Health

Do You Understand Stress?

What exactly is stress? According to health professionals it is a reaction – physical and psychological – to the demands of your life. Stress is basically an alarm or protection system that is hard-wired into your brain. During a time of a perceived threat, your body will release hormones that trigger the flight-or-fight response. After the threat is over, the body returns to its normal state. However, if you are in a constant state of stress, this alarm system is rarely shut down.

Learning to manage your stress will give you the skills to reset this alarm. If you don’t do that, your body perceives that it constantly on high alert and that can lead to serious health problems. Learning stress management is important to your overall health.

Identify your key stressors is a great beginning. And then you can start to address them and provide solutions, which is key to stress reduction. Are your triggers the job, a relationship or even the recent death of a loved one? Even tiny issues such as the daily commute or finances are stress contributors.

After you’ve figured out what is causing your stress, you can develop tools to help. If you can avoid the stressor it is only logical to do that. If avoidance is not an option, you’ll need to figure out ways to cope. However, don’t think that you have to walk this road alone. You can ask friends and family for support and help. They may have some stress-relief techniques that that can share with you.

Learning relaxation techniques can be a great benefit in reducing your stress. This is more than just a bit of quiet time. These techniques revolve around refocusing your attention to an awareness of your body and a calm demeanor. Yoga and meditation classes are a great way to learn relaxation techniques.

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction · Tagged With: Health, Relaxation technique, Stress

Body Mass Index Accuracy

In today’s weight-conscious world, we’ve all heard the term BMI or Body Mass Index. We all probably know our “number”. BMI is a formula that is used to measure a person’s fatness, based on weight and height. There are many health risks associated with being overweight. Health concerns can also be an issue for those people who are severely under weight.

While many health care professions think that the BMI is useful, others are uncertain as to its true accuracy. Some professionals think a more effective way is to measure waist circumference. Is it possible to use both?

In 1998 the National Institutes of Health introduced the BMI guidelines to try to get healthcare professionals, researchers and government officials on the same page. These BMI guidelines replaced previous life insurance tables.

BMI is calculated by dividing your weight by your height squared. This result is then multiplied by a conversion factor of 703. You can also find BMI calculators online. A healthy BMI according to NIH is between 18.5 and 24.9. Anything above 30 is considered obese.

Many professionals consider the BMI a good initial screening tool, but will do more tests to fully look at health risks due to weight. Additionally, the BMI does not account for gender, age or muscle mass. It also does not differentiate between fat mass and lean body mass. This results in some people such as athletes returning a very high BMI – some in the obese range. On the other hand, the elderly may return normal BMI numbers, but have muscle loss.

These are some of the reasons some professions think measuring the waist is more accurate. NIH studies indicated that people with larger waist circumferences are at a higher risk for medical conditions such as high blood pressure or cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes.

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction · Tagged With: Body mass index, Health, Obesity

Teen Healthcare Can Be Based on Sleep Needs

A Brigham and Women’s Hospital study that was recently conducted showed a definitive link between the number of hours a teenager may sleep and the food choices those teenagers make. Sleep medicine specialist Dr. Susan Redline conducted the study whose team studied 240 teenagers. These teenage subjects ages ranged from 16 to 19 and all lived at home.

These teen subjects wore a wrist device that traced the number of hours of sleep they received on three nights. One-third slept the nine hours of recommended sleep each night, while the overall group average was seven and a half hours per night. The interesting fact is that the study determined that the teen subjects who slept less than eight hours per night consumed more fat calories than their peers who slept more than eight hours per night. Girls had a higher percentage than did the boys.

Parents will usually agree that sleep is a good thing for their teenagers; but on the other hand getting them to get that sleep is rather difficult. There are a number of ways to help teens sleep better including some changes in lifestyle.

Teens tend to feel things more intensely including relationships and events. This causes an increase in adrenalin. This adrenalin rush can be counterproductive in the sleep cycle. Parents should try reducing television and other sensory input and replace them with more relaxing activities. Reading and relaxing drinks such as herbal teas can help. Some studies say that eating a potato before bed can help raise the serotonin level in the brain. This rise in serotonin will aid sleep.

Talking to your teen about the importance of sleep can help. According to an article published in Prevention Magazine, humans can survive much longer without food, than without sleep. Sleep is very important in overall health.

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction · Tagged With: Conditions and Diseases, Health, Sleep Disorders

New Healthcare Professionals in Demand

Careers in public health provide options for nearly anyone who would like to enter health care as a profession. For instance consider the fields of biostatistics and epidemiology that are fields involving mathematics and numerical modeling. Business and management skills are required for professions in administration; while environmental health professionals need a variety of science skills. And understanding in law and of the process of lawmaking is also on the forefront of health policy professionals.

Medical experts are positing that advances in health care will generally not be found in new medical cures or findings, but in the application of broader population based prevention systems. Rapid new developments in the delivery of healthcare are currently happening and emphasis is being placed on prevention and general well-being types of healthcare. This translates to a cost reduction by maintaining good health within the population base.

