HAPPY FATHER'S DAY - JUNE 17, 2012

FLAG DAY

Flag Day - the anniversary of th Flag Resolution of 1777 - was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916. While Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for years after Wilson's proclamation, it was not until August 3rd, 1949, that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.

source: www.usflag.org

REDUCING STRESS

Yoga classes or a run on your treadmill are great ways to lower your general stress level. But what you can do for stress on the go? The following tips can help you reduce your stress anytime, anywhere.

1. Do a quick breathing exercise. Take several slow, deep breaths and release a little more tension each time you exhale.

2. Play your favorite song. Listen to something that puts you in a good mood.

3. Draw a picture. Doodle, scribble, or draw an image of your problem going away.

4. Go for a walk. Just a 10-minute walk can help you gain perspective.

5. Talk it out. Talk to someone about what's bothering you.

6. Stretch. You can do stretches anywhere: at work, in the car, or waiting in line.

7. Avoid stress in the first place. For instance, if traffic makes you stressed, try another route.

8. Give yourself a quick massage. Massage your temples or neck.

9. Close your eyes. Sometimes, just taking a moment to close your eyes can help you take a step back.

10. Write it down. Try writing out your feelings. Don't worry about how good your writing is. Just get it on the page.

You may not be able to add hours to the day, but with simple stress-relieving techniques, you can lower your stress level and get more enjoyment out of the hours you have. Remember to take time for yourself, breath and live in the moment, don't worry about the next!

source: www.chicagonow.com

CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE

Congestive heart failure is a serious disease and life-threatening symptoms can occur without warning. Congestive heart failure, also called heart failure and congestive heart disease, is caused by damage to your heart. Conditions that can damage your heart include coronary artery disease, heart attack, heart valve disease, and heart infection. Congenital heart diseases can also lead to congestive heart failure, as can cardiomyopathy, an enlargement or scarring of your heart muscle. When your heart is damaged, it can't pump blood effectively. Blood begins to back up in your body and you may start to notice symptoms such as:

1. Chest pain

2. Fatigue

3. Loose cough and difficulty breathing because of buildup of fluid in your lungs

4. Swelling of your feet, ankles, legs, arms, belly, and face

5. Weight gain

If you have congestive heart failure, you are not alone. Nearly five million Americans have the disease. It is most common in people older than 65 years of age, according to the Heart Failure Society. Any disease or condition that increases the risk of developing heart disease also increases your risk of congestive heart failure. You might be at risk if you have any of the following:

1. African American ancestry

2. Coronary heart disease

3. Diabetes

4. Excessive alcohol consumption

5. High cholesterol

6. Personal or family history of heart disease or heart attack

7. High blood pressure

8. Obesity

9. Sedentary lifestyle

10. Smoking

11. Kidney disease

12. Heart arrhythmias

When you have congestive heart failure, you may not have the energy or strength to do all you want to do. You may also have episodes of life-threatening problems, such as fluid buildup in your lungs. Fortunately, you can help improve your heart function and symptoms with treatments that can boost your energy level and help you live the most active life possible. Treating congestive heart failure often involves treating the underlying cause if possible. For most people with congestive heart failure, medications are the cornerstone of treatment.

Despite your best efforts and treatments, sometimes congestive heart failure progresses. If this happens, palliative care and hospice care are available. These team approaches provide comfort and support to improve the overall quality of life for people with end-stage congestive heart failure. This type of care is often provided at home.

source: www.localhealth.com

7 EASY WAYS TO EXTEND YOUR LIFE SPAN

It is not just about living longer, after all the average Americna lifespan has been on the rise for decades. Today we live to an average age of 78 years old. But the kicker isn't just that we're alive, but how we're living. Are we ravaged with disease, dosed up on medications, and crippled by age, or are we enjoying this beautiful life? Disease and illness are opportunistic, that is they only attack when our defenses are down. The more healthy you are, the less likely you are to be plagued with illnesses that take away your quality of life and the more likely you are to extend your lifespan and feel good for the entirety of your journey.

1.GO MEAT FREE: Study after study have come out in recent years documenting the problems with eating meat. Even more potent evidence of wherther meat is healthful or not came in a recent huge study published in the Archive of Internal Medicine, which pointed to the innate health risks associated with eating meat. Eating one serving per day of unprocessed red meat increased your risk of premature death by 13 percent. If that meat was processed then your risk increased by 20 percent. By replacing that serving with fish the risk went down by 7 percent but even better, by replacing meat with nuts it went down 19 percent, and beans it went down 10 percent.

2. STAND UP: In the past few years medical researchers have begun to tie sitting to premature death, but a recent study does a precise job of breaking down the numbers. If you sit more than 11 hours per day, you're 40 percent more likely to die over the next three years, according to Yahoo News.

3. KEEP IT WHOLE: This is the first generation that by regularly eating nothing but processed foods and it comes with a lot of problems. First, processed foods are less likely to fill you up and that's why nearly one third of the American population is overweight. Obesity is the easiest way to end your life because it leads to diabetes, heart disease, and certain kinds of cancers. Processed foods also tend to lack the nutrient density we need to get and stay healthy.

