Health GlareEvery human being is the author of his own health or disease

Have you been wondering what an article on “Top 10 Health Tips” doing on a website dedicated to Beauty?

Are you one of those individuals who think “Top 10 Health Tips” and “Top 10 beauty Tips” are two separate concepts and need to be dealt individually? Have you been splurging an aweful lot of money trying to look “good” by getting Spa treatments, visiting Beauty Salons, Buying Designer Labels, Eating Health Foods, and yet every time you look into the mirror, you feel there’s something “lacking?”

If you think that way, you’re not the only one. Whereas most of us spend a whole lot of time, money and effort to make our skin, hair, face, hands and feet look beautiful, we often miss out on the critical role our health and wellness plays in making us look physically and mentally beautiful.

Follow these Top 10 Health Tips in your daily life to stay beautiful on the inside and outside:

1.Follow A Healthy, Balanced Diet: A balanced diet is the first step towards a beautiful, healthy body. Follow a healthy balanced diet that complements your lifestyle. An ideal diet should be high on fiber, low on fat, and must be supplemented with adequate amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables. Besides knowing what to eat, it is equally important to know the right proportions, meaning how much or how little to eat. Talk to a fitness expert and find out what’s your daily calorie intake. Make food choices that have high nutritional value but are low in calories.

2.Eat Different Types Of Foods: According to Ayurveda, the Ancient Indian science of healing, rotating your food habits not only strengthens your immune system, it can also protect you from most illnesses. Try to eat vegetables and fruits of different colors each day. Try eating a different food at least thrice a month. Begin your day with an apple a day as the apple pectin cleanses the body’s digestive system by removing toxins and therefore preventing degenerative health problems such as cancer.

3.Don’t Skip Your Breakfast: Are you surprised to see how some people manage to stay so fit, energetic and active the whole time and are able to stabilize their weight while you continue to put on weight and feel exhausted most of the time? Well, chances are, they eat a good breakfast and you don’t! According to nutritionists and health experts, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and skipping your breakfast can lead to serious health problems besides adding those extra pounds as a result of binging on unhealthy snacks later in the day. Besides re-charging your energy levels, eating regular breakfast has several long-term benefits like:

• It results in faster weight loss
• Your body get more nutrients everyday
• Breakfast rich in fiber foods and wholegrain helps keep the heart healthy especially if you suffer from metabolic disorders like fluctuating blood pressure, obesity and cholesterol. It also helps stabilize blood sugar levels
• A good breakfast early in the morning sets your mood right and enables you to handle stress better
• You stay overall healthy! So begin your day with fresh fruits, fruit juices, hard-boiled eggs, wholegrain cereals and breads and stay healthy all day!

4. Drink Lots Of Water: Drinking a minimum of 7 to 8 glasses of water everyday cleanses all the impurities and toxins from your body and helps to get healthy, flawless skin.

In addition, the fluid in your body is responsible for the functioning of your internal organs including the metabolic processes.  So if you’re dehydrated, this whole process gets affected and your body tends to slow down leaving you feeling low and lethargic.

5. Exercise Regularly: Who does not dream of getting those six-pack abs? Besides making you look sexy and popular, regular exercising is also the best natural “anti-aging” recipe because it helps you stay and feel young by raising your energy levels, stabilizing your body weight, and enhancing flexibility, which reduces the wear and tear in your body.

You don’t need to exercise for hours everyday, just take 15-20 minutes off your busy schedule everyday to sweat out that pot-belly or burn those extra-pounds that have been making it difficult for you to get into your favorite outfit! If you can’t, make one of these a part of your routine: take the stairs instead of elevators and escalators to climb; Make it a habit to walk about 15 minutes everyday. If holistic healing is your thing, enroll yourself for yoga classes. If not, go swimming, take aerobics lessons or start shaking a leg or two at the local dance academy-whatever keeps you going, juts do it! If you’re into sports, you can make it part of your fitness routine.

