Things Your Doctor Maybe Checking On Your Visit

If you have been going to the doctor since you were little, you probably know the basic routine by now. Nurses or doctors will test your blood pressure, check your reflexes and ask some standard questions. You might be familiar with the process, but this does not mean you know why everything occurs. Many people let doctors work without knowing the reason behind an action, but here are some things your doctor may be checking on during your visit.

 

Weight Concerns

You can lie on your drivers license, but you cannot escape the scale at your doctors office. This is a good thing because knowing your weight helps your doctor determine conditions you are at risk for. Changes in your weight can also be helpful when diagnosing conditions.

 

Examining Your Eyes and Ears

The eye and ear part of an examination is so common that you probably do not even think about what your doctor is doing. Your eyes are checked for bleeding, narrowed arteries and yellowing, and that annoying light is shined in your eyes to inspect the retinas. Doctors examine the ear canal to look at the eardrum and check for fluid or other problems that could mean an infection.

 

Why Temperature Always Matters

While someone always takes your temperature, you might think the doctor does not even glance at the reading. However, doctors need this information because temperature measurement systems are important for accuracy and precision when determining illnesses. Your symptoms and temperature tell a doctor whether you have a common cold or something that needs a specific treatment plan and can give your doctor information about the safest way to proceed.

 

What Is On The Inside

Doctors feel, listen to and press on the abdominal area to check the stomach, spleen, kidneys and more. Along with noting any pain or tenderness you feel, doctors may also be checking for fluid, determining how big your liver is and listening for abnormal sounds with a stethoscope.

 

Testing Movements

Medical professionals discover information about your joints and extremities by feeling your arms and legs for abnormalities and having you perform movements to test for joint problems. They also check for pulses and unusual sounds in your arms and legs to learn about blood vessels, deteriorating joints and problems that are not visible.

 

When you know what your doctor checks for, you can provide better information and ask relevant questions. This lets your doctor make accurate conclusions and give you appropriate advice.

Categories: check, check up, doctor, Doctors, health check, Information, nbsp

Is Your Teen An Early Bloomer? What You Need To Know

Today, fewer schools have a dedicated sex education programme to help teenagers understand the changes that their bodies are going through. In fact, those that do don’t always cover other aspects to this phase such as body development and sexuality. A lot of girls use the internet now to get information about periods and changing bodies, but this is such an impersonal way to learn about something so important and could be providing wrong information in the case of some sites. However, there is some fantastic information out there that can help to boost the confidence and self esteem of young girls who may be having a hard time navigating hormones and puberty. But for young girls who are blooming earlier than their peers, this can be an especially difficult time. They may feel extremely self conscious and fearful of bullying about their new body, and this is a vital time when they’ll need all the information they can get in terms of understanding that these changes are perfectly normal. Everyone goes through the scary puberty stage, but we all get through it and come out unscathed on the other side – it’s simply part of growing up, no matter when it begins for your child.

In today’s hyper-sexualised culture, ‘blooming’ seems like the last thing that’s happening. It seems like all girls are being sexualised far too early and being forced to change what’s natural to them in order to fit the media’s idea of ‘normal’. It no doubt feels as though your child is coming into this phase too early, particularly if they are now going through puberty too, but it’s perfectly natural to feel anxiety during this stage. Both mums and daughters will be worried about the changes coming into play. Earlier and earlier puberty in teens these days means this issue is in the press a lot – we always seem to be hearing about the fact that kids are growing up too fast, both emotionally and physically. In the United States, for example, the average age for a girl to get her period is now around 12.5 years old. The processes that occur in the body are also happening earlier, such as the breast bud development, with many girls developing breasts as early as elementary school. The culture of periods being bad and shameful makes many girls anxious, but this is something to reassure early bloomers about so that they feel able to tackle the changes about to take place.

 

No matter when you or your daughter would like it to happen though, your child’s body will develop when it is ready. Nurturing encouragement is vital at this stage, as is providing as much information as your daughter needs. As with anyone going through puberty, whatever age it happens, a nutritious diet, plenty of sleep and exercise are all necessary for a healthy body. But it’s not all about the physical side – you need to ensure that they are emotionally healthy too, and this means making sure they have an open communication with you and people they trust. Many teens, and especially children developing early, feel isolated and self conscious, but this is a prime time for parents to step in and ensure that they nurture their children. It may be a frightening time for both mother and daughter, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing that can’t be tackled with an open relationship between you both.

Categories: body, Early, emotions, girls, Information, puberty, young girls

Is Your Teen An Early Bloomer? What You Need To Know

Today, fewer schools have a dedicated sex education programme to help teenagers understand the changes that their bodies are going through. In fact, those that do don’t always cover other aspects to this phase such as body development and sexuality. A lot of girls use the internet now to get information about periods and changing bodies, but this is such an impersonal way to learn about something so important and could be providing wrong information in the case of some sites. However, there is some fantastic information out there that can help to boost the confidence and self esteem of young girls who may be having a hard time navigating hormones and puberty. But for young girls who are blooming earlier than their peers, this can be an especially difficult time. They may feel extremely self conscious and fearful of bullying about their new body, and this is a vital time when they’ll need all the information they can get in terms of understanding that these changes are perfectly normal. Everyone goes through the scary puberty stage, but we all get through it and come out unscathed on the other side – it’s simply part of growing up, no matter when it begins for your child.

