Laboratory MedNews

Most lifestyles today are full of deadlines, hectic schedules or quotas. That is why stress is a common experience for most of us today. The fact that some people consider stress as a natural thing is not a good idea. This is because, people might not be aware of how much stress is creeping into their systems and affecting their health. When stress becomes chronic without you doing anything about it, it may greatly affect your mental, physical and social health. This is why; stress relievers must be learned by you before stress takes its toll on your body.

Studies say that a large percentage of primary care consultation to physicians is due to stress-related issues. Come to think of it, these medical consultations could have been minimized if people know how to deal with stress on their own. If you think you are stressed now, you should learn some techniques that are known to be effective stress relievers. Do not let stress damage your health and well-being. You should do something about it now!

Find time to exit from the pressures of your daily routine. Try these different stress relievers and save yourself from the long-term adverse effects of stress.

• Studies reveal that quiet reflection is one of the most effective stress relievers. This is done by stopping for a while, despite how fast paced the day is, and just think of thoughts that will be relaxing to you. It may be in a form of imagination of a serene place or reminiscing on a favorite memory. Studies further say that doing this for 10-20 minutes is the most effective duration that will help you relieve your stress.

• Make a to-do list in chronological order based on the weight of priority of the tasks. To-do lists are also very effective stress relievers. Not only will they help you organize the things that you have to do, they will also decrease your tendency to mind-race. After you have listed the things that you should do in a day, cut your list into half. This means that you need only to do the “top priority tasks” in a span of one day.

• Have a regular exercise regimen. Exercise helps your body to release the happy hormones called endorphins. These hormones are proven by many studies to reduce stress. In addition to this, endorphins cause a positive or euphoric feeling in the body that can help you have a renewed feeling of energy that will help you cope with the daily hassles that you will encounter.

Know, Manage and Avoid the Harmful Effects of Stress

Many studies have proven how a stressful life can hurt your health. According to experts, stress causes some disruptions to the chemical activities in the brain. This is the rationale how stress can cause adverse effects to your health. That is why, if you feel that you are experiencing chronic stress, you must be alarmed about the harmful effects of stress and make a lifestyle modification to minimize the stressors in your daily life. Whatever the stressor is, it should be dealt with properly before it’s too late.

What causes stress?

Before getting to know the harmful effects of stress, you must first get acquainted with the idea of stress itself. Stress is something that we cannot totally eradicate in our life. In fact there is a point wherein stress is still considered as healthy. A small dose of stress can actually motivate a person to learn how to perform with grace under pressure.

Stress is the body’s mechanism to be able to cope that is why, at some level, it is favorable for the body. However, it is when stress becomes heightened and chronic will the body experience the harmful effects of stress.

Any change in your usual routine, whether it is a good or bad change, can cause stress. It may be a life-changing event, a physical state of health or any environmental change. There is always a negative connotation to stress, thinking that stressors are always in negative forms like deadlines, financial obligations or relationship problems. However, positive changes that happen in your life such as getting married, receiving a job promotion or having a new baby can also cause stress.

How does stress creep in the body

The question is, at what extent will the harmful effects of stress occur? The body responds to stress in a way that the body is being prepared for a “fight or flight” reaction. This is made possible by the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Imagine the body undergoing chronic stress, there is an experience of a prolonged “fight or flight” situation which can possibly disrupt the physiologic processes of almost all the systems of the body.

To avoid reaching to a point that the body experiences the harmful effects of stress, you must be conscious of the red flags that will alert you that you are already experiencing chronic stress. Among these red flags are the following:

• Drastic physical changes such as body aches, headaches, unexplained weight changes, hormonal imbalances, heart palpitations and insomnia
• Mental and emotional symptoms like constantly having racing thoughts, forgetfulness, irritability, restlessness and short temper
• Changes in functional level to a point where productivity is already being altered to a great extent
• Social and behavioral manifestations such as nervous behaviors (nail biting, pacing or fidgeting), isolation and picking on other people

What illnesses are correlated to stress?

The most dangerous of all harmful effects of stress is the fact that stress is correlated to many types of illnesses. Stress is found to lower the body’s immune system, making you more prone to have colds or infections. Other illnesses related to stress are cardiovascular diseases and cancers.

