My blog

Know Your Visitors – Know Your Customers!

2011-06-21T09:33:00.002-07:00

Most websites fail. Why? Because, they don’t post regular content that people will want to read.

How do you know what people want to read? The answer is to get to know your website’s visitors and potential visitors. By knowing your readers, you will hopefully have some idea about your potential customers!

Here are a few ways that I try to get to know my visitors.

Analytics

Always keep an eye on your website statistics. So, if you haven’t already, you have to sign up toGoogle Analytics. Always keep it open in a tab in your browser and monitor the numbers day-by-day.

Google Analytics is like a drug – when consumed it can give you feelings of achievement and vindication that’ll keep you coming back for more.

You will find a lot of information about your visitors here: where they are geographically, what browsers they use, how much time they spend on the site, etc. Check the number of visitors daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. See which pages are viewed the most, which are viewed the least and which are the exit pages – the least successful pages.

How are your visitors finding you? You’ll see the traffic sources are split into three: organic (search engines), referrals (website links) and direct (mostly email).

Referrals: Look in Traffic Sources > Referring Sites in Google Analytics and here you will learn, for example, which social sites give the best traffic. Facebook? Twitter? LinkedIn? What does this say about the sort of visitors they are? Experiment submitting new blog posts to different social sites and see which ones send the most traffic. And see which site sends the traffic with the highest number of pages viewed per visit (click the header of the Pages/Visit column). This will tell you something about your visitors and how to keep them.

Keywords: Look in Traffic Sources > Keywords in Google Analytics and you will learn a lot about your customers. Here you will see what your visitors are typing into search engines to find you. What are the most popular keywords that they type? And which keywords result in the most pages per visit. These are the keywords your visitors are most interested in and will keep coming back for.

It’s not just about Google Analytics, view your site on Alexa. Here you have information on your visitors’ sex, age, income, etc. There are a host of other stats packages to explore.

By keeping an eye on Google Analytics I have found out that people arrive at my site wanting to know how to run a design business and I have posted articles accordingly.

Remember, results almost always increase when measured. The more you look at your visitor stats; the more you’ll understand them and the more you’ll get!

Research

Generally speaking, you should be researching the keywords you use, the keywords you think you might use and even the keywords you think you shouldn’t use. This will help you know what to write about and what words to use in the titles and headings of your site.

But also, after looking at the keywords your visitors use, you should research those as well. See what comes up in Google’s Keyword Research Tool as well as Google search. This will give you a better idea about what your visitors are really looking for.

Researching the terms that your visitors use will show you more about what they are looking for and therefore help you to serve your customers better. I have found numerous subjects and avenues to explore as a result of researching various keywords I already use. For example, I found the phrase “small business marketing” was quite popular and one that I could use here.

Talk to your readers

Always, always, always, talk to all your visitors via your website. Allow comments on all pages of the website. Install a subscribe to comments plug in so visitors can be notified if a comment has been made. Do everything you can to keep the conversation going. Answer questions. Comment on comments. Express gratitude for thanks. Ask for opinions at the end of every blog post. Write in a way that is accessible and makes people feel at ease to comment. Reassure them that their email will not be used. And don’t even think about using it!

Always answer any email you may receive that’s not spam. Sometimes your website’s visitors will contact you directly – this is pure gold. Engage with every reader that gets in touch to find out what subjects and products interest them. I have many readers contacting me and I very much enjoy the interaction with them!

Another great way of learning about your website’s visitors is to offer a mailing list subscription. UseAweber, MailChimp, iContact, VerticalResponse or any mailing service and paste a sign up form on your website. You will get more subscriptions if you offer a free ebook in return for the email address.

By doing this you can enter into a dialogue with your readers. They will receive email direct from you in which you can ask them about themselves. Ask what sort of information they would require from your website.

In a recent newsletter, I asked my readers what they would like to read about. The subjects I got requests for were: keyword research, books I recommend and open source design applications – all of which I’ve written about!

Put your latest posts onto social media

Use StumbleUpon, Digg, LinkedIn groups, Twitter, etc., to advertise your latest posts. People will make comments about your posts on these sites, especially on LinkedIn groups. Read and respond to these comments as this will increase interaction with your readers and help you understand them. The conversation will tell you a lot about the sort of people who engage with your site. And the sort of links they click on will tell you a lot about the sort of people you can attract to your site.

Conclusion

Your website should be a conversation – and you can’t make a very good conversation if you don’t know who you’re talking to.

But, as always, I’m really interested in what you think. If you have a website, were there ideas that you found helpful or do you have any other ways of getting to know your readers? And, if you haven’t got a website, let me know what you think of this one! You can leave a comment down below.

Using Featured Images in WordPress

2011-06-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

Featured Images in posts or pages is yet another example of how WordPress is not only a brilliant blogging platform but also an adaptable CMS (Content Management System).

The basic idea behind Featured Images is the ability to set a thumbnail, or any size of image, to an article so that when that article is listed in the site the featured image can appear as well. It creates an easy visual reference (which is worth a thousand words!) alongside the text-based title and description of your post or page which is so much more enticing and will make your visitors more likely to stay and read more!

My main blog page is an example of using Featured Images in WordPress. For every post I have set a generic thumbnail image that sums up the content of the article. So for each post you can see the image, the title and the excerpt.

A really simple example of using Featured Images

First of all, you need a theme that supports Featured Images. If so, you will see this box on the right-hand side when you create a new post or page.

If you can’t see this box it means your theme isn’t set up to support Featured Images yet. You just need a small bit of code to put in your theme’s functions file which is located here: wp-content/themes/your-theme/functions.php – you can edit it by going to Appearance > Editor on the left-hand side of the WordPress back-end and then by clicking “functions.php” on the right-hand side in your theme’s template files.

<?php add_theme_support( 'post-thumbnails' ); set_post_thumbnail_size( 150, 150, true ); ?>

The first line enables the use of Featured Images on your site. The second line determines their size (in this case 150 pixels square).

So, when you’re adding a new post and want to assign a Featured Image to it, click “Set featured image” in the Featured Image box on the right-hand side. In the resulting pop-up box below, after choosing an image from your computer or one that is already in your Media Library, it is important to enter the post’s (or page’s) title in the Title field as this will ensure the correct text pops up when you hover over a Featured Image.

Once you are happy with the image, the alt text and the title click “Use as Featured Image” (circled above) close the box by clicking the cross in the top right-hand corner. Now you will see your Featured Image in the right-hand side of the WordPress post editing area. Publish or Update the post. You will notice that, if you selected a horizontal or vertical image and yourset_post_thumbnail_size is square, WordPress will have cropped your image. If you are not happy with the crop of the Featured Image you will either have to crop the image yourself and upload another image or read on as I have another solution for this!

In order to get a Featured Image to actually appear in your blog you will have to put this somewhere inside the loop:

<?php the_post_thumbnail(); ?>

Here is an example of how I get my Featured Images to appear on my main blog page:

<?php if(have_posts()) : ?><?php while(have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>
<div class="post" id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>"> <div class="thumbnail"> <a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"> <?php the_post_thumbnail(); ?> </a>
</div>
Followed by a div of the title which links to the post’s permalink div.
Followed by a div with the excerpt plus a “read more” link to the post’s permalink.
<?php endwhile; ?>

If you’re worried that you might not be able to assign a Featured Image to all of your old posts, you can use this code to display a default image if no Featured Image exists:

<?php if ( has_post_thumbnail() ) the_post_thumbnail(); else echo '<img src="default" alt="" />'; ?>

Displaying Featured Images with two different sizes

If you look at the bottom left-hand side of my home page, you will see that I list my most recent 5 posts with much smaller thumbnails (40 pixels square). Here’s how I did this. In my theme’s functions file I put:

<?php add_theme_support( 'post-thumbnails' ); set_post_thumbnail_size( 150, 150, true ); add_image_size( 'my_thumbnail', 40, 40, true ); ?>

Above you can see in the third line of PHP a second size of Featured Image. And then in the template file I use for the home page I put inside a loop:

<?php the_post_thumbnail('my_thumbnail'); ?>

Which produced 40 by 40 pixels square thumbnails!