In today’s hyper-sexualised culture, ‘blooming’ seems like the last thing that’s happening. It seems like all girls are being sexualised far too early and being forced to change what’s natural to them in order to fit the media’s idea of ‘normal’. It no doubt feels as though your child is coming into this phase too early, particularly if they are now going through puberty too, but it’s perfectly natural to feel anxiety during this stage. Both mums and daughters will be worried about the changes coming into play. Earlier and earlier puberty in teens these days means this issue is in the press a lot – we always seem to be hearing about the fact that kids are growing up too fast, both emotionally and physically. In the United States, for example, the average age for a girl to get her period is now around 12.5 years old. The processes that occur in the body are also happening earlier, such as the breast bud development, with many girls developing breasts as early as elementary school. The culture of periods being bad and shameful makes many girls anxious, but this is something to reassure early bloomers about so that they feel able to tackle the changes about to take place.

 

No matter when you or your daughter would like it to happen though, your child’s body will develop when it is ready. Nurturing encouragement is vital at this stage, as is providing as much information as your daughter needs. As with anyone going through puberty, whatever age it happens, a nutritious diet, plenty of sleep and exercise are all necessary for a healthy body. But it’s not all about the physical side – you need to ensure that they are emotionally healthy too, and this means making sure they have an open communication with you and people they trust. Many teens, and especially children developing early, feel isolated and self conscious, but this is a prime time for parents to step in and ensure that they nurture their children. It may be a frightening time for both mother and daughter, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing that can’t be tackled with an open relationship between you both.

Categories: body, Early, emotions, girls, Information, puberty, young girls

How to Fire Your Employees with Compassion

Getting fired isn’t fun for anyone, but sometimes it’s a necessary act. There are ways to make the situation worse or better though, and for the sake of both the employer and the employee, the latter is preferred. It helps take a difficult situation and make it amiable and sympathetic, even if it isn’t what either party wants to say or hear. The first thing any person planning on firing someone should do is give the individual as much notice or warning as possible – no-one wants to find out they’ve lost their job and then have no time to plan around the news. The second is to give them as much understanding as you can – this helps the individual to know what to say when looking for a new position, and also helps them to understand why they’ve lost their job and others in the company have not.

 

Experts agree that you shouldn’t ever fire someone on a Friday. While it may seem like a less awkward way of doing things, it actually gives the fired employee the entire weekend to feel miserable during a period of time where no businesses will be working, so they can’t even feel productive in looking for a new position. Firing someone during the week at least gives them chance to seek out resources and find help where they need it.  Monday or Tuesdays are the best days to do the deed, as it gives them a launchpad from which to make plans and act on them. Don’t schedule a meeting with remaining staff to inform them about what has happened, as this will only lead to unwanted questions and also promotes a slightly morbid atmosphere. You don’t want to make the loss of someone’s job gossip worthy, so if you need to inform colleagues then do so individually and quietly. Don’t broadcast the information to people who don’t really need to know, though. Depending on the office culture, keep it to office managers, direct supervisors, human resources and IT, if necessary.

One of the most important things to remember is that the situation should be thought through and planned – don’t try and wing it, in the hope that it will work out when the time comes. This situation is difficult enough and must follow a legally sound practice in order to give the individual everything they need, resource-wise. Some companies or occupations have disclosure requirements which determine what is necessary to reveal to the employee, and ad-libbing could put you at risk of a lawsuit if they haven’t received the information they really need. On a less serious note, it could simply open you both up to miscommunication, which isn’t fair on either side. The chances are they will only hear that they’ve been fired and very little else, but it pays to be concise and fair them regardless. On that note, put everything that you’ve said in writing – this is important for both parties. No doubt the fired employee will have many questions later when the news has had chance to sink in, and having the information to hand can come in handy when this happens. It will also help if there are any discrepancies later on, as you can confirm what information was actually provided.  Lastly, offer help to them should they require it – this may be in the form of a reference when they get a new job, resources to help them look for a new job, or help with their CV if they need it. The most vital thing to remember is to be professional throughout – though it is difficult, there is no reason that professionalism needs to go out of the window.

Categories: employee, employees, fired, fired employee, firing, Information, situation, time, ve lost, work

How to Fire Your Employees with Compassion

Getting fired isn’t fun for anyone, but sometimes it’s a necessary act. There are ways to make the situation worse or better though, and for the sake of both the employer and the employee, the latter is preferred. It helps take a difficult situation and make it amiable and sympathetic, even if it isn’t what either party wants to say or hear. The first thing any person planning on firing someone should do is give the individual as much notice or warning as possible – no-one wants to find out they’ve lost their job and then have no time to plan around the news. The second is to give them as much understanding as you can – this helps the individual to know what to say when looking for a new position, and also helps them to understand why they’ve lost their job and others in the company have not.

 

Experts agree that you shouldn’t ever fire someone on a Friday. While it may seem like a less awkward way of doing things, it actually gives the fired employee the entire weekend to feel miserable during a period of time where no businesses will be working, so they can’t even feel productive in looking for a new position. Firing someone during the week at least gives them chance to seek out resources and find help where they need it.  Monday or Tuesdays are the best days to do the deed, as it gives them a launchpad from which to make plans and act on them. Don’t schedule a meeting with remaining staff to inform them about what has happened, as this will only lead to unwanted questions and also promotes a slightly morbid atmosphere. You don’t want to make the loss of someone’s job gossip worthy, so if you need to inform colleagues then do so individually and quietly. Don’t broadcast the information to people who don’t really need to know, though. Depending on the office culture, keep it to office managers, direct supervisors, human resources and IT, if necessary.

One of the most important things to remember is that the situation should be thought through and planned – don’t try and wing it, in the hope that it will work out when the time comes. This situation is difficult enough and must follow a legally sound practice in order to give the individual everything they need, resource-wise. Some companies or occupations have disclosure requirements which determine what is necessary to reveal to the employee, and ad-libbing could put you at risk of a lawsuit if they haven’t received the information they really need. On a less serious note, it could simply open you both up to miscommunication, which isn’t fair on either side. The chances are they will only hear that they’ve been fired and very little else, but it pays to be concise and fair them regardless. On that note, put everything that you’ve said in writing – this is important for both parties. No doubt the fired employee will have many questions later when the news has had chance to sink in, and having the information to hand can come in handy when this happens. It will also help if there are any discrepancies later on, as you can confirm what information was actually provided.  Lastly, offer help to them should they require it – this may be in the form of a reference when they get a new job, resources to help them look for a new job, or help with their CV if they need it. The most vital thing to remember is to be professional throughout – though it is difficult, there is no reason that professionalism needs to go out of the window.

