Healthy Tips For Better Live

Archive for January, 2010

Almost every individual suffers with insomnia at some point in their life. In certain cases, insomnia is sporadic in nature because it appears and disappears without any specific reason. In others, the symptoms of insomnia tend to persist for a prolonged during leading to a chronic or severe state of illness. The effect of insomnia on normal human life can be profound as it can negatively impact people of all ages. Some of the more common effects include:

In insomnia, the person feels very tired, fatigued and energy levels get severely reduced. As a result, person doesn’t feel interested any of the daily activities of life.
Mental functions like our ability to learn, remember and concentrate gets affected. These can have a severe impact on the efficiency because performance levels tend to drop at an alarming rate.
Some people become very irritable and flare up for no reason. The constant irritability and unreasonable mood swings in turn puts a lot of strain on professional as well as private relationships.
Another major effect of insomnia is lack of self-confidence and depression. People develop tendencies such as self-apathy and self-pity.
In chronic cases, person with insomnia symptoms suffers with lack of concentration and are unable to react quickly. This results in an increased risk of accidents and injuries. Also, thoughts of self-annihilation and suicide manifest prominently in case of severe insomnia.

Due to all these effects, people suffering with insomnia symptoms find it tough to handle aspects like marital stress, keeping a job or other relationship problems. People even resort to excessive consumption of tobacco and alcohol, thereby leading to several other major health complications. Even the immune system of the body gets compromised due to insomnia, thereby rendering the individual to several illnesses.

Although insomnia is very common in today’s rapidly changing world, the clarity about the exact causes of insomnia is still not there. Insomnia or sleeplessness is caused due to various reasons some of which are the increasing demands and desires of human beings, unrealistic expectations in both personal and professional life and the constant stress, anxiety and strain appearing in our daily life. These factors also provide the necessary impetus for the growth of depression.

Insomnia sometimes may be transient or appear for short phase either due to some sudden tension in professional or personal life or due to some physical reasons. Transient insomnia eases off without the need of any specific treatment. However, if insomnia lasts for more than a month it becomes acute or chronic in nature. The more frequent the symptoms of insomnia appear, the more severe the disease becomes. Some major causes of insomnia are briefly described below.

It is found that elderly people are more prone to insomnia because of higher incidence of chronic physical ailments such as menopause, hyperthyroidism, arthritis, asthma, and chronic pain in the leg (restless leg syndrome), heart disease, diabetes or hypoglycemia, heartburn, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease or other chronic illnesses. Use of medication like anti depressant and pain killers cause insomnia as a side effect Over consumption of either caffeinated substances or alcohol can disturb the overall sleep patterns of an individual. Excessively loud music or any other form of noise disturbs the sleep quality severely. Extremely gold or hot environment can also discourage the onset of sleep as the body continuously tried to adjust to the temperature. Sleep eludes many people when they spend the night at a new place (either a hotel or at a relative’s place) because change in a person’s surrounding environment does not allow the person to feel relaxed completely.

Important facts about insomnia are that the disease is a perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep that needs to be treated as immediately as possible. Depending on the frequency and severity of symptoms, insomnia may be categorized as mild, chronic or acute. Treatment of insomnia also varies accordingly. In case of mild insomnia, a simple change in perspective, dietary habits or lifestyle patterns helps to cure insomnia. However, if insomnia is of acute form then medical help is necessary. Another alternative is to use herbal remedies for insomnia.

A complete knowledge on the facts about insomnia, its underlying causes and the effect of insomnia is important to understand the disease in a better sense and spread awareness. With the information included here, you should have a good starting point to work from.

People often do not pay as much attention to their dental health as they do to other illnesses, often with serious consequences. To keep dental diseases at bay and to meet the rising costs of dental treatment it is important that you choose a good dental plan. Having a dental plan should encourage you to take more preventive care of your teeth to avoid the more serious dental problems.

With medical insurance services, the cost of a particular medical treatment or health check is reimbursed directly by the insurance company to the medical service provider. With dental insurance plans, the company is responsible for reimbursing the dentist. Dental plans can however vary in type and feature. Dentists participating in discount dental plans take lower fees than those covered by regular dental plans, with discounts varying between 20% and 60%.

