Tuesday, March 1, 2011

'Tis The Season Not To Be Jolly

During the months of November to February, the days start getting shorter and colder, and the nights longer and darker. Climate changes seem to affect many people and they just can't understand why they tend to feel gloomy and miserable. This mood disorder is called winter depression, or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
According to Norman E. Rosenthal, the doctor who coined the term SAD in 1984, winter depression has a sound medical basis that involves changes in the body's mood centers brought on by shorter daylight hours and a lack of sunlight. Most depressive illness sufferers experience a sense of utter isolation and loneliness. But the fact that many people go through the same grumpiness during this time of the year provides a sense of comfort and assurance that they are not alone. As the cliché goes “misery loves company.”
Based on statistics of SAD Association, 500,000 people in the United Kingdom experience some form of winter depression, while doctors have estimated that 20% of the population, or almost 2 million people, are affected in Sweden by this condition.
One of the most effective and clinically proven treatment for SAD is “light therapy”, which has been shown to benefit some 80-85 percent of SAD cases. Simple as it may sound, the treatment actually involves more than just turning on a light and sitting beside it while twiddling your thumbs as you wait for that renewed energy to “power up” your whole well-being.
The average domestic or office light emits a paltry 200-500 lux (a lux is a unit of illuminance,) whereas a minimum of 2,500 lux is required to alleviate the symptoms of SAD. In comparison, a clear summer's day can reach an intensity of 100,000 lux.
Based on these specs, a number of specially designed light boxes have been invented that emit precisely the right amount of illumination. Symptoms of SAD gradually subside by sitting in front of one for about 30 minutes to several hours, depending on the severity of the condition.
Light therapy may be the best treatment for SAD as far as symptoms are concerned. However, addressing the root causes of the condition may involve both anti-depressant drugs and psychotherapy treatments especially for those with severe symptoms.


Studies have shown that the incidence of SAD increases dramatically as you go 30 degrees of latitude further north or south, as the condition is virtually unheard of in the tropical countries. A movement or vacation trip to these countries in the equator may sound impractical but can definitely improve ones mood and well-being.
Watching movies that feature warm, sunny, summery climates show demonstrable improvements in mood. Research shows that any film with clear blue cloudless skies, palm trees and an absence of snow should qualify for a movie therapy.
The same mood-enhancing effect may result by simply watching outdoor sports like cricket or golf. However, over-exposure to snooker, darts, and indoor bowling has been found to bring on a state of depressive, trance-like catatonia that, in severe cases, culminates in complete mental health breakdown.

Productivity

Monday, February 28, 2011

Urinary Incontinence in Men - Cause

Urinary incontinence occurs when the muscle (sphincter) that holds your bladder's outlet closed is not strong enough to hold back the urine. This may happen if the sphincter is too weak, if the bladder muscles contract too strongly, or if the bladder is overfull.

Stress incontinence occurs when the muscle (sphincter) surrounding the urethra opens at an inappropriate time. This can happen when you laugh, sneeze, cough, lift something, or change posture. Stress incontinence can be caused by surgery to treat an enlarged prostate or prostate cancer, radiation therapy to treat prostate cancer, or removal of the prostate. For more information, see the topics Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) or Prostate Cancer.

Urge incontinence is caused by bladder contractions that are too strong to be stopped by the sphincter. Often the urge is a response to something that makes you anticipate urination, such as waiting to use a toilet, unlocking the door when returning home, or even turning on a faucet. The bladder contractions can be caused by many conditions, including:

Urinary tract infection.

Bowel problems, such as constipation.

Prostatitis, a painful infection of the prostate gland.

Certain neurological conditions that affect nerve signals from the brain, such as Parkinson's disease or stroke.

Kidney or bladder stones.

Blockage due to prostate cancer or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Overactive bladder is a kind of urge incontinence. But not everyone with overactive bladder leaks urine. For more information, see the topic Overactive Bladder.

Overflow incontinence usually is caused by obstruction of the urethra from BPH or prostate cancer or when the bladder muscles contract weakly or don't contract when they should. Other causes include:

Narrowing of the urethra (stricture).

Medicines, such as antihistamines, and decongestants.

Nerve conditions, such as diabetes or multiple sclerosis.

