Nov 28
Health Tips for Winter
icon1 Cheryl Weisz | icon2 Health Tips | icon4 11 28th, 2010| icon35 Comments »

Winter is a season when some people fall sick, catch flu, cough, or colds. Hence, it is important for you to take care of your health, most especially during winter.

Here are a few winter health tips that will assure you an enjoyable winter with a fit body, free from any illness.

Primarily, a balanced diet assures you proper health all through the year, and you should particularly make sure that you take properly balanced meals, which would include the vital nutrients like carbohydrates, minerals, proteins, and vitamins. However, in winter, you should prefer fresh and seasonal food items. Fruits and vegetables can be eaten as salads. Dry cereals, grains, grams, and nuts can be consumed for their very high nutrient value. To develop strength, immunity, and resistance, foods with greater proportion of carbohydrates should be eaten.

You should drink plenty of water during the day to avoid dehydration. You should also include warm soups in your meals. Many people also consume alcoholic beverages to keep their body warmer to beat the cold. However, it should be drunk in only lesser quantity and infrequently.

We also know that the benefits of exercising are many. Nevertheless, during winter, exercising is even more significant for a number of reasons. Exercise stimulates the body and develops resistance and the immune system to fight flu, cough, colds, and other illnesses that are quite common during winter. Working out at the gym or doing any physical activity like cycling, jogging, running, or walking, provide immense warmth to the body since a lot of heat is generated as the calories burn.

Lastly, you should always wear protective garments like jackets and sweaters to shield yourself from the cold winds and snow.

Nov 28

Winter is the time for blizzards, sub-zero temperatures, and visiting the ER for the reason that you fell on the ice. For the elderly, all that ice and snow signifies an increased chance of falls and slips.

Here are a few things one can do to make winter a bit less perilous:

- If you have to walk through an icy parking lot or sidewalk, try to find a firm arm to lean on. Nearly everyone is happy to help an older person move along a slippery walkway. All you have to do is ask.

- Bring a cell phone when you get out of the house. If you fall, it could sometimes be hard to get up. Keeping a cell phone with you whenever you go out can give you composure.

- If you have railings going up to your front door, make sure that they are sturdy. They should be able to support you in case you slipped.

- Check your footwear. Examine your boots and shoes. Better traction can help keep you extra stable on icy surfaces.

- Keep the shovel and salt inside your house. The reason you need a shovel and salt is so that you do not have to walk across a slippery sidewalk. If you need to traverse through the ice and snow to get to your garage where the salt and shovel are, that defeats the purpose.

- Slow down. It is when you rush that you end up losing your balance. Keep in mind that being a bit late is better than rushing and then falling.

- Strengthen your legs. Strong leg muscles could help you steady yourself if you lose your balance. Moreover, if you do fall, it would be a lot easier to get back on your feet. You should exercise your legs frequently to keep them strong.

These little tips, when used together, could make the winter elements a bit less intimidating.

Nov 21
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
icon1 Cheryl Weisz | icon2 pain management | icon4 11 21st, 2010| icon36 Comments »

Tissues inside a space in the wrist called the carpal tunnel can sometimes swell, pinching a nerve and causing the painful condition known as carpal tunnel syndrome. There is a feeling of numbness, tingling and pain in the index finger and first finger of the affected hand, and also weakness in the thumb.

Middle-aged and pregnant women are the principal sufferers, especially those who use their fingers a lot, such as housewives, pianists, and chronic computer users. The condition is often worse at night, when the pain and tingling may spread up the forearm and interrupt sleep. Hanging the affected arm – or arms – over the side of the bed sometimes brings relief; a splint on the wrist may also help.

Without treatment, the symptoms will gradually worsen over the months or years. Anyone developing the symptoms should see a doctor before using any alternative treatment.

A doctor will usually prescribe painkillers – or, if the condition is particularly troublesome, inject the wrist with cortisone to reduce the tissue swelling. In severe cases, he may recommend a minor operation to relieve the compression.

It is always best to use hand mobility aids that have been successful in preventing hand wrist pain. For more information, visit DoAbility today.

Nov 20

Embarrassing symptoms, such as incontinence, make sufferers reluctant to talk about bladder problems, so they are much more common than is generally realised. Over the age of 65, one woman in every 12 and one man in every 70 is bladder incontinent – making it, by far, the most common problem.

