Health

With the sheer amount of options available, it’s often difficult to choose the right health care policy. You want one that covers unforeseen medical expenses but you don’t want your insurance company to nickel and dime you. You’re not sure about coverage under the Affordable Care Act and are wondering what monthly share of your income your health insurance might take.

If you are dealing with cancer, you probably had several types of treatment that were considered when it was first diagnosed. One of the most usual types of treatment for cancer is chemotherapy, a drug-based regimen that might be meant to cure or to prolong your life and ease symptoms.

The chemotherapy itself is not supposed to cause pain, though there might be tenderness at the site of the transfusion. However, one of the side effects of the drugs can be uncomfortable and severely decrease your quality of life. We’re going to teach you how to deal in the best way with these side effects and live your life the way you want to live it.

1. Pain

Receiving chemotherapy can cause a lot of pain, in the form of muscle pain, a headache, or unexplained stomach pains. There are many ways of dealing with the pain caused by undergoing chemotherapy, including using over the counter pain-relieving drugs, adjusting or tweaking the levels and proportions of the drugs you take as a part of your regimen or using nerve therapies to block the pain signals from going to your brain. Getting rid of the immediate pain is the simple part of this, but you may experience pain years later.

2. Loose or Watery Stools

Some chemotherapy regimens, whether administered at a public hospital or in private chemotherapy treatment, may cause bowel issues like diarrhea. It is important to treat and prevent diarrhea in order to prevent yourself from becoming too dehydrated. Eat a diet which is high in fibre and take supplements designed to aid bowel health.

3. Sores on Your Mouth and Throat

A lot of the drugs standardly prescribed for chemotherapy cause damage to the cells of your throat, creating an irritating disease, mucositis. This causes sores in your mouth that can easily become infected. To prevent this from happening, eat a clean, healthy diet free of ingredients like sugar or oil that will clog these already open wounds. It is also recommended to clean your teeth and gum regularly.

4. Upset Stomach

This is the most common side effect associated with chemotherapy. A lot of patients complain about feeling sick to their stomachs and throwing up regularly. To treat this side effect, many people take a carefully coordinated cocktail of medications before each chemotherapy session that they have. This medication often consists of an ‘antiemetic’, designed to stop the body from expelling its contents, and some pain relievers to help with the queasy feeling. Your doctor can work with you to design a regimen of medication for you to take both before and after each treatment. This is palliative care or care that is designed to bring you comfort.

5. Nerve Damage

While nerve damage is a lot like pain in that it can cause you to suffer pain, it is not so easily treated. For some people, nerve endings may be damaged even years after their chemotherapy sessions, or may never be healed again. Experimental treatments like acupuncture have been used to treat this nerve damage, but there is no certified way of helping it. Most often, the treatment includes intensive therapy that sometimes takes a really long time to work.

6. Mood Swings

Your bone marrow is there to make new cells, but chemotherapy is designed to disrupt this. Sometimes not having enough new cells can cause severe mood disorders. Usually, the amount of blood cells in your body return to normal after you are finished with chemotherapy, but you may want to plan a mood-stabilizing treatment plan with your doctor. It may include medication, talk therapy.

 

Congratulations! You’ve finally made it to the end of your pregnancy that you felt was going to last forever. Now it’s time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor by enjoying your little one in your arms. The first few weeks, and in some cases, months may feel overwhelming. It may take some adjustment to seeing your new shape, and accepting the changes that your body has gone through as a result of the pregnancy.

However, before you rush into trying to lose the baby weight, it’s important to give yourself the time to get back to good health. Once your doctor feels that you’ve waited long enough to be able to start working out again, then you can start getting your pre-baby body back.

Once you’re given the green light by your doctor, here are some of the best tips for getting your figure back.

Start A Light Impact Exercise

The best way to get back into an exercise program is to gently ease into it. Doing something low-impact like swimming or walking will start to get your muscles warmed up again. Unless you were one of the women who made an effort to continue exercising up until the final moments of your pregnancy, chances are that you may feel a little rusty when it comes to being active. A light impact exercise is the best way to start without rushing and potentially injuring yourself.

