Health News

Depression Defined

noreply@blogger.com (samfisher) — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 11:52:00 +0000

Depression is a mood disorder that causes sad feelings or hopeless for an extended period of time. More than just a bout of “the blues” or temporary feelings of grief or low energy, depression can have a significant impact on your enjoyment of life, your work, your health, and the people who you care about.

Depression affects people differently. Some feel down for extended periods of time; for others the feelings of depression com and go. If you have short episodes of mild depression, you may be able to continue to work and take care of daily activities. However, if you do not seek some form of treatment for your depression, you are at risk for getting more depressed or becoming physically ill. In severe cases, depression can cause people to become incapable of communicating, unable to do routine activities, or suicidal. In these cases, it is essential to seek medical attention.

People with depression may be reluctant to seek help because they feel that it is a sign of personal weakness or a character flaw or that they should be able to “pull out of it” on their own. We now know that depression, like other medical conditions, has chemical and biological bases.

Treatment for depression is safe and usually effective for severely depressed people.

Depression may be triggered by stressful life events, other illnesses, certain drugs or medications, or inherited traits.

Although causes of depression are not entirely understood, we know it is linked to an imbalance in brain chemistry. Once the imbalance is corrected, symptoms of depression generally improve.

Depression is more than just the normal, temporary feelings of sadness and hopelessness associated with difficult life events. Common symptoms include, depressed mood, inability to enjoy activities, problems in concentrating, poor memory and difficulty in making decisions, changes in eating and sleeping habits, weight gain or loss, difficulty going to work or taking care of daily responsibilities, feelings of guilt and hopelessness; wondering if life is worth living (common), slowed thoughts and speech and preoccupation with thoughts of death or suicide.

Symptoms also include complaints that have no physical cause (somatic complaints) such as headache and stomachaches.

All of these symptoms can interfere with your quality of life. Even if you do not have major depression, if you have experienced a few of these symptoms for at least two weeks you may have a less severe form of depression that still requires treatment.

Depression is usually treated successfully with professional counseling or antidepressant medication. People with depression usually can be treated as outpatients, but in severe cases a period of hospitalization may be necessary.

If you have mild or moderate depression, you may be diagnosed and treated by your family doctor or psychologist. If you have severe depression or other psychological disorders or do not respond to treatment, a psychiatrist, a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health problems, may be helpful.

Let your health professional know if you suspect that you have depression, because it is often overlooked. If you diagnosed with depression, you and your doctor can decide on the best treatment. The earlier you are treated, the ore quickly you will recover.

If you have symptoms of depression, you are not alone. Only in United States, an estimated 15 per cent of people will have depression at some point in life, and chances of becoming depressed are even higher for certain people.

Women experience depression twice as often as men, although men are more likely to commit suicide as a result of depression. Separated or divorced individuals are more likely than married people to become depressed. People who have a serious illness are more likely to suffer from depression.

Anemia

noreply@blogger.com (samfisher) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 11:58:00 +0000

Anemia or anaemia is derived from the Greek word meaning “without blood”. It refers to a deficiency of red blood cells (RBCs) and /or hemoglobin. Anemia occurs when level of healthy red blood cells in the body becomes too low.

This results in a reduced ability of blood to transfer oxygen to the tissues since all human cells depend on oxygen for survival. Hemoglobin has to be present to ensure adequate oxygenation of all body tissues and organs. The three main classes of anemia include excessive blood loss, excessive blood cell destruction or deficient red blood cell production.

Anemia goes undetected in many people, and symptoms can be vague. People with anemia report a feeling of weakness or fatigue. Pallor (unnatural lack of color in the skin) is often a useful diagnostic sign in moderate or severe anemia, but it is not always apparent.

The first symptoms might be gradual mild skin paleness, and decreased pinkness of the lips and nail-beds. Other common signs of anemia include irritability, fatigue, dizziness, lightheadedness, and a rapid heartbeat. Symptoms may also include jaundice (yellow tinged skin), yellowing of whites of the eyes, an enlarged spleen, and dark-colored urine.

