NECK PAIN

                                                                        

NECK PAIN IS A COMMON PROBLEM WHICH MAY BE AS A RESULT OF POOR POSTURE. ARTHRITIS IS ANOTHER CAUSE OF NECK  PAIN, HOWEVER IF YOUR NECK PAIN IS ACCOMPANIED BY NUMBNESS, WEAKNESS IN ARMS AND HANDS, OR A SHOOTING PAIN IN THE SHOULDER OR ARM, THEN IT IS TIME TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION AS THIS COULD BE AS A RESULT OF A MORE SERIOUS PROBLEM.

HERNIA

A HERNIA OCCURS WHEN TISSUE FROM INSIDE THE ABDOMEN BULGES OUT THROUGH A WEAK SPOT IN THE ABDOMENAL WALL. HERNIAS ARE MORE COMMON IN MEN THAN WOMEN. THEY COMMONLY OCCUR IN THE GROIN AND IN MEN, MAY BULGE INTO THE SCROTUM.

ABDOMINAL PROBLEMS

THE CAUSES OF ABDOMINAL PROBLEMS CAN BE DIFFICULT TO ACCERTAIN. SYMPTOMS OF ABDOMINAL PROBLEMS INCLUDE;

WARNING SIGNS

SOME SYMPTOMS ACT AS WARNING SIGNS THAT A SERIOUS DISEASE IS  DEVELOPING.  IF YOU KNOW THESE WARNING SIGNS AND HEED THEM, YOU MAY DETECT THE DISEASE BEFORE IT BECOMES  LIFE-THREATENING. SOME DISEASES, LIKE CANCER ARE OFTEN CURABLE IF THEY ARE DETECTED EARLY. OTHER DISEASES LIKE DIABETES, CANNOT BE CURED BUT EARLY DETECTION AND  TREATMENT MAY REDUCE THE INJURY  THEY CAUSE THE BODY. HERE ARE THE WARNING SIGNS FOR FOUR DISEASES THAT IF DETECTED EARLY, CAN OFTEN BE STOPPED OR CONTROLLED.

WAYS TO STAY HEALTHY

PREVENTION THEY SAY IS BETTER THAN  CURE. YOU CAN SAVE YOUR SELF A LOT OF PAIN, WORRY AND MONEY BY AVOIDING HEALTH PROBLEMS IN THE FIRST PLACE.

BRUISES

                     

BRUISES  ARE CAUSED BY RUPTURED  SMALL BLOOD  VESSELS UNDER THE SKIN WHICH ARE USUALLY BY A BUMP OR FALL. BLOOD SEEPS INTO THE SURROUNDING TISSUES, CAUSING THE  BLACK AND BLUE COLOUR OF A BRUISE. PEOPLE WHO TAKE ASPIRIN OR BLOOD THINNERS MAY  BRUISE EASILY. A BRUISE MAY ALSO DEVELOP AFTER BLOOD IS DRAWN.

THE KIDNEY

THE KIDNEY ARE  BEAN SHAPED, ABOUT THE SIZE OF A FIST AND LOCATED ON EACH SIDE OF THE SPINE, JUST BELOW THE RIB CAGE. THEY SIT OPPOSITE EACH OTHER ON BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES OF THE BODY. THE RIGHT  KIDNEY HOWEVER  SITS A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE LEFT  IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THE LIVER.

SCHIZOPHRENIA

FIVE COMMON DISEASES AND HOW TO PREVENT THEM.

FIVE COMMON DISEASES AND HOW TO PREVENT THEM

WALNUTS

WHAY IS A WALNUT?
A WALNUT IS AN EDIBLE FRUIT FROM A TREE THAT ARE  BI-LOBED INSIDE A SHELL. THEY ARE THOUGHT TO HAVE COME FROM THE MOUNTAINS IN CENTRAL ASIA AND THE SOUTHERN PART OF EUROPE.
THERE ARE AT LEAST, 30 DIFFERENT TYPES OF WALNUTS.  THE THREE MOST POPULAR ONES ARE; THE ENGLISH OR PERSIAN WALNUT,  THE BLACK WALNUT, AND THE  WHITE OR BUTTERNUT WALNUT.