All dental plans charge a membership fee, with the amount varying from one plan to the other. Dental plans are offered to either individuals or to the whole family, with family dental plans usually offering bigger discounts than individual dental plans. You should compare the rates charged under the different plans before selecting the most appropriate one for you.

It is important also to know the type of dental services covered by your dental plan. Routine dental check ups and dental treatments such as oral examination, teeth cleaning, fluoride treatment, teeth filling and teeth extraction are generally covered by most dental plans. However, dental plans do not always cover major dental care treatments such as oral surgery, dental implants, restorative care, braces, root canal treatments etc. In case of such costly dental procedures you unfortunately have to foot the bill yourself. Often there are a number of alternative treatments available for certain dental problems. Under such circumstances dental plans allow reimbursement for the cost of the basic dental treatment, and further costs in excess of the basic treatment cost has to be covered by the patient.

Dental health plans may or may not allow you to choose your own dentist, but it is common practice for patients to generally receive dental care from dentists mentioned in the plan. Before choosing a plan make sure that the participating dentists practice in your area. Choose a plan that is accepted nationwide and not restricted to your state. Check whether you are allowed to visit the dentist unscheduled, or at scheduled hours only.

You also need to decide whether you want an annual plan or a monthly plan. Annual dental plans are more cost beneficial than monthly plans. So get regular check ups with your dentist to reap the maximum benefits out of your dental plan.

As a twentieth century affliction, chronic sleeping disorders or insomnia, is more common now than ever. In the U.S alone, tens on millions of people suffer from this life debilitating affliction.

Insomnia Causes

As far as causes go, insomniacs are often plagued with a variety of problems and preoccupations. Some of them are related to physical pain or discomfort, which in turn will keep them awake at night. While others suffer from mental or emotional stresses or disorders.

Trying to sleep when your mind is racing at a hundred miles an hour is surely a recipe for insomnia. To some, the worry of an upcoming week of hard work or stressing over unpaid bills will be enough to keep them awake. To others, an unresolved issue between friendships or relationships can cause them to lie in bed wide eyed throughout the night.

Insomnia Symptoms

The classic symptoms of insomnia and sleeping disorders are; feeling tired, exhausted, and irritable upon getting up in the morning. Not feeling rested or feeling unable to make decisions or being able to concentrate for any length of time. The feelings of being ‘thick headed’ or punch drunk can be quite common also.

One’s inability to operate machinery or drive safely is seriously impaired as any split second decision making can become a problem. Double vision or blurred vision is not uncommon and in extreme cases, the world can seem to slow down around you.

Insomnia Treatments

Some of the tried and tested methods for helping alleviate the symptoms of insomnia work best. Avoid eating a heavy meal before bed, leave at least three hours between your last meal and bed time. Try taking a long hot bath; this can work wonders as your body is completely relaxed.

Always always avoid caffeine in its many forms, not just before bed time but throughout the entire day. If you are suffering from insomnia, leave off all drinks containing caffeine for the immediate future, tea, coffee, soft drinks, energy drinks etc. There are too many to mention here but you get the point.

Allow yourself as long as it takes, laying perfectly still, breathing slowly and gently, observing your whole body feeling more and more numb as the muscles give up the fight and relax. Getting yourself in a relaxed state before attempting to sleep is important. If you try and force yourself to go to sleep while you are still stressed then it stands to reason you’re in for a hard time.

The biggest factor in back and hip pain is the psoas muscle. The number of problems caused by the psoas is quite astonishing. These include: low back pain, sacroiliac pain, sciatica, disc problems, spondylolysis, scoliosis, hip degeneration, knee pain, menstruation pain, infertility, and digestive problems. The list can also include biomechanical problems like pelvic tilt, leg length discrepancies, kyphosis, and lumbar lordosis.

What is the psoas?

The psoas (pronounced “so – oz”) primarily flexes the hip and the spinal column. At about 16 inches long on the average, it is one of the largest and thickest muscles of the body (in animals it’s known as the tenderloin). This powerful muscle runs down the lower mid spine beginning at the 12th thoracic vertebrae connecting to all the vertebral bodies, discs and transverse processes of all the lumbar vertebrae down across the pelvis to attach on the inside of the top of the leg at the lesser trochanter. The lower portion combines with fibers from the iliacus muscle, which sits inside the surface of the pelvis and sacrum, to become the Iliopsoas muscle as it curves over the pubic bone and inserts on the lesser trochanter.