Doctors run blood tests of blood smear examination, iron tests, hemoglobin electrophoresis, bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, or reticulocyte count as part of a routine physical examination. It may indicate that there are fewer red blood cells than normal. In addition doctor may ask about a family history of anemia, symptoms and medications.

Treatment of anemia depends on its cause and varies according to age. The treatment in a child will be different from the teenage girl. Anemia caused by an infection will usually improve when the infection passes or is treated. Treatment for more severe or chronic forms of anemia may include the transfusions of normal blood cells taken from a donor, removal of the spleen or treatment with medications to fight or stimulate the bone marrow to make more blood cells. Iron- rich foods include red meat; green leafy vegetables; beans; dried apricots, prunes, raisins, and other dried fruits; almonds; seaweeds; parsley; whole grains; and yams. In extreme cases of anemia beef liver, lean meat, oysters, lamb or chicken or iron drops/tablets are highly recommended. Intake of tea, coffee, wheat bran, chocolate, soft drinks, ice cream and candies should be avoided.

The type, cause, and severity of victim will determine the kind of care needed. If iron deficiency is the cause, one should follow the doctor’s directions about dietary changes and taking any iron supplements. If the spleen is enlarged the victim may be prohibited from playing contact sports because the risk that the spleen could rupture in case of severe injury.

Proper treatment of the patient especially women with anemia is required to reduce the risk of neural tube defects and premature cardiovascular disease.

Health tips 2

noreply@blogger.com (samfisher) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 11:43:00 +0000

Hair care

Extract water of white onion and massage it on your scalp. Then cover your head with a cloth for the bad odor. After four hours, massage your scalp with mustard oil and then wash your hair. After few weeks your hair will stop falling and new hair will start to grow.

Natural Skin Care

Fuller's Earth is the best for all types of skin. It closes the open pores and tightens the skin of the face. Take dry Fuller's earth, one egg white and a spoon of honey and make a paste by mixing the ingredients and apply it on the face. Wash your face when you feel your face starts to tighten and paste starts to dry. You’ll have a clean skin.

Lip Color

To make dark lips pink, mix few drops of lemon juice in coconut oil and apply it on your lips several times in a day.

Talk to yourself

Reciting as you read and reviewing notes out loud increases attention and motivation, and creates a stronger neural trace of memory by utilizing more senses.

Break the fast

One meal of the day that is usually missed is breakfast! And many people are unaware of the benefits of having it. It improves concentration, enhances performance, gives better memory, reduces fatigue and sleepiness in mid morning hours and prevents indulgence in high calorie snacks later in the day. A healthy breakfast can also help prevent certain health risks like obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia. So are you having second thoughts?

The Cracked and the Dried

noreply@blogger.com (samfisher) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 05:07:00 +0000

Dried fruits and nusts are very nutritious during the winter as they provide energy and help in making fresh blood. Due to vitamin and minerals the dried fruits and nuts are also unkown as 'natural capsules'. Different dried fruits and nuts have different nutritional value which can be vey useful for the health. The medical usefulness of some dried fruits and nuts are given below.

Pistachio

Pistachio provides energy to body, whereas it is also useful for good memory, heart, stomach and brain. With its regular use the body becomes heavy. Pistachio is helpful in getting rid of winter cough and keeps the lungs clean by removing the phlegm or mucus from the lungs. Pistachio has great amount of protein, calcium, potassium and vitamins .100 grams pistachio contains 594 milligram calories.

Walnut

The fruit of the walnut is considered very nutritious during harsh winters. According to experts, fruit of 100g walnut has 21 mg iron 83 mg calcium, 225 mg potassium and 656 mg calories. Roasted walnut can help in getting rid of cough. The use of walnut along with raisin can be very energizing. But on the other hand if you do not eat walnuts in a balanced way, you mat be susceptible to blisters in your mouth and your throat can get dry. Wall nut is considered very useful for strengthening the mind.