SALT REDUCTION

SALT REDUCTION IN OUR DIETS CAN CUT DOWN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HEART DISEASE AND STROKES  AND IN TURN SAVE LIVES. IF PEOPLE  CAN REDUCE THEIR SALT INTAKE, MILLIONS OF LIVES CAN BE SAVED FROM HEART DISEASE, STROKE AND RELATED CONDITIONS.
THE MAIN SOURCE OF SODIUM IN OUR DIET IS SALT. IT CAN COME FROM SODIUM GLUTAMATE AND SODIUM CHLORIDE AND IS USED AS A CONDIMENT IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD.

BOOSTING YOUR INTELLIGENCE

       

        

INTELLIGENCE CAN BE DESCRIBED AS THE  ABILITY TO PERCEIVE  , RETAIN KNOWLEDGE  OR INFORMATION AND APPLY  IT  TO ONESELF OR OTHER INSTANCES OF KNOWLEDGE. IT IS THE ABILITY TO LEARN OR UNDERSTAND THINGS OR TO DEAL WITH NEW OR DIFFICULT  SITUATIONS.

CUCUMBERS

Cucumbers,  one of the oldest cultivated crops is believed to have originated from  the northern sub-himalayan plains in India  and is known scientifically as cucumissativus. The plant is a creeper due to its easy to grow nature.Cucumbers are cultivated around the world under different climatic zones. It has a sweet taste and a neutral flavour. It is used exclusively in the preparation of stews and curries particularly during  the summer season in the southern parts of India and Sri lanka. In general, the fruit features dark green skin, crispsy,  moisture rich flesh and small edible seeds concentrated at its core.

BURNS

CONTROLLING HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE WITHOUT MEDICATION.

Life style plays an important part in controlling your  high blood pressure. Life style changes can assist us reduce, delay or even  avoid medication in controlling our blood pressure.
High blood pressure is when the force of your blood   pushing against the walls of your arteries is 140/90 or higher. This is the  systolic over the diastolic pressure.

FACTS ABOUT THE EBOLA VIRUS

Ebola virus, believed to be the world's most deadly disease kills 90% of it's victims. The ebola virus is named from the ebola river in the republic of congo where the first outbreak occurred in 1976.
According to the world health organization, Ebola is a killer disease that is spread through body secretions such as Sweat, Blood, Saliva, Mucous, Breast secretion, Tears, Urine, And sexual intercourse with  an infected person.

HEALTHY DRINKS

FILL YOUR BODY WITH EXTRA VITAMINS, NUTRIENTS AND ANTIOXIDANTS THAT WILL BOOST YOUR ENERGY, STIMULATE WEIGHT LOSS AND FIGHT ILLNESSES AND ALLERGIES WITH THESE  HEALTHY DRINKS;

Managing anger

keeping your anger in check can be challenging.Do you fume at little offenses? Does your blood pressure rocket when your child refuses to cooperate?  Anger  is a normal and even healthy emotion but it's important to deal with it in a positive way.
Uncontrolled anger  can take a toll  on both our health and relationships. Consider these ten anger management tips;

GROWING OLD GRACEFULLY

Growing old is inevitable, feeling old is not. In order to grow old gracefully,there are several ways in which you can achieve this;
* Remain curious about life and be  or become passionate about causes. This will stimulate your brain.Being curious and passionate is a good way of keeping mentally alert.
*It is believed that  older people  are more emotional and show their emotions more openly, weeping more readily and being more sentimental. Expressing their emotions more openly keeps them healthier.

HEART DISEASE

Women have less risk of developing coronary heart disease and of dying from a heart attack, but more women seem to be  developing heart disease. Women over  the age of 50 have an increased risk. The risk is further increased amongst middle-aged women who are obese, particularly if more fat is deposited in their stomach than on their hips. The risk is also increased if a  woman smokes cigarettes, has a high blood pressure and avoids exercise.

PREMATURE CHILDBIRTH

Childbirth is described as premature if the baby is delivered  at less than 36 weeks.There are several reasons why a woman may have a premature delivery.The expectant mother may  be suffering from an illness that could affect the baby's  well-being, for example   a worsening of  a pregnancy-induced hypertension.  Bleeding in the second half of pregnancy which is also called  Antepartum haemorrhage   can also cause a woman to be delivered  early of her baby. If a woman has a  multiple  pregnancy, premature birth is more likely than if she had only one baby.