Functional incontinence is a rare form of incontinence caused by physical or mental limitations that restrict a man's ability to reach the toilet in time.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Your Trusty, Toothy Friend

Whether we like it or not, we all know that an important part of our dental care involves making regular trips to the dentist, but the foundation block of oral hygiene lies at home. Not only is brushing and flossing twice a day of the utmost importance in maintaining a healthy and attractive smile, but the tools we use to perform these daily rituals can also make or break a beautiful set of teeth. So don’t pick up any old toothbrush – find the one that’s right for you.

Our mouths, just like every other inch of us, come in all shapes and makes. We probably wouldn’t think too long about trying to squeeze into a shoe that doesn’t fit, but many of us expect that one size toothbrush should fit all. Baffled by the array of dental products we face in the store, we simply pick the color toothbrush we like best and move along, unwittingly undermining our oral health as we do so.

It is firstly important to find the right size toothbrush for our mouth, so that we can brush with comfort and reach the surface of every tooth. A tooth doesn’t get cleaned by just being in the vicinity of a brush! Be sure to find a toothbrush with the size and shape head that allows you to reach every surface of every single tooth.

Another important toothbrush quality is the type of bristles it utilizes. Bristles that are too hard can actually damage teeth and wear down the enamel that covers them, so be sure to opt for a softer type of brush, especially if you have a gum condition, such as gum disease or receding gums. For a good brushing down, look for a toothbrush with nylon bristles with rounded tips.

It is also of the utmost importance that you use a toothbrush that is up to the job, so be sure to replace your brush regularly. Every two to three months is a good time to replace, or when the bristles start to look bent and worn. Some toothbrushes some complete with a color-fade system that tells you exactly when your brush is ready for the garbage – simply ditch the brush when the colored bristles start to fade.

A healthy set of teeth is an important part of looking and feeling good, and your trusty toothbrush is an important tool to help you maintain your oral health. So treat your teeth well with the right toothbrush, and don’t be afraid to show your smile.

5 Crucial Steps to Buying Wholesale Nutritional Supplements

Whether you own a pharmacy, health store, grocery store, or even if you are a healthcare professional, getting quality nutritional supplements from a dependable wholesaler is not always easy. There are many companies that make big claims for their products while their consumers waste money on supplements that don't work.

That's why it is crucial for you to choose your wholesale distributor carefully. Here are five steps to ensure that you stock your shelves (or online catalog) with quality nutritional supplements at affordable rates.

1. Compare Nutritional Supplements and Check for Quality

Before signing on with a wholesale company, compare their brand names and product quality with others. Ask for referrals. Speaking with other business owners who use their products will give you plenty of information. Ask how their customers liked the products.

To check for quality, ask what ingredients are used in certain popular products including herbal remedies, weight loss supplements, hair supplements, and wellness products. Are there any additives that could weaken the product's affect? Also, ask for detailed information about their laboratory where drugs are produced. What are the regulations for safety, sanitization, and working conditions?

2. Check Availability

Be sure the wholesale distributor offers the items you need and plenty of them. Nutritional supplements come in different forms, such as pills, sprays, lotions, gels, powders, capsules, and lubes. They are available for a variety of purposes: hair growth, weight loss, quitting smoking, improving health, building muscle, and so forth. Many herbal remedies are designed to help someone become a healthy man or woman without the negative side effects often experienced with prescription medicines.

You should be able to buy all the types of nutritional supplements when you need them from your wholesale supplier so your customers won't be forced to go elsewhere.

4. Check Delivery Times

You can't sell a nutritional or herbal supplement that's "out of stock." It's important that your supplier provide a quick turnaround time and fast shipping services so your product will be in your store on time.

5. Check for Customization Possibilities

Be sure your wholesaler allows you to customize your nutritional supplements. Ask if you can order private label supplements and establish your own brand identity. Some companies will even develop new formulas for you!

Once you find a wholesaler that meets these requirements, you're on your way to success in the field of nutritional supplements. Remember, don't only compare prices - compare the quality of the products and services. You'll be able to give your customers the top-quality nutritional supplements they need at affordable rates.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Chronic Daily Headache: Same Old, Same Old

“Chronic daily headache” (CDH) refers to the unhappy situation in which headaches are present at least fifteen days per month. Headaches can even occur every day or almost every day. CDH is more of a category than a final diagnosis, and different, recognizable patterns of headache are included in this category. It is important to distinguish among the different patterns because, once recognized, they can indicate the underlying cause and dictate appropriate treatment.