Pine nut
Pine nut provides energy to the liver and bladder. Using them in winters provides heat to the body. They should be eaten after meals as eating them before a meal can deter your hunger.

Peanut

Peanut is winters favorite and cheapest nut. One of its main qualities is oil that it contains. Interestingly, the fat it contains does not increase the cholesterol level in the body. According to experts, 100 gram peanuts contain 37.8 percent starch and 31.9 percent protein. It also has vitamin B1, calcium and phosphorus. In terms of nutritional value peanut is equal to walnut.

Raisins

Raisins are actually dried grapes. They are made out of small grapes. They are best in eliminating constipation, useful for cough, flu and best energy providers. According to expert, 100g raisin contains 275mg potassium, where as 13mg iron.

Almond

For centuries, almond is considered useful for memory and eye sight. Other then vitamin A and B it has starch and fats. They strengthen the nerves and ends constipation. It is a necessity for those who do more mental work. According to experts, the fruit contains 100g potassium, 47mg phosphorus and 597mg calories.

Health Tips 7

noreply@blogger.com (samfisher) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:58:00 +0000

Dark elbows

Wearing short sleeves becomes an issue when you have noticeably dark elbows. Well your worries are almost over now because we have a great tip for you. Try and see for yourself. Cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice out. Add one spoon of milk in the skin of lemon and massage it on your elbows. Use it continuously for few days and you will notice a difference in the color of your elbows.

Refreshing your mind

Working whole day can be very tiring and stress a person’s mind. But there are ways through which one can refresh the mind so that you are ready to start the next day with complete zeal. For this purpose, add pieces of beet in oil and keep it soaked for this sometime. After that filter the oil and massage it to your scalp. This is very helpful in refreshing one’s mind. Now you can start your day with a smile…

Long lipstick color lasting

Before going to a weeding or a party girls never forget to keep their lipstick in their purse. Just Incas the lipstick color fades away and it need to be reapplied. This is because not all lipstick color lasts long. But hey, here’s a tip which can keep you tip- by having your lipstick color last longer. First apply your favorite lipstick color. Then take a tissue. Keep it between your lips and press the tissue between your lips. Reapply the color. This is one of the best ways of having the color last longer. Enjoy your party.

Hand in hand

To keep your hands soft and smooth, apply olive oil or piece of tomato or lemon drops added in glycerin, to your hand before going to bed. Applying it daily will make your hands so baby soft that a person holding your hand will surely not want to leave them!

Almond skin

One of the most widely used nuts for beauty are almonds. It has bleaching power, repairs skin and fight wrinkles, pigmentation and dark circles. It also kills dryness. Almond juice makes a very refreshing and dehydrating moisturizer which also gives farness and keeps the skin tight and firm. So, use this natural product often and keep your skin healthy

Health Tips 6

noreply@blogger.com (samfisher) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:46:00 +0000

Preventing Bacteria

Washing dishes and then drying them by using tea towels is not a very good idea. Used tea towels become breeding grounds for bacteria. This can surely lead to food –born illnesses. You can let the dishes dry naturally so that is lower risk of contamination. Also remember to wash tea towels soiled wit meat /chicken /fish/ or milk before reusing them.

Vomiting in babies

To stop continuous vomiting in babies / give half teaspoon of onion water to baby. The vomiting will cease at once.

Swollen eyes

If your eyes are swollen and reddish/ mix some salt in warm water and dip a piece of cotton for it sometime. This will give a warm effect to the eyes and the swelling and redness will be gone.

Changing weather

As the weather changes and winter approaches more people are susceptible to flu and sniffles. A regular doze of Vitamin C helps build your immune system and protects you against a runny nose. Having a freshly squeezed orange juice daily will help prevent this.

Diabetic patient

Diabetic patients are more prone to foot problems/ including infections and reduced blood flow. Therefore they should be careful and check their feet every day for cuts/ blisters and swelling. They should keep their toe nails trimmed and avoid walking barefoot/ avoid sitting cross legged for longer periods. Wiggling your toes and flexing the ankles helps circulation in the feet.