MULTIPLE PREGNANCIES

The human female usually  has only  a single baby  in each pregnancy, but sometimes,  one pregnancy in ninety is a twin pregnancy,  a triplet or  quadruplets. There are two ways in which a multiple pregnancy can occur. Either two or more eggs are released  from the ovary at one time and each egg is fertilized by a different spermatozoon  or the single fertilized egg may completely divide at the stage of the blastocyst and then two individuals develop with different placentas.

THE CRISIS OF PARENTHOOD

After her return home, three to 10 days after childbirth,  a  woman may become increasingly isolated particularly if it is her first child and if her  relatives  live at some distance. Because of high cost of land ,houses and rent, most young couples have to live in the newer suburbs of cities where transportation  may be inadequate and shopping may not be easy too.

SUPPORTED CHILDBIRTH

ANALGESIC-SUPPORTED CHILDBIRTH - An  analgestic is a drug which reduces or eliminates pain without  clouding the consciousness of the person to any significant extent.  The  principle behind this  method is that women in labour should have the  pain of labour reduced by being given sedatives or analgesics at appropriate intervals, but the dose of the drugs should be regulated to avoid  damaging the fetus.

CHANGES IN AN EXPECTANT MOTHER

While the development of the embryo and fetus is progressing in the dark confines of the uterus, all the functions of the  expectant mother's body are  adjusting to the needs of  pregnancy. The basis of all these changes is the effect of the sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which are  manufactured by the  cells of the  placenta from its  earliest  days. The  changes start very early in pregnancy,  and most of them anticipate the demands that the  fetus will make on its mother for oxygen, for food and to get rid of its wastes

SIDE EFFECTS OF THE ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE PILLS.

The following  side- effects have been associated with the use of the oral contraceptive pills.
1. Ache- This  increases in some women who take the pill.
2. Blood pressure- About one woman in every 20 taking the pill experiences a small rise  in blood pressure.
3. Depression/ mood changes.
4. Headaches/ migraine.

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING

Family planning is available to help individuals and couples to choose if and when they will have a child,  or to choose the number of children that they will have. The  choices depend on a complicated mixture of social, cultural and psychological influences and lately men and women  have reliable methods to enable them to make that choice freely and easily.

SEXUAL PROBLEMS

It is impossible to calculate the frequency of sexual problems which may mar or destroy a  relationship as until recently, people were ashamed to seek help.
In men and women, four sexual problems occur.  In  men the  problems are 1. Inhibited sexual desire. 2. Premature ejaculation 3. Retarded ejaculation  and  4. Erectile failure.

OSTEOPOROSIS

Osteoporosis is a disease that affects the bones.It means that the bones are thin and brittle.
As people grow older, they begin to lose bone and the bones become  brittle. Women lose bone more rapidly than men, particularly in the 5-10 years after menopause. Osteoporosis which is a thinning of the bones has become  a major health problem.

THE MENOPAUSE

At a  particular time for every woman, the remaining egg follicles in the ovary begin to disappear. This happens between the 45th and 55th year of life.  The menopause does not  happen suddenly, there is a gradual transition from the normal ovarian activity of the reproductive years to the relatively inactive ovary of the menopausal years.

FRUITS CONSUMPTION

Fruit is the most perfect food. It takes the least amount of energy to digest and gives the body the most in return. The only food the brain can work on is glucose. Fruit is primarily fructose {which can be easily converted into glucose} and its most often 90-95% water.This means that fruits  are  cleansing and nurturing at the same time.

EFFECTIVE FOOD COMBINING

Effective food combining means that some foods should not be eaten  with others. Different types of foods require different types of digestive juices and not all digestive juices are compatible. For example, eating meat and potatoes together, cheese and bread, fish and rice, may all be wrong food combining which may be destructive to health.

WATER RICH FOODS

Eighty percent of our body is made up of water. We have to  ensure that seventy percent of our diet  is made  up of foods that are rich in water. This means  fresh fruits, vegetables and their  juices freshly squeezed.

THE LYMPH SYSTEM

 The lymph system is the  body's sewage system. Every cell in the body is surrounded by lymph. We have four times as much lymph fluid in our body as we have blood. Oxygen and nutrients are carried in the blood, which is pumped from the heart through the arteries to the thin porous capillaries

VAGINAL DISCHARGE

Vaginal discharge is the fluid that comes out of a woman's vagina. Vaginal discharge is the fluid made by  the glands inside the vagina. Vaginal discharge is the whitish fluid produced  by the uterus, cervix or vagina which comes out  of the  vagina.