Avoid The Scale

Even though you may be curious about how much you weigh, it can be disheartening to weigh yourself too much. Although doctors urge women to gain up to 35 pounds maximum, it’s not always the case. Some women gain much more and may feel like they’ll never be able to get back to a normal size again.

However, obsessing over it isn’t going to do you any good. If you must weigh yourself, only do it once a month. Some specialists say that just as it took you nine months to gain all the baby weight, it will take the same amount of time to lose it again. Be kind to yourself!

Breastfeed If You Can

Although it’s not the case with everyone, some women find that they lose a considerable amount of weight as a result of breastfeeding. For some lucky women, breastfeeding doesn’t just burn off all of the baby weight, but it leaves them even thinner than they were before. By regularly breastfeeding as well as consuming a sensible amount of calories, you should be able to recapture your pre-pregnancy body within a reasonable amount of time.

Some women may not be able to get back to their ideal size for up to several years following the birth of their baby. Be patient with your own individual process, and remember, the most important thing is to focus on the healthy development of your baby.

Not everyone is an ideal candidate for plastic surgery. Since there are so many factors that go into plastic surgery, it’s important to know that it’s right for you before going under the knife. For some people, plastic surgery may be the only option for whatever it is they’re trying to fix.

However, for others, it may not necessarily have the same effect. If you’re considering plastic surgery, but aren’t sure if it’s the right choice for you, here are some of the telltale signs that it is.

 

You Found a Reputable Surgeon

 

Finding the right surgeon is a critical step. Not all plastic surgeons are created equal. Don’t assume that any surgeon you find will be able to complete the surgery that you hope they will achieve. If you know someone that can refer a surgeon in your area that they’ve had a positive experience with, then you’re already on the right track.

They’ll be able to answer any questions that you have as well as explain what kind of results you can expect. They’ll be able to advise you whether your expectations are realistic or not.

Plastic surgeons can’t always work the miracles that people hope they can. However, the best chance you’ve got is making sure that you find a board-certified and highly recommended plastic surgeon.

 

You’ve Done a Considerable Amount of Thinking

 

Making the decision to get plastic surgery isn’t something that you wake up one day and suddenly decide to do. It should be something that you’ve thought a considerable amount about. It’s critical that you’re doing it for the right reasons and that you are clear about the sort of results you want to achieve.

Thinking about your plastic surgery for a long time ensures that you won’t make the mistake of doing something you’ll regret later on.

 

You’ve Saved Your Money

 

Plastic surgery isn’t something that everyone can afford. Although it is more affordable than it used to be a decade ago, it’s still something that requires several thousands of dollars. It’s important that you put money away in savings to ensure that you can pay for it.

Remember, if you find a surgeon that’s willing to complete your procedure for considerably less then their competitors, you might want to ask yourself whether they’re as qualified as you might like to think.

 

Your Schedule Allows You Recovery Time

 

Most plastic surgery procedures require a period of recovery. This time can range between weeks or even months, depending on what you’ve had done. It’s important that your schedule is able to allow you the waiting time that you need to heal.

Rushing back to your normal activities too soon following plastic surgery can lead to serious health risks.

 

 

 

 

 

Across nearly every human culture, hair is an important attribute. The hairs on our head can symbolize strength, power, freedom, spirituality, or physical attraction, to name a few. Connotations and beliefs surrounding hair date back to ancient times, making this facet of the human form seem to have innate meaning. Undoubtedly, we’ve all seen or heard some of the stigmas, stereotypes, and gender norms surrounding hair: blondes have more fun, brunettes are sultry and smart, redheads are feisty, bald men are loud and obnoxious, women with long hair are sensual, and so on.

It’s no surprise that hair loss or stunted hair growth can make us feel down and out. Our hair is a part of our identity and therefore can affect our mood greatly; even a reversible tragedy, like having a bad hair day or winding up with an unfavorable haircut, can be enough to put us in a funk—or bring us to tears, if we’re really not feeling it. When it comes to preventing hair loss and increasing hair growth, there are a whole host of tips and tricks out there, 8 of which are curated below to help you get through your hairy situations.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT, FROM YOUR HAIR TO YOUR FEET

The first two modifications on the list both prevent hair loss and increase hair growth, and both focus on our consumption. Making changes to our diet (meaning what we eat, generally, rather than an attempt to cut back) has been shown to make substantial differences in our overall hair health.