Categories: employee, employees, fired, fired employee, firing, Information, situation, time, ve lost, work

The Rhythm of Life: New App Gives Bipolar Patients Balance

Researchers at Cornell have been awarded the prestigious $100,000 Heritage Open mHealth Challenge for their smartphone app designed to assist people whose mental health has been affected by bipolar disorder. Known as “MoodRhythm”, the app has been developed for iPhone and Android phones by a team led by Tanzeem Choudhury, associate professor of computing and information science, and postdoctoral fellow Mark Matthews. But what makes it so worthy of such an illustrious prize?

 

When your wellness is affected by bipolar disorder or manic depression, your mood can swing from extreme happiness and hyperactivity to complete depression. This takes its toll on your emotional well-being, and is associated with poor functional and clinical outcomes, high suicide rates and huge societal costs. This is where MoodRhythm comes in; giving you advice on how you can maintain a regular daily rhythm, and helping your doctor to monitor your progress, based on your personalised information.

 

The app uses the microphone, light sensors and accelerometer in your phone to monitor your sleep and social patterns, and also gives you the option of reporting your daily activities, food routines and mood. The combination of all this information enables your phone to determine the situations which have positive or negative outcomes. Although the phone listens to your conversations, you don’t need to worry about your privacy as it does not listen in on the content of speech. Rather, the technology notes variations in pitch, volume, speaking rate and other characteristics which indicate different emotional states.

 

Traditionally, patients have used paper diaries which are difficult to maintain, and so Choudhury collaborated with patients and clinicians to develop a more usable app. According to Choudhury, ‘It is one of the greatest challenges in health care to develop cutting-edge technology that not only meets clinical needs but that can be incorporated with ease into patients’ lives.’ So why choose rhythms?  ‘Rhythms guide our lives,’ Choudhury explains. ‘Our biological clocks tell us when we need to sleep, eat and wake. When these rhythms are interrupted or obstructed, it can be difficult for our bodies to get what they need to stay healthy and balanced.’

Categories: app, bipolar disorder, choudhury, Information, MoodRhythm, Patients, rhythms

Are You a Believer of These Sex Health Myths?

The internet is a great source of information for whatever you need to know about, but it can also be a risky place when it comes to your health. There are so many conflicting opinions online, as well as plenty of myths that can seem plausible if you’re not sure of the basic facts. A recent study carried out by Stanford University found that online information on adolescent reproductive health is riddled with errors and misinformation, which could mean that many of us are believing the wrong information and risking our health in the process. Here are some of the most common myths around sexual health and safe sex practices.

 

The first myth which many people buy into is that you can catch an STD from toilet seats, but this is a complete lie – most infections and diseases can’t survive outside of the body for very long, particularly on a cold and hard surface. This doesn’t even touch on the fact that urine is usually sterile, so you won’t find any STDs being transmitted through it. The main risks when it comes to the spread of STDs are mistakenly innocent activities such as skin-to-skin or mouth-to-mouth contact, which is a possible risk for those carrying STDs. Kissing can lead to herpes, or even oral gonorrhoea, and skin rubbing can spread pubic lice or scabies.

 

Another one which teens often fall for is the myth that you can’t get pregnant the first time you have sex. It may seem unlikely, but it’s a risk that’s not worth it – it’s been proven that around 20 percent of people get pregnant within the first month of having sex, and you’re just as likely to get pregnant on the first time as any other in your life. Going sans-contraception also puts you at risk of catching STDs. The same can be said of having sex while a woman is on her period – it’s unlikely that you’ll get pregnant, but it can still happen. Sperm can survive in your reproductive tract for up to 72 hours, so if you have sex too close to the end of your cycle you could still get pregnant.

 

The morning after pill is sometimes thought of as an abortion, but this is not true. If you take the morning after pill when you are already pregnant, in other words when the egg has been fertilised, then it won’t make any difference. There is a difference in the drugs used for post-coital contraception and abortions, which is not always made clear by websites and could lead to a risky misunderstanding. Often, women avoid contraceptive pills as they believe that they will make them gain weight. The truth is that there has been little to no evidence of this, even though people still claim it is true. If you do happen to gain weight whilst on contraception, there is no proof that the pill is to blame. Many teenagers also believe that they are unable to use the IUD as it isn’t safe for adolescents – outdated information used to claim that women under the age of 18 weren’t able to have the IUD fitted as it wasn’t safe, but this is no longer thought to be the case. It’s a safe, effective and long-term solution to contraception that many people now opt for. If you’re looking for something stress-free which means you can put the thought of contraception out of your mind for many years, this is a great choice and offers next to no risks.

Categories: contraception, gain weight, health, Information, Myths, Pregnant, sexual health

Dieting: Is fear stopping you from making changes?

For many people, the word diet instills a deep fear – a fear of failure. Around 95 percent of a woman’s self-esteem surrounds her body image, which can greatly affect how they feel about many aspects of their life and their confidence. There are plenty of other aspects which can affect a diet’s success, from hormone imbalances, stress and emotional problems. It is vital before starting something as reliant on dedication as a diet that we change our mindset. Once you tackle the emotional reasons that you overeat and struggle to maintain a healthy eating programme, you’ll find it a lot easier to keep on track. There are six questions you can ask yourself though, before setting off on your weight loss journey.

