13th
DEC
5 Tips To Improve Your Sleep
Posted by Laura under Health Care
Unhealthy life style habits have resulted in sleep disorders in a number of people these days. These people struggle every night to get proper sleep but fail in their attempts. As they do not get sufficient sleep and rest, it further results in more serious disorders. In this post I will provide some simple yet effective tips to improve sleep. These tips will certainly help you to get a sound sleep.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol and smoking at bed time
One of the common reasons for not being able to sleep is the habit of drinking tea and coffee close to bed time. This is very unpractical as we know that both these drinks contain caffeine which results in stimulation of brain. As a result, by consuming tea or coffee we are making it hard for our brain to relax which is essential for proper sleep. Similarly smoking and alcohol should also be avoided in the night at the time of sleep. Ideally, a gap of 4-5 hours is recommended between your last drink and sleep. Alcohol is considered as an enemy of sleep, as it will compel you to wake up in three or four hours to urinate.
Relaxing or reading before on the bed
If you are finding it difficult to sleep it is better to just pick up a book. Once you start reading the book, you will slowly feel the urge to sleep. Similarly relaxing on the bed also prepares you for the sleep. Another great idea to relax the brain before the sleep is watching a T.V show.
Follow a regular Schedule
Every human body has a biological clock. We get used to perform specific activity at specific time only due to this biological clock. Thus if you follow a regular schedule with your sleeping time you can easily sleep at the desired time and also wake up at correct time next day. This keeps your biological clock well tuned.
Light and bedroom also affect the sleep
Most of the people are not aware of the fact that the quality of bed also affects their sleep. A comfortable bed results in a sound sleep and you also attain the sleeping state quickly after occupying your bed. Similarly, make sure that your bedroom conditions like temperature and light favor the sleep. For example, having too much light in the bedroom at the time of sleeping makes your body feels that the time to sleep has not yet arrived. This might sound ridiculous to someone but this biological process involves hormones like melatonin that induce sleep. Again relatively cool temperature is considered good for sleep. You might have felt that you sleep for longer time in winter mornings and wake up early in hot summer mornings.
Don’t Eat much and Don’t Eat late
Another precaution for people struggling with sleep is to avoid too much intake of food in the night. Moreover a gap of 2-3 hours should be present before the dinner and sleep. By maintaining this gap, you allow your body to start digesting the food before you go to bed.
I hope these tips will help you to enjoy good sleep. Finally, remember that the quality of sleep is as important as the quantity of sleep. Once you follow the above mentioned tips, you can achieve both these aspects of sleep.
Do you want to learn more on the author? Elijah is a freelance writer that love to share her knowledge when it comes to health topic. He also contributes to the marketing department of Warren Evans where you can get some qualitybeds to improve your sleep quality.
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8th
DEC
Traveler’s Diarrhea and Tips to Prevent It
Posted by Laura under Health Care
Are you traveling for the Holidays? You might be in for a surprise…
Traveler’s diarrhea affects an approximated 10 million people annually. This number comprises 20% to 50% of international travelers. When you are traveling in Africa, be especially mindful of developing traveler’s diarrhea. Your chance of contracting traveler’s diarrhea while in Africa is 60% more than when you’re in the US. Use the following tips to understand and prevent traveler’s diarrhea.
Symptoms Of Traveler’s Diarrhea
Traveler’s Diarrhea occurs within a week of your travel. However, if it doesn’t happen within a week, don’t assume you won’t get it. It can happen at any time during your travel, and even after you return home. The time when TD occurs depends on the particular infectious agent that causes it and its incubation period. You may be infected with an agent such as giardiasis, which takes about 14 days to manifest. The cryptosporidiosis agent takes close to seven days to incubate and manifest. There are several other bacterial and viral agents; these come with shorter incubation periods. However, in most cases, TD begins abruptly, without warning.
Watch out for these symptoms while traveling:
- Passing loose or watery stools 4 or 5 times a day
- Stools accompanied by nausea, vomiting, abdominal bloating and abdominal cramps
- Low fever accompanied by a feeling of urgency to pass stools and general malaise
- Low, or even non-existent appetite that causes further weakness
When To Seek Medical Attention
Get to a doctor if you are not able to control your TD with antibiotics. Important: if you notice the following additional symptoms, get medical attention immediately. You could be suffering from more than just TD – you could be stricken with Cholera or bacillary dysentery or amoebic dysentery. Sometimes TD can be life-threatening, especially if you have a suppressed immune system, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, or if you’re taking antacids and H2 blockers. Don’t ignore the following symptoms, and get medical attention immediately.
- If your TD does not clear within 4 days
- If you have high fever and severe abdominal pain
- If you are dehydrated, fatigued and experience muscular weakness
- If you pass torrents of loose stools that looks like a mix of water and rice
How To Prevent Traveler’s Diarrhea
TD is caused primary by ingesting fecally-contaminated water or food. You can prevent an onset of TD by taking the following precautions.
Food And Water Safety Tips
- Avoid drinking tap water; opt for bottled water or carbonated drinks.
