10 Lesser-Known Reasons Why Headaches Occur

The chances are, everyone you’ve ever met has suffered from a headache at some point in their lives. What causes these headaches, however, is an extensive list with no definite answer and can include factors like a lack of sleep, blocked sinuses, or too much alcohol the night before.

But what about those times that there seems to be no obvious explanation? That’s when you need to look a little deeper. Experiment by eliminating the following uncommon sources, and hopefully one of them will hit the nail on the headache.

1. Exercise
The biggest concern about exercise headaches is that they can mean vastly different things. If you’ve been pushing yourself particularly hard during heated weather or at a high altitude, then it’s probably nothing to worry about and that pain should subside rather rapidly. However, if the throbbing lingers for longer than a day, then it could mean something much more serious, such as internal bleeding or a tumor. Be safe and speak to your doctor.

2. Sex
While the exact cause has never been accurately established, there does seem to be two distinct variations of sexual headaches. The first is reported as a slow buildup of pre-orgasm pain, while the second occurs suddenly at the same time as your climax. Many healthy people suffer from sex headaches, but if you have only recently been experiencing them, speak to a doctor to ensure nothing unusual has flared up.

3. Your Hairstyle
Pulling your hair back into a tight ponytail may be the fastest way to look presentable, but this tension can aggravate the nerves in your scalp, and ultimately lead to a headache. For most people, the obvious solution of loosening the hair tie should eradicate the pain within 30 minutes. However, there are those who experience a condition called allodynia, which is when your neurotransmitters become highly overactive and you experience pain in situations that would not normally cause pain. In these cases, a shorter haircut may be the only solution.

4. Your Metabolism
As one gets older, your headaches may possibly be slow metabolism related, and you would need to ensure that you address this in the same manner as any other health attribute. If you are skipping meals, drastically reducing your calorie intake, not hydrating properly, or lacking in sleep, then these bad habits are a good place to start.

5. Headache Medication
Strange but true, the medication you are taking for your headaches may very well be the cause of them. By perpetually fighting the pain with drugs, you can develop a rapid tolerance or even a dependency on these chemicals. Unfortunately, the only way out is to go through, which does mean a period of withdrawal and perhaps even worse headaches for a while.

6. Cheese
Not to be the bearer of bad news, but those aged cheeses you’ve been eating? They contain a substance called tyramine which has been linked to dilated blood vessels and migraines. A similar effect has been noted on any dried, smoked, or pickled foods. Keep a diet journal, and eliminate these parties one by one until you locate the culprit. Of course, if you insist on drinking red wine with your cheese, then you may already know what the problem is here.

7. Anxiety
Your body reacts to stress various negative ways, including tension in your neck and the depletion of your adrenal glands. These responses often conspire against you and develop into a stabbing anxiety migraine. If this is a frequent concern of yours, then you need to search for ways to destress your life. Try meditation, long warm baths, or go on a vacation.

8. Screens
It’s no secret that your computer and phone are bombarding your vision with bright lights, which can strain your eyes into a headache. A misaligned posture is also reported to play a role. Try to alleviate some of the spinal pressure by always positioning your technology at eye level, and take a 10-minute break every hour or so.

9. The Sun
Those headaches inflicted by the sun’s glare are usually a result of a deeper issue, and it’s worth analyzing your quality of sleep, blood sugar levels, or alcohol consumption before you blame a star. However, light sensitivity can also be eased with the use of sunglasses or a hat.

10. Caffeine Withdrawal
When one relies on the power of coffee to keep their engines running, a dependency may be soon to follow. Without this regular fix, you could find yourself drowsy, depressed, or carrying around a persistent headache. To quiet these symptoms, gradually reduce your coffee consumption rather than abruptly quitting it altogether. But whichever way you choose, all negative side effects should be completely gone within two to nine days.

This is a guest blog entry.

Injured? Speed-Up Your Recovery Time with These Helpful Tips

Nothing seems worse than being injured in an accident. The feelings are even worse when the accident wasn’t your fault, but it costs you everything. Depending on how serious your injuries are you could have lost your job, received a ton of medical bills, and have a long way to go towards recovery. All you want to do is recover from the accident and reclaim your life. Though the journey towards recovery will be different for everyone, taking these steps can help to speed up the process.

