The Need For Sharing Health Problems

Support from others is invaluable in helping those with a health problem come to terms and deal with it. 

Since good health is highly prized in any society, it is often difficult to admit even to yourself that you may be ill. The difficulty is even greater if you have an ailment that substantially affects your life or lasts a considerable time. Sharing health problems is part of the process of coming to terms with what’s wrong with you and finding positive ways of dealing with it. As well as getting support for practical problems, it can help you overcome any isolation you may feel. 

True, few people really like to talk openly about their health problems. They may feel it’s not a suitable topic for discussion, or that they will bore of alienate those around them. But, it is important to be able to strike a balance between the natural desire for privacy and the need to communicate.

The way you share your particular health problem is an individual decision. If it is impossible to avoid others knowing about it, you may prefer to discuss it openly with friends and colleagues at work. This can be a good way to overcome any embarrassment they may feel; it will also give them the opportunity to offer help or support.

Or, you may want to confide only in a few trusted people, to who you can turn when you need them. What is essential is that you should not regard any illness as a guilty secret, and you should not hesitate to confide in those close to you if you feel it will help. People around someone with a long-term ailment should not pressure him or her to talk about it, but should show that they are ready to be taken into confidence and to give support. Mutual sensitivity is the key to sharing health problems.

How To Make Extra Money!

The first and most important person with whom you need to share any health problem is your family doctor. But some people – particularly if they fear something serious is wrong – may delay getting medical advice. They may say they do not want to bother the doctor, or that it will go away by itself.

Meanwhile, the symptoms may get worse, adding stress to the problem and possibly risking their chances of an early diagnosis and effective treatment. 

If you are afraid to visit the doctor, it may be helpful to talk over the problem with someone you know well to help allay your fears. You can also take a friend or relative with you to give moral support and to keep you company while you are waiting for the consultation. 

Establishing this kind of communication can also help during treatment. If you are unsure about something the doctor has said, it often helps to talk it over with someone so that you are prepared with the right questions next time you visit the doctor. Even so, you should always follow your doctor‘s advice, even if you are confused by it. 

It is natural that anyone diagnosed as having a long-term complaint such as diabetes of kidney trouble should feel worried and depressed. Friends and relatives can be a vital source of support, but your doctor or health visitor will be able to put you in touch with someone in a similar position who can give the benefit of experience and advice of practical details. 

Self- help groups can also be an invaluable source of support. Women with breast cancer, for example, have been greatly helped by such group discussions, not only to allay their fears before the operation but also to cope with the emotional and physical problems afterwards. Particularly with a disease that is hard to talk about openly, groups of fellow sufferers help to break down the isolation and generate confidence in the patient’s ability to deal with such a traumatic experience.

Very often, the most difficult problems to share are those connected with mental health. Such problems can range from long-standing conditions to more short-term difficulties like post-natal depression. Even though their lives and relationships may be badly affected, people with these problems are frequently unwilling to communicate with anyone. This can place great strain on their family and friends. Expert advice from a doctor of therapist will be needed, but in some cases, a self-help group can lend invaluable support.

Sharing health problems can also be extended wit good effect to other problems such as giving up smoking or losing weight. The strong collective determination of a group can help you maintain your will power and boost you morale. They can also take the pressure off friends and family, who up till then have been bearing the burden.

Preparing for Pregnancy

If you plan to become pregnant, use the months prior to conception to get yourself into peak physical condition.

Most women realize that they must take good care of themselves during pregnancy. But a healthy state cannot be achieved overnight. There are certain sensible measures, which should be taken some months before you intend to become pregnant if you want to give your child the best possible start in life and yourself the best chances of a happy and healthy pregnancy. 

A Head Start on Health 

If you have not had rubella, (German measles) make sure that you have been immunized against it. You are GP can give you a simple blood test to see whether you need to be vaccinated. 

Remember that you cannot be vaccinated once your pregnancy has started and you should wait at least three-months after the vaccination before attempting to become pregnant. 