Aside from these, additional harmful effects of stress are disruptions in fertility, which may cause a woman to experience difficulty in conceiving a child. Aside from other sexual dysfunctions caused by stress, it can also cause vaginal dryness, absence of menstruations and decreased sexual drive.

Coping with stress using natural methods is quite easy if people become aware of it. Here are ways you can cope with stress.

1. Exercise

Exercising would help release those harmful substances accumulating in your system. When you sweat it out, unwanted substances are excreted through your sweat, urine, stool and breath.

2. Do breathing exercises

“Breath in and breathe out” exercises are excellent to relieve stress. Inhale with all your force using your nose and then exhale forcefully using your mouth and nose simultaneously. You could also take this opportunity to meditate.

3. Be an optimist

This is the most important thing to manage stress. When you look at things positively, the less stressed out you will be. This is because you spend your time worrying about unnecessary things.

Have a positive outlook in life, exercise and meditate. These three would definitely reduce your stress and allow you to enjoy life as you should. Coping with stress is a doable goal.

In today’s very competitive world wherein brain power is a major element for somebody to be on top, it is important to enhance the brain’s maximum potential. In school or even in the corporate arena, brain power is one big asset that is good to invest on. Furthermore, knowing that studies about aging say that our brain functioning slows down as we age, we must aim for keeping our brain healthy while we are still young, to diminish the rate of decline of brain power during old age.

Before learning how to enhance brain power, it is more important to know how to protect our brain from decline. As the saying goes, “first, do no harm”. The two most important measures in preventing brain power decline are avoiding frequent alcohol intake and quitting smoking. Alcohol has very harmful effects to the brain. It kills neurons, which are the cells found on the brain. These neurons are classified as permanent cells. Thus, they are types of cells that do not regenerate once they die. The more you take alcohol, the more neurons are killed and thus, the more decline in brain power can occur. On the other hand, smoking increases nicotine in the body. Nicotine causes our blood vessels to constrict, which may cause a decrease blood supply to the brain.

Enhancing our brain power is ideally a multi-factorial approach which narrows down to one idea: living a healthy lifestyle. When we say “living a healthy lifestyle”, it all includes regular exercise, balanced diet, enough sleep and having just the right amount of stress. These are all very basic, but also indeed very ideal. And we all know that in this very busy world, some cannot afford to exercise three to four times a week or even to sleep eight hours a day. But definitely, even the busiest of people love to eat. It is suggested now that we can eat different types of food that can enhance brain power.

Food that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like fish and walnuts, are said to be brain enhancers because omega-3 fatty acids help maintain a good blood supply to the brain by keeping its blood vessels clear. Foods that are rich in antioxidants are also good for the brain because they decrease the free radicals in the brain. Examples of food rich in antioxidants are guavas, blueberries and dark chocolate. Dark chocolate also has caffeine, which is a natural brain stimulant. Caffeine is good for the brain if taken in regulated amounts. Lastly, since glucose is the major fuel that makes the brain work, foods that are rich in carbohydrates are also advised. Take note however that these are complex carbohydrates, so that a steady, not a fluctuating blood sugar supply is given to the brain. Examples of complex carbohydrates are whole grain bread, brown rice and oats.

One should invest on enhancing brain power now. It could be done by lifestyle modification.

Youthful skin is the dream of majority of people, especially women. Even when aging cannot be prevented, a person can still do some magic to hide his actual age. With the advancement of technology and the full-blast research on anti-aging regimens, there are no more reasons for you to look ugly when you reach old age. Here are the things you can do.

Vitamin-Enriched Products

The skin, like the rest of the body, lives well with sufficient vitamins and minerals. When you buy your regular skin products, go for the vitamin-enriched. This is now the trend in skin care. Manufacturers incorporate vitamins in almost all beauty products. If you still live with your old makeup and night creams, it is time to switch and adapt the youthful changes.

Go for Organics

Unlike chemicals, organic products come from all natural ingredients that do not harm the skin. If you want to maintain the youthfulness of your skin, organically manufactured products are highly recommended.

Maintain a Happy Disposition in Life

The last key in maintaining a great looking skin that is not available anywhere is your happy disposition in life. Since you cannot remove all the stress, just learn to live with it. Keep smiling and you will feel happier and more beautiful.