EATING DISORDERS

This is a condition of abnormal eating habit whereby  a person either  takes insufficient food  or too much food  which in turn affects the individual's physical and mental health.  Their are three types of eating disorders.  They are-;

ANOREXIA NERVOSA
This is a form of eating disorder where a person relentlessly pursues the desire to be thin. The individual fears becoming fat and may exaggerate  the size of her body when she looks in the mirror. She therefore exercises excessively and restricts her food intake to the point of self starvation.

DYSMENORRHOEA

A woman who suffers from painful crampy  periods is said to have Dysmenorrhoea. Dysmenorrhea can be defined as menstual pain that interferes with a woman's daily activities.It  is also referred to as menstrual cramps.
Most women experience some sort of discomfort during their menstrual period but in dysmenorrhoea, the discomfort is marked with excessive pain which is enough to affect the woman's daily activities.

BEING HAPPY

Everyone wants to be happy.The desire to be happy is implicit in all that we do.Being happy can be defined as a state of feeling pleasure or being contented.
It  is important to know the real sources of happiness and how to attain it.One of the ways to achieve happiness is when our desires are fulfilled. For example, when we are hungry and find something to eat especially if it is something we like, we are bound to fill happy .Also, if we love someone we will desire to be with that person and  when we finally do, we feel happy.

BENEFITS OF AEROBIC EXERCISES TO HEALTH

Living a sedentary lifestyle that is devoid of any physical activity or one that is characterized  by irregular physical activity such as seating down either reading or watching television, working with a computer or just sitting down doing nothing leads to diabetes, hypertension. arthritis, obesity etc. Regular exercises keep the muscles  in tone,  gives strength to the heart and gives you  a  vibrant and disease free life, a state of wellness.
The recommended exercises for maintaining a healthy life is called aerobic exercises. Brisk walking for 30 minutes each day, 3 to 4  days a week, cycling, swimming and jogging are all forms of aerobic exercises. Below are some of he benefits of aerobic exercises to our health;
1.Reversal of acidity  ; exercises make the body to shake leading to movements within and  without the cells. This movement causes a faster circulation of blood, increases  flow of blood in the blood vessels and of water in and out of the cells which in turn ensures that the wastes from the cells get eliminated faster.These acidic wastes no longer accumulate in and around the cells and the tissues become alkaline.
2. Increases the rate of breathing and with the increased blood circulation,  more oxygen gets to the cells and carbondioxide is eliminated from the body faster.
3. Reduction of blood pressure; exercise helps to build up the muscles of the heart, making the heart to pump more blood with less effort and efficiently. Capillaries that  were shut down because of dehydration open up and with the formation of new capillaries as one  exercises, more nutrients and oxygen are supplied to the growing muscle bulk.
4. Helps stabilize blood sugar level in diabetics; as the muscles do more work, they will require more glucose for the production of more energy. As the demand for glucose rises, less glucose becomes available in the blood for insulin to move into the cells for storage.There is improved  sensitivity to insulin, working effectively to move glucose from the blood into the cells whenever the need arises.
5. Exercises increases sweating; There are millions of sweat glands in the skin and by sweating the body gets rid of certain toxic wastes. This  is one of the ways that the body is detoxified and rendered alkaline.
5. Increases lymphatic flow ; The lymphatic system is made up of very tiny vessels which run side by side with the small arteries  and veins. In these vessels is the lymphatic fluid that empties into the lymph  nodes regionally located to serve corresponding parts of the body. The lymphatic system unlike the circulatory system has no pump to drive its fluid. It therefore depends on the contraction and relaxation of the muscles to move the fluid along the lymphatic vessels.With exercise, there is increased contraction of   the muscles and this in turn ensures increased performance of the lymphatic system.

INFERTILITY

    







A  couple is considered to be infertile if after a year of  regular intercourse ,a pregnancy  does not occur. In the past, infertility was always blamed on the woman but today, it is a known fact that in many cases  of infertility, the reason could also lie with the man.

UNHEALTHY LIFE STYLES

Certain habits are considered unhealthy if someone desires  to live a healthy and robust life.Below are some of these habits as well as their  consequences;

BREAST CANCER

Cancer can be defined as a disease whereby there is an uncontrolled division of abnormal  cells in a particular part of the body and these cells are able to invade other  tissues.There are different types of cancers but breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women.