Drugs and medicine of any kind may have an effect on an unborn baby. If you are on pills of any sort and intend to become pregnant, tell your GP and only continue taking them if he or she advises that they are essential to your health. This even applies to remedies bought over the counter such as aspirin.

There may be uncertainty about the effect of many drugs but it is known that smoking damages the health of an unborn child. If you are a smoker, try to give up some months before you want to become pregnant. You should make sure you have well and truly stopped and will not lapse. Give yourself a chance to adjust and your system time to rid itself to the effects of smoking. 

The effects of alcohol on an unborn baby are not fully clear but it is evident that women who drink heavily during pregnancy may damage their baby’s as well as their own health. If you drink regularly, try to cut right down even before you try to conceive. Although the odd drink will do no harm, you will not want to take chances.

Building up Resources

Another important measure is to make sure that you eat a sensible, balanced diet and are reasonably fit in the months before pregnancy, so that when you become pregnant your body has the necessary resources to draw upon. Of course, it makes sense not to be overweight but do not go on a drastic slimming diet. You should be cutting out vital proteins and vitamins that your baby needs in the crucial early days following conception. It is thought that malnutrition in mothers before and around the time of conception may be responsible for many handicaps. If you are concerned about your weight, consult your GP about a sensible diet. 

Try to make sure you are getting enough exercise, although if you are not used to a great deal, take it gradually. Try walking a little further each day, swimming or joining a keep fit class. The fitter and healthier you are at the time of conception, the better for your baby and the more chance you will have of enjoying your pregnancy.

Your complete guide to Self-Massage

Delicious Potato Recipes

How to Deal With Skin Problems

 Over-active oil production is the cause of enlarged pores, acne, and blackheads. However, much can be done to bring the problem under control.

If you look close at your face in a magnifying mirror, you will see a mass of small holes, particularly around the nose, cheeks and chin. These are pores: openings onto the skin’s surface of sweat glands, oil glands, and hair follicles. The size of pores can vary from relatively open and visible ducts to others that are barely perceptible. When excess oil is secreted by the oil glands, pores enlarge, causing poorly textured skin and sometimes acne and other skin complaints.

Remedies

The main remedy is an astringent preparation that removes the excess oil. The way astringents work is to slightly irritate the surrounding skin, causing it to swell slightly so that the pores appear to close up. Most commercial astringents contain alcohol as their main ingredient, and should be used carefully, as they may have a too drying effect on non-oily areas of the skin. 

One home remedy for enlarged pores is to bathe the affected area with a little borax dissolved in warm water. Alternatively, you can apply ice salt water twice daily. Massage the solution gently into the skin, taking care not to irritate it. Rinse your skin thoroughly and pat dry. Probably the best way to conceal enlarged pores is by using a carefully selected make-up. For oily skins, a liquid base is generally preferable to a cream one. At the same time, you should make sure that you completely remove your make-up at night and cleanse your skin to prevent your pores from being clogged with make-up or dirt. 

Acne

Contrary to myth, bacteria on the skin do not cause acne, or by eating too many fatty of fried foods, though good skin hygiene and a proper diet will help keep skin glowing and healthy. 

Rather acne, which is primarily an adolescent complaint, is caused by hormonal changes leading to over activity of the glands. This causes an excessive production of oil. The oil may be dammed back from reaching the skin’s surface, and become trapped in the oil ducts: this result in blackheads and white heads. If these break through to the wall of the duct, pimples and boil like lesions can result.

Though acne cannot be cured, it can be controlled and, in severe cases, medical treatment should be sought. The most basic remedy is regular washing, up to four times a day, with soap and water. This dries the oil form the skin and encourages mild peeling, which helps prevent the formation of ‘plugs’ of dead skin that clog up the pores and oil ducts. Regular shampooing is also recommended, particularly if your hair covers an acne- affected part of your face like your forehead.

Though, antibiotic soaps are not strictly necessary, your doctor may recommend their use to help prevent any secondary infections. Oral antibiotics may also be prescribed. 

Most commercial antidotes for acne are designed to remove oil, and may be too drying. If you use them, watch carefully for any signs of allergy or irritation. You can also try a mild astringent to soak up the excess oil. Creams and oily cover-up cosmetics should also be avoided as these clog the pores.