Health Tips 4

noreply@blogger.com (samfisher) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:41:00 +0000

Cleaning your toothbrush

Here is a tip for cleaning your dirty brush. Add 2-3 teaspoons of salt in boiling water and then dip your brush in it. Take it out after sometime. This will not only sterilize your brush but also give it a shine. But never forget that changing your toothbrush every three months is important.

Men & their skin

Men have approximately 15% oilier skin and significantly larger pores than women. Therefore, it is also important for them to take care of their skin and cleanse it daily. Take one tablespoon of lemon juice, two tablespoon of apple juice and mix it with wheat flour. Keep the paste applied on your face for 15 minutes. Do this once a week and you'll gets a pimple free and clean skin.

Treating nausea

A lemon- lime soda can be very helpful if you are having nausea. Make sure it s at room temperature as ice –cold soda can cause cramps in your stomach.

Basil leaves

Chewing a few basil leaves daily first thing in the morning, can keep you away from infection of the throat, mouth and gums. Make it regular habit!

Dishwashing with soft hands

Dishwashing can make your hands rough. But there is a home remedy for you. Adding a little almond oil to dishwater will soften the skin while the oil seals the moisture. You can also spray your hands with vinegar after dishwashing. This would definitely help.

Coping with negative thoughts

Negative thoughts can be insistent and loud. Learn to interrupt them. Don’t try to block them (that never works), but don’t let them take over. Try distracting yourself or comforting yourself, if you can, t solve problem right away.

Health Tips 3

noreply@blogger.com (samfisher) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:51:00 +0000

Reducing cough

Getting rid of cough becomes a problem sometimes. Here’s an easy tip you can try and probably get rid of the cough. Mix some salt with few whole black peppers. Take a pinch of the combination with water. Don’t forget to take this thrice daily.

Reduce Anxiety

While mild anxiety can increase interest and attention, high anxiety can impair attention and concentration, and therefore, limit the recall of learned material. That is why, if you are too anxious during a test, you forget what you earlier knew very well. Actually, your memory is okay but anxiety is interfering with it. So try reducing anxiety.

Cleaning Eye Makeup

A petroleum jelly or a cold cream can be used to remove the stubborn eye makeup. It is a very economical method which even works on waterproof mascara.

Menstrual cramps

To get relief from menstrual cramps peel a few garlic flakes, fry them in butter, cool, add sugar and swallow a couple. Find relief in 15 minutes.

Mask (normal/combination skin)

Mix one egg, half teaspoon oatmeal and a teaspoon olive oil until smooth. Apply on your face and leave for 15 minutes. Then rinse. It will help refresh your skin.

Health tips 1

noreply@blogger.com (samfisher) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:04:00 +0000

Oil Hair

If you are always complaining about the excess oil produced naturally in your hair then you can use the following tip.

Use three teaspoons of lemon juice in your hair after shampooing it. Then wash it thoroughly. Use this twice a week for better results.

Garlic and Pimples

It’s been ages and the pimples on your face do not seem to go away. Instead of worrying about them, do something about it. Take garlic extract and apply it on them. This not only helps to get rid of them but also removes their marks.

Body odor

Body odor due to sweating becomes a big problem for many people. To get rid of this odor, add some Alum in the water you are using for bathing. Its effects will hinder body smell.

Memory Improvement

There are many ways of improving yo

ur memory. Shortage seems to increase if we pronounce the names of the items out loud- especially if they are grouped rhythmically. Grouping items into threes or fours also seems to aid recall.

Castor Oil

It is rich and thick oil used in hair oils and eye cleansing creams. Use it often for hair growth and dark thick eyelashes.

The Groundless Fear

noreply@blogger.com (samfisher) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:59:00 +0000

“What if I look fat in this dress?”; “What if I trip and break my sandal?”; “What if I spill a drink on my dress?”; “What if Susan laughs at my hair-do?” These and other similar worry thoughts encircle and grip a teen’s life while dressing for a party.