What is the function of the psoas?

This has a number of diverse functions making it a key factor in health. The psoas as a hip and thigh flexor is the major walking muscle. If the legs are stationary the action of it is a bend the spine forward; if sitting it stabilizes and balances the trunk. The lower psoas brings the lumbar vertebrae forward and downward to create pelvic tilt.

When we think of smooth, elegant and graceful movement in dancers and athletes we are looking at the psoas functioning at it optimum. It requires that the psoas maintain the pelvis in a dynamically neutral orientation that can move easily and retain structural integrity. This creates positions of the spine that require the least muscular effort.

What are the common pain symptoms of the psoas?

When the muscle becomes contracted due to injuries, poor posture, prolonged sitting, or stress, it can alter the biomechanics of the pelvis and the lumbar, thoracic and even cervical vertebrae. Typically a dysfunctional is responsible for referred pain down the front of the thigh and vertically along the lower to mid spinal column. Trigger points are found above the path of the psoas on the abdomen. Frequently the quadratus lumborum muscles develop trigger point, as well as the piriformis, gluteals, hamstrings, and erector spinae.

It can torque your spine to the right or left, pull it forward and twist the pelvis into various distortions. Frequently one psoas will shorten and pull the spine and/or pelvis to our dominant side. The distortions of the spine and pelvis can also show up as a short or long leg. This all results in scoliosis, kyphosis, lordosis, trigger points, and spasms in back muscles trying to resist the pulling of the psoas.

It can pull the spine downward, compressing the facet joints and the intervertebral discs of the lumbar spine. The pressure can cause the discs to degenerate, becoming thinner and less flexible. This degeneration makes the discs more susceptible to bulging or tearing, especially with twisting and bending movements.

What keeps the psoas in contraction?

The psoas will stay contracted because of postural habits and trauma. The way we stand, walk and sit can distort the psoas. If we walk or stand with our chin in an overly forward position the muscle will tighten. Sitting through much of the day it shortens to keep us bio mechanically balanced in our chairs. Over time we develop a “normal” way of holding the psoas that is dysfunctional.

Unresolved trauma can keep the psoas short and reactive. This is a primary muscle in flight, fight, freeze or fear responses to danger. When survival is at stake, it propels the body to hit the ground running. When startled, it ignites preparation of the extensor muscles to reach out (grab hold) or run. Until the psoas is released the muscle may stay contracted and go into further shortening and spasm very easily.

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Most women experience symptoms of the menopause between the ages of 45 and 55. Menopause is caused by reduced levels of female hormones oestrogen and progesterone due to the ageing process. Menopause symptoms include hot flushes, irregular periods, night sweats, anxiety, depression and sleeping problems.

There are growing concerns about the safety of HRT in long-term use. Clinical studies indicate that HRT is associated with an increase in the risk of breast cancer, endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer. HRT has been shown to increase the risk of heart attacks and blood clots and strokes.

Hormonal changes can make you very emotional and you may get upset at the slightest problem. Hot flushes are a common problem which can cause embarrassment and wake you in the night. More women are turning towards natural remedies to treat menopause symptoms as they are worried about the possible side effects of prescription medication. Natural remedies used for easing menopause symptoms include:

o Agnus-Castus which helps regulate your periods

o Black Cohosh eases hot flushes and helps you relax so that you sleep better.

o Mexican Wild Yam helps with painful and irregular periods.

o Red Clover helps to regulate hormone levels

o Soy Isoflavones contain natural plant Phytoestrogens which are similar to human Oestrogen.

o A healthy diet and regular exercise can also help to ease menopause symptoms.

It is interesting that Japanese women do not appear to suffer from hot flushes. This is thought to be due to their diet which is rich in Isoflavones. You can buy natural HRT remedies and health supplements from herbal stores and health food shops. There is no need to suffer menopause symptoms – all you need to do is decide which supplement you are going to take, and then you can look forward to the next phase of your life and freedom from having periods and monthly menstrual cramps.

The basis of pelvic balance relies on the ability of all the muscles which attach at the hip and groin to relax and extend after

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