Beautiful Women Store 

How to Take Care Of Yourself

Lovely Hands

 Soft, velvety hands are one of the few beauty arsenals. Apply moisturizing hand cream once or twice a day – look for a product that contains more natural ingredients, essential oils (almond oil, castor oil, honey extracts, chamomile extract, Vaseline).

Massage your hands for 5/ 10 minutes every second day with a massaging oil or with the help of an oilier hand cream – this will improve the blood circulation, allowing new, healthier skin cells to emerge.

Don’t forget to exfoliate your hands once a week with a mild exfoliator to remove the dead skin cells, dry cuticles or patches that make your hands look dry and unhealthy.

Don’t forget to do your manicure and pedicure regularly. This season the brighter hues made a comeback – dark red, black, brown, violet.

Beautiful Skin

Eating healthy foods that contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants is essential for a healthy, younger-looking skin. Make sure your diet includes fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid eating greasy foods, sugar, chocolate, especially during the colder months of the year.

Don’t forget to drink plenty of water every day – at least 1.5 litre mineral water to keep your body and skin well-hydrated.

Healthy Hair

Taking a proper care of your hair all year around is essential in order to keep it healthy-looking and shining. Prevent damaging your hair by applying a nourishing hair mask once or twice a week; using moisturizing shampoo and conditioner that are appropriate for your hair type; applying heat protecting hair product every time you straighten your hair with a flat iron; using hair care products that offer sun protection during the summer months; wearing hats or scarves when you are at the beach.

Don’t forget to trim your hair every month to prevent split ends.

Exfoliate Your Whole Body Regularly

Exfoliating your skin regularly is essential in order to keep your skin healthy, soft and younger-looking. When exfoliating you remove the dead skin cells accumulated through the year. The clean epidermis is something necessary in order to achieve great and even complexion. Exfoliation is a technique aimed to improve the skin’s appearance by removing the dead skin cells from the surface of the skin. Exfoliating your body twice a week is recommended in order to get rid of any dry skin, as it stimulates circulation and increases your skin’s absorption of any nourishing or moisturizing ingredients. Regularly exfoliating the skin will help you maintain the skin in its optimum condition and accelerates the skin renewal process.

Don’t forget to use different exfoliators for your face and for your body.

Visit a beautician regularly

The professional care of your skin, at least once a months is a must, as there are some beauty procedures that you cannot perform at your home. Go to a licensed beautician to have a professional facial, face mask and professional face mask. Great eyebrows are a beauty essential and key element to a polished look. Start with a professional brow consultation to work out the best shape for your face.

How to Look After Your Ears

Most of us tend not to think much about our ears - aside from their appearance. In fact, they are highly sensitive instruments, which require looking after in order to protect the delicate hearing mechanism.

The ear is composed of three different areas and each is susceptible to different types of problems. The outer ear is the visible part; leading from it is a canal, which extends back to the eardrum. The middle ear, a cavity in the skull, contains the outer membrane of the eardrum, on which the sounds are amplified. The small complex inner ear includes organs for hearing and balance. Cleaning the visible part of the ear is part of normal hygiene, but you should allow nature to take care of the cleanliness of the inner regions. Unfortunately, infections are very often caused by putting fingers or other hard objects into the ear in order to remove wax. In fact, wax, which is produced by sweat glands in the ear canal, is quite harmless and should be left alone. If it accumulates in excess, causing temporary deafness, consult your doctor. 

If an object gets stuck in our ear or, as more frequently happens, your child’s, never try to extract it as you may push I further down the canal, and perhaps penetrate the drum. Consult your doctor immediately – to wait may result in an infection – and he or she will extract the object for you.

Earaches, especially when accompanied by discharging pus or a loss of hearing, may lead to long-term damage unless early treatment is given. Among the most common middle ear infections are small boils in the canal, which can spread to the eardrum, and inflammation of the drum itself. Often these are associated with a blocked nose from a cold, which affects a tube in the middle ear. Such infections respond well to antibiotics. 