It takes several forms:

Stress Incontinence
Women are the main sufferers – the condition is usually the result of childbirth or a surgical operation weakening pelvic muscles. The first symptom may be a few drops of urine leaking whenever you cough or strain; eventually, any physical effort, such as bending, can cause a leakage.

Urge Incontinence
Both sexes are vulnerable. Sufferers cannot reach the lavatory in time when the need arises. This can happen several times an hour and be exhausting.

Dribbling Incontinence
This is more common among men – a leakage of urine can occur at any time without the man even being aware of it. Prostate problems are the usual cause: the bladder is never properly emptied, so urine continues to dribble out.

Incontinence can also result from a bladder infection, stroke, or spinal injury, so it is important to see your doctor if you develop the condition. Many of the measures that help to combat incontinence can also help to prevent it.

Problems other than those of incontinence include bladder cancer and bladder stones – both relatively rare. Bladder cancer can result from working near certain dyeing chemicals, and smoking can also increase the risk of contracting it. Symptoms may not appear until the cancer has grown quite large, and include blood or mucus in the urine.

Bedside toilets are very useful for people suffering from incontinence.

Nov 15

There are several high risk occupations associated with a painful back. If you fall into any of them, take extra care.

Manual Workers
About 22 percent of miners, furniture removers, construction workers, dockers, and other manual workers are regular sufferers.

Nurses
About 17 percent of nurses, who regularly have to lift bedridden patients, and carry and bend in their work, are stricken each year.

Office Workers
Those who use computers most of the time are prone because they often use badly designed chairs that do not give enough support to the small of the back, and so encourage them to slouch.

Drivers
Long-distance truck drivers, tractor drivers, and those who spend a lot of time behind the wheel are liable to get lower back pain due to poor posture and the vibration they experience in their vehicles.

Housewives and Mothers
Bending to make beds, cleaning, lifting and carrying babies and small children frequently cause back problems. Many women start getting back pain during pregnancy.

Athletes
Any sport that involves vigorous activity, like in the case of football, tennis, or basketball, or one that makes great use of a particular set of muscles, like in weightlifting or golf, can put undue strain on the back.

The Elderly
The older you are, the less supple your joints and muscles are likely to be. Back pain and stiffness may result – and there is a risk of osteoporosis developing.

Previous Sufferers
If your back has already pained you, it is liable to go again. Exercise and good posture help strengthen the spine and prevent recurring trouble.

Nevertheless, DoAbility has an extensive line of mobility products that can help these people manage all types of back pain. Visit www.DoAbility.co.uk today.

Nov 15

There are more than 100 different types of arthritis, all involving some disorder or inflammation of the joints. Two of the most common forms are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, which affect millions of people worldwide. A third common form is gout, caused by crystals of uric acid collecting in the sufferer’s joints.

The causes of arthritis are largely unknown, but various factors such as heredity, injury, and stress on the joints may play a part. Many therapists believe that certain forms may be associated with a breakdown of the immune system – possibly triggered off by an allergy or by virus infections.

A wholefood, largely vegetarian diet with plenty of salads and lightly cooked vegetables is recommended. Cut out foods, such as dairy products, that can cause allergies. However, modest amounts such as one or two eggs a week and a little fish or chicken every second day may do no harm.

Avoid red meat and white flour products. Use goat’s milk and the cheese and yoghurt made from it, instead of cow’s milk and its products. Avoid acid fruits such as lemons, oranges, grapefruit, and strawberries, as well as rhubarb, spinach, tomatoes, salt, sugar, tea, coffee, alcohol, and products containing food additives. Drinking raw fruit and vegetable juices may also help. For cases of acute inflammation, two to four cups of celery juice, and one cup each of carrot, cucumber, and beetroot juice daily are recommended.

Remedies also include a warming lotion made from glycerine and cayenne pepper, and hot poultices and compresses of pounded fresh ginger, powdered sulphur or green clay. Another lotion may be made by mixing one part cayenne to four parts olive oil and eight parts spirit of camphor.

Cider vinegar, honey, and cod liver oil are traditional cures. Try 2 teaspoons of cider vinegar in a glass of water with a little honey, first thing in the morning and again at every meal; or take 2 teaspoons of cod liver oil for five days before going to bed. Some sufferers also claim to have been helped by copper bracelets.