How to maintain the full width or height of a Featured Image

So, now we know how to set and display images that are generic to the post as small square thumbnails, but what if you want to use the Featured Images as logos which can’t be cropped? I came across this issue when a client asked me to set up a system where every time a new company used her product she could upload the company’s logo and display them on her website. This is what I put in the theme’s functions file:

<?php add_theme_support( 'post-thumbnails' ); set_post_thumbnail_size( 75, 40, true ); add_image_size( 'bigger_image', 9999, 40 ); ?>

This ensures that the images will be displayed with a maximum width of 75 pixels and a maximum height of 40 pixels and that none of the image is cropped. And, within the loop, this is how I called the logo image:

<?php the_post_thumbnail('bigger_image'); ?>

Video showing how to use Featured Images using the above example

The video below explains how to assign a Featured Image to a post and how to set up Featured Images within a WordPress theme. It shows the example above of displaying a string of logos that are linked to a blog post in a particular category.

Watch the video here!

Conclusion

I am just scratching at the surface of what you can do with Featured Images in WordPress. It’s an incredibly powerful function with real ease of functionality for the end user. I am hopelessly indebted to many helpful people from the WordPress community that supplied some of the above code. What about you? Do you use Featured Images? Or, if not, did this help you at all to understand the use of them? Does this seem easy or difficult to apply?

How to Write for the Web

2011-06-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

You have a web presence. You have a product or a service to sell. You need to create awesome web pages that will elicit a response… You need to know how to write for the internet.

It’s a devilishly difficult skill to master. I’ve been doing it for five years and still consider myself a novice. Here’s what I’ve learnt so far:

Grab the reader’s attention

Your readers are extremely time poor. You need to solve a problem of theirs quickly and effectively.

The most important points should be made in the first few lines of paragraphs or directly under subheads.
Headlines should be short, direct and eye-catching.
The text itself should be scannable (with short paragraphs, loads of subheads, use of numbered and bulleted lists, bolded words, links, images, etc.)

Practice and test

The skill of internet writing comes with practice and testing.

Use Google Analytics to see which of your web pages are the most popular and ask yourself why.
Use Twitter and see which tweets are retweeted and/or answered the most.
Use social bookmarking sites like StumbleUpon and Digg to see which headlines work best.
Use Google Keyword Research to find out which phrases are being regularly searched for. This will tell you what people are interested in.

Hone your blog writing process

Keep ideas books Have paper and pencils/pens in every room of the house, at work and on your person every minute of the day. Every time an idea comes into your head, quickly write it down.
Don’t start writing in a browser Start writing on in a text editor like Word or TextEdit (Mac) or on paper. Don’t start to write in the WordPress text editor — that’s a real creativity killer.
Copy the formatted text (with embolden and italicized words) and paste into the WordPress Visual editor (the formatting will be kept). Click “Save Draft” on the right-hand side of the WordPress editor. You’re not ready to “Publish” yet. Not by a long way!
Work on tidying, editing and adding graphics to the text in WordPress. Check progress by clicking the “Preview” button which will open a version of your blog post before it is published.
Repeat this process multiple times. Read and re-read the Preview version in one tab whilst making corrections in the WordPress editor in the other tab.

Every sentence that you read in this article I will have re-read back to myself at least ten times.

Don’t write crap

We all do it. It’s time we stopped. Here is a great guide to writing well where I took the following quote and advice:

“Never use a long word where a short one will do.” (George Orwell)

Be as clear as you can
Avoid the passive voice “He was seen by Joe” should be “Joe saw him.”
Use orthodox spelling, punctuation, and capitalization
Avoid qualifiers: a bit, a little, sort of, kind of, rather, quite, very, too, pretty much, in a sense.
Avoid long words when short ones will do: Assistance = help; implement = do; referred to as = called.
Avoid laborious phrases. Why use “at the present time” when you can use “now”?

Go to Copyblogger for further internet writing advice.

Conclusion

This is what I’ve learnt while writing online. But I’m sure there’s more out there. Have you got any tips for writing effective web copy?

Also, if you have enjoyed or learnt something from this article, you could tweet, like or vote using the buttons below.

How to Blog for Business

2011-06-21T09:31:00.001-07:00

For me, blogging isn’t about making money from advertising, affiliate marketing and selling products. It’s not about that for the majority of bloggers either.

But it is about business. All of my current clients have either contacted me through my website or are a result of a recommendation through my website.

I advise most of my clients to see a blog as a marketing tool.

How should I use my blog?

A blog is the hub of your online presence. There is no better way to constantly distribute content so that it can be easily found.

You may love getting stuff out there using Facebook, Flickr or YouTube. But all these social sharing sites should point back to your blog as that is where your brand is under your complete control.

I have had many fantastic people contact me through my website and I ask them what search terms did they use? What was it about the site that attracted them? In what way was I better than the alternatives? The interesting thing is that I’ve never had the same answer twice.

In the early days of this blog, I tried to rank highly for the keywords “graphic designer”. I didn’t even think of researching the keywords which I should have but I thought it was a no-brainer that people looking for graphic design work would type “graphic design” into a search engine.

Was I right? Well, yes and no. Some of my clients used the obvious words to find me. Most, however, and most of the best ones, used the obvious words in combination with others.

The long tail

What is the long tail? Imagine a graph of your search terms on the x axis in relation to traffic provided on the y axis. That graph would have a peak for your most popular term (“design”, 55,600,000 searches a month) and then get shorter for the less popular terms (“graphic design”, 1,830,000 searches a month) and shorter down to the least trafficked terms. Maybe terms like “freelance graphic designer london” or “graphic design inspiration” will get only a few thousand searches a month. These low traffic, more descriptive phrases are known as the long tail.

The most fascinating thing about the long tail is that the total volume of searches are actually more than the highly competitive single and double word phrases. What’s even more amazing is that these long-tail searches convert better. That is, visitors that arrive at your site from long tail searches are more likely to make a purchase or sign up to a mailing list.

The more words you type into a search engine; the more likely you are to find what you’re looking for. So a person who finds you having searched for a more specific subject is more likely to form a positive attachment to your brand.

A great example of how the long tail can work for you

I have a well-known classical music publisher client who has given me thousands and thousands of dollars of business over the last few years. Just this week I was talking to the person at the company who first contacted me. I asked her how she’d found me. She’d actually searched for “rates that graphic designers charge” and found my blog post about freelance design prices. I couldn’t believe it! I’d written that article as a response to the many questions I’d received from designers asking this question. It was a post written for other designers rather than for prospective clients. By trying to help other people I was helping myself!

The fantastic thing that this story teaches us is to forget about keyword density, meta tags, internal PageRank sculpting and other boring practices the “SEO gurus” bang on about. Forget about all the claptrap and create good content! If you write about what you know best you will attract the right people to you.

Don’t forget about social media and backlinks!

There is a flipside to creating content and that is getting links to it which isn’t always easy. When I first started blogging I spent ages getting my site in directory sites and setting up reciprocal link exchanges. Nowadays, Google and other search engines are counting social media links more than they used to and they lead to links on other sites. So follow up your blogging with participation in your social media platforms of choice (be they Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook) and by forming alliances with other bloggers in your niche.

Follow the same basic rules when engaging in social media and blogging relationships as you do with your blog. Create good content on the social media sites and pass on useful information to your blogging buddies in the same way as you help people with your blog.

