medical

Coping Techniques for People Suffering from Multiple Sclerosis

Having a chronic disease brings a host of changes in one’s life and those of others who depend on you or interact with you regularly. Once you receive a diagnosis, you would find that the symptoms are increasingly becoming more difficult. People are getting affected; you progress into something less able to function normally. And the condition gets worst. Your relationship with people, most of whom you love and care for, gets injured. On top of this, there are no known cures, only treatments that you hope will relieve the unpredictable symptoms. There may not be a lot you can do about it, but there are some things that could ease your distress. One way of taking charge of multiple sclerosis is by knowing and practicing appropriate coping techniques.

Have a positive disposition; it is hard to be hopeful knowing that there is a massive wall between you being sick and you having a normal life. But it always pays to look at the brighter side of your condition. It is not a terminal disease, and it’s not contagious. That’s a good start. Also, having a positive outlook lifts vast chunks of the burden from your breast – it makes you a lot happier, a bit more hopeful and, in fact, a bit less sick.

Educate your family about multiple sclerosis or, encourage them to understand the sickness. Much of the problem comes from your family’s inability to cope with your disease. However, by enlightening them about the nature of your condition, what should be their expectations, what should be their attitudes about your symptoms. This way, they will know where you are coming from, and they would be able to understand you better if not, help you suffer less.

Be like the children who have multiple sclerosis themselves – In the face of a chronic illness or disability, children seem to handle it much better than their adult counterparts. It is because they have high expectations about their future; they do not quickly lose their grip on their hopes of becoming better. This attitude tends to protect them from the debilitation they are or will be experiencing. If an adult sufferer can take hold of this attitude or develop it, it would surely be beneficial.

Don’t bother too much about the future. Do not live in the future. By doing so, you will not have to be overpowered by fear of the future. It is the winning attitude of people who are triumphant against the disease. Just try to prepare and think about it but do not act like you have to control it.

Live one day at a time – Treat every day like you a perfectly normal human being. It would not prevent the relapse of symptoms for sure, but it could help you get through the day without it being too overwhelming for you.

Don’t nurse your pain – Because the symptoms are unpredictable and because they are often life-inhibiting, your best course of action against them is not to focus on them, though without compromising your needs for rehabilitation, therapy, and treatment.

A patient’s attitude often defines how well he can live through his sickness and the disabilities it causes. So, get that positive attitude.

We hope this information was beneficial. You can have anything you want if you are enthusiastic about putting in the time, effort and plans to get to your goals. Discover the secrets why the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor. Click Here to view a video with more life tips!

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4 Depression Home Remedies – Kicking the Blues

Depression home remedies may be what you need if you want to shake the blues and your depression. The American bluesman, John Lee Hooker, spoke the truth when he said about the blues, “It’s about being human, see? Everybody gets the blues. Even a rich man gets the blues sometime.” No one is immune from it, but everyone can beat it. Using some of these depression home remedies may help you get out of your depression before you need outside help and before it takes too much of a toll on you and your family.

Enjoy the Ride:

One of the depression home remedies that you may want to try is sitting back and enjoying the ride. Doesn’t mean that being depressed is a good thing and something to enjoy, but it is a natural part of life. Life is many times like a roller coaster. Occasionally, you have dips in the ride. Take it for what it is, just a little low spot, and don’t make it into a bigger deal than it is.

Get Active:

Many times, what makes a sad situation worse is sitting around and pondering it. The more you dwell on it, the worse it may become. To get your mind off it try doing something active to preoccupy you. Do something that takes you out of your house, out of your situation.

Go for a run or a walk. Hit the gym or play some basketball. See a friend and play some checkers or cards. Go to the library and read a book that has nothing to do with what is going on now. It may seem ironic that one of the depression home remedies would be to get you out of the home, but it will be effective none-the-less.

“It’s Alright to Cry”:

No one says that you must let anyone see you do it, but crying can be very therapeutic and cleansing. It can help you come to grips with whatever it is that has you depressed and is an excellent way to release what is building up inside. It doesn’t matter how big you are or how tough you are; crying will help you and is one of the better depression home remedies.

Do Something Boring:

It may seem like an odd thing to tell someone to do, primarily when one of the other depression home remedies was to get active. It can, however, be another great way to distract you. Find a spider web and study the patterns, following the lines. Count the tiles on your wall. Follow the grains of wood on the floor and look for patterns. Even get out some crayons or coloring pencils and draw or create designs. It will help to settle your mind and may help you relax.