A diet containing lots of raw vegetables, leafy greens, fresh herbs, nuts, fish, and complete proteins will provide our bodies with all the vitamins and nutrients needed to promote healthy, growing hair. Each of these staples provides different necessities; for example, sweet potatoes and spinach are rich in Vitamin A, while nuts, beans, and lean meats or fish will help us meet our protein quotas. A whole host of vitamins have been proven to positively affect hair growth, so balance is key.

Certain diets, such as vegetarianism and veganism, may need a bit of a supplement to provide the body with all it needs for luscious locks, which is where vitamins may come in to play. For some, a multivitamin may be the easiest route, while others may need specific hair vitamins or a biotin boost. When dealing with dietary supplements, it’s important to note that these products are not regulated by the FDA, so doing research and finding a reputable manufacturer is of the utmost importance.

SPA DAY

How we care for our hair is also worth examining. When dealing with hair loss, or working to prevent it, the general rule of thumb is to wash hair daily but with a very mild shampoo. It’s important to keep the scalp clean in this situation, but over-drying hair with an intense shampoo/conditioner is also unfavorable. For those looking to increase hair growth, skipping a few days between washes can help natural oils treat hair, protecting it from breakage and other damage that will slow or stop long growth.

While you’re washing away, don’t skip the opportunity to give yourself a nice scalp massage. Research shows that using your fingertips to palpate in circles around the scalp improves circulation to the area, which helps to promote new hair growth. The massage also functions as a stress reliever—and stress can be a huge contributor to hair loss!

STYLIN’ AND PROFILIN’

For all heads of hair involved, being gentle in the styling process is always a good idea. Heat treatments, color treatments, and products will damage hair. Some folks have strands that are more resistant and can handle more processing stress, but the healthiest tresses will always be the ones most left to their own devices. Let your hair air dry as often as possible, work to avoid hairsprays and gels, and ditch the hats for a while.

Next, try experimenting with different oils. Coconut oil and olive oil have been found to help condition hair, protect it from damage, and potentially even slow genetic hair loss. A wide variety of essential oils can also target conditions you may be looking to treat in your effort to prevent hair loss and/or increase your hair growth. Be sure to apply oils as directed, as a little goes a long way and can make hair look greasy in a hurry, especially with fine or typically oily hair.

On another note you may have heard before, getting regular hair trims is encouraged. While it may terrify us to think about giving up some of the precious hairs we’ve worked so hard to grow, trims remain important for both looks and growth. Hair can take on a stringy and lank look as it grows out, and a good professional trim can help create an optical illusion of fullness in its place. Furthermore, hair naturally develops split ends and endures environmental damage over time (and even more damage for those who style regularly), all of which will eventually cause hair to break. Trimming halts this process and gives your hair a chance to grow long and strong.

SLEEP STUDY

Our nighttime routine can also impact our hair growth and loss patterns. Research shows that there are a number of things we can do to protect our mane overnight. Before bed, healthy, natural oils that have accumulated throughout the day will build up around our scalp, and we can harness these to our advantage; invest in a boar bristle brush to help distribute oil down from the scalp into the shaft of hair strands and detangle styles before sleeping on them.

Although it may seem extra, sleeping on a silk pillowcase has also shown to protect hair as we toss and turn throughout the night. Other pillowcase fabrics can cause our hair to snag, knot, and tangle, which promotes early breakage and bedhead that might take some serious elbow grease to fix come morning time. Sleeping on silk may be a hoity-toity move, but the hair benefits are down to earth.

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

There’s no shame in reaching for a product that is proven to prevent hair loss and increase hair growth. We constantly see marketing for shampoos, conditioners, sprays, and leave-in products that allege to do just that, so why not go for the FDA-approved, truly tried and tested option? Minoxidil may not sound familiar to you, but Rogaine likely does. Minoxidil is the active ingredient in Rogaine products, which are made both for men and women and are available over the counter.

There may be a stigma or discomfort associated with bringing hair growth products through the checkout line, but only because hair is so important to us! I think it’s well worth five minutes of discomfort to be able to walk around daily with a head of hair that doesn’t give you the blues every time you touch it, think of it, or see it. This treatment can be used all over, or to help in patchy areas, specifically—just be sure to read and follow the package directions.