Question number one

Are you committed to changing your body? Anyone thinking of starting a diet wants to change how they look – but they aren’t always committed to the reality. You need to ensure you’re going to be strong when a sweet treat or a tasty snack tempts you.

Question number two

Does the pain of having more weight feel normal to you? If you’re used to using the extra ten pounds you’d love to lose as a weapon to use against yourself, how will you feel once it’s gone? It can be a tough issue to face but the reality is, there is some part of you that relishes having an excuse to loathe yourself. It’s important that you learn to love and accept the way you are, as it may be a difficult reality to face once you don’t have your weight to hide behind.

Question number three

Are you ready for the changes in your life? Routine is comforting, so how will you feel when the lifestyle you’re used to is upturned. It may seem daunting, but try to focus on the positive elements that will come with weight loss, such as a feeling of vitality and wellbeing, and being able to enjoy other aspects of your life more.

Question number 4

Are you allowing yourself to be distracted? Everything takes priority over your diet…sound familiar? There will always be things which can serve as an excuse for giving up, but in order to lose the weight, you need to be strong and put your efforts first.

Question number 5

Who are you losing weight for? Is it for you or someone else – a partner or to impress friends, perhaps? You won’t get far trying to please others. If you’re going to lose weight successfully, you’ll need to do it for yourself.

Question number 6

Are you realistic about your goals? Losing weight is a slow and steady process, which shouldn’t be rushed. Aim to lose about one to three pounds per week, and focus on being healthy rather than the amount of weight you’re losing – this will come with time. Most importantly, don’t quit at the last hurdle. Make sure that you stay on track and achieve the goal in question.

Categories: Dieting, emotional, Information

How Can Television Help You to Manage Your Diabetes?

The TV you have now is barely recognisable from the one your grandparents, or even your parents had. Over the past 50 years, televisions have become thinner, taller and wider, whilst making leaps and bounds in colour, sound and clarity. These days your TV has new problems to deal with; competing for attention with any new favourite mobile device. However, that’s all about to change with a new wellness discovery that an iPhone can’t beat.

In Australia, if your wellbeing is affected by diabetes, you will now be able to access potentially life-saving information all from the comfort of your living room. The new SeeCare IPTV platform has the ability to deliver video content to your television, making health literacy classes accessible through your television’s broadband connection. This has created a new innovative development in healthcare education.

Diabetes Australia is responsible for the information which makes up this health-related video content, and the organisation will utilize SeeCare’s Web 2.0 platform in order to connect those who have been affected by diabetes with the technologies that are available on the market. Diabetes Australia aims to achieve this goal by delivering the latest diabetes healthcare information over a broadband network using Ericsson’s IPTV system.

According to Ken Clarke, who is a senior researcher from the Institute for a Broadband Enabled Society at the University of Melbourne, ‘As we enter the Networked Society, we can expect to see virtually every device connected. So aside from smart phones, PC’s, and tablets, we will interact with many more devices, such as televisions for information, education, and healthcare.’

SeeCare, a provider of healthcare search and development of advanced social networking technology, developed the project in order to create a support-management group at home within the community it has created. When you have diabetes, this is especially important as the disease consistently requires daily self-management. Therefore, if you have a higher level of health literacy, you will have all the tools you need to properly manage your health. And since we live in an era submerged in having instant access to anything on a computer or mobile device, and now the television, surely it makes sense for healthcare providers and organisations to bring health literacy into the 21^st century.

How Can Television Help You to Manage Your Diabetes?

Categories: Diabetes, diabetes australia, Diabetes Management, health, Health Literacy, healthcare, Information, mobile device, Television, video content

Sex Education: Should ‘The Talk’ Become ‘The Text’?

The average teenager is glued to their phone, and, as they have a lot of questions about sexual health and sexually transmitted diseases, it makes sense that text messaging could be the medium by which sexual wellness experts answer those questions.

During a “Google Hangout” earlier this month on mobile health for youth, Tom Subak, CIO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America noted that whilst young people have a lot of the same questions about sex as in years past, the means of engaging youth have changed. He said during an online panel discussion, ‘It is really easy to ask a really tough question via SMS or via chat relative to what we all grew up with, which was having to get those words out of your mouth.’

He added that when young people fear their wellbeing is at risk, such as from an STD transmission or an accidental pregnancy, they tend to search for sex information which text messaging can quickly provide in an emergency: ‘They can just immediately dive in there with what’s really on their mind in a way that I certainly don’t think we were able to do before SMS was in everybody’s hands the way that it is now.’ Subak continued that text messaging, ‘as much as anything else, is a connector,’ to information and health services.

He reported that 10,000 to 20,000 young people contact Planned Parenthood via text message every month, and approximately 60% of these are referred to a health centre. Sam McKelvie, head of mobile strategy at marketing firm Mobile Commons, said that marketing Planned Parenthood’s SMS service for contraception and STD prevention education during MTV’s show 16 and Pregnant, was vital to its success: ‘With teens, you absolutely have to reach them where they are at, which is online, on social, in promoting these things on the social media networks that teens are on.’

McKelvie advised that we need to ‘pay attention to who’s exactly texting,’ as teens in minority and lower-income communities tend to text more than more affluent peers, due to the fact that they have less access to the Web than others might. She also noted that, whether the SMS campaigns are chat-like or giving more general information on a regular basis, marketers should allow two-way interaction.  With teens, it is a mistake to view text messaging as ‘a broadcast-only medium,’ she said.

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Sex Education: Should ‘The Talk’ Become ‘The Text’?