For instances, we are becoming more aware and better educated on pollutants and other toxic elements which can have an effect on our health. Our communities, in turn, are asking our healthcare workers to help us safely navigate these issues of our health and safety. And this has increased the demand for professions in industrial hygiene and environmental health. The population as a whole is looking to health professionals to help guide us on maintaining our health as well as prevention of serious illnesses that could be caused by outside forces.

There has also been an increase in health research that focuses on women’s health, substance abuse. There has been an increased demand for prevention of STDs, HIV and unplanned pregnancies. The health of disadvantaged and minority populations, as well as school health has also received a bump in emphasis.

Because of these developments, there is now an increased call for medical professionals specializing in these types of healthcare fields.

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction · Tagged With: Environmental health, Health, Health care

In The News: Study Shows High Death Rates in Insomniacs

A new 14-year healthcare study has shown that men who are insomniacs have death rate that is four times higher than men who sleep normally. These normal sleepers get a minimum of six hours per night of sleep. The risk of death is even higher for male insomniacs who also have other disease such as elevated blood pressure or diabetes.

Dr. Alexandros N. Vgontzas and his team from Penn State conducted the study. Dr. Vgontzas says of the findings that he considers this a serious disease. He also states that physical problems go hand in had with other physical health problems.

This increased risk of death was only in those who describe themselves as suffering from insomnia. These subjects while in a lab setting obtain less than six hours of sleep per night. On the other hand, people who also experienced less than six hours per night but did not consider themselves insomniacs did not see a rise in death risk.

Woman have yet to see results, since the study only revealed findings for men. Apparently there are still questions. The research team did put women into the study five years after the study on men began. Because of this fact and the fact usually have a longer lifespan than their male counterparts, the final results are not yet available.

However, Dr. Vgontzas and his team do acknowledge that in earlier findings, men and women suffering insomnia do experience more elevated blood pressure, diabetes and other deficits in higher numbers than people are normal sleepers.

The team used 1,741 men and women who were randomly selected, all of whom had to spend time in the sleep lab. An interesting finding was that not all of the subjects who described themselves as insomniacs actually slept less than normal subjects. However, the study found that insomniacs who slept poorly in the lab were at an increased risk of illness and death.

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction · Tagged With: Conditions and Diseases, Health, Insomnia, Research

New Health Study Targets Changes in Gut Bacteria

Many of us have probably experience the stomach aches or upset stomachs that can accompany the use of antibiotics. There are usually considered temporary issues. However recent research has shown that prolonged and repeated use of this medication ca cause changes in your gut that can have long-lasting effects on the good germs.

It’s too early to know definitely whether this effect has prolonged effects that could cause future health problems. But it is the latest information in a stream of thought about how the germs that live in our intestines and how these antibiotics may be affected them. There are also discussions occurring as to whether there is a relationship to such ailments as asthma and obesity.

During this most recent study, tool samples from healthy adults were collected. Scientists calculated the numbers of how just a small dose of antibiotics changed the numbers of the microbes that live in the intestines. They found that while some germ numbers dropped, others increased.

The study reflects how these bacteria and fungi coexist with humans. Many of them are indispensable to humans, and researchers feel they are underappreciated in how they affect our health.

David Relman from Stanford University, who led the study, says that we should not take these microbes for granted because they are important to the humane immune system.

The next study that Relman plans to undertake is the affect of antibiotics on young children. He plans to study the use of antibiotics in very young children (one to two year olds) because this is the time that the bacteria seem to be developing differently from individual to individual and can make some children more prone to immune-related disease.

In general antibiotic use should be used carefully because the bacteria that is causing infections can become resistant to the antibiotics. And this new study questions the effects of good bacteria and how those changes can affect our health.

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction · Tagged With: Antibiotic, Health, Stanford University

Reasons Behind Drug Abuse

There are many types of substance abuse in our world today. Unfortunately, many people do not understand the reasons behind drug abuse. Whether you, a friend, or a family member are dealing with substance abuse problems, you may want to consider Tennessee Drug Treatment facilities to help with the problem.

Understanding some of the causes of drug abuse is a huge step that many people never take. Some think that it is not worth their time to understand the why, they only want to treat the problem and have it go away. Unfortunately, many times, this is not how it works. Frequently, the underlying problem must be taken care of before the person can be able to fully walk away from the destructive behavior.

So, what are some of the reasons that people become addicted to drugs? With legal substances, it is partially the ease of obtaining the drug. For example, there are many people today dealing with alcoholism. Alcohol is a legal substance and therefore easy to get. The same can be said about cigarettes and prescription drugs. Often times, the underlying cause of the abuse of these substances is something such as depression, anxiety, or just as a way to cope with stress. Since legal drugs are easy to get many people do not see them as harmful as illegal drugs. This is most definitely not the case. In fact, they can be just as dangerous, if not more so, than many street drugs.