What about you?

Do you use a blog to solicit responses from potential clients? Do you have any specific “hire me” links on your site? Actually a specific call to action on the site was one thing I purposely didn’t talk about in this article as I don’t have any evidence as to their effectiveness. As always, I’m dying to hear your responses! And, if you enjoyed the article, please consider tweeting or voting for it on your social network of choice!

Reader Profiles for my Blog

2011-06-21T09:30:00.001-07:00

I was inspired by Darren Rowse’s article about writing reader profiles to inform your blogging.

Darren Rowse, for those of you that don’t know, has been blogging since 2002 and writes a number of successful blogs including ProBlogger.net which aims to help bloggers learn the skills of blogging and is one of the most successful sites on the net. I have been reading his stuff for years now and he has helped me immeasurably.

Darren feels that after you have created these reader profiles you are better able to connect with your audience and create relevant content. The following subjects need to be covered in the profiles:

Demographics
Financial Situation
Needs/Challenges
How they use the Web
Motivations for Reading the Blog
Experience with the topic – Level
Dreams

So, based on the readers that contact me personally, leave messages and promote my stuff through Twitter, etc., here are three reader profiles for this blog:

Gary, freelance graphic designer

Gary is 32 and describes himself as a creative graphic designer. He has a good degree in design and has always been known for his creativity and artistic nature. He has held a number of good jobs in studios in London, UK, mainly working in print design and corporate identity.

However, Gary is frustrated by the limited opportunities afforded him both by his current employers and the financial situation. Ever the resourceful person, Gary has already started taking on a bit of design work through various contacts and dreams of setting up his own design company. As he wishes to settle down with his long-term girlfriend and start a family, a greater degree of financial security is hoped for.

Another frustration for Gary is that he has been involved in print design but is fascinated by the internet and mobile worlds and is obviously extremely tech savvy. He is teaching himself web design and has just moved to WordPress and a CMS of choice for his personal site which stuggles for traffic.

Gary has visited RobCubbon.com many times in the last few years whilst surfing for Adobe CS tips and has found information on blogging and starting your own design business very useful and so eventually subscribed to the newsletter.

Sanjit, junior SEO, article marketer and budding entrepreneur

Sanjit lives in a middle class suburb in Bangalore and has finished his further education in design and marketing. He works in a large SEO outsourcing company in the center of town but spends his evenings and spare time glued to his laptop reading and participating in blogs, forums, social sites and wikis, learning about design, internet marketing, mobile communications and anything connected to running a successful online business.

Although, Sanjit still lives with his parents, he’s going to get married next year and therefore wishes to make more money online. Sanjit’s dreams for his future business are general and unfocussed due to his young age but he believes his developing skills in English, writing, design, SEO, SM and marketing will stand him in good stead in the future.

He gathers information from a wide variety of sources online mainly stemming from social networking groups.

Heather, employed super-mom

Heather is 48, from Perth, western Australia, has held a long term part time job in recruitment and is finding she has more time on her hands now that her kids are grown up. Having put her career on the back-burner through years of bringing up children, Heather is now dead set on utilising her skills to create an online business. Heather is university educated with a degree in geography but has taken a number of home study and online courses in design, writing, reiki, herbal medicine, to name a few, and has been on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter for a while developing connections both real and virtual.

Her dream is to run a website selling homeopathic remedies as this is something she truly believes in. Her nature is hands on and so is starting the daunting task of learning ecommerce web design from the ground up. Being cautious and intelligent, she has created a WordPress.org blog to write about the subject first and is encouraged by the increasing traffic and the early signs of a developing community. RobCubbon.com is one of many, many blogs she is using to discover how to develop a brand and sell products.

My readers and visitors

One of the reasons I thought this may benefit me is that I have been worried about the somewhat changing subject matter of this blog. When I started blogging in 2006 I was working in print design and the articles reflected that.

My blog has since morphed into being about print design, web design and internet marketing. These changes have been not only because of my changing interests but also because of the changing requests from my visitors and my clients. The world is very different now in 2011 to how it was in 2006. The recession has meant that people want improved website design as well as getting that website found through search engines and now social media and interest in traditional media has waned.

But it is essential that I take my readers with me.

So, as always at the end of an article, I must ask you to tell me what you would like to read about. What problems do you have in your professional lives at the moment? What is stopping you from achieving your dreams?

What do you think of my reader profiles? Is one of them close to you?

The most important thing I take from writing these reader profiles is that all the personas have one thing in common. They want to use the internet to either further their businesses or create businesses: they are all entrepreneurs! Is this true of you?

FDA Asks Pfizer About Chantix, Heart Risk And The Stop Smoking Drug

2011-06-19T02:03:00.001-07:00

Pfizer's stop-smoking drugChantix (varenicline) can lead to a small increase in cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks for patients who already have cardiovascular disease, U.S. drug regulators said on Thursday. In fact, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is changing the label for Chantix after reviewing the results of a clinical trial.

Annual sales are now about $800 million, making the pill a "moderate sized" product for the pharma giant.

The FDA stated this week:

"The known benefits of Chantix should be weighed against its potential risks when deciding to use the drug in smokers with cardiovascular disease."

An independent randomized trial of 700 smokers with cardiovascular disease who were treated with Chantix or a placebo showed that Chantix was effective in helping patients quit smoking for as long as one year, but patients who took the pill were also slightly more likely to have a heart attack or other adverse cardiovascular event versus patients on a placebo.

Varenicline is in a class of medications called smoking cessation aids. It works by blocking the pleasant effects of nicotine (from smoking) on the brain.

Investors had high hopes for the drug when Pfizer first launched its smoking-cessation aid in 2006, but reports of serious side effects have prevented strong sales growth.

Varenicline received a "priority review" by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in February 2006, shortening the usual 10-month review period to 6 months because of its demonstrated effectiveness in clinical trials and perceived lack of safety issues. The agency's approval of the drug came on May 11, 2006. On August 1, 2006, varenicline was made available for sale in the United States and on September 29, 2006, was approved for sale in the European Union.

Chantix has been associated with agitation, depression and suicidal thoughts, and, in clinical trials, linked with nightmares. That's no fun. Psychiatric symptoms have occurred in people without a history of mental illness and have worsened in people who already had mental illness.

The drug already is required by the FDA to carry a black box warning, the agency's strongest safety warning, due to public reports of the said side effects above.

There have been problems in the normally fairly lax country of Canada. On June 3, 2010, Health Canada also announced changes to the Canadian Product Monograph that include changes in mood or behavior, serious allergic reactions and skin reactions , neuropsychiatric side-effects in patients taking varenicline with or without a history of psychiatric disorder side-effects such as sleepiness, dizziness, loss of consciousness, seizures, or difficulty concentrating.

Health Canada advised those taking varenicline not engage in potentially hazardous activities, such as driving a car or operating dangerous machinery until they know how they may be affected by varenicline.

Finally, earlier this year in May, it was revealed that Pfizer had submitted 589 varenicline-related adverse effects reports to the FDA through "improper channels." These reports dated back through 2007 and included 150 completed suicides (more than twice the number previously reported).

UK Mass Drinking Child Report Released; US Parents Supervising More

2011-06-19T02:02:00.003-07:00

While friends play a critical role in peer drinking habits, family has a strong direct and indirect influence. The parent or guardian has a particularly strong influence on their child's behavior. This ranges from the point at which alcohol is introduced, to exposure to adult drinking and drunkenness, to the amount of supervision placed on a young person (such as knowing where their child is on a Saturday evening or how many evenings their child spends with friends).