Categories: Information, Teenage Sex, Texting

Subsequent Surge in Sexual Satisfaction for Senior Citizens

Ladies, I’ve got some good news for you. Studies are starting to show that as you get older, the sex you have is going to get more pleasurable. That’s right, women of a certain age report being generally more sexually satisfied than women of younger generations with more reaching orgasm and more enjoying the experience on the whole. For those of you already there, bravo and for those heading in that direction, you’ve not got something to look forward to.

The only issue is that as ladies get older their libido’s start to diminish. They may enjoy the sex they have a lot more but they’ll want it much less than they used to. Researchers had spent several years working on a treatment dubbed ‘female Viagra’ which was going really well until late-stage clinical trials in which it was shown to have little or no effect at all.
This decreased libido doesn’t appear to actually decrease the amount of sex which older women have though; most will go for it at least once a month and sometimes more. Obviously with old age comes things like vaginal dryness and as such, steps need to be taken to get around these obstacles. Once these have been taken and all things are oiled up and ready to go, ladies claim that in general they enjoy the experience a whole lot more!

Satisfaction is something which is often lacking for ladies in their sex lives in general so it’s great news that it gets better as they get older. People who have more or better sex tend to be happier in their day to day lives and happier people bring happiness into the lives of others. Essentially the more sex that goes on in the world the happier everyone will be. Good on you ladies!

Categories: Information, Senior Citizens, sexual health

How Type Two Diabetes Could Keep you up at Night

Just what is sleep apnoea? Well, it's a condition which has been linked with obesity and type two diabetes which results in sufferers stopping breathing several (sometimes hundreds) of times during the night. When the stop breathing they wake up suddenly and as such they don't get a full and uninterrupted nights sleep very often. Persistent lack of sleep can cause all sorts of health conditions of its own and it's not something to take lightly, we need to be well rested in order to function well during the day. Less sleep means, among other things, a lessening of efficiency.

For those type two diabetics over the age of 65, sleep apnea becomes a real concern. There's a 67% for men and a 50% chance for women to suffer from this condition and that means a lot of sleepless nights are going to be had by a lot of people. For diabetics the danger's even worse as sleep apnea increases the stress and strain put on the body which in turn can cause blood-sugar levels to rise. For those who have to manage their blood-sugar levels perpetually, this can lead to some unpleasant complications and ultimately death.

If you're part of the group more likely to get sleep apnea and you're concerned about your wellness don't fret! We've put together a list of symptoms, if you suffer from any of these then it's important you see your doctor as soon as possible so you can start to target the condition immediately.

–                    Chronic fatigue caused by persistent lack of sleep. You may fall off without realising it.

–                    Issues in maintaining concentration at times where you haven’t had an issue before.

–                     Mood Swings and irrational behaviour

–                    Blood-sugar levels which become much more difficult to keep under control.

Categories: Diabetes, Information, Sleep apnoea

The Fast Food Trap and Type Two Diabetes

The best way of dealing with type two diabetes is through general lifestyle changes generally centred on diet and exercise. There are all sorts of things which diabetic can do to keep their quality of life nice and high and even though many of these may initially take quite a bit of getting used to, once they’ve been doing them a while they’ll be able to live pretty normal lives. Sadly, there’s no cure and if a diabetic lets his/her condition get out of control then they’ll find some unpleasant side effects of their condition which can eventually lead to death.

Fast Food may seem like a bit of a trap for diabetics and it’s true that things like the traditional fast food breakfast will skyrocket blood-sugar levels that you can’t take advantage. There are all sorts which fast food restaurants are obligated to put on the menu which are actually good for you (at least not as bad for you…) and as such you can use the fact that they’re everywhere and fairly affordable to get a quick snack when you’re out and about.
Don’t get into the habit of popping into these places if you can help it, the smell alone may spur you into buying a meal and this could be dangerous. It’s a temptation too far for most people and I for one know I’d struggled to sit in a fast food restaurant and not eat something deliciously bad for me.

Don’t be afraid to order from them if you think you have the willpower but don’t be fooled by any sparkly ads, a burger is never going to be that good for you as a diabetic meal. You’re not going to be able to eat a big mac no matter how much you want to be able to!

Categories: Diabetes, fast food, Information

Sex is a corner stone of any relationship, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Those couples who’re having great sex are less likely to be unhappy in general and it’s the sort of thing which can be used to defuse or fix most situations. You can have all the things in common in the world but a relationship without sex is a friendship, not that there’s anything wrong with that of course! In a recent study into the sex lives of seniors, it’s been shown that those who’re having intercourse more than once a month are, on average, much happier than those who haven’t had sex for more than 12 months. It’s not a surprising finding really; I think that in general most people would say that they’re happier when they’re having sex regularly than when they’re not. It’s not just because sex is fun, it brings you closer to the person that you love, it’s a great work out and it releases endorphins into the blood stream and those are the body’s natural calming agent. As people get older it’s common for sex drives to die down, though obviously it’s not true in all cases this can mean a diminishing or even an eventual end to your sex life. For some people this might be just fine but for most, it’ll be the last thing they want. There are all sorts of aids you can get to help you sustain your sex life and keep you and your partner happy all the way through the sunset years. Consult your doctor for some referrals here, there’s more on offer than just the little blue pills and you may be surprised what’s available to you! Remember, old age doesn’t have to slow you down in your sex life any more than it does anywhere else! Get out there and get going. Ways to keep a senior happy? It’s not what you may think!

Sex is a corner stone of any relationship, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Those couples who’re having great sex are less likely to be unhappy in general and it’s the sort of thing which can be used to defuse or fix most situations. You can have all the things in common in the world but a relationship without sex is a friendship, not that there’s anything wrong with that of course!
In a recent study into the sex lives of seniors, it’s been shown that those who’re having intercourse more than once a month are, on average, much happier than those who haven’t had sex for more than 12 months. It’s not a surprising finding really; I think that in general most people would say that they’re happier when they’re having sex regularly than when they’re not. It’s not just because sex is fun, it brings you closer to the person that you love, it’s a great work out and it releases endorphins into the blood stream and those are the body’s natural calming agent.

