Depression – what are the signs?
Everyone feels depressed from time to time, especially now. Whether its exam time fast approaching or whether organising the family holiday is just getting a bit too much to handle. It can be extremely hard to prevent whatever it is that is “stressing you out” from altering your mood.
However there are various methods to keeping both healthy and happy. If you ever feel a bit down, then why not try out some of our top tips to keeping happy.
• Talking is the best cure. Talk to friends, family, colleagues, teachers, talk to whoever you like and just inform them of your problems and let them know what is going on. Just talking to one person can make you feel much better as it is a simple form of “getting things off of your chest.”
• Do something you enjoy. It is important to take ‘time out’ every once in a while and to enjoy one of your hobbies or past times. Doing something different is a great way to distract your attention from whatever problem you may face.
• Exercise is a great way to lift your mood. Exercise releases endorphins which helps raise your mood. You could do whatever exercise you like from a quick game on the WII fit to a vigorous game of tennis or a long run. Again, it is important to do something that you enjoy and as well as benefiting your mood, the exercise will also benefit your health.
• You should make sure you spend plenty of time with the people you like. There is a reason why you like them, whether they are funny, kind or just fun to be around, so they are so to want to help you out and are certain to be able to cheer you up!
• If you don’t know what is causing you to feel down, then one top tip would be to keep a ‘mood chart’, even just for a couple of weeks. This will help you see when you’re feeling low and will also help you to recognise what is making you feel that way.
Self-help – prevention of insomnia with your daytime routine
There are things you can do to prevent insomnia. Making changes to your nighttime routine can of course be helpful but you can also make small changes to your daytime routine and to your sleeping environment. This may well mean that you are sleeping better in no time, so is certainly worth trying for a few weeks.
The first thing to do is to decide on a specific time to get up each morning, and stick to it. This will train your body into a routine, and as long as you do it even when you feel you have not had enough sleep, it should help your body know what time it needs to get to sleep in the end.
Avoid taking naps during the day, as this may leave you feeling wide-awake at bedtime, and try to get at least 30 minutes a day of exercise, but be sure to do it at least four hours prior to bed time so your body has ample time to cool down.
A bedroom environment is a very important factor when it comes to insomnia and you should be sure that it is at least relatively tidy. The act of de-cluttering is in itself relaxing and it will promote deep, healthy sleep. Using the bedroom only for sleeping can also help, as it trains the body that when it is in bed, it is there for one thing only, to sleep.
If light shines through your curtains or blinds, replace them with thicker ones, and be sure to have comfortable pillows and bedclothes on a neatly made bed. If you tend to hear a lot of noise in the nighttime, buy a packet of earplugs to drown out excess sounds.
Hay Fever Basics: What You Should Know
Hay fever is an allergic reaction that usually results from outdoor allergies to airborne materials like mould and pollen. Hay fever is relatively common and affects between 15% and 20% of the population. Some useful information about hay fever is discussed below.
Hay Fever Symptoms
Hay fever symptoms vary depending on the person. Some of the most common include:
• Watery and bloodshot eyes
• Congestion
• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Fatigue
• Postnasal drop
• Plugged ears
• Difficulty sleeping
Testing for Hay Fever
In order to test for hay fever, a doctor will first ask some questions to get a background of the patient and their symptoms. The doctor will want to know about the patient’s medical history, the symptoms they experience in different locations, and their family history regarding hay fever or allergies. They may also take a mucous sample for analysis, and an allergy specialist may perform a skin test in order to determine the exact allergen that is producing the hay fever and its symptoms.
Hay Fever Treatment
Certain types of hay fever may not require medical treatment, and can be controlled with proper self-care at home on the part of the patient. Patients may find relief by taking non prescription antihistamines such as Claritin or Benadryl. These medications will help to relieve symptoms such as runny noses, sneezing, and itchy eyes, but they may cause the patient to become drowsy. In order to treat for a blocked or runny nose, antihistamines that also include a decongestant, such as Sudafed, are recommended.
Preventing Hay Fever
Hay fever is not preventable, but patients can learn how to effectively control their symptoms. Patients with severe allergies may be able to receive injections to help reduce the severity of their symptoms. They may also choose to spend less time outdoors and to keep their home free of allergens. Some medications are also recommended for daily use, so patients should discuss these options with their medical provider.
The Main Health Concerns Surrounding Alcohol Consumption
For most people, drinking alcohol is an enjoyable social activity. If you are drinking less than two units of alcohol a day, there is little to be concerned about, but for those who drink too much there are several alcohol health issues to be aware of. Consuming more than two units of alcohol a day might make you vulnerable to the risk of health problems.