See Your Doctor

Immediately following the accident, it is important for you to visit your primary care physician. Even if you don’t see any cause for concern, some injuries can be internal, causing damage you’re unaware of. Other injuries can pop up later. Therefore, you just want to have a record of what’s going on and when it started. Be sure to follow your doctor’s orders. If they give advice you don’t agree with, discuss alternate options.

Reduce Stress

High levels of stress will dramatically decrease your efforts to recover. Yes, you’re dealing with a lot right now, however, if you allow the stress to consume you, it can lead to an array of medical issues which will only result in more health problems to recover from. Here are some suggestions for reducing the stress after an accident:

• Hire an Attorney - When you’re dealing with raw emotion and physical pain, it can be difficult to keep a level head. However, that is exactly what is required to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit. To keep your best interests first, it is recommended that you consult with a legal professional like Steven Schwartzapfel, a personal injury lawyer to help. They can assist you with completing the personal injury claim, compiling evidence and reports, talking with the insurance agency, and if necessary, filing a case in court. If you win, you could get compensated for lost wages, medical bills, and more which would be a great way to relieve financial stress.
   
• Get Finances in Order - The bills won’t stop coming in simply because you’re out of work for the time being. Therefore, you should get your finances in order. Start by creating a budget and eliminating any excess spending. Then, apply for disability insurance to try and recoup some of that lost income. Lastly, contact your creditors or service providers to update them on your status. Try to work out arrangements that fit in your budget as opposed to letting the late fees pile up.
   
• Ask for Help - You may need a lot of help in reducing the stress of an accident. Friends and family can help with things like watching the children, transportation, cooking, and cleaning. Not to mention, being in an accident is traumatic and may require some therapy to get through. If you’re feeling depressed or anxious as well, you could benefit from the assistance of a therapist.

Eat Right

Your body will need all the right vitamins, nutrients, and minerals possible to recover from your injuries. You should start by eliminating processed foods, sweets, and salty treats. Make sure that you also cut back on the carbs. Instead, fuel up on lots of protein, fruits, and vegetables. Eating at least 3-5 times a day is recommended to give your body the ammunition it needs to heal itself.

Exercise When You Can

There is a common misconception that after you’ve been injured you should sleep or remain still 24/7. Though getting plenty of rest is a great way to help your body repair the damage from the accident, it isn’t enough. Sitting too long after being injured can lead to muscle loss, blood clots, and more. Once you’ve been cleared by the doctor, you should start exercising a few minutes each day gradually increasing the amount of time and intensity of exercises you do.

Recovering from the emotional, physical, and financial damage caused by an accident won’t happen overnight. However, if you follow the doctor’s orders, start relieving some stress, and take care of yourself by eating right and exercising as allowed, you’ll get through it a lot easier. People like your doctor, personal injury lawyer, friends, family, and therapist are all there to help you get through the process and back to yourself.

This is a blog post by Nancy Evans.

10 Lesser-Known Ways That Smoking Affects Your Health

At this stage of tobacco research, everyone is aware that smoking causes lung cancer, emphysema, and heart disease. It’s also common knowledge that over 480,000 American people die each year from tobacco use, making it the leading cause of preventable death in the country. And yet, people are still smoking.

If this includes you, it may be worth noting that the ill effects of cigarettes are not limited to those you’ve heard about before. The smoke you inhale enters your bloodstream, which grants it direct access to every single part of your body, placing many other lesser-known parts of you under threat. Read over the following 10 warnings, and use them to help you make that quitting decision once and for all.

1. Vision Loss 

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive condition in which the patient gradually loses their central vision, and is eventually unable to see anything straight ahead of them. The link between smoking and AMD is widely reported, while an increased risk of cataracts in smokers has also been established.

2. Hearing Loss 

There are various common causes attributed to the loss of hearing, and these include aging, extreme noise exposure, infections, and heredity influences. Smoking itself has been shown to substantially increase these risks. Studies have not finalized the exact connection between these two concerns just yet, but much like anything, the toxins and lack of oxygen within your blood vessels are most likely not helping.