With many of the illegal drugs there is also the risk factor for many people. It is a thrill to do something that you know you shouldn’t. For many teens and young adults, it is a way to defy authority.

Filed Under: Signs Of Addiction To Alcohol · Tagged With: Health, Illegal drug trade, Prescription drug, Substance abuse

The Dangers of Self Diagnosis

Since the dawn of the Internet, people have had the ability to go online and research various conditions and some use self diagnosis to determine the cause of their aches and pains. While this can be helpful in some cases, it can be damaging to use on a regular basis.

One reason is that self diagnosing can be incorrect and this can cause the real issue to get worse while treating something that is not wrong. By not seeing a professional, there may be a real issue that needs addressing that doesn’t get looked at before it gets worse. Also, many conditions have the same effects that others do, leading to the wrong diagnosis. Not only can someone be treating something that isn’t wrong with them, in the meantime the real cause of their symptoms is going untreated and possibly worsening.

This is especially important with certain ailments that can be caused by serious issues such as cancer, tumors, kidney malfunctions, bacterial infections and liver problems. These are examples of sicknesses that need addressing by a trained and professional physician, not on a computer screen. In addition, a doctor will be the one who has to prescribe medicine to you unless you get it online as well and that can be dangerous if you don’t know the correct diagnosis or the correct dosage of a product. Even if you have the issue before, it can be best to see your physician so that they can determine why you are getting the same ailment more than once.

While online research can help address many problems, it is always best to be backed up by a doctor’s visit to be certain your diagnosis was correct. You can also let your doctor know what you found in order to help them but only a valid test can help you set your mind at ease that you are getting the proper treatment.

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction · Tagged With: Conditions and Diseases, Health, Physician

Migraine pain and relief

Headaches plague everyone now and then, but when a headache leaves you wanting to crawl into a darkened room and never return, you might be experiencing a migraine. These headaches affect millions, and there is no cure. But understanding migraines and finding the right medication can help sufferers find relief through managing their migraine pains.

Unlike other headaches, migraines are a neurological condition. But while some migraines are purely neurological, while others are mixed migraine and tension headaches. Aside from a splitting pain in the head or an extreme throbbing on one side of the skull, other symptoms might include nausea, dizziness and sensitivity to light or sound. In some people, vomiting may also occur as a migraine symptom. As a result of a migraine, sufferers often have trouble concentrating and an inability to find the right words. Migraines can last anywhere from six to forty-eight hours, and even after the migraine subsides it may leave sufferers with a feeling of mental dullness for days.

Some people know when a migraine is coming because of an aura. An aura is a sight distortion, which may show as spots, a temporary blind spot or even as tunnel vision. This signal can come as early as twenty four hours before the migraine itself sets in.

Because there is no cure for migraines, it is important for a sufferer to keep track of what he or she was doing prior to the migraine coming on. Certain aspects of the environment can act as triggers, and keeping track of those triggers can help a sufferer avoid them later on. Common triggers include stress, bright sunlight or a glare, changes in wake-sleep patterns, intense physical exertion or a change in the environment. Some medications may also aggravate migraines.

Taking a list of these triggers and your migraine history to the doctor’s office can help her find the right medication to help you suffer less. The doctor might prescribe a combination of a pain relieving medication and a preventive medication.

Migraines can be chronic, but that doesn’t mean that the pain isn’t treatable. If the first medication you try doesn’t help, don’t give up. Relief may be right around the corner.

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction · Tagged With: Headache, Health, Migraine

Healthy Eating Habits

An old saying goes “you are what you eat,” but healthy eating can be a challenge that many of us who struggle with in our fast paced and modern society. Too often, the pressures to eat badly catch-up to us and leads us to make decisions we know we should not, like eating that doughnut during a meeting or eating an entire bag of potato chips while watching television. These tips provide some healthy guidelines for making good decisions regarding the food you eat.

Eat regular meals
Regular meals are an important part of any healthy diet. They can help keep your metabolism going – breakfast has a huge impact on starting your metabolism – and help you feel satisfied throughout the day. Skipping meals because you don’t have time to eat can lead to being overly hungry later, and that feeling of starvation does not always lead to health conscious food choices.

Watch your portions
When a restaurant gives you a helping of pasta, don’t assume that they gave you a serving. Learn to recognize the right portions for different food. A piece of meat the size of your palm, for example, counts as about one serving.

Keep track of your liquids
The average American gets a fifth of their daily calories from drinks, not what they eat. Making smart drink choices can help to lead to a healthier lifestyle, especially if calories are a concern. Get juice that says 100% juice on the label to get the most out of those calories. You can also try adding some water to the juice to dilute it and the number of calories in a glass. When out on the town with friends, try getting light beer instead of cocktails. Your waistline will thank you.

Filed Under: General Rehab & Addiction · Tagged With: Food, Health, Potato chip