A new 91 page report released this week by The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, United Kingdom delves deeper into this issue. (see below for link to full report)

There are critical points where a carefully timed intervention could generate a positive outcome by reducing the likelihood that a young person will drink frequently and drink to excess. These interventions require co-ordination at a national, local and frontline level involving families, schools and support.

Claire Turner, from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said:

"This research shows that parents can have more influence on their teenagers' behavior than perhaps many assumed. Both what parents say and how they behave have a strong impact on their teenagers' drinking, drinking regularly and drinking to excess."

In fact, more often parents are giving their children alcohol. In total, 30% of the liquor being drunk by under aged youth is provided by adults or relatives. Some 709,000 youngsters aged 12 to 14 in the United States are drinking beer, liquor and other alcoholic beverages, a new federal study found. Drinking as a youth is a gateway to potentially lifelong alcoholism.

On the other side of the pond, U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. said:

"People who begin drinking alcohol before the age of 15 are six times more likely than those who start at age 21 and older to develop alcohol problems. Parents and other adults need to be aware that providing alcohol to children can expose them to an increased risk for alcohol abuse and set them on a path with increased potential for addiction."

In the past month alone, more than 200,000 kids were given alcohol by a parent or other adult family member, according to a report from SAMHSA.

Peter Delany, director of SAMHSA's Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality continues:

"About 5.9% of 12- to 14-year-olds have used alcohol in the past month. That's a pretty large number. And almost all of these kids got that alcohol for free. Anecdotally, parents say, 'Well, at least they are drinking at home and not on the street, or at least they are not smoking marijuana' -- all kind of silly things. If you want to have a big impact on preventing problems with youth alcohol use, it starts at home. This is a wholly preventable behavior."

Migraine Relief From Bariatric Surgery For Morbidly Obese Individuals

2011-06-19T02:02:00.001-07:00

90% of morbidly obese patients who suffered frommigraines and underwent bariatric surgery achieved partial or total relief of their condition, researchers from the University of Iowa revealed at the 28th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). Three years after their operation 70% of patients never had a migraine again while 18% experienced partial improvement - their frequency of attacks fell from five to two every month. 11% of them experienced no change.

Isaac Samuel, MD Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver explained:

"The incidence and severity of migraines was greatly reduced after bariatric surgery and weight loss, suggesting there are a number of people who are suffering from migraines who otherwise might not but for their excessive weight. "

The investigators gathered data from the medical records of 702 morbidly obese patients who had RYGB (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass) surgery between March 2000 and September 2009. All of them had been diagnosed as migraine sufferers and were being treated for the condition.

81 of them qualified for the retrospective study. Data were collected from institutional electronic medical records, or via telephone. They were followed-up after their operation for from 12 months to 8.5 years.

The researchers noted that the participants who experienced the most migraine relief tended to be those whose symptoms started after they had become obese. Approximately 80% had total resolution and 14% had partial improvement. 75% of those who suffered from migraines before they became obese experienced improvement after their bariatric surgery - 46% of them had total resolutions, 29% had partial improvement.

The researchers added that according to their data, patients' post-operative improvements in migraine symptoms were independent of migraine-linked issues, such as sleep apnea, anxiety or depression. The females whose migraines were linked to their menstrual cycles also experienced improvements.

Dr. Samuel added:

"The association between migraine headache and obesity is controversial. Although some suggest that obesity is associated with migraine prevalence, others have only found a correlation between the frequency and severity of migraine headache and obesity. The effect of surgical weight loss on morbidly obese patients with migraines provides a unique opportunity to evaluate this association. The higher number of patients identified in this study cohort that developed migraines after obesity onset could suggest that obesity contributes to an increased risk of having migraines rather than merely exacerbating the symptoms."

The most effective and long-lasting treatment for morbid obesity has been shown to be bariatric surgery. Morbid obesity means the person's BMI (body mass index) is at least 40.

Over 15 million people in the USA are morbidly obese, according to the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery. Bariatric surgery can help patients lose from 30% to 50% of their surplus weight within six months of the procedure, and 77% of their excess weight within 12 months.

Bariatric surgery generally includes either laparoscopic gastric bypass or laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB). After the operation the stomach's capacity to hold food is reduced, and/or the total number of calories absorbed is limited.

US health authorities estimate that annual obesity-related health spending doubled during the decade up to 2008 to $147 billion. If obesity rates in the USA continue their current trend, spending by 2018 will probably reach $344 billion annually.

"Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Achieves Substantial Resolution of Migraine Headache in the Severely Obese: a 9-year analysis of 81 patients" - PL 111
Yusuf Gunay, MD; Mohammad Jamal, MD, FACS; Alyssa Capper, BS; Anas Eid, MD; Debi Heitshusen, RN, Isaac Samuel, MD, FRCS, FACS, The University of Iowa, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine

Risperdal Recalled Due To Strange Smell

2011-06-19T02:01:00.002-07:00

Approximately 16,000 bottles of schizophrenia drug -Risperdal - have been recalled by Johnson & Johnson company, Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. because of an"uncharacteristic odor".

The smell is thought to be caused by traces of a byproduct of a chemical preservative which is applied to wooden pallets - 2, 4, 6 tribromoanisole (TBA). The company says TBA is not toxic, but can give off an unpleasant smell. A very small number of patients may experience temporary gastrointestinal symptoms.

The company is recalling:

One lot of Risperdal (risperidone) 3 mg tablets marketed by Janssen Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
One lot of risperidone 2 mg tablets marketed by Patriot Pharmaceuticals, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Johnson & Johnson says it instituted several actions to reduce TBA contamination risk.

The recalled Risperdal lot was shipped between 27th August 2010 and 15th February 2011. The company believes there are about 1,600 bottles of Risperdal from this lot still in the marketplace.

The recalled respiredone lot involves about 24,000 bottles and was shipped between 10th November, 2010 and 1st January, 2011. Fewer than 1,200 bottles are thought to still be in the marketplace.

Description of recalled products:

RISPERDAL® (risperidone) Tablets 3mg Bottles of 60 Tablets
NDC Code - 50458-330-06. Lot Number - 0GG904. Expiry - May 2012
Risperidone Tablets 2mg Bottles of 60 Tablets
NDC Code - 50458-593-60. Lot Number - OlG175. Expiry - August 2012

Johnson & Johnson has had to announce several product recalls over the last couple of years of OTC and prescription medications, as well as some medical devices. Experts say the company's once pristine reputation has been severely affected.

Some product recalls over the last couple of years include: (Source: FDA)

1/14/11 - Tylenol® 8 Hour, Tylenol ® Arthritis Pain, and Tylenol ® upper respiratory products, and certain lots of Benadryl®, Sudafed PE®, and Sinutab® products.
12/9/10 - Rolaids Extra Strength Softchews, Rolaids Extra Strength plus Gas Softchews, and Rolaids Multi-Symptom plus Anti-Gas Softchews.
11/29/10 - Mylanta and Alternagel Liquid Products.
11/27/2010 - Tylenol Cold Multi Symptom Daytime Liquid 8 oz Citrus Burst. Rolaids Extra Strength Softchews, Cherry Flavor, 36 count container. Jr Strength Motrin Caplets in 24 count packages. Children's Benadryl Allergy FastMelt Tablets Cherry Flavor in 18 count containers.
10/18/2010 - Tylenol 8 hour Caplets in 50 count bottles.
5/28/10 - PediaCare Children's Multi-Symptom Cold, Grape Flavor Liquid, 4 fl oz (118 mL). PediaCare Children's Long-Acting Cough, Grape Flavor Liquid, 4 fl oz (118 mL). PediaCare Children's Decongestant, Raspberry Flavor Liquid, 4 fl oz (118 mL). PediaCare Children's Allergy & Cold, Grape Flavor Liquid, 4 fl oz (118 mL)

Lung Cancer Death Rate Falling Faster In Men Than Women, USA

2011-06-19T02:01:00.000-07:00

The overall drop in death rates means 898,000 individuals who would have died from lung cancer over the last 17 years did not, according to a report issued by the American Cancer Society. From 2001 to 2007 male lung cancer deaths fell by 1.9% annually, while for women from 2002 to the end of 2007 rates dropped by 1.5% per year.