As a rule the more you drink, the more risk you are running with your health. There are two types of risk you take when you drink alcohol — the first is short-term consequences of consumption, and the second is long-term problems.
Health risks in the short-term are generally associated with binge drinking and can include accidents caused by drunkenness. Some people also become violent when they are drunk, which can encourage them to get into physical confrontations, which might result in serious injuries.
The health consequences of drinking too much over the long-term do not usually appear straight away. Many people can continue to consume more than the recommended amount of alcohol with no consequences for several years. The problem is the negative health effects of overconsumption often come years later, and by this time they are already serious. Some common conditions associated with long-term overconsumption of alcohol include high blood pressure, cancer and even heart attacks.
What is important to remember is that drinking alcohol is a risky activity, and the more you drink the more risk you expose yourself to. If you want to improve your health, it is a good idea to cut down the amount you alcohol you are drinking; even doing this by a little can reduce your chances of developing serious diseases.
The perfect hangover cure
The continuous drinking and embarrassing dance moves may seem appropriate at the time, however in the morning; there usually is a price to pay. A night on the town can often leave us with a headache, feeling nauseous and in a terrible mood. But here are some hints and tips, some do’s and don’ts when it comes to hangovers.
1. Water after a night out is an absolute must. You must recognise all the toilets trips visited on a night out, this is because alcohol dehydrates the body and as your drinking and urinating more and more, your body is becoming more dehydrated. Once you come In from a night out, you should try drinking a pint of water before hitting the sack. This will help ease the headache in the morning.
2. Coffee is used by many people on a daily basis to wake them up, so why change this after a night out? The answer? Don’t. Coffee can help you get out of bed the morning after but also provides your body with a large dose of caffeine which can help to cure headaches and migraines. However, it is important to remember that if you do glug down a coffee, you should also match it with a glass of water too as research has indicated that caffeine can cause dehydration –the last thing that you want!
3. You should avoid drinking two nights in a row. Alcohol is not the answer to an already-developed hangover. Yes the alcohol will acts a numbing agent, but in fact by drinking more, your just putting off the inevitable.
4. There is a myth that all the pizza stops and the portions of cheesy chips on the way home don’t help towards feeling any better. However, it’s not what you eat after you have been drinking that particularly matter, it’s what you have eaten before! Eating plenty of food helps to slow down the speed at which the alcohol enters the blood stream as it is absorbed by the food. This then delays you from becoming intoxicated.
5. Finally, medication. A headache tablet or two may seem your absolute saviour after a night on the town, however you should be extremely careful at what type of pain relief you opt for. You should stick to anti-inflamatory pain relief drugs (like aspirin or ibuprofen) and avoid acetaminophen, as when paired with a liver processing alcohol results in increased chance of liver damaged and can actually be pretty fatal.
How to treat sunburn
With summer weather fast approaching, we often find that the woollies are out and the shorts are in! It can often be hard to resist a lovely lounge in the sun at times but this often results in paying the price! If your skin sees too much sunshine, the outer layers of your skin often become inflamed by the ultraviolet rays, which lead to the affected areas becoming very hot and painful.
Sunburn is unfortunately very common, although can be both prevented and treated very easily. This guide has been put together to help prevent and treat sunburn.
Sunburn can easily be prevented. When out in the sun, to avoid sunburn, you should avoid being out in the sun at ‘peak times’ this differs according the area in which you are at, but you should normally avoid being out in the sun from around 11am to around 3pm (this is when the sun is at its hottest.) Another helpful tool to avoid receiving sunburn would be to use sun screen. You should sun screen any exposed areas using a sensible SPF for you. –Do not forget to reapply the sunscreen throughout the day and to ensure that even the hard-to-reach places are well covered.
However, if you are already suffering with sunburn, there are methods and treatments that can help you along your way. Why not try taking a cold bath, or place cold wet tea towels on the affected area for 15-20 minutes, several times a day. Also, if there is no blistering of the skin, moisturiser or after-sun should be applied as often as possible. This will help to avoid your skin from ‘peeling’. If the sun burn has blistered, then you may want to dress the burnt areas with a dry bandage to help protect the skin from contracting an infection.
Getting to Know the Food Pyramid
The food pyramid is made up of the major food groups that serve as the building blocks for a healthy diet. Each group has a recommend daily intake, and by following these recommendations, people can achieve optimal health. An explanation of these groups is discussed below.
Fruits
The fruit group consists of fruit or 100% fruit juice. Fruit servings can be dried, canned, frozen, or fresh, and they can be cooked and prepared in a variety of ways. It is recommended that adults have two cups of fruit per day in their diet in order to achieve optimal health.
