can also cause weight gain for some people.

Exercise More

One way to avoid gaining weight while quitting the smoking habit is by getting into exercising more. Exercise may be the best alternative that you can substitute for your smoking habit. It may help prevent that drop in metabolic rate that usually happens when nicotine is removed from the system. Exercise itself can help increase metabolism to help avoid weight gain.

Drink More Water

Staying hydrated can also help provide a metabolic boost. Those who are trying to quit smoking should drink plenty of water since it can also help reduce those cravings for a smoke. People can try carrying a water bottle with them all the time instead of a pack of cigarettes.

Timeless Herbal Remedies

There are quite a lot of natural remedies that have been used through the years. Such plant based remedies have a long history and have been handed down from generation to generation. While some of them have long been forgotten, there are also remedies that have survived all through the years, mainly because they have proven to be effective. Here are some of them.

Cayenne Peppers

Pepper has a long tradition as being an ingredient to various traditional remedies. Since Columbus brought them to the New World from the Old, cayenne peppers have long been used for many things other than as spices for food. It has been used for various remedies ranging from pain relief to weight loss. Science has shown that it is effective in both counts. Cayenne pepper contains a compound known as capsaicin that gives peppers its heat. This compound is also known to help block chemical messengers that transmit pain messages to the brain. It can also help people lose abdominal fat.

Onions

Ancient traditional medicine has considered onions as a natural cure-all. They have been recommended for a variety of ailments ranging from respiratory to digestive problems. Scientific studies have also proven that this might be true. Onions contain a flavonoid known as quercetin that protects the stomach from ulcers and cancers.

Lemon Balm

Lemon balm is another natural remedy with a very long history in ancient traditional medicine. It has been used to get rid of anxiety, improve memory as well as aid in sleep and digestion. Research has also suggested that it may be effective, too.

Lemon balm seems to aid in calming an overactive thyroid. It may also help in the fight against viruses. Drinking tea out of lemon balm also has proven time and again to help calm the nerves and helps in keeping people calm and focused.

Handling Embarrassing Body Problems

Sometimes, your body just won’t cooperate however you want it to. You’re in an elevator with the girl of your dream when out of nowhere you let out a gas that could rival the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombs. Here’s another scenario: You’re presenting your project to a group of clients and then your overactive sweat glands suddenly produced a sea of perspiration, drowning your clients. These body problems can be so embarrassing you would wish to vanish right then and there.

You’re not alone

When you experience an embarrassing body problem in a very awkward situation, the first thought that often comes out of your mind is, "Am I the only one who have these problems?" It may lift your spirit a bit to know that such problems are common to many other people as well. There seems to be a problem, though. Finding out how you can prevent or deal with the problem creates more problems. For example, who are you going to ask for help? Are you going to call your doctor or talk to you close friends? Or, as what you’re doing now, search the Internet for information?

Handling the problem

Hiccups, burps, and growls. These problems are caused by a combination of an irritation to the diaphragm and gas. Anxiety has found to be one of the culprits for these problems. Experts say that swallowing lots of air happens when you’re anxious. You can prevent these problems by moderating your intake of gassy foods few hours before the time when you want to be at your best. Be careful of such cruciferous vegetables as broccoli, cabbage, and beans. Drinking lots of water and limiting alcohol also help.

Bladder leaks. Small leaks when sneezing, laughing, or coughing can be very embarrassing. If you have urinary incontinence or overactive bladder, there are treatments available. First and foremost, you have to regularly visit your doctor, to make sure that your problem won’t get worse. You can also do things on your own to treat your problem. Kegel exercises can tighten your bladder muscles, which are responsible for the urine flow. Also, try emptying your bladder before participating in any activity that may trigger your bladder such as dancing or exercising. You should also avoid cola, coffee, and tea, if you’re going somewhere.

Excessive sweating. Excessive sweating is pretty normal, especially when we’re doing exercises and other physical activities such as walking, running, or dancing. But it’s absolutely not normal to perspire excessively only in some situations that don’t require much activity. According to experts, stress triggers this problem. It can be prevented by conditioning yourself to face stressful situations. You can also avoid this problem by using an antiperspirant deodorant. Additionally, you have to avoid foods that increase heart rate: chocolate, coffee, tea, as well as spicy foods.

Cotton mouth. You have a cotton mouth when your mouth begins to dry, causing you to have difficulty in speaking and eating. It can also cause halitosis and the development of cavities. Cotton mouth usually occurs when you’re very tired or when you’re anxious. When you’re tired and nervous, shallow breathing and stress hormones slow down the production of saliva, causing that "cotton mouth sensation". So relax or drink a glass of cold water every now and then.

Understanding Workaholism

In Japan, there is a health problem that causes 1,000 deaths every year and nearly five percent of that country’s stroke and heart attacks among employees under the age of 60. It is called "karoshi," death by overwork. Workaholism is also a problem in the Netherlands, where three percent of its entire population is affected by "leisure illness" wherein workers get physically sick on weekends and vacations as they stop working.

However in the United States, a person who suffers from workaholism is viewed as someone who has a "respectable addiction," someone who is working doubly hard whether or not he or she has a job. This addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorder is dangerous and could affect millions of Americans.

Difference between "hard work" and "workaholism"

People who are "addicted" to work are often mistaken as someone who "loves" to work, who puts in long hours more often than the rest of the organization. However, that does not necessarily mean that hard work and workaholism are one and the same.

The difference between a hard worker and a workaholic can be seen on how they balance their lives. A hard worker, although can also put in long hours in the workplace, can also look for ways to achieve balance in their lives such as where to relax over the weekend and have fun.

Meanwhile, a workaholic may get a vacation on an exotic island and still think about the deadlines and the briefings in the coming weeks. Another example is a parent who misses his child’s soccer match. While a hard worker misses the game because he "has" to work, a workaholic skips the match because he feels he "needs" to work.

These all-occupying attitudes have prevented workaholics from maintaining healthy relationships, outside interests, or even take measures to protect their health.

Causes of workaholism

There are various roots to workaholism. For one, workaholics tend to have an insatiable addiction to adrenaline, a hormone released during times of short-term stress. We may have heard the term "adrenaline rush," but unlike the extreme sports enthusiasts or people who like to ride roller coasters, workaholics get their rush from working in a really stressful environment.

Adrenaline gets their heart beat faster, pupils of the eyes dilate, boosts the supply of oxygen in muscles and brain, elevates blood sugar, but this also suppresses the digestion system as well as the immune system. And because work is done more often than extreme sports and other high-risk activities, workaholics are exposed to the hormone on a daily basis and its effects on the body are felt on a long-term basis.

Another cause of workaholism is psychological in nature, particularly when a person had low self-esteem during childhood and carried it into adulthood. Many workaholics are children of alcoholics or a dysfunctional family, and their addiction to work is seen as an attempt to control a situation that is not controllable.

They can also come from seemingly perfect families with parents who put pressure on their children to achieve unreasonable success, but they end up thinking that nothing is good enough thus pushing themselves harder until they find approval, which they will never find. After all, perfection is unattainable.

Seeking help for workaholics

It cannot be denied that workaholics need help to relieve themselves from such heavy stress of overworking. They have to recognize that there is a need to balance their lives and savor other aspects of life such as friends, family, hobbies, and themselves. Counseling is often recommended for workaholics, as well as support groups such as Workaholics Anonymous.