This is the first recorded drop in female lung cancer deaths in recorded history.

1,596,670 new cancer cases of any type and 571,950 deaths from cancer of any type are expected to occur in the USA this year (2011).

People without a senior high school education in the USA have 2.6 times the risk of dying from any cancer compared to those with college degrees.

With the exception of American Indian women and Alaska Native women, death rates in all ethnic and racial groups in both sexes in America have dropped. Among American Indian women and Alaska Native women the rates have remained virtually the same.

Overall cancer death rates fell by 1.9% annually among men from 2001 through 2005, and 0.6% in women since 1998. Over the last couple of years death cancer rates in males have remained stable.

The largest yearly falls in cancer death rates were observed in Hispanic (-2.5%) and African-American (-2.6%) men.

Women started smoking later than men did over the last century - this has been reflected in lung cancer death rates over the same period. While women's rates rose steadily since the 1930's, male rates started to fall ten years earlier (in the late 1980s early 1990s).

Lung cancer continues to be the largest cancer killer in the USA for both males and females, and is expected to account for 26% of all female cancer deaths this year. The second male cancer killer is prostate cancer, while breast cancer has that position for females.

Lung cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and colon cancer make up over 50% of all cancer deaths in America (both sexes). Colon cancer is the third largest killer for both sexes.

Further highlighted details from the report:

African-American males have a 14% higher rate of new cancers (all types) than US males in general
African-American males have a 33% higher rate of new cancers (all types) than Caucasian males
African-American females' overall new cancer rate is 6% lower than females in general
African-American females' overall new cancer rate is 17% higher than Caucasian females
31% of males with <12 years education smoke
12% of male college graduates smoke
5% of males with advanced degrees smoke

The authors of the report concluded:

"Further progress can be accelerated by applying existing cancer control knowledge across all segments of the population with an emphasis on those groups in the lowest socioeconomic bracket.

What is Cellulite?

2011-06-18T13:02:00.001-07:00

Cellulite is the pockets of fat which are ensnared and cause dimpling in the skin. This dimpling is irregular and has been identified with orange peelings.

Cellulite is a combination of fat globules, waste substance, accumulated in connective tissue.

Underneath the dermis and epidermis are three particular layers of fat. Cellulite tends to build up in the subcutaneous fat layers. This layer of fat is unique in its formation compared to the other layers because it’s full of fat parts are structured into particular chambers by strands of linked tissue around it.

Women are organized into large upright chambers allowing fat to be stored. These chambers are organized into small slanting units, in the men. These store smaller fat quantities and are not likely to structure cellulite.

When water enters the fat cells, they bulge, if your cellulite metabolism is working proper, your body makes the corrections essential and drains the area. If it is not working acceptably or is overloaded the fat cells get bigger against the collagen threads of your fish net stocking and the fat cells bulge out and like sausage links that are abnormal at the ends, cannot escape! The cellulite is here to stay because it cannot be exhausted out no matter how much you exercise or diet.

Cellulite is not a condition regarding how much you weigh. Although it is often faulty for obesity, cellulite is not really obesity related because it can also take place in thin lean women.

In women, fat cells are arranged a little bit in a different way than men which is why cellulite mostly affect women because women carry more fat and less muscle than men.

Eating Peanuts in Pregnancy May Cause Allergy

2011-06-18T13:01:00.005-07:00

The researches shows that babies with indication of food allergies whose mothers ate peanuts during pregnancy may have an increased risk for potentially peanut allergies.

The more peanuts the new mothers in the research ate during their pregnancy, the higher their babies’ risk for sensitivity to peanuts, researchers reported.

The findings do not prove that eating peanuts during pregnancy is a risk factor for peanut allergies in the first year or so of life. But they do emphasize the need for more studies to answer the question.

“Our study looked at sensitivity, not peanut allergy,” researchers say. “It is going to be a few years before we identify whether these children really do develop true peanut allergies.”

Helping Children Deal with Violence

2011-06-18T13:01:00.003-07:00

Witnessing violence on television or in games really pasties in comparison to witnessing violence in real life situations. Children who have been exposed to violence, such as abusive parents, harassment at school, may develop signs of traumatic stress disorder. This stress leads to poor grades, difficulty concentrating, severe sadness, and sometimes suicide if it is not managed with proper dealing skills. Children who have witnessed real life violent behavior are in serious danger mentally and sensitively.

Psychologists use a special training method called as “cognitive behavior therapy” to teach children skills to deal with violent behavior. It is not as difficult as it sounds, and many psychologists are qualified in the methods of cognitive behavior therapy. In fact, parents and teachers use these techniques all the time without knowing it because there are sensible ways to raise children who handle difficult situations.

Face with Fear in a Safe Environment
Children who do not face with their fears internalize them, which may demolish their developing sense of self. However, these fears must be faced in a safe environment with a supportive adult who can work with the child to be aware of the fear.

Helpful Social Problem Solving
if children are the victims of violence, they may have trouble relating to peers and adults because appropriate models of effective social interaction do not exist in their world. Even minor conflicts may cause outbursts. Cognitive behavior therapists teach children how to handle social interactions.

Create a Support Network for the Child
Preferably; the child’s parents or direct protectors will be involved in all efforts to help the child deal with violence. This type of support network in which each one is working toward the aim of a healthy child is far more effective than simply teaching the child a few methods and letting him loose.

Breast Cancer Symptoms

2011-06-18T13:01:00.001-07:00

In early stages of it, breast cancer usually has no symptoms. As a tumor develops, you may note the following signs:

1- A lump in the breast or underarm that persists after your menstrual cycle; often the first apparent symptom of breast cancer, breast lumps are unproblematic, While some may cause a prickly sensation, lumps are usually observable on a mammogram long before they can be seen or felt.

2- Swelling in the armpit.

3- While lumps are usually painless, pain or tenderness in the breast can be a sign of breast cancer.

4- An obvious flattening or indentation on the breast, which may show a tumor that cannot be seen or felt.

5- Any change in the size, contour, texture, or temperature of the breast; a reddish, pitted surface like the skin of an orange could be a sign of advanced breast cancer.

6- A change in the nipple, such as an indrawn or dimpled look, itching or burning sensation, or ulceration; scaling of the nipple is symptomatic of Paget’s disease, a localized cancer.

7- Unusual discharge from the nipple that may be clear, bloody, or another color. It’s usually caused by benign conditions but could be due to cancer in some cases.

8- A marble-like area under the skin.

9- An area that is distinctly different from any other area on either breast.

How to Lose Weight

2011-06-18T13:00:00.003-07:00

In spite of the way it feels, losing weight isn’t a inexplicable process. It’s a simple matter of burning more calories than you eat. Weight loss can be such a resist that we start thinking we have to do something drastic to see results, pills or those weird fitness gadgets on infomercials that promise instant success. The true secret to weight loss is this: Make small changes each and every day and you’ll slowly lose those extra pounds. The key is to forget about instant results and settle in for the long run.

Here is the some rules of weight loss;

1. Calculate your “basal metabolic rate”. Your basal metabolic rate is what your body needs to maintain normal functions like breathing and digestion. This is the minimum number of calories you need to eat each day.

2. Calculate your “activity level”. Use a calorie calculator to understand how many calories you burn while sitting, standing, exercising, lifting weights, etc. throughout the day.