As people get older it’s common for sex drives to die down, though obviously it’s not true in all cases this can mean a diminishing or even an eventual end to your sex life. For some people this might be just fine but for most, it’ll be the last thing they want. There are all sorts of aids you can get to help you sustain your sex life and keep you and your partner happy all the way through the sunset years.

Consult your doctor for some referrals here, there’s more on offer than just the little blue pills and you may be surprised what’s available to you! Remember, old age doesn’t have to slow you down in your sex life any more than it does anywhere else! Get out there and get going.

Ways to keep a senior happy? It’s not what you may think!

Categories: Information, Senior Citizens, Sexual Relationships

There are some crimes which just aren’t forgivable, there are some things which people do which require retribution and sadly for those who deserve justice for what they’ve had to suffer through, fear of reprisal can prevent action. This is true of domestic violence and it’s especially true of sexual assault and rape. What’s most frightening is that 80% of rapes are perpetrated by a relative or acquaintance. Legally sexual assault is treated very seriously and will generally lead the accused into prison-time if they’re found guilty. Again, the issue here isn’t the lack of severity of punishment it’s that victims are afraid to come forward and name names and why wouldn’t they be? They’ll have been through something which they won’t want to remember, never mind talk about and the fear of being hurt for speaking out will be a hugely powerful thing. Victims of sexual assault should always go to A&E at the hospital as soon as they can. Within 24 hours if at all possible. No one will make them say anything but it’s highly urged that they speak out as the culprits are likely to have assaulted others in similar ways and will probably continue to do so, it’s important to get them off the streets. Forensic evidence can be collected from those who come in quickly after an assault, this is imperative for keeping people like this off the street and ensuring they don’t hurt anyone else ever again. In cases where you know someone who’s been sexually assaulted but is too scared to seek help, it’s important that you act as their advocate and seek that help for them. It might be scary but their wellbeing and very life could be at stake, you might have to let them be angry at you for a while to save their lives!

There are some crimes which just aren’t forgivable, there are some things which people do which require retribution and sadly for those who deserve justice for what they’ve had to suffer through, fear of reprisal can prevent action. This is true of domestic violence and it’s especially true of sexual assault and rape. What’s most frightening is that 80% of rapes are perpetrated by a relative or acquaintance.
Legally sexual assault is treated very seriously and will generally lead the accused into prison-time if they’re found guilty. Again, the issue here isn’t the lack of severity of punishment it’s that victims are afraid to come forward and name names and why wouldn’t they be? They’ll have been through something which they won’t want to remember, never mind talk about and the fear of being hurt for speaking out will be a hugely powerful thing.
Victims of sexual assault should always go to A&E at the hospital as soon as they can. Within 24 hours if at all possible. No one will make them say anything but it’s highly urged that they speak out as the culprits are likely to have assaulted others in similar ways and will probably continue to do so, it’s important to get them off the streets. Forensic evidence can be collected from those who come in quickly after an assault, this is imperative for keeping people like this off the street and ensuring they don’t hurt anyone else ever again.

In cases where you know someone who’s been sexually assaulted but is too scared to seek help, it’s important that you act as their advocate and seek that help for them. It might be scary but their wellbeing and very life could be at stake, you might have to let them be angry at you for a while to save their lives!

Categories: Assistance, Information, Sexual Assault

Did you know that we’re all little liars when it comes to our romantic lives? Most of us don’t even know it either, we actually think we’re telling the truth and maybe consciously we are but at our subconscious and primal core we’re all about a very different thing. What am I talking about you ask? Why, what we go for in perspective partners of course. Many of us will say that looks aren’t as important as personality; we’ll tout our desire for an emotional connection and our partner needing to be good or intelligent but what we really want is a “hotty with a body”. It’s in-built and not something that we can control. Think about how many people end up with partners who’re nothing like them, the only thing they have in common is physical attraction and I’m telling you now it’s not always a bad thing. Sex is a cornerstone of a good romantic relationship; you’re never closer to your partner emotionally and of course physically than during intercourse and this can very easily supersede all other requirements. Ask yourself, would you rather be with a partner with whom the sex was terrible but the connection was good, or a partner with whom the sex was outstanding but the connection wasn’t really there? A relationship without sex is a friendship, and there’s nothing wrong with that at all. Scientists have been working to prove this very point through the use of a flash card type computer program which monitors subjects reaction to certain words and images. These reactions are subconscious and occur before we’ve had time to process the information and allow the researchers to get a good read on what we actually want in a partner. They found that what people say they want and what they actually go for tend to be two separate things and we’re often not even aware that we’re doing it! Little liars, all of us! Why we’re all little liars when it comes to romance

Did you know that we’re all little liars when it comes to our romantic lives? Most of us don’t even know it either, we actually think we’re telling the truth and maybe consciously we are but at our subconscious and primal core we’re all about a very different thing. What am I talking about you ask? Why, what we go for in perspective partners of course.

Many of us will say that looks aren’t as important as personality; we’ll tout our desire for an emotional connection and our partner needing to be good or intelligent but what we really want is a “hotty with a body”.  It’s in-built and not something that we can control. Think about how many people end up with partners who’re nothing like them, the only thing they have in common is physical attraction and I’m telling you now it’s not always a bad thing. Sex is a cornerstone of a good romantic relationship; you’re never closer to your partner emotionally and of course physically than during intercourse and this can very easily supersede all other requirements. Ask yourself, would you rather be with a partner with whom the sex was terrible but the connection was good, or a partner with whom the sex was outstanding but the connection wasn’t really there? A relationship without sex is a friendship, and there’s nothing wrong with that at all.

