Avoid Bad Breath

Bad breath can be a serious issue.  No one wants to be known as having bad breath.  However, brushing regularly and mouthwash may not always be effective.  Here are some tips about avoiding bad breath.

If you are suffering from bad breath, brushing and rinsing your mouth  may not be an effective remedy.  There are many reasons why people have bad breath.

Besides eating potent foods such as onions and garlic, most dentists have found that the top bad breath contributors are a dry mouth or sinus infection.  Even if you are following an oral hygiene regiment, these two contributors can still cause bad breath.

 If you have dry mouth you can easily counter by constantly keeping your mouth moist by a lozenge or drinking water regularly  However, if you have a sinus infection, you will need to see a doctor for a prescription to rid yourself of it..  Most people don’t even realize that they have a sinus infection, but bad breath can be an indicator of one.

So if you are trying to avoid embarrassment look into these tips or see your dentist or doctor to avoid bad breath

How to Get Rid of Bad Breath with Home Remedies

   

A Healthy Approach To Stress

Different people get bothered for different reasons. A big sports game, an office presentation, deadlines at work, even other people and relationships --- all these can cause us stress. This feeling of mild anxiety can cause different outcomes, even negative consequences. A student can fail his or her exam simply by being stressed out or when he encounters a mental block that prevents effective study or getting the right answers to an exam.

Stress, as a normal human reaction, is the body's reaction to rising challenges and tough situations.  Everyone, in some way or another, encounters stress whenever possible. It is simply inevitable.  People and events tend to clash, therefore resulting in stress. People work, play, study, do things everyday, and it is impossible not to feel stressed at one way or another. At this point, when people do not want to experience any much of this, they turn to medications for anti stress, also associated with anti-anxiety for instant relief.

A healthier approach to relieving stress is by practicing stress techniques that can maintain the person's state of balance and regulation in both body and mind.  Exercise is a stress technique that is not only good for your physical health but also helps relieve a person's tension and frustration.  Sports and other fitness routines are excellent ways to relieve tension.  Many people who want to manage stress go to a boxing class, join a cycling club,  or engage in other exercise activities that would allow them to release their stress.

Aside from exercise, another useful technique is to practice deep breathing, which gives the person a feeling of relaxation.  Proper breathing counts and rhythm is used as stress techniques that eventually lead to more relaxation.  Relaxation activities such as Yoga or Tai chi can also eliminate stress by relaxing the mind and body, and thereby relieving stress patterns around the body.  Yoga and tai-chi also helps develop concentration and positive body awareness.

These Oriental arts have been practiced by millions of people for centuries and medical research have documented the beneficial effects of these modes of exercise. By moving slowly with ease and always in a state of relaxation, the person performing these activities will feel good, and soon the feeling of relaxation will follow.  Muscle relaxation also works in relieving stress.

By deep breathing and constant contraction and relaxation of different body parts, the person will feel relaxed every after contraction, which also releases stress. Massage therapy also helps fight stress. Massaging your scalp, putting pressure on your shoulders or even your eyes can really decrease stress in that certain part of the body.

People should take a second look at these stress techniques. But for those who have tried every massage or stress management technique, taking a prescription drug may very well be the last option.  However, the use of these medications almost always have side effects. But with proper doctor's advice, the use of safe and proven drugs may help people who need fast relief.  There are a lot of healthy ways to beat stress.

Breast Cancer: What Women Should Know

From relative obscurity, breast cancer has become one of the leading causes of deaths among women in the world. In 2001, about 200,000 cases of breast cancer have been reported in the United States, making it the second leading cause of cancer death in the US. It is, in fact, the most common malignancy problem that is affecting women in North America and Europe today.

But what is breast cancer and how do people get it? 

Breast cancer occurs when malignant tumors in the breast grow and start to affect other tissues in the body. There is still no clear indications how tumors are created but what is often observed is that cancerous cells usually comes from ducts or glands.

Although women’s health organizations advise women to massage the breast daily and to feel for any lumps, it may a long time before a cancerous cell get big enough for us to feel it. By that time, it may already be too late. Doctors make use of mammograms for their diagnosis.

Breast at risk

All women are actually at risk, with the risk increasing with the presence of some risk factors that are already part of the natural cycle, for example, aging. Family history of breast cancer can also significantly affect the prognosis as heredity has been found to play a role. Women who got their periods before they were 12 years old and those who never had or had children after 30 years old are also more likely to develop breast cancer.

There are also risk factors that medical science can help alter such as hormonal problems through replacement therapies. Women are also advised to decrease their consumption of alcoholic drinks, exercise every day and decrease the use of birth control pills. Breastfeeding has been found to decrease the risk of breast cancer development.

Although there are some factors that women can avoid to prevent breast cancer from developing, cause and effect relationships between these factors and breast cancer is still debatable. For women who are already at high risk, doctors often recommend a drug called Tamoxifen, which is known to decrease the risk by as much 50 percent when taken in five years. Still, like all medications, Tamoxifen has side effects such as hot flushes, vaginal discharges and sometimes even blood clots. Taking the drug can also lead to pulmonary emobolus, stroke and uterine cancer, although these are all isolated cases.