3. Keep track of how many calories you eat. Be as accurate as possible, measuring when you need to or looking up nutritional information for restaurants, if you eat out.

4. Sum it up. Take your basal metabolic rate number, add your activity calories and then subtract your food calories from that total. If you’re eating more than you’re burning, (your basal metabolic rate + activity is 2000 and you’re eating 2400 calories) you’ll gain weight. If you’re burning more than you eat, you’ll lose weight.

Abscessed Tooth

2011-06-18T13:00:00.001-07:00

An abscessed tooth is a painful infection at the root of a tooth. It’s most commonly caused by severe tooth decay.

These problems can cause openings in the tooth enamel, which allows bacteria to infect the center of the tooth. The infection may also spread from the root of the tooth to the bones supporting the tooth.

What Are the Symptoms of an Abscessed Tooth?
A toothache that is severe and continuous and results in gnawing or sharp or shooting pain are common symptoms of an abscessed tooth.

Other symptoms may include:
* Fever
* Pain when chewing
* Sensitivity of the teeth to hot or cold
* Bitter taste in the mouth
* Foul smell to the breath
* Swollen neck glands
* General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling
* Redness and swelling of the gums
* Swollen area of the upper or lower jaw
* An open, draining sore on the side of the gum

If the root of the tooth dies as a result of infection, the toothache may stop. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean the infection has healed; the infection remains active and continues to spread and destroy tissue. Therefore, if you experience any of the above listed symptoms, it is important to see a dentist even if the pain subsides.

Handle Varicose Veins

2011-06-18T12:59:00.002-07:00

What is Varicose Veins
For a woman, her beautiful legs are her treasure. Hence, it would be such a tragedy to spot imperfections on the legs such as varicose veins. Not only they are unsightly, the swelling and pain could also be very irritating. The good news is that bulging veins can be prevented, not to mention that there are also plenty of ways to manage them.

Causes of Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are superficial veins that have become enlarged and swollen. Most of the time, they occur in veins at the calves or the inner portion of the legs. Although varicose veins are not very serious, they may result to complications such as bleeding, thrombophlebitis, leg ulcers, skin discoloration, and even eczema. They can be very painful during the day particularly when a person stands for long periods.
The circulatory system is a complex network of blood vessels that distributes blood throughout the body via the pumping action of the heart. Arteries, or blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart, have the highest pressure to be able to deliver blood on distant areas. But as blood travels back to the heart through the veins, the pressure becomes faint making it a hard time for blood to flow smoothly. To add to that, blood flow must also act against gravity, especially in the lower extremities. This is why veins have one-way valves that prevent blood from flowing backward.

Symptoms of Varicose Veins
When veins become distended, they look bluish and can be prominent. They will appear twisted and swollen. Pain and tenderness can be felt on the affected area especially when standing or even sitting for long periods. Varicose veins are also itchy which increases the tendency of developing skin ulcers due to scratching.
Varicosities are more common in women than in men, and the tendency to develop one can run in families. The condition is also highly associated with prolonged sitting or standing position.

Treatment of Varicose Veins
• Take periodic rest with legs raised
When you’re upright, you’re giving the blood in the legs a hard time of flowing back to the heart due to gravity. As a result, there is a greater tendency of blood pooling in the legs leading to varicose veins.
• Get moving
Move your legs frequently if you have to stand or sit for long periods. Frequent movement such as flexing the foot or rotating it clockwise and the other way around will help keep blood from pooling in the legs.
• Do regular exercise
Walking, running, and bicycle riding are good exercises for the legs that are highly recommended.
• Wear support hose
Support pantyhose will definitely help in controlling the development of varicose veins. This is recommended particularly for people whose jobs require them to stand or sit for long durations, or for people with medical conditions that makes them unable to move their lower limbs. Antiembolic or support stockings work by compressing the legs and keeping the veins from bulging. Through this, blood is easily pushed up to the thigh and back to the heart.
• Reduce weight
If you are overweight, try to reduce weight. Not only does this relieve you from varicose veins, weight reduction offers you a host of health benefits too.
• Check with your physician
If the varicose veins bother you that much or cause swelling and tenderness in the leg, see your doctor. There might be already some clot formation in the veins which is potentially dangerous.

Tips to Help Manage Diabets

2011-06-18T12:59:00.000-07:00

If you have diabetes, you already know the drill. What you eat, when you eat, and how much you eat. For better or worse, “diet and diabetes” go together like salt and pepper.

So if you need a little motivation to eat better, consider this: with diabetes, you’re at high risk of the nerve pain and damage called diabetic neuropathy. What can start as a little tingling or numbness in your feet can turn into major problems with walking, working, and leading an active lifestyle. Diabetic neuropathy can also wreak havoc with your digestion, your sexual response, and make it hard to feel normal body sensations – like the signs of plummeting blood sugar or a heart attack.

#Tip 1- Eat a Balanced Diet
* Choose a variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages among the basic food groups.
* Balance calories from foods and beverages with physical activity to manage an ideal body weight.
* Choose fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains often.
* Eat 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables daily (for someone eating 2,000 calories)
* Make at least half the grains you eat whole grains.
* Decrease saturated fats and trans fatty acids by choosing lean meats and poultry, and low-fat or non-fat dairy products.
* Substitute monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats (from fish, nuts, and vegetable oils) for saturated and trans fat fats.
* Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little added sugars or caloric sweeteners.
* Eat less than 2,300 mg per day of sodium.
* Limit alcohol to no more than 1 drink for women and 2 drinks for men.
* Regular physical activity of at least 30 minutes a day for adults and 60 minutes for children.

#Tip 2- Spread Your Meals Throughout the Day
Aim for 3 small meals and 3 healthy snacks each day to balance out your blood sugar:
* Breakfast
* A mid-morning snack
* Lunch
* A mid-afternoon snack
* Dinner
* An evening snack
#Tip 3- Eat Less Fat
* These days, “low-fat” is everywhere. But read food labels carefully. “Lite” doesn’t always mean “low-fat.” Find out how many grams of fat are in each serving of the foods you enjoy.
* No matter how rushed you feel, avoid grabbing fast foods on the go. A single fast-food meal could cost you a week’s worth of fat servings.
* Fill up on low-fat soups, salads with low-fat dressing, and raw veggies that satisfy your taste buds with a variety of flavors and textures.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Affects Depression

2011-06-18T12:58:00.002-07:00

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Depression
Women are more prone to RA and depression, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with both of them.

If rheumatoid arthritis is making you depressed, Patricia Doyle’s experience may sound familiar.

Doyle used to love to take long walks near her home in San Francisco and went dancing three nights a week. But four years ago, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 58. As the pain got worse, she reluctantly gave up those activities. And when she was laid off from her job about two years later, depression hit her hard.

“I didn’t want to get out of bed,” Doyle says. “Nothing mattered to me. It was a horrible feeling.” Thinking that she should be able to fix it on her own, she tried walking every day. That helped, but not enough. So recently she “gave in” to the idea that she needed professional help. “I finally told my doctor how depressed I really was, and he started me on an antidepressant,” Doyle says.

Doyle’s story may ring a bell with you. Depression can develop from living with chronic pain or from the feeling that RA has limited your independence, social activities, and mobility. It often leads to a downward spiral: Giving up an activity you enjoy because it becomes too painful makes you depressed, the depression makes you focus more on your pain, and then you become more depressed. You may start to lose sleep, feel more fatigue, and become isolated.

But experts say that treating depression can set you on an upward spiral. It can help reduce anxiety, stress, and even some of the physical pain of RA.

“Depression and pain go hand in hand,” says Elizabeth Lin, MD, a family practice doctor and scientific investigator for the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle. Not only can pain bring on depression, but depression can make pain worse, Lin says. “It has been found to lower the threshold of how we tolerate pain

– how easily pain registers in our brain.”