Baby Boy
Image Credit: mommylife.net

It is every man’s dream to have a baby boy. If you and your partner are aiming to make your dream come true, there are scientifically proven ways to assist you in achieving your goal. Although there is no hundred percent certainty that these methods can succeed with you because of the factor of individual response, you may want to try these methods on how to conceive a baby boy.

The Concept

The gender of the child depends on the chromosome present in the sperm cell. If it is the Y sperm cell that fertilizes the egg, you have a baby boy and if it is the X, it is a girl.

Time the Ovulation

Y sperms are fast and very energetic but easily die. If you have the intercourse during the ovulation of the woman, the Y sperm reaches the egg first and fertilize it. But if the contact is before ovulation, most of the Y sperm are dead by the time the egg cell comes.

Depth of Penetration

The Y sperms are more fragile than the X sperms. If you want to reduce the damage in the male sperm and place it closer to the egg, deep penetration is recommended.

Female Orgasm

Female orgasm creates a more alkaline environment which is supportive of the Y sperm. If the orgasm of the female happens before that of the man, you can keep more Y sperm alive.

Combining these three tips can increase your chance of having a baby boy.

Low Back Pain
Image Credit: livenewspress.com

Home remedies for low back pain are effective if you know how to use them properly. Low back problems are one of the most common complaints experienced during adult life. The term “low back pain” is a very general term that represents a wide range of disease categories that may all manifest as pain on the lumbar area. Among the various conditions related to low back pain are the following: mechanical strains to the low back, herniated disks, fractures, arthritis, kidney infections, or even pregnancy.

The frequency of low back pain among adults brings a great deal of attention to this condition, especially in the field of rehabilitation medicine. Aside from its frequency, its impact on an individual’s functional activity poses a great deal of concern. It is said to be the most common cause why workers lose productive time at work.

Furthermore, studies have shown that the costs of treatment for low back pain may reach up to billions of dollars each year. Owing to these high costs of treatment, and also because this condition warrants immediate relief from pain and discomfort, knowledge regarding home remedies for low back pain may be very useful.

Among the home remedies for low back pain are the following:

* Application of superficial heat over the lumbar area

* Massage and therapeutic exercises that are focused on strengthening & stretching of key muscles that contribute to stability of the spine, especially on the lumbar area.The therapeutic benefits of these back pain remedies will be discussed further.

* Application of superficial heat is a very convenient home remedy for back pain. It can be done by using hot packs or hot water bottles applied over the painful area for 20 minutes. This can relieve the patient because of the thermal effects of heat causing analgesia, general relaxation and decreased muscle spasms.

* Another notable thermal effect of heat application over a localized area is vasodilation of blood vessels, which causes an increased blood flow to that particular area. Where blood flow increases, there would be more oxygen & nutrient supply to the area.

* Massage may be the most popular among the suggested home remedies for low back pain. It is the manual manipulation of superficial & deep muscles, done in a variety of strokes & techniques. During a session of massage, palpation of muscles spasms may be done to detect particular trigger points in the low back area. Just like heat, massage also causes, increased blood flow to the area, decreased muscle spasms & analgesia.

* Of all the given home remedies for low back pain, the therapeutic exercises are the interventions that provide long term effects. When muscles of the lumbar area are tight, they are in a state of increased tension, resulting to low back pain.

* stretching exercises of these muscles are advised to decrease their state of tightness. Strengthening exercises of the abdominal muscles are also advised because the abdominal muscles act as a corset that provides stability to the low back.

Among the popular strengthening exercises for the abdominals are curl ups, sit-ups or straight leg raising. It is important to note that of all home remedies for low back pain, the therapeutic exercises require active participation of the individual. Thus, compliance of the individual to do the exercises regularly is important to have its long-term benefits.

All of the home remedies for low back pain suggested above can provide both short term & long term relief for back pain. These techniques have the advantage of convenience and accessibility because they do not require purchase of expensive equipments and modalities. However, if in any case that these home remedies for low back pain are tried but offers no pain relief, it is suggested that the individual seeks further evaluation procedures to detect if there is other pathology that causes low back pain.

Oftentimes, babies make night their day. During the day, they sleep all day long, and when night comes, the baby cries all night, leaving you and your partner awake for 24 hours. To avoid this situation, there are some helpful tips to keep your little angel asleep the whole night.