GOOD TO KNOW

Finally, keep in mind that there is a myriad of reasons why each of us may be experiencing hair loss or slow hair growth. Stress levels, cancer treatment, styling choices, diet, medical conditions, pregnancy, hormones, and medication changes can all be factors at play. We naturally lose 50-100 strands of hair each day, but if you’re experiencing greater hair loss, thinning patches, or other noticeable issues, you may want to consult your doctor to find the true cause of the issue before trying to treat it alone.

by Violet Knight

 

Age is definitely just a number, and you can prove it by looking younger than your age. A few lifestyle changes will help you achieve your desired looks. These tips will allow you to look young and fresh.

Use warmer tones and colours

You might have to start changing your preference when it comes to fashion. Warmer tones make you look fresh. If you want to look young, you might have to experiment with colours. These changes aren’t too drastic and you’re capable of doing them.

Take care of your skin

People will judge your appearance and tell you that you look old if your skin isn’t healthy. Therefore, you need to have a regular skincare routine. Choose the right products that will help achieve that goal. Avoid using the ones filled with chemicals. You also have to be consistent in using them. Your skincare routine will help in keeping your skin smooth and glowing.

Get enough sleep

It doesn’t matter how busy you are. When it’s time to take a rest, you need to do it. Getting enough sleep allows your skin to recover. You will avoid having breakouts and skin blemishes. You also allow your cells to repair. There are lots of other health benefits from getting enough sleep. You have to change your lifestyle now if you feel sleep-deprived.

Always use sunscreen

Whether it’s too hot or not, you need sunscreen. Apply the right SPF before you head outdoors. The moment the rays of the sun hit your skin, there’s a chance that you will get sunburnt. You will also look older due to the lines that will start to form.

Try playing with your hairstyle

When was the last time you changed your hairstyle? Perhaps, it’s time that you play with your hairstyle and see how it goes. You’ve been safe in choosing your hairstyle for a long time, and you need to change. You can always change to another hairstyle if you think the one you chose doesn’t fit you.

Avoid alcohol and cigarettes 

Your physical appearance is the least of your concerns if you already consume alcohol and cigarettes. You could suffer from many other diseases as a result of chronic smoking and alcohol intake.

You need to try doing these things if you want to defy age. You don’t want to keep doing the same things if you know they lead to horrible results.

If you start to see lines on your face, you can consider getting a Botox injection. It’s not a painful process even if some people claim it to be. You might feel slight pain because of the needle, but it won’t last long. You’re also going to recover immediately. You can consider a clinic for Botox in London if you want quality results now. Once you see the changes in your appearance, you will feel good about this decision. Be consistent in doing these things so that even after many years, you look young and fresh.

Health is a combination of mental, physical, and social well-being and not just about what you are eating. While proper nutrition is an integral part of leading a healthy lifestyle, having control over your own life can significantly increase your mental health as well.

Many studies have found that the majority of people who followed a healthy lifestyle in young adulthood remained out of typical health risk during the middle age. Studies also confirm a healthy lifestyle has a great potential to cancel out cardiovascular health.

A good plan for healthy living may improve your quality of life. The unhealthy shift in lifestyle, on the other hand, contributes to increased risk of heart disease in many adults before they reach their prime.

Let’s check a few healthy lifestyle tips for improving your health:

Eat Variety of Foods:

Maintaining a proper diet is an absolute must if you want to achieve good health. Consulting an expert dietitian and opt for a balanced food choice that will make a difference. Make sure your diet enough of vegetables, including broccoli, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, grapes, and leafy greens. Adequate consumption of vegetables reduces the risk of developing cancers of the lung, colon, breast, cervix, esophagus, stomach, bladder, pancreas, and ovaries.

Exercise Daily:

Did you know that daily exercise can turn off the aging process in your chromosomes? While it can reduce the age-related disease and keep you looking young for years, it can also improve your energy levels, keeping active both in the field and on the bed. One of the most significant benefits of regular exercise is that it keeps you in a proper frame of mind while improving your eyesight, normalizing blood pressure, as well as strengthening lean muscles.