As we get older, even the healthy ear becomes less sensitive to sound, though the change is very gradual. However, constant assaults of loud noise can speed up this impairment, and should be avoided. Therefore, if you work at a job, which involves noisy machinery, you should familiarize yourself with safety regulations governing noise levels. It may be necessary for you to wear special plugs or muffs to protect you hearing. 

Pierced Ears

Ear piercing is currently in fashion, but in some cases, it may give rise to problems. The process is simple - it involves making a hole in the lobe and inserting a ring or stud to keep the hole open. However, unless piercing is done hygienically and carefully, it can lead to a painful infection. For this reason, you should never try to pierce the lobe yourself, or have an unskilled friend do it for you, instead go to a reputable jeweller or health clinic. 

After your ears have been pierced, you should guard against infection by frequently cleaning the hole with an antiseptic and a soft cloth (not cotter wool). Avoid touching the area with unwashed   hands, and make sure no traces of soap remain after washing your ears.   

Some people are unaware that they have an allergy to certain metals, and are surprised when their lobes swell after piercing. As a precautionary measure, you should have pure gold or silver studs inserted when you first have hour ears pierced. After a couple of months, you can try other metals, but watch carefully for any sign of infection. If one occurs, remove the offending rings or studs immediately and clean the area with an antiseptic. 

Beautiful Women Store

How To Get Your Vitamins – Nature’s Way

A well balanced diet will, in almost all instances, rule out the need for dietary supplements.

Before you stock up on dietary supplements, stop to consider whether you could get similar benefits more cheaply by improving your diet. 

Under normal circumstances, a well-balanced diet contains all the necessary vitamins in sufficient quantities. Obviously, when you are suffering from certain illnesses, are on a restricted diet, are pregnant, or breast feeding, extra vitamins may be recommended by your doctor. Otherwise, extra vitamins are unnecessary and can even be harmful, leading to poisonous overdoses called – hypervitaminosis!

A Good Diet

Vitamin A is necessary for healthy skin, bones, and eyes; you can get enough by eating moderate amounts of dairy products. Ox liver, halibut and cod live oil are particularly rich sources, as are carrots, tomatoes, spinach and watercress. Avoid taking vitamin A supplements as an excess can cause fragile bones, liver and spleen enlargement and loss of appetite and possibly even hair. 

The B vitamins affect blood, skin, nerves and growth, and the way your body uses foods. To get sufficient quantities, your diet should regularly include lean meats and/or pulses, offal, fish, whole-wheat bread and wholegrain vegetables like spinach. If you reel run down, nervous, or develop skin ailments, your doctor may recommend a B complex supplement; some people take brewer’s yeast, a rich source of several B vitamins, for extra energy. 

Doses of pyridoxine (B6) are used to treat acne, convulsions, premenstrual tension, and period pains; both B6 and B12 are prescribed for anaemia. Generally, the body quickly excretes any excess vitamin B, but undernourished people should not take vitamin B1 on its own, as this can impair the body’s use of other vitamins. 

You should ensure that your diet contains generous daily amounts of vitamin C-rich foods, as the body cannot store it, and it is easily destroyed by time, cooking and by cigarette smoking. It is essential for the health of blood, bones, teeth, and the body’s connective tissue. Peppers, black currants, parsley, oranges, broccoli and many other fresh fruits and vegetables are good sources, especially when raw or lightly cooked. There is no conclusive evidence that vitamin C presents colds, but a supplement cannot usually harm.   

Vitamin D is necessary for strong bones and teeth, and prevents rickets in children. It is found mainly in fish liver oils, egg yolk, liver, fatty sea-fish and milk. Supplements should be avoided as overdosing can cause vomiting, headaches, weight loss and calcium deposits in kidneys and arteries.

Vitamins E and K are both connected with the functioning of the blood. Many claims are made for vitamin E – ranging from warding off heart attacks to relieving menopausal symptoms – but none has been proven. 

Vitamin E occurs in many foods especially in oils of wheat germ, cottonseed, and corn, and in oatmeal, margarine, eggs, meat, butter, and peas. 