Use these methods soon after you first start feeling the blues or a bit depressed. If you have these feelings for more than two weeks, then you may need to seek professional help. Before it gets to that point, though, try these depression home remedies and kick the blues out the door.

In closing, we invite you to share your comments on this and our other posts. If you find the information useful, please Like & Share us and subscribe to this channel for an update as we reveal new strategies. Remember to keep an open mind and Shift 4 Freedom.

Work Wonders with a Weight Loss Calculator

Using a weight loss calculator can help you set goals and stick to your diet and exercise plan. It is easier now than ever to consult a free online calculator to find out how many calories you can eat to reach your desired weight. Of course, it is still up to you to come up with a program that is right for you, but the weight loss calculator can give you a good idea of your target numbers.

Why is a weight loss calculator so important? Despite all the claims by fad diet pitchmen, the only accurate way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories than you burn off. Most people have no idea what their ideal number of calories is, so they only eat until they are full. However, when using a calculator, you can figure out how much you should be eating each day to reach your weight loss goals and timeframes.

There are several free online weight loss calculators to choose from, but the quality and features may vary by site. The more variables you are asked to input about yourself and your activity level, the more accurate the calculations will be. Look for a place that includes the fundamental factors of age, current weight, height, amount of physical activity, desired weight, and time to reach that desired weight. Some websites will even allow you to include additional information such as body fat percentage or resting pulse to further develop their estimates of your calorie expenditure.

You will generally get a result in the form of an ideal consumption number, along with an estimate of the number of calories you burn each day. Check this estimate of calories burned to make sure it looks reasonable. Some weight loss calculators give you the option of selecting a label like “moderately active” for your daily exercise. However, what they consider “moderately active” may vary quite a bit from site to site and may not be what you intended. If this number is incorrect, the target number generated by the calculator will be useless, so check your input carefully before basing an exercise and diet plan from the results.

When deciding which weight loss calculator to use, consider the source of the calorie information along with any additional features offered by the site. Some sites will give you a complete breakdown of the desired carbohydrates, fats, and protein, not just a lump sum calorie number. Others may allow you to set up a free account to keep track of your progress and store your measurements. Tracking makes it easy to recalculate your needs if your weight or goals change.

Find out where the site is getting its calorie information. The calculations provided by online weight loss calculators can vary greatly, depending on how the figures are estimated. Look for sites that are sponsored by medical organizations or science foundations as these are usually the most reliable. After all, if you are going to put in the time and effort needed to change your diet and exercise, you don’t want to go in with the wrong plan just because you used a severe weight loss calculator.

Threats to Male Sexual Health

Male sexual health is threatened by penile and testicular disorders which can damage a man’s fertility and capability for sexual activity. These disorders include priapism, balanitis, balanoposthitis, phimosis, and penile cancer. This article discusses these disorders, their causes, and treatment methods.

Some of the most common threats to male sexual health manifest themselves as penile and testicular disorders. These disorders that affect the male external reproductive organs can severely affect a man’s fertility as well as sexual functioning. Below are some of the most common threats to male sexual health:

Priapism

Priapism is often termed as the opposite of erectile dysfunction. In this case, a man experiences a painful erection which often lasts for four hours or even longer. Priapism occurs when blood flows into the penis but is not drained sufficiently. Since priapism is not an effect of sexual activity, it cannot be relieved by masturbation and orgasm.

Some of the most common causes of priapism are:

* blood pressure medications and antidepressants

* drug use and alcohol

* anesthesia

* blood diseases

* penile injection therapy

Treatment for priapism usually come in the form of medical emergencies. Blood is drained out of the penis by using a needle to relieve the erection and restore normal organ function. Medications for priapism are designed to shrink penile blood vessels to minimize blood flow. However, treatment of underlying conditions is preferred to prevent priapism or its recurrence.

Balanitis and Balanoposthitis

Balanitis refers to the inflammation of the glans or penis’s head. On the other hand, balanoposthitis is the inflammation of both the glans and the foreskin. Both disorders exhibit similar symptoms like rash, pain, swelling, foul discharge, and itching in the penile area. These disorders are common in men and boys who have poor personal hygiene and are uncircumcised.