Remember, your external fitness is only a reflection of your inner fitness and a beautiful, healthy body reflects a fit, healthy mind.

6. Quit Smoking: Okay, so you’ve heard this countless times from your doctor, but here it comes again as one of our most important health tip-Quit Smoking! If you’re one of those people who smoke to lose or gain weight, we’d stay think again! While smoking may have been related to an increase in metabolism, it is certainly not a good enough reason to substitute it with the huge risk of dying from lung cancer!

If that doesn’t make you change your mind, this will. Recent studies have proved that smoking is also one of the leading factors that stimulate the process of aging in both men and women. So say no to cigarettes and stay young and healthy for the rest of your life!

7. Say No To Stress: We know what you’re thinking-easier said than done! Agreed, but leading a stressful life can only make matters worse. On the other hand, leading a relaxed, stress-free life will not only reduce the risks of health related disorders, it will also calm you down and let you enjoy your life better.

While planning your day, strike a balance between home and work. If you have trouble remembering things-make a list of all the “things-to-do” before going to bed each night or simply set a “reminder” in your cell phone so you don’t have to run around at the last minute. Staying positive and thinking happy thoughts is one of the most effective stress buster technique you can easily follow in your daily life.

Spend atleast 15 minutes doing something you love and enjoy each day. It could be a simple activity, like cuddling up in bed by yourself and watching a funny movie, enjoying a glass of your favorite wine, socializing with friends, reading, sweating it out at the gym, pampering yourself with a stress-releasing body massage, soaking in a hot tub, taking a stroll on the beach, playing with your dog, listening to your favorite music or simply lazing around and doing nothing!

8. Take Care Of Your Teeth: Remember the phrase “million dollar smile?” Well, your teeth have a lot to do with your smile and they can make or break your looks depending on how much or how little you’ve cared for them over the years! Dental health is an important aspect of your overall heath. One of the best ways to have healthy teeth, prevent gum-related infections and protect your heart is by flossing your teeth every day. Few of us know that gum infections if left untreated can cause inflammatory reactions in the body, which can lead to stroke and heart ailments.

9. Sleep Well: A good 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep is a must for our body to reboot itself and feel energetic next day. Lack of sleep affects our hormone levels and slows down metabolism often resulting in weight gain. Studies have shown that deep, uninterrupted sleep helps cell growth and cell repair, which can increase the metabolism and help in burning calories. If you suffer from sleeplessness, try some of these simple remedies:

• Avoid alcohol before going to bed
• Stay away from stimulants like coffee, tea and chocolates before going to sleep
• Regularize your sleeping habit
• Keep your bedroom clean and uncluttered; Use decors and furnishing with peaceful and soothing colors
• Avoid taking longer daytime naps
• Follow relaxation techniques (for ex-meditation) to reduce stress

Keep Your Brain Active: Keeping your mind in “good shape” is just as vital as taking care of your physical health, so be sure to indulge your brain on a daily basis. An idle mind is not only the devil’s workshop, often the feeling of “aimlessness” or “nothingness” can cause boredom and can lead to depression and anxiety-related disorders.

One way to keep your brain engaged and busy is to constantly challenge yourself with new ideas and by learning new skills. Studies have shown than an active brain makes new connections between nerve cells that help cells communicate with one another. This allows our brain to store and access information easily, regardless of our age. Try some of these activities to keep your mind active and free from boredom:

• Learn to play a new musical instrument
• Learn a new language
• Indulge in crossword puzzles
• Play scrabble with a friend
• Participate in discussions and forums
• Maintain a blog and update it daily
• Switch careers or make a new beginning
• Read books on unfamiliar topics
• Pursue a new hobby
• Stay aware about what’s going on in the world

Follow these “Top 10 Health Tips” to stay physically and mentally beautiful for the rest of your life. Remember-”Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!”

Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder which is characterised by pauses in breathing during sleep. It occurs when enough air cannot move into your lungs while you are sleeping. Sometimes this common disorder can be very serious.
In sleep apnea, your breathing stops or gets very shallow while you are sleeping. Each pause in breathing typically lasts 10 to 20 seconds or more. These short stops in breathing can happen up to 400 times every night. If you have sleep apnea, the periods of not breathing may  wake you up from a deep sleep. But it is so brief that you may not be aware that your sleep was interrupted. Read the rest of this entry »

Types & Causes | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment

Vertigo which is related to balance and equilibrium, is the severe form of dizziness. Vertigo is the feeling of being unsteady or woozy. It is a sensation of spinning or whirling motion making it difficult to maintain balance while standing or sitting. Vertigo and dizziness are not the same, even though they are often used interchangeably. While all vertigo is dizziness, not all dizziness is vertigo. It is most common in elderly people, but can affect both sexes at any age.
Types & Causes

The organs that control equilibrium i.e the vestibular labyrinth is located in the inner ear. It includes loop-shaped structures (semicircular canals) that contain fluid and fine, hair-like sensors that monitor the rotation of your head. These canals all attach to the utricle, which contains tiny granules or crystals of calcium carbonate (otoconia). These particles are attached to sensors that help detect gravity and back-and-forth motion. When these particles within the labyrunth get disturbed a person will experience the condition called vertigo.

Depending on the location of the damaged vestibular pathway, vertigo is classified into two categories namely peripheral vertigo and central vertigo
Peripheral vertigo occurs if there is a problem with the part of the inner ear that controls balance or with the vestibular nerve, which connects the inner ear to the brainstem.
Central vertigo is caused by the disorders of the central nervous system. It occurs if there is a problem in the brain, particularly in the brainstem or the cerebellum (back part of the brain). This may include brainstem vascular disease, arteriovenous malformation, tumor of the brainstem and cerebellum, multiple sclerosis and vertebrobasilar migraine.

Different conditions such as bacterial virus infections, nerve inflammation, toxic substances, tumors and abnormal pressures can affect the inner ear which may lead to vertigo.

Several causes of Vertigo includes :

Benign Positional Vertigo (BPV)/ Benign positional paroxysmal vertigo (BPPV) – One of the disorder of the inner ear that causes vertigo is the Benign Positional Vertigo. This is the most common form, usually lasts for a few seconds to a few minutes, occurs after a sudden movement of the head. The exact cause of BPV is unknown, but may be due to an upper respiratory tract infection or a minor blow to the head. It may also occur when debris made up of calcium carbonate and protein (called otoliths or ear crystals) builds up in and damages the inner ear. One of the characteristic symptoms of BPV is the rapid movement of the eye in one direction followed by a slow drift back to its original position. BPV patients may have temporary dizziness, lightheadedness, imbalance, nausea and sometimes, it may be severe enough to cause vomiting.

Labyrinthitis is an ear disorder that involves irritation and swelling of the inner ear. It may be associated with an inflammation within the inner ear, an upper respiratory infection or nerve deterioration, but often occurs independently of other problems. People with labyrinthitis experience an acute onset of severe vertigo that lasts several days to a week. It is typically accompanied by hearing loss and ringing in the ears.

Meniere’s Disease is a disorder of the inner ear affecting balance and hearing. Though the exact reason is unknown, it may be related to middle ear infection, syphilis or head injury. It can be accompanied with episodes of vertigo and tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) – It is autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). This condition occurs due to the damage to the myelin sheath, the protective material which surrounds nerve cells, which may gets worse over time.

Migraine, a severe form of headache, may also cause vertigo which is usually followed by a headache.

Depending on the cause, vertigo can last only a few minutes or can be last for days. It may be mild, or it may be severe enough to cause nausea and vomiting. During vertigo spells it may be difficult to focus visually and many people find it uncomfortable to keep their eyes open. Episodes of vertigo increases with age.Vertigo occurs when there is a mismatch or difference in the information sent to the brain from the three sensory organs . Among the three sensory systems i.e the vestibular system (the inner ear structures), the visual system (the eyes), and the somatosensory system (which conveys information from the skin, joint, and muscle receptors), the former is most sensitive and often involved with vertigo.