No one should feel embarrassed or stigmatized by depression. “Pain is depressing; there’s no doubt about it,” says Alex Zautra, PhD, a professor of psychology at Arizona State University in Tempe who has conducted several studies on arthritis and well-being. “It’s really a mind-body problem. What happens in the body affects the mind, but the mind affects how much energy people have to be resilient in the face of pain.”
How Treating Depression Can Ease RA Pain

The upside of the link between pain and depression: Studies show that alleviating depression can also help relieve arthritis pain.

In a 12-month study of 1,001 people with arthritis, people who received psychotherapy or took antidepressants had fewer symptoms of depression and reported less pain, and were able to take part in daily activities more than those who did not.

Another study in 2007 found that counseling and coping skills, such as relaxation techniques and pacing activities, not only lowered anxiety and depression but also reduced joint swelling and increased physical abilities. Two-thirds of the people in the study were women.

Back Pain Symptoms and Treatment

2011-06-18T12:58:00.000-07:00

What Are the Symptoms of Back Pain?
Most people have experienced back pain sometime in their life. The causes of back pain are numerous; some are self-inflicted due to a lifetime of bad habits. Other back pain causes include accidents, muscle strains, and sports injuries. Although the causes may be different, most often they share the same symptoms.

The symptoms for back pain are:
* Persistent aching or stiffness anywhere along your spine, from the base of the neck to the hips.
* Sharp, localized pain in the neck, upper back, or lower back — especially after lifting heavy objects or engaging in other strenuous activity.
* Chronic ache in the middle or lower back, especially after sitting or standing for extended periods.
* Back pain that radiates from the low back to the buttock, down the back of the thigh, and into the calf and toes.
* Inability to stand straight without having severe muscle spasms in the low back.

What Are the Treatments for Back Pain?

Because back pain stems from a variety of causes, treatment goals are pain relief and restored movement. The basic treatment for relieving back pain from strain or minor injury is rest. An ice pack can be helpful, as can aspirin or another nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) to reduce pain and inflammation. After the inflammation subsides, applying heat can soothe muscles and connective tissue.

Long-term bed rest, which is considered greater than 72 hours, is not only no longer considered necessary for most cases of back pain, it is actually potentially harmful, making recovery slower and potentially causing new problems. In most cases, you will be expected to start normal, nonstrenuous activity (such as walking) within 24 to 72 hours. After that you should begin controlled exercise or physical therapy. Physical therapy treatments may employ massage, ultrasound, whirlpool baths, controlled application of heat, and individually tailored exercise programs to help you regain full use of the back. Strengthening both the abdominal and back muscles helps stabilize the spine. You can prevent further back injury by learning — and doing — gentle stretching exercises and proper lifting techniques, and maintaining good posture.

If back pain keeps you from normal daily activities, your doctor can help by recommending or prescribing pain medications. Over-the-counter painkillers such as Tylenol, aspirin, or ibuprofen can be helpful. Your doctor may prescribe prescription strength anti-inflammatories/pain medicines or may prefer to prescribe combination opioid/acetaminophen medications such as Vicodin or Percocet. Some doctors also prescribe muscle relaxants. But beware, these medications have their main effect on the brain, not the muscles, and often cause drowsiness and dependence. Other medicines such as antidepressants and anticonvulsants are sometimes prescribed to help with pain related to irritated nerves.

Cervical Cancer

2011-06-18T12:57:00.001-07:00

Although most causes of cancer could not be ascertained, two cancers that doctors know the causes of are cancer of the liver and the cervix. This is good news because it means it is possible for women to prevent cervical cancer, a killer that hits one woman every two minutes across the world. The virus behind 99.7% of cervical cancers is known as the Human Papilloma Virus, or HPV. This is the same virus that causes warts to break out on other parts of the body, but just because you may have warts does not mean you are cursed to have cervical cancer. Only 15 to 20% of HPV types that affect humans are said to be cancer-causing. The virus that results in warts on hands and feet are fortunately not the same virus type that causes the cancer.

This means that the best way to prevent cervical cancer is to minimize, or if possible, eliminating, the spread of the HPV types that are oncogenic. However, it is not simple because infection with this virus typically does not cause symptoms right away.

This is why screening at an early stage is crucial, as catching it in its pre-cancerous stage still has it curable. Factors that increase a woman’s risk of developing cervical cancer include the following: having warts in the anal and genial areas; having sex early in life, usually just after getting your period; having or having had STD or any of your partners having it; being a smoker or being regularly exposed to second-hand smoke; having used diethylstilbestrol (DES) during pregnancy or when your mother was pregnant with you; having five or more children; and a generally poor resistance to diseases.

Meanwhile, the virus is transmitted through various ways. The first one is by sexual contact, since the types of HPV that are oncogenic also infect the genital area. This makes the virus a sexually-transmitted one, and this is perhaps why most women do not get treatment early on from embarrassment at admitting to having STD.

Non-sexual transmission is also possible, usually through skin-to-skin contact of private parts. Heredity is also a factor, as the virus can be passed from mother to baby. And the last, still debatable mode of transmission is by passing through contaminated undergarments, biopsy forceps, and even surgical gloves.

Whether or not you find yourself at high risk, it is best to do the following to keep yourself in check early on:

1. Getting a Pap smear is crucial, since this is the standard for screening cervical cancer. Of course, it tends to be expensive and it take a while for the results to come in, but at least you get a certain level of peace of mind when the pathologists returns the results to you.

2. Living a healthy lifestyle is another key to prevention. This way, you will have your immune system at peak to help you ward off diseases. You can boost up your body’s defense system with regular exercise, enough sleep, not smoking or drinking, and making sure you go for your routine medical examinations.

3. Getting vaccinated is also another way to prevent the spread of the HPV virus. Although the vaccines do not necessarily prevent the cervical cancer itself, it can help you fight against the most common type of oncogenic HPV. Of course, doctors admit that the currently available vaccine is still not enough for all the cancer-causing types of HPV, at least it lessens your risk. It just means that it is no time to be licentious just because you have gotten yourself vaccinated. You should still continue to go for your regular checkups. Interestingly, experts determine that the best time to get the first vaccination is before anyone ever has her first sexual intercourse!

Hopefully these simple principles behind making sure you detect any cancer-causing HPV in your system early will help you avoid this silent killer. After all, that is what makes it more complicated, since the disease does not usually show symptoms until it is in its later stages, and usually too late for an effective cure. In any case, being aware of the ways to detect it early on and making sure you are at least vaccinated against the most common types should at least up your chances of not contracting the disease.

brain health

2011-06-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

The brain is considered as the central processing unit of the human body. It is the main organ that controls the rest of the bodily parts. And since the brain is like a muscle, it needs to be exercised regularly in order for it to stay in optimum condition.

It’s true that every organ in the body has an important role to play, but besides the heart, the brain is one organ you would want to keep healthy all the time. It is through the brain that we learn, think, and remember things, and if we fail to maintain its health, we may end up with a high risk for degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. It’s a good thing that there are several things you can do to take proper care of your brain so that you don’t easily succumb to mental problems and brain diseases.

Stress is the number one cause of diseases and disorders in the bodily organs. If you want to maintain the youth and health of your brain, do your best to get rid of the stressors in your life. When you are under severe stress, hormones called cortisol rush to the hippocampus, the part of your brain that stores short term memory. When there’s too much cortisol rushing to the hippocampus, brain cells may die and result to poor learning and memory function. To avoid short term memory loss and improve your brain function, try some relaxation techniques that will help you eliminate or at least control stress. When you’re stressed, take long deep breaths to allow more oxygen to enter your brain. This encourages relaxation and helps improve your focus and concentration.