3. Stress and Depression 

Do not be fooled by those who claim that smoking relaxes them, as it is the interruption of withdrawal symptoms that gives them this illusion of comfort. Certainly, an extended period away from your cigarette dependency will result in increased irritability, but the stress hormone itself (called cortisol) is proven to eventually reduce after quitting. Underlying depression is known to worsen withdrawal anxiety, so explore any alternative methods to lower cortisol levels during the initial stages of abstinence.

4. Impotence 

There is no longer any debate as to whether erectile dysfunction is related to cigarette smoke or not, as it has been scientifically proven beyond any doubt. Many pieces of research point towards the reduced blood flow of a smoker as the primary cause for this problem, but there are also studies which indicate that the lowering of testosterone levels may play a role too.

5. An Ectopic Pregnancy

Sometimes a fertilized egg will accidentally attach itself to an organ other than the uterus—more often than not, one of the fallopian tubes. This is an extremely dangerous complication, which can lead to abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, and even death. Tobacco use has been undeniably proven to contribute to this pregnancy issue, most likely due to the structural changes of a smoker’s fallopian tubes.

6. Rheumatoid Arthritis 

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a disease characterized by the chronic inflammation of the joints. This condition often attacks the hands and feet most severely, resulting in pain, swelling, and deformities. The reasons why smoking increases the risk of RA are not fully understood, but tobacco’s negative influence on the immune system as well as its interference with medication are probable factors.

7. Sleepless Nights

An unhealthy lifestyle of any kind can disturb a regular sleeping pattern, which includes obesity, alcohol intake, and, of course, tobacco usage. The reasons are obvious, as smoking irritates and inflames the nasal passages, which in turn causes congestion and respiratory disturbances. These consequences have also been connected to snoring.

8. Acid Reflux 

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is yet to be securely connected to smoking, but there is ample evidence associating the two. Tobacco reduces the pressure of your lower esophageal sphincter while also damaging the lining. This makes it much easier for your stomach acid to come back up, which results in heartburn and bad breath. Smoking has also been hypothesized to cause stomach ulcers.

9. Temperature Control 

Among its myriad toxic detriments, smoking is also infamous for its position in cardiovascular disease. This means that your weakened heart is unable to circulate the blood correctly, leaving your entire body without the adequate levels of oxygen that it needs to function. Furthermore, this circulation will struggle to properly reach your feet and hands, hence why smokers tend to feel the winter cold much worse than those in good health.

10. Premature Wrinkles 

Finally, if the threat of a premature death isn’t terrifying enough, then perhaps the deterioration of cosmetic beauty may be the final selling point. Simply put, smoking hinders the delivery of sufficient oxygen to the skin, which develops into wrinkles around the mouth, the cheeks, and the eyes. Couple this with the leathery complexion of a smoker’s face, and you will quickly notice that your overall appearance has aged dramatically.

This is a guest blog post.

3 Important Reasons For Becoming Body Aware

Most people will say they have a pretty good idea of what their body is telling them on a daily basis. If you overconsume, you’ll feel bloated, if you have too much alcohol, you’ll have a pounding hangover and so on, but it’s not just the after effects of how your body reacts to something that is important to look out for.

Our body tells us things on a regular basis, and its intelligent systems have a unique way of helping us to make better decisions about our lifestyle.

In everyday life, if something were resoundingly telling you not to do something, would you still do it? In most cases probably not, so why is it that we push our body to the limits with the food we eat or vices we cave into and don’t listen to this inner voice? By being in better sync with your body and using willpower to overcome the temptation surrounding you, you can start to make better choices for both your body and mind. Take a look at some of the reasons that staying in tune with your body is excellent for your health.

Recognizing the signs

When you are in tune with your body, you can spot the signs of ailments or niggles straight away. You will also recognize what works best for your lifestyle. Having these gut feelings or instincts can help in a wide selection of situations and is often great for spotting changes in your body for significant life events such as pregnancy. Many women have instinctively known they are pregnant before taking a test due to the subtle differences in their body. You can use facilities such as a Pampers due date calculator to confirm this; you can adequately prepare for alterations in diet and lifestyle you will need to sustain a healthy pregnancy.

You can learn how to work in sync with your body

When you tap into your body’s vibe, you can work with it effectively to help you be more productive and work harder to get the best out of life. This could be using the way your body works to help push further in fitness training or increase productivity at work or in education. Learning how to become body aware and using your strengths and weaknesses to your advantage can help build upon a strong and healthy mindset. 