Vitamin K helps prevent excessive bleeding. Ample quantities can be obtained by eating pig’s liver, green leafy vegetables, eggs and milk; supplements are largely unnecessary as the body makes up for any shortage by manufacturing it in the intestines.  

If you think you are suffering from vitamin deficiency, or that a supplement might help combat a particular ailment, you should consult your doctor. You will also find it helpful to look at a nutrition manual for the quantities required, how to achieve the correct balance and how best to prepare food to make full use of the vitamins.

Getting Your Figure Back

Pregnancy and childbirth do not have to mean an end to your figure. By doing post-natal exercises you can return to your old shape in no time at all.

After the birth of a baby, it is all too easy for the new mother to forget that she too is a person with her own needs – so taken up is she with caring for the child. One important aspect of these needs is to maintain care of her own body. A regular routine of post-natal exercises will help achieve this. 

Post-natal are valuable in a number of ways. They can strengthen the muscles stretched and altered by pregnancy and childbirth; help restore her former figure more quickly, giving her greater confidence in her appearance; and promote the physical fitness which is so essential during the arduous period of caring for a new-born infant. Moreover, setting time aside for herself is psychologically important, and so the exercises may be useful in combating the worst of post-natal depression. 

The Exercises 

The first types of exercise to concentrate on are those that restore the abdominal muscles to their original state. To tighten these muscles, lie on your back, a pillow beneath your head, with knees raised. Place hands on stomach, tighten muscles, relax, and repeat five times, without moving your chest. Then, to close separated abdominal muscles, place one hand over the other on your stomach, hold the muscles down, pushing down with your hands, and lift your head and shoulders off the pillow, trying to sit up. Repeat five times. 

 

An easy exercise to restore the waistline is to lie back, placing both hands on the waist and squeezing as though fastening a very tight belt; relax, repeat five times. Follow this by tightening the pelvic floor: press the hollow of your back into floor, pull your stomach muscles inwards and tense your internal muscles inwards as if to trying to stop your bladder from working. Again, repeat five times. 

For general circulation and leg strengthening, lie on your back with your legs straight. First, move your feet vertically up and down five times, keeping knees straight. Then move the feet around in circles, first together and then separately, five times each. Follow by tightening the kneecaps and tensing the leg muscles. Finally, with ankles crossed, press your thighs together and at the same time tense your internal muscles.

Kneeling exercise help to restore general muscle tone and relax tension.  Start by kneeling with hands flat on the floor and arching your back, keeping stomach muscles tight. Then hollow the back inwards, and move head and hips to the right; relax, then move head and hips to the left. Repeat five times.

Stretching exercises assist in toning up the whole body as well as firming up the areas affected by childbearing. Lie on your back, a pillow under your head and tighten your stomach muscles; stretch arms down to each side alternately as if trying to grasp your ankles. Then lying on your side, tighten stomach muscles and stretch the top arm and top leg out so that the body forms one long line; relax and repeat for the other side. Each stretching exercise should be done five times.

If at any time while you are performing the exercises you experience any pain or strain, stop immediately, and give the routine a rest for a day or two. If the pain persists, you should consult your doctor or midwife. These exercises may not be suitable if there is extensive scarring after the birth, of if you have had a Caesarean section. In any case, it is wise to tell your doctor or midwife that you are doing post-natal exercises so that they can advises you which exercises are more suitable to your needs, and how you can safeguard against over-straining.

 

Shop Amazon's New Kindle Fire

Are Cars Dominating our Lives?

A car can completely transform your life, but be careful not to allow it to take over your life!

Whether you own a car or are merely a passenger, you have probably found that it has had a profound effect on your life. Cars enable you to get to your destination quickly, easily and at your own convenience. However, because they are ‘there’, chances are you use your car unthinkingly, rather than creatively – as a means of enhancing your life. 

Read this interesting article here at My Hubpages!

If you liked the article, why not signing up for Hubpages?

more » HubPages

Car Care

How to Tone Your Buttocks

Flabby, sagging buttocks are unsightly and can spoil even the best of figures. Toning exercises can help dramatically.