- Don’t drink hot beverages at roadside stalls, unless the water has been boiled thoroughly
- Don’t drink carbonated beverages that are served separately in glasses with ice
- Demand that bottled water is unsealed in your presence, to avoid drinking tap water that is sometimes filled in these bottles
- Buy whole fruit and peel them yourself; avoid eating prepared fruit salads
- Don’t eat raw veggie salads, as the vegetables might have been washed in contaminated water
- Carry cooked, packaged foods from reliable brands to avoid eating outside
- Don’t eat undercooked meat or seafood
- Avoid eating dairy products unless they are pasteurized. Boil your milk for 15 minutes before drinking it
Hygiene And Safety Tips
- Maintain personal hygiene at all costs; shower regularly and use anti-bacterial gel or soap to clean your hands and backside after using the restroom.
- Wash your hands using antibacterial soap several times a day, particular before and after eating food.
- Keep your cookware clean while backpacking; get an anti-bacterial dish detergent for your cookware.
- Brush your teeth with boiled, cooled and filtered water
Use Water Purification Aids
- Filter tap water using a portable water filter and then purify it using iodine tablets.
- Buy an ultraviolet (UV) water purification device to treat water in your room. The UV light ensures that harmful bacteria are killed.
- If possible, boil water for 20 minutes, cool it and then filter it before drinking
Anti-Diarrhea Medications
- Take prophylactics such as bismuth subsalicylate (two ounces or two tablets a day) and antimicrobial chemoprophylaxis to prevent the occurrence of TD and supplements. There are side effects involved, so check with your GP beforehand
- Avoid taking prophylactic antibiotics before TD occurs, as they can cause many side effects and associated diseases. However, if you have suppressed immune systems or suffer from chronic intestinal disorders, you might want to take them. Check with your GP beforehand.
- Ask your GP or Travel Medicine doctor for pathogen-specific vaccines such as Dukoral, which has a 43% success rate against TD. This has to be taken a few weeks before travel.
- Also ask your doctor about chemical probiotics and prebiotics, as these do offer a safe and effective method to prevent TD. They work in different ways and have shown a high degree of efficacy in trials.
Katie writes for gifts for men company Adrenalin. If you’re looking for some thrilling and unique ideas for presents then do check their website.
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7th
DEC
10 Symptoms to Look for Depression in Children
Posted by Laura under Health Care
Many people do not realize that just as depression hinders the lives of adults, it is also a problem that is found in children. Childhood depression can affect the quality of life in children and draw them away from the day to day activities that are enjoyable. Do you suspect that your child may be depressed? The following are 10 symptoms to look for that may indicate your child is depressed.
- Increased irritability. Children who are depressed may be very irritable. You will notice that the littlest things will either get on their nerves or send them into a rampage. Look for signs of increased irritability in your child if you suspect he may be depressed.
- Loss of interest in fun activities. Children who are depressed may no longer take interest in activities that were once enjoyable to them. They may give up on or quit sports that they love. If you notice that you child is no longer interested in activities that he highly enjoyed, you have grounds to be concerned about depression.
- Changes in sleep pattern. Is your child getting significantly more or less sleep than he use to? If so, this is a classic sign of depression. Many depressed children will feel tired continuously and want to sleep a lot. Look for changes in your child’s sleep pattern to help indicate whether or not he is depressed.
- Withdrawing from social interactions. How many friends does your child have? If your child was once a very social person with tons of friends and suddenly has none, depression may be the reason. Those who are depressed tend to withdraw themselves from social interactions, children included.
- Continual sadness. If your child seems continually sad for a long period of time, he may be suffering from depression. To make this assumption, you must know your child’s behavior. If he or she is generally happy and sadness seems to take over, be on alert.
- Excessive weight loss or weight gain. Has your child gained or lost weight excessively over a short period of time? Because depression can cause changes in appetite, your child’s weight may be affected. Look for significant weight loss or weight gain to help you determine if your child is suffering from depression.
- Feeling worthlessness or guilt. Children who are depression will often feel worthless or guilty for no reason at all. They may constantly feel that they are to blame for everything. If you child continually feels that he is no good at anything or is the cause of something going wrong, suspect depression.
- Increased crying. Depression in children may lead to bouts of excessive crying. While some do choose to be introverts and refuse to cry, others will cry at the drop of a hat. How often does your child cry? This can be an indication in whether or not he is depressed.
- Inability to concentrate on schoolwork. How are your child’s grades in school? Children who are depressed may experience a loss of interest in school work. They may also see a drop in grades because of the inability to concentrate. Talk with your child’s teacher to find out whether or not his trouble in school has to do with depression.
- Thoughts of suicide. Yes. Just as adults experience thoughts of depression due to suicide, children can often feel the same way. Unfortunately, as a parent, you may never know this. They may choose to keep these feelings inside.
As you can see, there are many symptoms that are common among children who are depressed. Realize, however, that it is never one specific symptom that can indicate whether or not your child is depressed. Every child will experience different symptoms. They may experience one or all of the symptoms listed above. If you suspect that your child is depressed, contact his doctor and make an appointment for an assessment. Depression in children is a real problem and can lead to many more problems in the future. Begin by talking with your child and finding out if there is any way that you can help. Is your child depressed? Use the symptoms above and the advice of a doctor to help you make the determination.
Alex writes for Self hypnosis download website SelfDevelopment.net where you can download authentic nlp, law of attraction and binaural beats recordings. This is a new website so click over and show them some love 
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