Irritants the cause balanitis and balanoposthitis include:

* dead skin cells

* tight foreskins

* infection

* dermatitis

* diabetes

Circumcision and the practice of proper hygiene can prevent and alleviate both disorders. However, the best way to treat these disorders is by treatment of underlying conditions especially if the irritations are caused by infections, dermatitis, and diabetes.

Phimosis

Although it is not really a disease, phimosis is a condition that can cause one. Phimosis occurs when the foreskin is too tight that it cannot be retracted to reveal the head of the penis. This condition can cause extreme discomfort when it comes to sexual activity, urination, and personal hygiene.

A common cause of phimosis includes:

* birth defect

* scar tissue

* infection

* balanitis

Treatment for this condition usually includes gentle manual stretching of the foreskin to increase its elasticity. Circumcision and medication to loosen the skin are also popular options in treating phimosis. For a less traumatic treatment than circumcision, some opt for protoplasts or separating the glans from the foreskin.

Penile Cancer

A rare form of cancer, penile cancer occurs when abnormal cell growth in the penis increase and grow. Non-cancerous or benign penile tumors can also develop into cancer over time. Symptoms of penile cancer often take the form of penile sores, bleeding, and abnormal discharge. The cause of penile cancer is not definite but there are certain risk factors that increase a man’s chances of developing this disease.

Some of these risks include:

* uncircumcision

* smoking

* smegma

* age

* human papillomavirus

* phimosis

* psoriasis treatment

Surgical removal of the cancer is the most common way to treat penile cancer. The cancer is often taken out using any of the following procedures:

* wide local excision

* cryosurgery

* microsurgery

* curettage and electrodesiccation

* laser surgery

* penectomy

This is a very serious topic and if any of these symptoms apply to you or someone you know seek professional medical help.

Schizophrenia Affecting Mental Health

People fear schizophrenia in a generalized sense. There is a common mentality that when one has schizophrenia, bringing back mental health is impossible. That would be probable if early signs are not observed and treated. Here, you will get to know what really schizophrenia is and how it converts a person’s personality on a whole new level.

Defining schizophrenia

According to studies made, schizophrenia is a kind of brain disease that is chronic and severe. It is a devastation to man’s illness because of misinterpretation, it is not given enough attention to be treated, making it worse as time pass. There is a probability that out of the entire population, there will be at least one percent that will be affected. Every year, there are about two million Americans that suffer from schizophrenia.

Who is affected?

Patterns of age and gender are usually affected. Men and women can get the disease in an equally related frequency. Schizophrenia is often experienced by men during their early stage which is usually upon their later teenage years and earlier twenties. While in women, schizophrenia is seen when they have reached their early twenties or during their early thirties. Children who are aged five and above can also develop the debilitating disease but has little occurrence during adolescent years.

Facts about cure

Although there is no exact cure for the case, there are high hopes that schizophrenia can be cured. Research has stated that medications can ease some of the prominent symptoms and it has also paved the way to unravel the different complicated causes of the disease. Science is using different kinds of approaches and alternatives that may be derived from molecular genetics going to population study in order to learn more about schizophrenia. Newer insights have been held in order to image an affected person’s brain structure and further gain knowledge about the disorder.

Signs and Symptoms

Confusing and shocking behavior that is apparent in the change of behavior of the person.

The sudden occurrence of psychotic symptoms which are severe and can be described as the acute phase of the disease.

Psychosis which can be referred to as the impairment of the brain’s normal status and is marked by certain delusions and hallucinations.

Withdrawal from the public and isolation of oneself.

Behavior, thinking process and speech pattern is unusual.

Those who have schizophrenia may or may not have several signs and symptoms. Some may manifest three to four while others are still vague.

Chronic schizophrenia which can also be related with a recurring or continuous pattern of the illness has the littlest chance of recovering from the person’s normal body functioning and somehow requires a longer need for treatment that may include the inclusion of different drugs in order to control the disease’s symptoms.

How do schizophrenics view the world?

Perceptions of reality that are distorted by delusions and hallucinations. They can also feel unusual fear, confusion, and anxiousness.

Illusions and hallucinations are referred to as the disturbances of a person’s perception which are common in people who suffer from the illness. The voices that one hears are oftentimes the person’s view of impending dangers or their way of carrying on a conversation.

Contrary to what people perceive, schizophrenia is not a type of split personality and are not violent. They are those who are referred to people who have a world of their own. Mental health can be attained through early recognition of the signs and symptoms that are shown by the diseased person.