4. STRENGTHEN YOUR BRAIN WITH MEDITATION: It has been found that long term meditators have larger amounts of gyrification or "folding of the cortex." This is a good thing. Folding of the cerebral cortex allows for us to process information faster than people who do not meditate - it allows us to strengthen our brains.

5. AVOID SLEEPING PILLS: Those that take sleeping pills could be four times more likely to die prematurely, according to a large new study. The study isn't claiming that sleeping pills actually cause death, but rather, they are linked to early death, though they have been proven to cause depression and decreased driving skills. Those that took them just twice a month were still two times more likely to die early. Researchers aren't sure why, but it also increased the risk of cancer by some 35 percent.

6. GET OUTSIDE: Vitamin D deficiencies can cause a host of diseases and all our indoor time seems to be impacting rates of this critical deficiency. Vitamin D is a mysterious nutrient in that the most available source doesn't come from food, but from the sun. If your're stuck in the office most of the day, you still need Vitamin D. Both salmon and eggs are good sources of the nutrient.

7. KNOW YOUR FOUR RISK FACTORS: Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine says that your risk of a heart attack is actually defined at a young age. Four risk factors including elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, and diabetes, along with whether you are male or female, can show your predetermined risk by midlife. The study reports that those who have at least two of these risk factors by middle age, considered between 45 and 55, are 50 percent more likely if they are a man and 30 percent more likely if they are a woman, to have a heart attack in their remaining lifespan. Even just one risk factor dramatically increases your risk, and by middle age 95 percent of us have at least one risk factor. For those that have none of these risk factors, heart attack risk falls to 0 percent.

source: www.blogs.discovery.com

10 HEALTH SYMPTOMS WOMEN SHOULDN'T IGNORE

You work hard taking care of your family, friends and work. But are you taking care of yourself? Too often we ignore symptoms because we're just too busy to bother getting checked out. That can be a big - possibly fatal - mistake. More often than not, it's the smart, educated women who put off going to the doctor, even when it should be a top priority. But not addressing a mysterious problem can be dangerous - and can even lead to a chronic or fatal disease. Check out these symptoms women shouldn't ignore:

1. ACUTE FATIGUE. Let's face it, women are used to being tired. Overload leads to fatigue, but when low energy and exhaustion are chronic and continue for more than two weeks, see a doctor. Acute fatigue can be a difficult symptom to diagnose, but that doesn't mean you should ignore it. I t can indicate hypothroidism, which can be treated with a hormone, or anemia, which is treatable with iron or vitamin B12 shots. More seriously, it can be a sign of depression, sleep apnea, heart disease or even lung cancer.

2. RECTAL BLEEDING. Women who've had hemorrhoids while pregnant might dismiss rectal bleeding as a sign of a new hemorrhoid and not take it seriously. Rectal bleeding can indeed indicate a hemorrhoid, but it can also be a sign of colon or rectal cancer, which is curable if caught early. If you experience rectal bleeding, see a doctor right away. Even if it's just a hemorrhoid, it still needs to be treated.

3. ABDOMINAL BLOATING AND PAIN, CHANGE IN BOWEL HABITS. Like rectal bleeding, abdominal bloating and pain or a change in bowel habits can indicate something serious like colon cancer. These symptoms also can signal ovarian cancer, imflammatory bowel syndrome or diverticulitis. If you experience abdominal bloating or a persistent change in bowel habits, such as constipation, make an appointment with your doctor.

4. PAIN OR DISCOMFORT IN CHEST. Heart disease may be the No. 1 killer of American women, but most women still don't think about it happening to them. The signs of coronary artery disease, which can lead to a heart attack, are typically much more subtle in women than in men. Women might misdiagnose the discomfort as acid reflux or a "burpy" sensation. If you're having trouble exerting yourself, have some discomfort or pain in your chest, or you're just not feeling normal, see a doctor immediately.

5. HEART PALPITATIONS. Heart palpitations are often related to stress. But if persistent, they can also be a sign of atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat. Without treatment for atrial fibrillation, you increase your risk of having a stroke, especially if you have these other heart disease risk factors: abdominal girth of more than 35 inches in women, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or being a smoker.

6. SHORTNESS OF BREATH. Shortness of breath is yet another symptom of heart disease. But it can also be a sign of other serious health problems, such as pneumonia, asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, lung cancer or even a blood clot. If you're having continual or increased problems breathing, make an appointment to be evaluated.

7. PELVIC PAIN DURING INTERCOURSE. It's not normal to have pelvic pain during sex, so pay attention if this symptom occurs. If pelvic pain happens during deep penetration, it could indicate pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), endometriosis, an ovarian cystor cervicitis, and infection of the cervix. Pelvic pain upon entry can mean a vaginal infection or a hormone deficiency. If sex is painful, don't shrug it off - go to the doctor. An untreated infection can lead to infertility.