Another avenue that women can go to is Vitamin A, which some studies show to be effective in decreasing the risk. Still, research is still in the initial stages and nothing has been proven yet. Other things that are being linked to the breast cancer fight are phytoestrogens, which can be found in soya, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C.

But until something concrete is found in research, the only thing that women can do to ensure that they are safe from breast cancer is early detection. This can be done through daily self-examinations as well as annual check ups and mammogram tests. It is also important that women know the beginnings of breast cancer. Here are some of the signs that they should watch out for.

Lumps in the breast and in the underarms
Scaling of the skin of the breast and of the nipple
Redness in the skin of the breast and of the nipple
Changes in the size of their breasts
Discharges from the nipple

If these signs are observed, it is best to consult a specialist so that you can know whether you have breast cancer or not.

How to Check Yourself for Breast Cancer

  As defined, breast cancer is a malignant growth that begins in the tissues of the breast. Its cause is still quite uncertain, but it happens when there is an abnormal growth of breast cells. It is considered to be the most common cancer in women, although men can also suffer from it. 

 Older women are more prone to developing breast cancer, however, in rare cases; younger women have been diagnosed with the illness. Learning how to check yourself for breast cancer involves several steps that you can do personally or with the assistance of experts or specialists. Time is essential and early detection is the most important thing

A Life With Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a medical condition that refers to a lateral or rotational curve and deformities in the spine.  There are different types and causes of scoliosis. A congenital scoliosis is a condition that has developed after birth while an idiopathic scoliosis develops as a secondary symptom of another condition. Scoliosis can affect anyone and serious cases can be physically debilitating.

Scoliosis causes the spine to develop or curve into a C-shape or into other directions.  It is often painful but some conditions during adolescence not cause too much discomfort except for the obvious physical or skeletal imbalance. Celebrities who have been diagnosed with scoliosis include Isabella Rosellini, Renee Russo, Liza Minelli, and Sarah Michelle Gellar.

To get proper diagnosis, a person must consult an orthopedist who specializes in spine diseases and bone abnormalities.   The orthopedist will usually ask the patient to undergo the following examinations:

Physical Examination – Your doctor will check your  back, chest, hips, legs, and even the skin.  The doctor will look for imbalances or structural abnormalities in your shoulders, legs, and chest.   Specifically, the doctor will look to see of your head is centered over your shoulders, and whether opposite sides of your body look even.  Another easy way to detect scoliosis is to examine whether your pant legs drop at equal length.

X-ray – If you have unusual, persistent low back pain or a large spinal curve, the doctor will ask you to take an x-ray examination.  The x-ray of your back will give a more detailed picture of the spine and the curvatures.

Curve Measurement -  Using the X-ray image, the doctor will measure the curve and determine what kind of therapy or treatment is needed based on the degree of curvature. Curves that are greater than 20 degrees need immediate medical treatment, which may include surgery.


Kinds of treatment for scoliosis

There are different approaches in the treatment and management of scoliosis, as shown below:

Bracing - This is recommended for children or adolescents whose curves progress to 30 degrees and beyond. Bracing allows the spine to be held in a straighter position and prevents the progression of the curve.

A brace will not make your spine straight but it will help improve the posture and reduce the curvature.  The commonly prescribed brace is called the Milwaukee Brace which consists of metal uprights attached to pads and positioned on the hips, rib cage, and neck;  and the Underarm Brace which is made of plastic and is placed around the rib cage, abdomen, and hips. Bracing is also prescribed for other types of neuromuscular disease such as spinal muscular atrophy.

Surgery – When bracing fails to give the desired results, surgery is often seen as the next option. Bracing might not work for everyone. The main purpose for surgery is to join together the bones of your curve and realign the vertebrae.  The surgical procedure is called spinal fusion.


Coping with scoliosis

To cope with scoliosis, some patients get a massage or a similar therapy session that helps improve body alignment, flexibility, and posture. Aquatic exercise can also improve a scoliosis patient's posture and balance. Acupuncture is also used as an alternative method for reducing pain and discomfort brought about by scoliosis.

Your world need not stop from spinning just because you have a spine problem.  Scoliosis patients can still lead happy, active lives.  People with scoliosis can still participate in sports and other physical activities.  Remember, physical fitness is important for people with back and spine problems.

Scoliosis Surgery-My recovery

This is my surgery and recovery video from scoliosis/spinal surgery. Going into it I was scared for my life, and looking at these other videos to recovery didn't help much. I documented my process through everything and it turned out to be a phenomenal recovery! I was up and walking the day after the surgery and by the third day I could do a lot on my own. So anyone with scoliosis, I say surgery was a great decision for me and could be for you too! It IS possible to have a fast recovery! Maybe someday I can change someones life through this video.