Vegetables
Raw, cooked, canned, or dehydrated vegetables count in this section of the pyramid, and 100% vegetable juice may also count as meeting this requirement. The food pyramid recommends that adults have 2.5-3 cups of vegetables each day.
Grains
The grain group consists of whole grains and refined grains. Whole grains include brown rice, whole wheat flour, and oatmeal, while refined grains would include white rice, white flour, and white bread. At least half of all the grains consumed in a day should be whole grains, and it is recommended that adults eat between three and four ounces of grains each day.
Protein
It is recommended that adults have between five and six ounces of proteins each day in order to maintain positive health. Protein foods are made up of the following:
• Eggs
• Seafood
• Meat
• Poultry
• Beans
• Soy products
• Seeds
• Nuts
Dairy
This group is made up of milk products, and the food pyramid suggests that adults consume at least three cups of dairy products each day.
How Xenical works
Unlike many medicines, Xenical, a treatment for obesity, is not absorbed into the blood, but instead works locally, in the small intestine and stomach. Whilst there, it prevents two enzymes, gastric and pancreatic lipases, from functioning. As they are usually responsible for breaking down the fats we eat, it helps the patient lose weight.
Typically, the tablets or capsules are taken three times a day with meals. As the fat being consumed is no longer being broken down, the body will not use it as a source of energy or convert it into stored energy, i.e. fatty tissues. Instead, the body sees it as waste and the fat is ejected through the digestive system.
Most experts advise that weight loss drugs, such as Xenical, should be used in accordance with a lifestyle change. Anyone wishing to lose weight should incorporate some form of exercise into their daily routine and work on reducing their calorie intake by eating healthier foods.
To get the maximum productivity out of the drug, you should try to ensure that around 30% of the calories you take in each day come from fat. It is also sensible to spread your daily allowance of fat, protein and carbohydrate out evenly over the three meals, so if you allow, for example, for a diet of 1,400 calories each day, then you should have around 15 grams of fat with each meal, in order to enable Xenical to work to its maximum efficiency.
Understanding the Different Types of Depression
Depression affects millions of people each year, and is found to affect a variety of people regardless of gender, income, age, race, ethnicity, and religious background. Depression is characterized by symptoms of hopeless feelings, loss of interest in usual activities, and feelings of sadness. However, many people are unaware that there are several different types of clinical depression.
Major Depression
Major depression is characterized by a change in mood that lasts for several weeks or months, and it is known for being the most severe type of depression. It significantly interferes with the patient’s life and normal functioning, and it can include physical symptoms like loss of appetite and disturbed sleeping patterns. Low and irritable mood, along with a loss of interest, are characterized by this type of depression, and people that experience it are likely to have repeated episodes throughout their lifetime.
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder consists of episodic depression and these episodes alternate with periods of mania, or extreme elation. The depression that occurs with bipolar disorder is usually severe and is referred to as bipolar depression. Bipolar disorder is also sometimes referred to as manic depression.
Dysthymia
Dysthymia is a less severe version of major depression, and it is sometimes referred to as melancholy. This type of depression typically lasts for several years, and a patient may vary between feeling normal to having episodes of lower mood. However, the symptoms of this type of depression do not typically alter or disrupt a person’s life.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
This type of depression is a seasonal depression, and it most commonly occurs during winter. It is sometimes called ‘winter blues’ and occurs when there are fewer hours of daylight. This is one of the only types of depression that is predictable, but it can also be very severe and dangerous.
Psychotic Depression
Psychotic depression occurs when depression and either delusions or hallucinations occur at the same time. The patient may have become out of touch with reality due to the severity of their depression.
Excess drinking and alcohol health issues
Many people enjoy a drink but unfortunately, this can lead to alcohol health issues. This does not necessarily mean that all these people are alcoholics, but they are usually people who drink more than the recommended amount over a long period.
While limiting the amount you drink does not guarantee that the alcohol will not cause you health issues, drinking less than the amount recommended by the NHS will considerably lower your risk of health problems.
• For men, the NHS recommends not to drink any more than three to four units of alcohol each day.
• For women, the NHS recommends not to drink any more than two to three units of alcohol each day.
The risks are not just for those who ‘binge drink’ or get drunk every night. Often, people just enjoy a glass of wine and do not really see that more often than not, it turns into a bottle of wine most evenings. Amongst the problems that can be caused by long term over indulgence are liver problems, reduced fertility, high blood pressure, increased cancer risk, and heart problems.