Provide a Comfortable Atmosphere

Before you bring your child to sleep, prepare the beddings well. Give your baby a short bath and gently massage the body. Turn off the light and reduce the noise in the room. You can play a soothing music until he falls asleep. Avoid distractions once your baby has fallen to sleep.

Encourage Activity during the Day

Researches show that daytime activities stimulate better sleep at night. During the day, surround your baby with toys. Keep him busy by playing with him and providing him with educational activities while he is active.

Set Consistent Nap Routines

Set a regular day time nap if you want to avoid disruptions at night. Schedule sleep rituals and stick to it. For example, lie down with your baby every 11 am and 3 pm to stimulate sleepiness. Babies who have consistent nap times sleep better at night.

Check for any unseen injuries

You may have accidentally folded a skin or cause inadvertent injuries like tight clothing, bugs in the diaper, wrinkled skin, and the like. Check his clothing inside and out to make sure he is not injured. Helping your baby sleep through the night is something a parent can do something about with a little common sense.

Foot odor is an embarrassing health problem. No matter what your age and gender is, you have to deal with the early signs before it gets worse to avoid awkward situations later. If you do not want to ask for professional help, you can go straight to your kitchen and prepare some home remedies from there.

Lukewarm Water and Salt

One way to reduce the stinky foot odor is to soak your feet in a mixture of lukewarm water and salt. Do this at least twice a week until the odor disappears. Just be sure to check the temperature of the water to avoid burns.

Baking Soda

Another effective and inexpensive way to deal with your problem is with the use of baking soda. This ingredient naturally absorbs odor in the environment. Before you put on your shoes, rub your dry feet with the powder. This will absorb the sweat in your feet and avoid the foul smell or foot odor.

Lemon Juice or Vinegar

If the salt and water is not effective in your case, you can use vinegar or lemon juice instead of salt. Pour about ½ cup of the juice or vinegar in a gallon of lukewarm water. Soak your feet in the solution for about 30 minutes to one hour.

Doing these simple homemade treatments daily would greatly reduce your risk of developing feet odor. Maintaining proper hygiene by washing and taking a bath daily is also a good practice. Never go to bed when you have not showered or at least have washed your feet.  This would prevent bacterial build up which can lead to foot odor.

Diabetes is a costly disease. Aside from the expensive medications, the greatest cost of the illness is your life. Since health complications are very common among diabetic patients with uncontrolled blood sugar, you need to learn how to manage the illness to live a close to normal life.

Diet Modification

Diabetes is due to an insufficient amount of insulin in the body. As a result, the blood sugar remains elevated. To manage your condition, your food intake is very crucial. Stick with your diabetes meal plan which includes more vegetables, less carbohydrates and less fat. Although fruits are advisable, you must take them in moderation especially the sweet types. For your protein needs, you can get them from fish and soya beans.

Physical Activities

Aside from the diet regimen, you must also engage in physical activities. Brisk walking and jogging are great examples of exercises. The physical activity helps you maintain a healthy weight and keeps your heart in good condition as well.

Stop Smoking

One of the major complications of uncontrolled blood sugar is a heart problem. If you are diabetic and a smoker, your risk is twice higher than a regular individual. A good way to manage your diabetes is to quit smoking as soon as possible.

Pointers for Diabetic patients:

• Take extra care of wounds. Bacterial growth is favored by diabetes patients because glucose or sugar is a nutrient for the growth of bacteria. If wounds get infected, they do not usually get well rapidly. Do not ignore even a small wound because once it gets infected, you may have your limb amputated because of incurable gangrene.

• Carbohydrates when metabolized become simple sugars, and they add to the blood glucose/sugar concentration of the blood. So remember to cut not only on sugars but carbohydrates as well.

• Lead a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle means proper nutrition, sufficient sleep, large amount of hydration (water intake) and a lifestyle free from drugs, alcohol, caffeine and cigarettes.

• Diabetes is a complex condition affecting all the organs of the body, so you must ascertain that a general check-up is done regularly.

• Laboratory diagnostic exams, like Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) or Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT,) should also be performed as needed, or annually at the most. Do not presume that you are well just because you do not feel anything. There are several asymptomatic conditions which only show symptoms when they are already serious.

The above-mentioned are essential facts that you should remember, if you want to manage your blood sugar and diabetes effectively.