Scientists have been working to prove this very point through the use of a flash card type computer program which monitors subjects reaction to certain words and images. These reactions are subconscious and occur before we’ve had time to process the information and allow the researchers to get a good read on what we actually want in a partner.
They found that what people say they want and what they actually go for tend to be two separate things and we’re often not even aware that we’re doing it! Little liars, all of us!

Why we’re all little liars when it comes to romance

Categories: Attraction, Information, Romance

There are a lot of things about arthritis we do not know. There are a lot of things about a lot of things we don’t know though, so why’s it important we don’t know so much about certain areas of arthritis? Glad you asked. Arthritis comes in a lot of different forms and it’s incredibly common, a good proportion of people will suffer from it as they get older and though all sorts of advances and impressive new treatment techniques have come about in recent years it’s still a bit of a mystery in certain areas. The second most common type of arthritis in the suffered in the USA today is one of these mystery areas. We know what it is and where it forms, we know the symptoms and we know some ways patients can be treated but one thing we do not know is why it occurs. I’m talking about diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis or, DISH for short. It occurs when deposits of minerals occur excessively on the edges on the vertebrae most commonly in the neck and back. This causes pain, stiffness, damage to spinal nerves and eventually can create severe issues in swallowing. Around 12% of people older than 50 in the USA suffer from DISH and yet we don’t know why it occurs. I’d love to say that scientists have discovered why and that the article so far has been suspense. Sadly I can’t. There is good news though; scientists have found a way of conferring the condition onto lab mice (not the best news for the mice). Now they’ve got viable test subjects they can start to experiment and try and find the reason for the condition in the first place. Being able to find the root cause will mean that doctors should be able to treat that instead of the symptoms. DISHing on the good news, I feel bad for the mouse

There are a lot of things about arthritis we do not know. There are a lot of things about a lot of things we don’t know though, so why’s it important we don’t know so much about certain areas of arthritis? Glad you asked. Arthritis comes in a lot of different forms and it’s incredibly common, a good proportion of people will suffer from it as they get older and though all sorts of advances and impressive new treatment techniques have come about in recent years it’s still a bit of a mystery in certain areas.

The second most common type of arthritis in the suffered in the USA today is one of these mystery areas. We know what it is and where it forms, we know the symptoms and we know some ways patients can be treated but one thing we do not know is why it occurs. I’m talking about diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis or, DISH for short. It occurs when deposits of minerals occur excessively on the edges on the vertebrae most commonly in the neck and back. This causes pain, stiffness, damage to spinal nerves and eventually can create severe issues in swallowing.  Around 12% of people older than 50 in the USA suffer from DISH and yet we don’t know why it occurs.

I’d love to say that scientists have discovered why and that the article so far has been suspense. Sadly I can’t. There is good news though; scientists have found a way of conferring the condition onto lab mice (not the best news for the mice). Now they’ve got viable test subjects they can start to experiment and try and find the reason for the condition in the first place. Being able to find the root cause will mean that doctors should be able to treat that instead of the symptoms.

DISHing on the good news, I feel bad for the mouse

Categories: Arthritis, Information, Research

Arthritis is a condition which you’d traditionally associate with the elderly or the soon to be elderly but what many may not be aware of is that, though it might be less common, it can affect younger people too. In youths, especially in children it can be much more difficult to spot the symptoms as they tend to be much more active and as such more prone to getting aches and bumps on their own accord. The condition can be fairly crippling for kids and it’s one of the last things you’d ever want them to have to suffer through, especially considering that kids are supposed to run around like mad things and not have to have their movements constrained by constant pain. Regardless, life is rarely fair and there are a lot of children who suffer from arthritis worldwide. There are a lot of treatments available for arthritis and some will be more effective for some people than others. A new and exciting treatment is being pioneered currently and so far it’s shown some good promise! It’s called Actemra and it’s a kind of interleukin-6 blocker. After 3 months of treatment with this new drug 85% of kids who were treated showed at least 30% improvement in their symptoms which was a great deal higher than those children who received the placebo. What does this mean for you? Well, if your child is unfortunate enough to suffer from arthritis, it could well be a ray of hope. They could experience better mobility and with it an entirely new lease on life. Unfortunately it may well be a while before the treatment becomes widely available but remember to talk to your GP and find out if it’ll arrive in your area any time soon! Good news for parents and kids alike! Childhood Arthritis and the Shining Light of Hope

Arthritis is a condition which you’d traditionally associate with the elderly or the soon to be elderly but what many may not be aware of is that, though it might be less common, it can affect younger people too. In youths, especially in children it can be much more difficult to spot the symptoms as they tend to be much more active and as such more prone to getting aches and bumps on their own accord. The condition can be fairly crippling for kids and it’s one of the last things you’d ever want them to have to suffer through, especially considering that kids are supposed to run around like mad things and not have to have their movements constrained by constant pain.
Regardless, life is rarely fair and there are a lot of children who suffer from arthritis worldwide. There are a lot of treatments available for arthritis and some will be more effective for some people than others. A new and exciting treatment is being pioneered currently and so far it’s shown some good promise!

It’s called Actemra and it’s a kind of interleukin-6 blocker. After 3 months of treatment with this new drug 85% of kids who were treated showed at least 30% improvement in their symptoms which was a great deal higher than those children who received the placebo.  What does this mean for you?

Well, if your child is unfortunate enough to suffer from arthritis, it could well be a ray of hope. They could experience better mobility and with it an entirely new lease on life. Unfortunately it may well be a while before the treatment becomes widely available but remember to talk to your GP and find out if it’ll arrive in your area any time soon! Good news for parents and kids alike!