No matter how you try to hide flabby buttocks under clothes or by holding them in with a girdle, they will still be there. Long hours of sitting, lack of exercise and overweight all mean that a large number of people have an excess of flaccid skin around their behinds. So, too, will people who lose a large amount of weight without taking exercise to tone the muscles. Indeed, even people who are the correct weight can suffer from this condition because this area is naturally well fleshed and tends to spread unless positive steps are taken to counteract it. 

Flabby buttocks are embarrassing and in some cases can cause considerable distress. But, a combination of treatment to tight up the muscles and tone up the skin can, if practiced regularly, improve the condition.  

Toning the Muscles

Correcting flabby buttocks and toning the bottom is essentially a matter of doing exercises to strengthen the under-used muscles. 

One of the best exercises is ‘bicycling’:  you can do it upon awakening or before going to bed. Lie with your back on the floor, knees bent, arms at your side. Lift your body from the shoulders, supporting it at the sides with your hands while keeping your elbows on the floor. With legs and feet pointing upwards, knees straight, perform cycling motions. Do five, relax, and then repeat, working up to 20.

The following exercises can form the basis of a bottom-toning programme as part of your keep fit routine. 

·         Lie flat on your stomach. Lift both legs and high off the floor as possible, toes together and pointed, knees straight. Tighten buttocks as you lift your legs; release as you lower them. Hold for 10 seconds; repeat 10 times, working up to 20.

·         Lie on your stomach. Lift your right leg high off the floor and describe a circle with your right foot, toes pointed. Repeat with alternate legs 10 times, working up to 20.

·         Lie on your stomach. Lift both legs very slightly off the floor, knees straight, toes pointed, and hold for 10 seconds. Relax and repeat 10 times.   

·         Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, arms outstretched at shoulder level with palms to the floor. Tensing your buttock muscles, lift your buttocks as high off the floor as you can. At the same time, raise your heels off the floor, and then lower them. Repeat three times, working up to eight. 

·         Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, arms outstretched with palms on the floor and hold. Then raise your left leg towards the ceiling, hold, and bend the knee. Return buttocks to the floor; repeat for right leg. Do this four times, increasing to 10.

Your bottom will also benefit from all other forms of exercise such as brisk walking, running, bicycling and swimming.

Improving Skin Texture

As well as toning the muscles, you may try to improve the skin texture of your buttocks, since the skin in that area can often be rough or pimply.

The bath is a good place to do this. To improve circulation, massage the skin while you are kneeling with your buttocks still under water, then gently pinch she skin and roll them firmly. This will have an invigorating effect on tired skin and flaccid muscle. 

You can also invest in a friction strap or friction mitt to tone the buttock skin in the bath. Finish the treatment by rubbing in a gentle body lotion to keep the skin from getting dry and to give it a smooth texture.

Keep the Fires of Love Burning

Love is just a simple, enjoyable, and romantic process that you and your partner will enjoy immensely.

Remember to focus on the words simple, enjoyable, and romantic. In a romantic relationship, the small things are the ones that truly count. Keep it simple and sexy, otherwise known as KISS. What good is spending hours looking for the right dress, matching shoes and purse, and getting the newest hairstyle, when a simple, sexy nightie will create the desired effect so much better? A back massage definitely feels good, but gently running your fingertips along the back of his neck will send a message that is loud and clear.

Love is there to enjoy. After all, if he enjoys it, he will be back for more. The amount of time invested is not what is important, but rather the amount of enjoyment derived from the experience. Why bother spending fifteen minutes listening to his long tirade about his day while waiting for your turn to talk, when a simple manoeuvre of slowly lifting your fork to your mouth, while looking straight at him with a glint in your eye, will get his attention and appreciation so much more quickly?

Romance is in the eye of the beholder. True, you would probably appreciate a single rose and a love note placed secretly upon your pillow, but it can be guaranteed that he would prefer to see a pair of sporting event tickets strategically placed upon his. In reality though, everyone wants to know that they are loved and appreciated, so by all means, place that little love note in his lunch bag or briefcase.

Whatever you do, add something daily to keep the fire burning and you will be sure to stay warm at night!