CDH can occur in the form of either “primary headaches” or “secondary headaches.” Secondary headache means that the headache is a symptom of some other disease or process. In this case, the best treatment is the one that addresses the underlying cause. Primary headache means that the headache disorder itself is the disease and is not a symptom of something else.

The most common primary headache condition is “tension-type headaches.” Generally affecting the left and right sides equally, tension-type headaches often involve the back of the head and neck, but can also include the front of the head. These headaches are usually mild to moderate in intensity and have pressing or tightening qualities. Nausea, photosensitivity and sound sensitivity are not prominent in this headache disorder and tension-type headaches do not usually worsen with exertion.

Migraine is another common primary headache disorder which, when present more days than not, is also categorized as CDH. Migraine attacks typically last 4-72 hours when untreated. They are of moderate to severe intensity and often have a pulsating quality. They show increased tendency to affect just one side of the head and to include the associated symptoms of nausea, light sensitivity and sound sensitivity. They usually worsen with exertion.

While some people have frequent, individual, migraine attacks that span more than 15 days per month and are therefore categorized as CDH, another form of migraine involves a blending together of attacks into a more continuous, never-ending pattern. This usually occurs in people who previously had the more recognizable pattern of distinct, individual, migraine attacks. Just what happens in these cases--or even what to call it when it does happen--is a source of great debate among headache experts. One camp of experts calls it “chronic migraine” and another camp calls it “transformed migraine.”

To make matters even more interesting, a person can have more than one type of headache, for example, a mixture of migraine and tension-type headaches. When this occurs, the mixture can be difficult to distinguish from the previously mentioned chronic (or transformed) migraine.

Two other kinds of primary headache are rarer than migraine and tension-type headaches, and show quite different characteristics. These are “hemicrania continua” and “chronic cluster.” Hemicrania continua (“hemicrania” means half-headed and “continua” means continuous) is a strictly one-sided headache which can wax and wane in intensity without resolving. It does not include migraine’s usual associated symptoms of nausea, light sensitivity, sound sensitivity and exertional aggravation. Chronic cluster, like its less-frequent “episodic” form, involves intense, recurring pain in or around just one eye that lasts for only 15-180 minutes per attack, but which can occur more than once per day. Unlike its episodic cousin, chronic cluster does not go into remission without treatment.

Secondary headaches taking the form of CDH can be due to numerous causes. Among them are head injury, arthritis of the neck bones, arthritis of the jaw joints (TMJs), sinus disease, breathing problems during sleep, tumors or other conditions causing increased pressure within the braincase, and leakages of the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.

Two secondary forms of CDH deserve special mention--giant cell arteritis and medication overuse headaches. Giant cell arteritis (previously called temporal arteritis) occurs in people who are at least 50 years old and becomes more common in subsequent decades of life. It involves inflammation of larger-diameter arteries supplying blood to the brain and the rest of the head and, untreated, can lead to stroke or blindness. So it is important to recognize and treat this source of headaches before these complications occur. Classically, people with giant cell arteritis show a swollen, stiff, tender artery just beneath the skin of one or both temples. When this occurs, it facilitates diagnosis, but giant cell arteritis can still be present in the absence of this tell-tale sign. As a rule of thumb, giant cell arteritis should be considered as a possible diagnosis in every new headache disorder starting at the age of 50 or older.

Medication overuse headaches (also known as rebound headaches) occur when a primary headache disorder becomes transformed into an even worse secondary headache disorder via too many doses of as-needed medication. Typically, the primary headache disorders involved are either migraine or tension-type headaches, and the transformation occurs when the headache-sufferer takes need-driven medication for them at least two to three days each week. When the as-needed medication is a painkiller this syndrome is called “analgesic rebound” and when a triptan drug is used, it is called “triptan rebound.” Triptans are newer drugs, which include sumatriptan (Imitrex) and rizatriptan (Maxalt), that interact with specific chemical receptors and halt the generation of migraine attacks. The bottom line with medication overuse headaches is that they don’t get better until the drug that caused them is withdrawn and, even then, can take up to two months to wash out.

The group of disorders known as chronic daily headache afflicts 3-5% of the worldwide population and is a source of major disability in the form of lost or decreased functioning at home and at work. While many people with CDH treat them on their own, medical management can reduce suffering and improve quality of life.