Childhood Arthritis and the Shining Light of Hope

Categories: Arthritis, Children, Information

Every day we learn something new and all knowledge is good knowledge. Sometimes the information we glean in our lives isn’t that important and other times it might be so important that we just have to share it. This isn’t either of those. It’s almost the latter but almost isn’t quite and as such, we’ll call it pre-important in that it’ll lead somewhere important. It’s the information which is given before the exciting stuff starts to happen, like a party invitation or an introduction. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA from here) is the second most common form of arthritis in the UK and it affects almost 600,000 people. The condition often starts in the forefeet due to the multitude of tiny joints they contain which the arthritis can inflame it its vindictive delight. This often causes sensations which sufferers sometimes compare to ‘walking on marbles’ and was long thought that this was because the joints in the forefeet were inflamed and caused this sensation. This theory has been debunked and it’s now been shown that bursae, which are small fluid filled sacks found in areas of the body that are subject to friction (think of them as buffers or pads), which have become inflamed actually cause the sensation of walking on marbles as they’re located on the underside of feet. These bursae were rarely detected by clinical examination and as such, were ignored until scans revealed them to scientists for the first time recently. What does this mean? Well, as I said knowledge is important. We can’t treat anything until we understand it. Better understandings lead to better treatments and as such, scientists and researchers can now look into more effective ways to treat what is being called ‘marble foot syndrome’ and hopefully RA as a whole! Your marble feet and why they’re not what you thought

Every day we learn something new and all knowledge is good knowledge. Sometimes the information we glean in our lives isn’t that important and other times it might be so important that we just have to share it. This isn’t either of those. It’s almost the latter but almost isn’t quite and as such, we’ll call it pre-important in that it’ll lead somewhere important. It’s the information which is given before the exciting stuff starts to happen, like a party invitation or an introduction.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA from here) is the second most common form of arthritis in the UK and it affects almost 600,000 people. The condition often starts in the forefeet due to the multitude of tiny joints they contain which the arthritis can inflame it its vindictive delight. This often causes sensations which sufferers sometimes compare to ‘walking on marbles’ and was long thought that this was because the joints in the forefeet were inflamed and caused this sensation.

This theory has been debunked and it’s now been shown that bursae, which are small fluid filled sacks found in areas of the body that are subject to friction (think of them as buffers or pads), which have become inflamed actually cause the sensation of walking on marbles as they’re located on the underside of feet. These bursae were rarely detected by clinical examination and as such, were ignored until scans revealed them to scientists for the first time recently.

What does this mean? Well, as I said knowledge is important. We can’t treat anything until we understand it. Better understandings lead to better treatments and as such, scientists and researchers can now look into more effective ways to treat what is being called ‘marble foot syndrome’ and hopefully RA as a whole!

Your marble feet and why they’re not what you thought

Categories: Arthritis, Feet, Information

Occasionally big scientific breakthroughs are made and we all cheer a quiet cheer and we move on. Sometimes these breakthroughs are bigger and more profound and sometimes they’re less of a breakthrough and more of a slow burst forth. These slower achievements aren’t any less profound and they’re not necessarily less world changing, they just take a little while to occur and because of humanity’s inability to focus of something for a long period of time, they can easily be forgotten. The amazing caterpillar fungus is one of those things. It’s miraculous, exotic and has been shown of have all sorts of medicinal uses but due to the amount of time it’s taken to discover these uses it’s rather slipped from the public eye. In the past caterpillar fungus or, cordyceps has been shown to have amazing properties when used to fight off diseases like cancer and help in cases of arthritis. In several trials it showed powerful effects and got scientists very excited but due to the relatively expensive and incredibly rare nature of the fungus it can be difficult to obtain. Recently the fungus has been shown to have potential as anti-inflammatory aged too. This is fantastic news if you’re sufferers of an inflammatory condition like rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, renal failure or stroke damage as it could help to ease your symptoms. The reason cordyceps is so rare is that the fungus grows on caterpillars which hibernate in the Tibetan mountains. Farmers dig up or otherwise find the caterpillars and pluck the fungus straight from them and sell it on. Tiny quantities of it are worth hundreds of pounds and before it was recognised by western medicine it was used massively by Traditional Chinese Medicine. Hopefully in the coming years will see more of cordyceps and its miraculous qualities! Caterpillar fungus and how it could help you

Occasionally big scientific breakthroughs are made and we all cheer a quiet cheer and we move on. Sometimes these breakthroughs are bigger and more profound and sometimes they’re less of a breakthrough and more of a slow burst forth. These slower achievements aren’t any less profound and they’re not necessarily less world changing, they just take a little while to occur and because of humanity’s inability to focus of something for a long period of time, they can easily be forgotten.

The amazing caterpillar fungus is one of those things. It’s miraculous, exotic and has been shown of have all sorts of medicinal uses but due to the amount of time it’s taken to discover these uses it’s rather slipped from the public eye. In the past caterpillar fungus or, cordyceps has been shown to have amazing properties when used to fight off diseases like cancer and help in cases of arthritis. In several trials it showed powerful effects and got scientists very excited but due to the relatively expensive and incredibly rare nature of the fungus it can be difficult to obtain.

Recently the fungus has been shown to have potential as anti-inflammatory aged too. This is fantastic news if you’re sufferers of an inflammatory condition like rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, renal failure or stroke damage as it could help to ease your symptoms.

The reason cordyceps is so rare is that the fungus grows on caterpillars which hibernate in the Tibetan mountains. Farmers dig up or otherwise find the caterpillars and pluck the fungus straight from them and sell it on. Tiny quantities of it are worth hundreds of pounds and before it was recognised by western medicine it was used massively by Traditional Chinese Medicine. Hopefully in the coming years will see more of cordyceps and its miraculous qualities!

Caterpillar fungus and how it could help you

Categories: Arthritis, Caterpillars, Information