Vertigo is not a disease but only a symptom of a broad range of disorders, diseases, and conditions. It usually occurs when there’s a problem with the middle ear balance mechanisms, or with the brain, or with the nerve connections between the brain and the middle ear.

Symptoms

The main symptom of vertigo is a sensation that the surroundings are spinning or whirling when there is no motion. The sensation may be mild and may happens due to a certain head movement and lasts only for a few seconds. Sometimes the sensation may be severe enough to cause sweating, nausea and vomiting.

Other symptoms of vertigo may include :

Dizzy spells
Light-headedness
Ringing in the ears
Slurred speech
Weakness in an arm or leg
Double vision or loss of vision
Abnormal eye movements and fainting
Low blood pressure
Severe headache
Uncoordinated movements
Chest pain, or rapid or slow heart rate
Nausea
Vomiting etc.

Diagnosis

To rule out the serious conditions such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, hemorrhage or tumor, it is important to diagnosis the cause of vertigo. For the correct diagnosis, the patient must describe in much detail about their dizziness and how it occurs. The health specialist will ask about other symptoms and medical problems.

Diagnosis test performed for vertigo may include :

Physical examination of ears and eyes including measuring blood pressure and heart rate.

Neurological examination also known as Electronystagmography (ENG) is used to evaluate the vestibular system. It involves testing hearing in both ears (audiometry tests), testing eye movements, and evaluating responses to changes in posture and position. During an ENG, the patient sits in a reclining chair while electrodes are placed on his face and forehead to track and measure eye movement. Then, the patient is passed through a series of movements to detect abnormal responses and determine where the problem seems to be.

Blood tests may include a complete blood count (CBC) and kidney and thyroid panels to rule out systemic diseases.

Imaging Tests may also perform to brain abnormalities such as tumors or strokes. Computed tomography (CT scan) produces x-ray images of the brain and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scan) uses a magnetic field to produce detailed images of brain tissue and arteries in the neck and brain.

Treatment

Even though most vertigo are relatively harmless and often clears up on its own or becomes less intense over time without any specific treatment, some forms might signify the beginning of a more serious condition. Such cases of vertigo has to be evaluated by an experienced physician.

The treatment for vertigo depends on its underlying cause.

Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT) – This physical therapy is performed to minimize dizziness, improve balance and prevent falls by restoring normal function of the vestibular system. The success of this exercise treatment depends on several factors like age and over all health of the patient, physical strength etc.

Medication – Vertigo can be treated with medicine which can be taken by mouth or placed on the skin (as a patch). Drugs are prescribed for the balance mechanism of the inner ear problems.

Surgery – Sometimes surgical procedures are used to correct certain types of vertigo. If it is caused by Meniere’s disease, where the function of the involved ear changes over time, and these changes do not respond to medical therapy, then surgical intervention may eliminate the vertigo.

For mild cases mainly, for BPV, the most common treatment is to do specific exercises instructed by the physician. BPV is not associated with drug treatment, but to control severe symptoms like nausea, vomiting etc. medications may be prescribed. For Meniere’s disease, the treatment recommended is a low-salt diet. Intake of nutritional supplements and antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, lipoic acid, glutathione, vitamin B6 etc may be consider to neutralize the effects of a persisting vertigo.

A person with vertigo may also be advised to follow a special diet. The diet may include restrictions on excess intake of caffeine, alcohol, and monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is found in Chinese and some prepackaged foods.

Homeopathic medicine has also good remedies for correcting the causes that leads to vertigo.

Prevention :

Always be aware of possibility of losing the balance which may lead to falling and serious injury. When you feel dizzy, sit or lie down immediately and wait for the dizziness to go away. Try to avoid positions or activities that cause the dizziness. Be careful when getting up and out of the bed. If any ear is affected, avoid sleeping on that side.