It’s good for the mind

When you are more body aware, it can help you give you more peace of mind that you know the signs and potential symptoms you might be experiencing. By recognizing these, you are also more likely to get things checked out, as you know something is not right for your body.

Most people instinctively understand their body and honing into this unique sync between body and mind can help you to perform better and live a healthier lifestyle. By trusting your gut and working with it to make more informed choices alongside help from health professionals, you can ensure you get the best support throughout your life.

This is a guest blog entry.

How Fresh Smoothies Can Improve Your Health

If you follow the latest healthy food trends, you probably know that smoothies are one of the most enduring health food crazes of the past decade. From their humble origins as a quick way to gulp down a breakfast before heading to work, smoothies have become a massive industry. Kitchen appliance companies are releasing new, more elaborate blenders ever year, and the supplement industry has capitalized on the trend by marketing protein powders and other nutritional boosters specifically designed for smoothie drinkers who want their breakfast to pack even more of a punch.

In recent years, the smoothie craze has led to an explosion of brands specializing in pre-made off-the-shelf smoothies. Many high-end grocery stores now have entire sections dedicated to showcasing carefully packaged super food smoothies in exotic and compelling flavours. While many of these brands advertise themselves as being a healthy option for people who want to make sure they get their vegetables, fruits, and nutrients on the run, many of these corporate options are loaded with sugar and unnatural additives. Instead of relying on pre-bottled options, the only way to ensure that your smoothie is packed with all-natural ingredients is to make it yourself. 

Smoothies first became popular as a way of easily blending together a variety of fruits and vegetables, making it easier for the busy-but-health-conscious to maximize their plant intake. But while this has always been part of the appeal of smoothies, they have also been lauded as a way to boost anti-oxidant intake (anti-oxidants are vital in preventing and repairing cell damage, and are found in particular concentrations in berries). Smoothies can also be designed around deliver healthy doses of fibre, and if you add nuts and seeds, you can increase your natural intake of protein vitamin E. Finally, using milk and yogurt is a great way to increase your calcium consumption and coat your stomach with healthy probiotics that will aid digestion. With a few basic ingredients, you can build a breakfast smoothie that will increase energy levels, deliver important nutrients, and help you achieve a more balanced calorie intake.

The good news is, making your owns smoothies can be both cheaper and easier than store-bought alternatives. While many pre-made smoothies sell for drastically inflated prices, you can find low prices on a Vitamix blender by looking at online classifieds in your area, and shopping for fresh ingredients like kale, honey, fresh berries, and bananas in bulk allows you to buy more for less.

While the health benefits of smoothies are by now well known, if you want to improve your diet by starting the day off with a smoothie, it is important to understand that not all smoothies are equally good for you — ensure your breakfast smoothie contains all the fiber, protein, and nutrients you need to kick-start your metabolism by making it yourself. With hundreds of great recipes online, and plenty of affordable blenders for sale through online classifieds, it has never been easier!

This is a guest blog entry.

Make The Most Of Your Workouts - Get a Trainer

If you’ve been toiling away tirelessly at your local gym, but you’re not getting the results you’ve been craving, there’s a good chance that you need to shake up your workout routine by working with a professional trainer. These people are professionals that know how to get results. Many people will have the drive to show up at the gym four or five times a week, but they might have trouble when it comes to building muscle and taking their fitness goals to the next level. That’s why so many people turn to a person trainer because it helps them:

• Change their routine
• Use their time more efficiently
• Keep track of their goals

If you’re short on time and want to make the most of your workouts, learn more about the benefit of using a personal trainer.

Using Your Time Efficiently

The main reason why people don’t workout or fail to stay on top of their fitness goals is because they don’t have enough time in the day. Maybe they’ll swing by the gym on the weekend or they will pop in for a few minutes after work, but that’s not going to help them get the results they’re looking for. Even if a person spends just 20 to 30 minutes at the gym, they can get a lot done during that time if they’re willing to work with a professional.