8. CHANGE IN THE APPEARANCE OF A MOLE. Melanoma (skin cancer) is often linked to a change in moles, so check them, along with freckles, regularly for any difference in their appearance. Follow the ABCD method recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation and the American Academy of Dermatology to help detect possible problems: If the mole is A, asymmetrical; B, has uneven borders; C, has changed in color; D, or changed in diameter, see a dermatologist immediately. Any changes in your skin, such as a growth or a sore that won't heal, are also potential indicators of malanoma.

9. BREAST LUMPS. Know your breasts intimately. Examine them monthly to detect any new masses or lumps. Check with your doctor to determine how often you should be getting mammograms. Potentially cancerous lumps usually feel like small stones or rocks in your breast. Non-cancerous lumps are typically more tender and change with your menstrual cycle. This is not always the case, so check with your doctor if a new lump appear.

10. SWELLING IN LEGS OR PERSISTENT PAIN IN JOINTS. If you notice swelling in one or both legs, particularly after you've been traveling in a car or airplane, see a doctor. Swelling in one leg can mean a blood clot. If it's both legs, it could be a sign of kidney or liver disease. Chronic or constant pain in joints could mean something more serious than arthritis, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, which may require steroid treatment.

As a woman, your health concerns are as unique as your body. How you take care of yourself has a huge impact on your future, affecting everything from your ability to have children to your risk of heart disease. There's no substitute for good health, and when it's gone, it's often gone for good. Don't let it pass you by.

source: www.lifescript.com

8 THINGS YOU DON'T TELL YOUR DOCTOR - BUT SHOULD!

You have no problem telling your doctor about the pain in your right arm. But the pain down there? Forget it - it'll probably go away. Choosing not to tell your doctor the whole truth can hurt you. Find out the top 8 health-related secrets you shouldn't keep. So often patients don't talk to their doctors because they are afraid of the answer or what the physician will think of them. What are you keeping from your doctor? And why is it important to mention? We asked physicians what they need to know about their patients. Here are 8 things you should ALWAYS bring up:

1.YOU'RE TAKING VITAMINS, HERBS OR SUPPLEMENTS. You pop a daily multivitamin, an herbal supplement for sleep and a powder to improve memory. They're harmless, right? Not always. Supplements can cause symptoms and interfere with some medications.

2. THERE'S BLOOD IN YOUR STOOL. Most of us steer clear of potty talk - even with our doctors. Blood in the stool is a symptom of colorectal cancer, which is curable when caught early. So mention ANY change in bathroom habits to your doctor.

3. YOU'RE DEPRESSED. So you've been feeling a little down; it'll pass you think. Besides, why bother your doctor with it? Emotions can affect your physical health, and depressed people often feel fatigued, lose their appetite or have stomach aches. If your doctor doesn't know you are depressed, you may have to undergo unnecessary tests or medications. If you'r not comfortable mentioning it at the appointment, bring a friend or family member for support.

4. YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT SOMETHING YOU READ ON THE WEB. Many people go online first to diagnose health problems. Would your doctor be offended? Not at all! Most doctors say they like well-informed patients. Just say, " I saw something on the Internet. Do I need to be concerned?" Also, remember much of what you read online is general.

5. YOU DON'T EAT RIGHT AND EXERCISE REGULARLY. That morning donut and coffee ritual? Those couch potato nights? Admit them to you doctor. People often lie or omit information because they don't realize how harmful those habits really are. Even if weight isn't an issue, talk to your doctor about your diet. Unhealthy eating habits are linked to chronic diseases, such as heart attacks, diabetes and more.

6. YOU'VE STOPPED TAKING YOUR MEDICATION. Instead of telling the doctor, some patients act on their own. That's one of the most dangerous things you can do. The medicine your doctor prescribes is designed to keep you healthy - and the side effects you've heard about might be rare or insignificant. If you're having problems with medication, ask to be switched ot another that won't affect you the same way.

7. YOU'RE NOT INTERESTED IN SEX LATELY. People are pretty open about their physical complaints, but they're not so open about sexual issues. People need to talk about emotional and sexual health with their doctor, because it can be a symptom of a physical problem. Loss of desire can signal health issues, such as chronic stress, anxiety, depression or even anorexia. Some pre-menopausal symptoms in women can also cause sexual problems.

8. THAT SURGERY YEARS AGO DOESN'T MATTER. When you see your doctor, especially for the first time, share the details of your medical history - including the tonsillectomy you had at age 4. Your physician needs background information to diagnose and prescribe the best treatment for you. Write down your history beforehand, so you don't forget to mention something important. How detailed should you be? Tell the doctor about any major illnesses in your immediate family and your previous major illnesses, past surgeries and current conditions. List all medications you're taking, including vitamins and herbal supplements, along with any adverse reactions you've had. Had any recent X-rays or medical tests? Bring the films or results, if possible. Besides medical history, jot notes about current symptoms. If you walk in with a record - even just some notes - you'll be taken a lot more seriously by the doctor.

source: http://www.lifescript.com/