Sometimes, stress can be a result of lack of sleep. For your information, sleeping helps improve the brains health not only by reducing stress. Sleep is designed to allow damaged tissues in your body to heal. During sleep time, your body repairs the part of your brain that holds your memories together, making it an excellent activity to boost your long-term memory. Even a short nap during the day can boost the health of brain significantly. Some establishments in America allow their employees to take 20 minute power naps in the afternoon because they believe it can help improve their performance at work. This is quite true because according to studies, people who get at least 8 hours of sleep every day have sharper memories than those who only get 4-5 hours of sleep.

Speaking of sharper memory, playing brain games like scrabble, crossword puzzle, and Sudoku can richly enhance your mental ability. Whenever you spend time brainstorming or thinking hard on how you can win in Mastermind, the hippocampus in your brain generates new cells. The more mental stimulation and mental excitement you experience, the better.

Another more exciting way to improve your brain’s health is by feeding it. According to scientists, your thinking and your memory is greatly influenced by the kind of food that you eat. Since your brain is made up mainly of fat, what better way to fee it than by eating more fat? When we speak of fat, we’re referring to healthy fat or monounsaturated fat that you get from olive oil, avocado, canola oil, and nuts. If you’re not aware of it, Omega-3 that’s considered a brain food is actually a form of polyunsaturated fat. Include more Omega-3 –rich foods in your diet like tuna, sardines, salmon and mackerel. Other rich sources of Omega-3 are dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, asparagus, and broccoli. Alternatively, you can also improve your intake of Omega-3 by taking supplements.

Aside from monounsaturated fat, your brain also needs protein in order to function properly. Protein found in eggs, poultry, and fish increases serotonin in the brain. This chemical helps boost the feelings of the well-being of a person. In short, it acts like a “feel-good” chemical, just like endorphin. Endorphin, likewise, is a chemical released by the brain during physical activities like exercising. That makes regular physical exercise an excellent way to maintain the health of the brain as well. Each time you work a sweat by performing your favorite workout routine, you are actually promoting circulation of both blood and oxygen to the brain.

There is no question that your brain controls most of your bodily functions. By keeping it on top condition all the time, you can keep your overall health in check as well.

Apple Patent Aims to Shut Down iPhone Camera Recording in Venues

2011-06-18T06:40:00.000-07:00

Your iPhone is there when you need it: whether you’re lost and looking up directions, trying to find a nearby restaurant, or just want to film your favorite band performing in concert. But enjoy that last experience while you can, because your phone may someday know to shut its camera down when used in venues for events like music and sports.

According to the Daily Mail (via Pitchfork), Apple is developing software for precisely that. The London Times uncovered this patent, filed in California 18 months ago.

The software would recognize when the iPhone’s camera was in use. Infra-red sensors installed at the venue would activate the software and disable the camera. Other functions would continue to work normally. The Daily Mail speculates that Apple may be trying to placate broadcasters who have purchased exclusive rights to events. This would also serve as a way to curb posting of copyright material online by users who do not hold the rights.

Could Apple charge users to record such events? If so, Apple will have figured out a way to monetize amateur filming in venues. The report does not indicate anything about still photography, so it is unclear whether the entire camera would be disabled or just the video function.

What do you think? Should Apple be able to decide whether or not you can record an event with your phone?

Could Kickstarter Be Better Than Government Grants for Artists?

2011-06-18T06:37:00.000-07:00

Artist Molly Crabapple has just been given $17,000 to lock herself in a paper-covered room for five days and make art until the walls are covered.

But that sum didn’t come from the National Endowment for the Arts or a wealthy patron; Crabapple, like many in her subversive art-making shoes, turned to Kickstarter to find funding for the stunt.

In her Kickstarter proposal, she outlined the basic premise of the project, dubbed “Molly Crabapple’s Week in Hell.” Anyone who donated a dollar to the effort would get to watch a live stream of the whole five-day shebang. Anyone who pledged $10 or more would get to name an animal for inclusion in the artwork; donations of $20 or more would get an actual piece of the ink-filled paper sent to them. And backers who fronted $1,000 or more would get an absinthe-infused lunch with the artist.

Crabapple set a $4,500 fundraising goal; so far, the total raised is $17,000 — enough to make a short film about the project, which Crabapple says will debut online shortly after Crabapple’s Week in Hell wraps.

‘Pre-eclampsia genes’ discovered

2011-06-18T04:28:00.001-07:00

Scientists say they have identified genetic errors that appear to increase a pregnant woman’s chance of getting the potentially life-threatening condition called pre-eclampsia.Around four in every 100 women develops this problem of high blood pressure and leaky kidneys during pregnancy.Now researchers have found faulty DNA may be to blame in some cases, PLoS Medicine journal reports.The discovery could lead to new ways to spot and treat those at risk, they say.The US researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis analysed DNA from over 300 pregnant women.

Sixty of these were otherwise healthy women who were hospitalised because they developed severe pre-eclampsia. The remaining 250 were women who were being monitored for other health complications. Forty of these also went on to develop pre-eclampsia.

DNA analysis revealed a few genetic errors shared by five of the 60 otherwise healthy women and seven of the 40 “higher-risk pregnancy” women who developed pre-eclampsia.

The genes on which the errors were identified (MCP factor I and factor H) play a role in regulating immune response and the researchers believe this could explain their possible link to pre-eclampsia.

Scientists have suspected that problems with the immune system provoke many cases of pre-eclampsia because women with lupus and certain other autoimmune diseases – like 250 of the women in the study – have an increased risk of the disorder.

The researchers now plan to study more pregnant women and other genes to further their understanding.

Professor Basky Thilaganathan, spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: “This work shows an association.

“At best genes like these might identify 10-15% of pre-eclampsia, so it’s relative importance may not be sensational. But it may allow us to study new treatments to prevent or delay the onset of pre-eclampsia and to know which women need closer surveillance.”

He said that currently the only real way to halt the condition was to deliver the baby. This can be relatively risk free if the pregnancy is nearing its natural end anyway, but can be risky if the baby is premature.

My blog

Know Your Visitors – Know Your Customers!

Analytics

Research

Talk to your readers

Newsletter

Put your latest posts onto social media

Conclusion

Using Featured Images in WordPress

A really simple example of using Featured Images

Displaying Featured Images with two different sizes

How to maintain the full width or height of a Featured Image

Video showing how to use Featured Images using the above example

Conclusion

How to Write for the Web

Grab the reader’s attention

Practice and test

Hone your blog writing process

Don’t write crap

Conclusion

How to Blog for Business

How should I use my blog?

The long tail

A great example of how the long tail can work for you

Don’t forget about social media and backlinks!

What about you?

Reader Profiles for my Blog

Gary, freelance graphic designer

Sanjit, junior SEO, article marketer and budding entrepreneur

Heather, employed super-mom

My readers and visitors

FDA Asks Pfizer About Chantix, Heart Risk And The Stop Smoking Drug

UK Mass Drinking Child Report Released; US Parents Supervising More

Migraine Relief From Bariatric Surgery For Morbidly Obese Individuals

Risperdal Recalled Due To Strange Smell

Lung Cancer Death Rate Falling Faster In Men Than Women, USA

What is Cellulite?

Eating Peanuts in Pregnancy May Cause Allergy

Helping Children Deal with Violence

Breast Cancer Symptoms

How to Lose Weight

Abscessed Tooth

Handle Varicose Veins

Tips to Help Manage Diabets

Rheumatoid Arthritis Affects Depression

Back Pain Symptoms and Treatment

Cervical Cancer

brain health

Apple Patent Aims to Shut Down iPhone Camera Recording in Venues

Could Kickstarter Be Better Than Government Grants for Artists?

‘Pre-eclampsia genes’ discovered