The trainer will be able to tell the person how they should be spending their time when they’re at a HouseFit private fitness studio. They can direct them to certain machines or routines that tend to yield the best results. This is a much more efficient approach to getting in shape compared to a person just showing up at the gym and trying a bunch of random exercises. If you’re short on time, it might be time to bring in a professional.

Changing Up Your Routine

If you’re going to a HouseFit private fitness studio and doing relatively the same thing every time, your body will reach its peak and you will stop gaining muscle after a certain point. That’s why it’s so important to change up your workout routine on a regular basis. Introducing your body to new exercises will help you get more of the results you’re looking for. It shocks the body in a way, forcing it to grow and develop more muscle. When you keep doing the same thing over and over again, your body starts to get used to the same movement and the muscles in your body won’t change or grow.

When you work with a professional trainer, they will introduce you to a series of different workout regimes, so that your body is always trying new things and building new muscle. Coming up with different routines can be difficult when you’re doing everything all by yourself. But the personal trainer can take the guesswork out of your fitness time, helping you make the most of every minute. You can quickly go from one activity to another without having to stop and think about what you’re going to do next.

Keeping Track of Your Goals

The professional trainer will also be able to help you better keep track of all the exercises you’ve done and how many you still need to do. When you’re trying to count the number of push-ups or pull-ups you’ve done, there’s always a chance that you’ll lose count or that you won’t remember how many you did the week before. But you don’t have to worry about that with a professional trainer.

If you’re looking to make the most of your workout time, you should visit HouseFit for more information.

This is a guest blog entry.

Gigantomastia - Causes, Symptoms & Treatments

Gigantomastia, also known as macromastia or breast hypertrophy is a rare medical condition which leads to the excessive, uncontrollable growth of a woman’s breasts. The condition does not occur in men. It, however, affects more than 100,000 women in America.

Causes

The exact cause of gigantomastia is unknown but the disease has been linked to several medications such as D-penicillamine, cyclosporine, and bucillamine. Hormonal imbalance has also been tied to the onset of the malady. This is particularly seen in pregnancy-induced gigantomastia.

Gigantomastia has also been observed in young girls entering puberty. Women suffering from autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, psoriasis, and systemic lupus erythematosus are at a higher risk of developing gigantomastia as well. For many women, however, there is no defining cause as to why they suddenly develop the disease.

Symptoms

Excessive breast growth whether over a few days, weeks or months is the major symptom of gigantomastia. This growth may happen in one breast (unilateral growth) or may occur simultaneously in both breaths (bilateral growth). There is no predefined timeframe in which the growth occurs. It can happen in a matter of days or over several years.

Other symptoms that typically appear include:

• Red, itchy, painful breasts
• Poor posture
• Shoulder, neck and back pain
• Inability to feel nipple sensation
• Chest pain (breast pain/mastalgia)

If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms and might be worried about it possibly being gigantomastia and would like to talk to an expert about it, XpertDox is a great platform to find a specialist doctor. Because of its rarity, finding a doctor who has dealt with a similar case can be an uphill task, however, thanks to this platform, the search has become easier.

Treatments

If left untreated gigantomastia can render its patients invalid. Because of this, many women opt to have a breast reduction. The reduction is often of 1,000 to 2,000 grams per breast. However, surgery is often the last option. Breast reductions are major surgery and as such your doctor will explain to you all the associated risk factors. Another major breast surgery that other women opt for is a mastectomy, which involves the complete removal of all the breast tissue. Some women will then often opt to get breast implants to replace the breast tissue.

In cases which do not involve surgery, treatment often involves trying to address the discomfort and pain caused by the large breasts. This entails the use of warm dressings, over-the-counter medication as well as prescribed antibiotics for those with infections.

In the event of pregnancy-induced gigantomastia, the breasts often reduce in size on their own once the baby is born. If not, pain medication may be prescribed to help deal with any discomfort if surgery is not an option for the patient.

Gigantomastia Complications

Gigantomastia does have associated complications which include headaches, neck, back and shoulder pain. Breasts may be asymmetrical and unequal. The skin around the breasts may appear over-stretched and rashes may also appear under the breasts. This is not to mention the psychological and social problems that large breasts come with. This can be especially difficult for young girls just entering puberty.

Talk to a doctor today if you are worried about any irregular breast growth.

This is a guest blog entry.