(C) 2005 by Gary Cordingley

10 Steps You Can Take To Slow Down Aging

Aging is a complex process that involves many areas of your body. It's unlikely that any one product or pill could cure all of the ailments of aging. However, there are things you can do that not only will help you age more slowly but will improve your quality of life. Your best bet for a long and healthy life is to:

1. Eat a varied and healthy diet. Include plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods. Fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, and vitamins all play a part in keeping your body functioning at its best. Drink lots of fluids to maintain healthy skin and flush out waste. Eating right will help you maintain a healthy weight.

2. Exercise every day. Exercise improves appetite, makes healthy bones, gives you a better emotional outlook and improves digestion and circulation. Exercise makes you stronger and helps you lose weight.

3. Seeking prompt medical care when you're ill or injured. Listen to your body and take care of any little problems before they become big problems. Get screened for diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

4. Use sunscreen to prevent sunburn. Professionals agree that one of the most significant factors contributing to aging is chronic inflammation of the skin.

5. Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke. Smoking has very damaging effects and dramatically increases your risk of getting cancer and heart disease.

6. Manage stress. Stress is a part of everyday life. Develop ways to help you cope and adjust to situations in your life that may cause you stress. The situation isn’t the problem…its how you react to it.

7. Look for ways to improve overall well-being and enthusiasm for life. Be curios and creative which will encourage you to learn new things. You can also use humor and laughter to help you age well and live long.

8. Keep strong relationships. Maintaining close ties to your family and friends are crucial to healthy aging.

9. Don’t let fears and worries dominate your life. A worried mind is not at peace and robs you of zest and energy which you need to maintain youthfulness.

10. Keep cells youthful with antioxidants. Antioxidants are found in a full-range of fruits and vegetables, as well as in some meat, like fish. Although, our bodies produce its own antioxidants, the level of product declines over time because of environmental factors and through the aging process. You can also take anti oxidant supplements or even anti oxidant teas.

Do all you can to be healthy and in doing so you will age slower. If you have any questions about products that claim to slow or reverse aging ask your doctor. He or she can help you sort through the information and get the facts.

Zinc, And It's Effect On Acne

There are many different vitamins with which a vitamin deficiency of them can lead to acne problems. One such vitamin is Zinc. Zinc is one of the most important vitamins when attempting to fight and prevent acne due to its many uses and how important it is to the body and the skin. A vitamin deficiency in Zinc alone can cause acne breakouts and therefore maintaining healthy amounts of Zinc in one's everyday diet is very important for those looking to either combat their current acne problem or to help prevent a future one.

Zinc acts as an antioxidant and this is one primary reason why it is so helpful against acne. Antioxidants help to clear the body of toxins and free radicals. These can cause various problems in different areas of the body, and in the skin these can lead to pimples and acne breakouts. Keeping the skin, the largest organ in the body, clear is only too important. Zinc helps to keep the skin clear and healthy and prevent the build-up of these toxins and free radicals, therefore being proactive and helping to prevent acne breakouts altogether.

Zinc is also proactive in the way that it regulates the oil glands. Although what exactly causes pimples is not known, it is known that the sebum excreted from the oil glands plays a big part in the formation of the pimples. Proper oil regulation can lead to fewer and smaller pimples and helps to prevent them from spreading once they do occur. The advantage here is clear and shows why Zinc can help to stop acne before it starts.

Once acne has occurred, Zinc is extremely important due to it being involved in healing tissue and preventing scarring. Those nasty acne scars that result from acne can be healed and prevented when proper amounts of Zinc are present in the body. Acne causes numerous problems and damages the skin in many ways and Zinc helps to heal this damage and keep the scarring to a minimal level.

Zinc also promotes a healthy immune system and helps in the healing of wounds, to top it off. A healthy immune system also lends a hand to preventing acne and Zinc helps to maintain that healthy immune system in a variety of ways. This is just icing on the cake for those who decide to take Zinc to help with their acne since taking Zinc will also make their immune systems that much healthier and perform that much better.

As is readily seen, the advantages of Zinc in the body, both in how it is necessary to fight and prevent acne and due to it being active in maintaining a healthy immune system, are numerous. A Zinc deficiency can be a leading cause of acne and therefore it is necessary for anyone looking to prevent future acne breakouts to look to consume healthy amounts of Zinc each and every day.