Everybody is walking up to the front of the class and introducing themselves. It’s the first day of the new class. Lisa is sitting glued to her chair but her

thought flying to every negative thought and misconceptions. “Please God, let the teacher’s eyes rove over my head and miss my presence in the class.” What if I say the wrong thing?” or “What if I make a mistake?” or “What if they laugh at me?” “I can’t do it. It’s so hard and scary. I’ll mess it up. I’ll get it wrong.”

All the “what-ifs” tend to be negative rather than positive. The self-talk makes the anxiety worse, and supports the person’s pattern of avoiding the feared situations. The worry thoughts pave their way towards expectations of not only the bad occurring but the worst possible outcomes.

Why do these negative thoughts occur in the first place? Anxiety of facing the society is termed as SOCIAL PHOBIA. This is particularly common amongst teenagers who take extra care for the way they talk, walk, clad or the way they worry about their skin getting pimply, etc. Adolescents and young adults, who often are unsure of themselves around others and concerned with image and conformity, are easy prey to the demon known as social phobia.

The emotional symptoms the teen is under-going are: disabling fear of one or more situations, fear of being watched or judged by others, fear that others will notice their physical symptoms of anxiety, fear of embarrassing themselves in public, etc. whereas, palpitations, blushing, excessive sweating, dry throat and mouth, trembling, muscle tension, stuttering, nausea, stomach upset, diarrhea amongst many others are physical symptoms that he is undergoing. If somehow he is confronted by a social situation and comes out of it he’ll fret over how he handled the situation, going over it repeatedly, by building on the groundless truth that he made a complete fool of himself. He knows at the back of his mind that his worries are irrational, yet he sticks to the imaginary image of his peers making fun of him. This makes him seek haven at home, which is the only place where he feels comfortable.

This occurs because the new youngster is overrating the danger o f embarrassment while underrating his ability to get through the situation. These groundless fears lead to a shaky self-esteem of the youngster.

The anxiety of the phobic youngsters is triggered during situations like the following:

· Being introduced to other people

· Being teased or criticized

· Being the center of attention

· Being watched or observed while doing something

· Having to speak in public

· Attending parties or social gatherings

· Becoming embarrassed

· Meeting other people’s eyes

· Eating, talking, or making phone calls in public

· Fears of being shunned by friends

There are basically four kinds of social phobias: general when a person is anxious, nervous and uncomfortable in majority of social situations; specific entailing fear of speaking in front of groups specifically; agoraphobia developing fear of places with many people and thus avoiding these places; selective mutism being mute in selective situations.

Ever wondered what causes these? One reason ay be biological traits that family members have in common. Those whose parents or others close relatives have anxiety problems may be more likely to develop a problem with anxiety, too. Others amy learn a cautious stlye depending past experiences.

Medications or therapy can lead the phobic individuals out of this nightmare. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is also an effective treatment that teaches you how to suppress the anxiety you feel in social situations so you can face such situations, rather than avoiding them.

People who aren’t successful are the ones who give up.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” so instead of going for medicines and therapies, why not initiate the process of confidence-building yourself. Are you conscious of how you appear in public? The “mirror on the wall” never lies. It’s the best judge. Stand in front of a mirror and observe each and every action you do, each and every move you make. You’ll know how you appear when you make a certain gesture, etc. This will gradually give you more confidence. Slowly and steady wins the race.

Conscious of you sound in public? Record and re-record your voice and listen to it again and again until you correct what sounds foolish to you. When anxious in a social encounter, breathe slowly and do positive self-talk that will reduce your anxiety.

Teenagers need not worry because experienced elderly people undergo phobias too. A real-life experience states: the professional speaker was giving a presentation, his voice got thick, his face got red and he started loosening his neck-tie. The 10 minutes presentation proved intensely strenuous for him and finally he was relieved by the bell that said his time was over. He soothed his nerves by gulping water down his throat. Just remember you cannot always be saved by the bell! So take the first step and feel the difference in your life.