Swimming and bathing take the weight off joints and warm water relaxes muscles and relieves pain. Sea water is believed to be particularly beneficial, as are seaweed baths. You can buy dried seaweed for this purpose sold as bladderwrack at major chemists, health food shops, or herbalists. An Epsom salts bath may also help – simply add 3-4 tablespoons to a hot bath.

Two general homeopathic remedies are Ruta and Rhus tox. The second is also claimed to be a specific remedy for pains that become worse after resting and in damp weather, and are relieved somewhat by continuous activity. For very painful joints that hurt if moved, try Bryonia, and after an injury, Arnica. If pain is eased by pressure and cold, and increased by heat or movement, Bryonia may help. Pulsatilla is used when pains seem to move from joint to joint, when neck and shoulders “crack” on movement, and when legs feel heavy in daytime and ache at night. When symptoms tend to worsen in a hot and stuffy atmosphere, gentle movement and pressure can give relief.

DoAbility has various mobility products that can help ease the pain and difficulty of arthritis in your everyday lives. You can visit their website: www.DoAbility.co.uk.

Nov 7

Being considered medically overweight may be a challenging exploit. From self-esteem issues, to the failure to have a steady eating habit, and the risks some adults, and even kids, would one day have to face with their health. Having a disability is hard on any person, and obesity is not bent to a particular group of persons. It can be inherited or just developed through poor dietary choices.

Anybody can become overweight, and suffer from weight related health problems. It has become increasingly more of an epidemic worldwide over the past few years because of the fatty and sugary foods being spread to the public, while the mainstream public has no regard for their own well-being.

The self-esteem factor is important particularly in young children. Poor self-esteem can increase the chances of somebody getting fat or becoming more overweight because of despair. It is as simple as in the case of an overweight child going to school, where other children are giving him or her a hard time just because of this flaw. As much as you would want to think that it gets better as they mature, they do not. Larger people are inclined to be stared at for no cause, laughed at for doing an easy and common task, and even bantered on for their stature. They are thought to be lazy, ignorant, and undesirable people, although in actuality, they are fairly the same as everyone else, or even more civilized.

For some individuals, it is a lot harder to place themselves on a strict eating regimen. They eat until they are stuffed, or eat more because they do not feel filled yet. In order to make a positive adjustment to your weight, you would have to set yourself up an excellent weekly intake chart and monitor to ensure that you are keeping up. Accept it as a life-altering plan of action instead of a diet will make it easier not to have extra cheesecakes.

Although it is unfair to say all obese people have an eating problem, some have medical issues that keep them from living a vigorous and fit life. If diabetes and obesity are in your family history, it is likely that you are one of the people, who fall under this category.

The world has been doing a lot in recent times to pull a U-turn in the percentage of obese citizens. An astounding and nerve racking amount of people could live happily eating fast food alone. Sadly, that fact alone is not sufficient to send everybody to a fitness camp. Still, efforts are being made to at least, reduce overweight people.

Nov 7

Incontinence is perhaps a bigger issue for the general population than you expect. You may also probably believe that this problem is mostly an issue for the elderly. However, you would be surprised that almost 25 percent of people between 18 and 25 suffer to a little extent.

Incontinence is the unrestrained passage of urine or faecal matter or both. Urinary incontinence is more common and there is a range of underlying conditions that may cause it. One of the more frequent conditions is the deterioration of the pelvic floor muscles, which hold up all of the organs, which include the bladder.

When these muscles grow weaker, the organs can shift, causing pressure on the bladder. This can lead to a light flow or complete failure to control urination depending on the severity. Other disorders that can cause incontinence are enlarged prostate (the most common cause in men), nerve damage to the bladder, or something as uncomplicated as diet.

Faecal incontinence is less common but is often more serious in its impact. This disorder is the leading cause of admittances to nursing homes. People who cannot control the passage of faeces or of gas carry a bigger shame and it often is a communally disabling condition.

Incontinence is a condition, which affects a large part of the populace and one that will almost certainly become more common as the population gets old. There are treatments and products that could help manage and cure the disorder and it should never be contemplated as an inevitable result of getting older. If you are experiencing this condition, ask help from your physician. They can get you started on the most excellent therapy available to end your concerns.

To make sure you do not end up wetting your bed if you suffer from incontinence, try the bariatric toilets by DoAbility.