Walk Early in the Morning:

Get up early in the morning and go out for a walk. Walking early in the morning may help you meet your weight loss goal. Besides, early morning walks are the best as your body is energized. The fresh morning air helps calm your nerves, lifts your mood, and keeps you energetic for the rest of the day.

Engage in Outdoor Games:

Playing water volleyball is a great stress buster. Jumping on a trampoline or going for a hike also helps improve the body mass index. This benefits people with diabetes immensely. Recent studies suggest that indulging in moderate outdoor activities can help relieve arthritis pain and gout and provide energy.

Drink Plenty of Water:

Keep your body hydrated all the time. Drinking water helps maintain the balance of body fluids. Maintaining body fluids helps in digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature. Besides, fruit juices, tea, soft drinks, milk, and other drinks can all be okay – from time to time.

Get a Good Night’s Sleep:

Studies show that 70% of physical and mental complications are the result of a lack of proper sleep. Your body is like an engine. Keeping it at rest for a considerable amount of time is necessary for your well-being. If you have trouble sleeping, meditation and yoga can help a lot. Keep your mobile away and try to shift the body and mind into sleep mode. Turn all your lights off and go straight to sleep. If you have a reading habit, you can keep a book at the bedside. Reading a couple of pages can quickly induce sleep. If any stressful thoughts are tormenting you, get them out of your head and onto the page.

Give yourself a Break:

Don’t keep doing cardio for a long stretch of hours. Occasional breaks can help you get rid of your fatigue, moodiness, lack of enthusiasm, and depression. Remember, over-training can be a problem and lead to various complications. Creating a periodization or breaking up your routine into multiple modes can lift off the burden, thereby making your regimen super fun and stress-free. The more variety you incorporate, the more you balance your program.

Keep Good Company:

Make sure to spend time with people with good healthy habits. For example, even if you are determined to give up smoking, you may find it challenging to do so as long as you are in the company of people who have unhealthy habits. Instead, spend more time with family or friends who are involved with you when you walk or plan healthier meals. Making healthy changes with a loved one can make your battle super fun and exciting.

Keep it Simple:

Healthy living doesn’t have to be complicated and confounding, says college freshman and biology major Garry Y Itkin. According to him, combined with the right diet and exercise, extensive fitness planning is essential to improve your health – both physical and mental.

 

Women of all ages and all walks of life often find themselves wishing things about their bodies were different. And while every woman is beautiful and shouldn’t judge herself or others on their looks alone, there’s no reason why you should do what it takes to help yourself feel confident and comfortable in your own body.

If your chest is the area of your body where you’d like to see some adjustments made, here are three things you can try to make your breasts look better.

Exercises That Work Your Chest

If you feel that your breasts are too small or undefined, one thing you can try is to work out the muscles of your chest to help give your chest and breasts a little more definition.

According to Elizabeth Narins, a contributor to Cosmopolitan.com, some of the best exercises you can do to work out your chest include chest presses, push-ups, planks, tricep dips, shoulder rows. With all of these exercises, you’ll be working the muscles around and under your breast tissue in order to bulk up in the right places to help your breasts get a little lift and to appear fuller.

If you choose to start doing these types of exercises, don’t expect to see results for at least a few weeks. But with consistent effort, you can start to see and feel a difference in as little as three to four weeks.

Wear The Right Bra

Wearing the right bra can also make a huge difference in how your breasts look underneath your clothes.

Depending on what changes you’re wanting to see with your breasts, Dr. Catherine Hannan, a contributor to Healthline.com, recommends that you research what different types of bras are available and what they can help you achieve. For example, front-close bras can help increase your cleavage while balconette bras can give you more lift. And if you’re large-chested, make sure you choose a bra that gives you the support you need.

Work On Your Posture

The way you hold yourself can have a big impact on how your breasts look. So if you have poor posture, you might also feel like your breasts aren’t as perky or well positioned on your body as you might like.

To combat this, Elisabeth Dale, a contributor to the Huffington Post, recommends that you try to consciously stand up straight and keep your shoulders back. By doing this, your breasts will appear higher and better situated in comparison to the rest of your proportions.

If you’re wanting to feel more confident about the way your breasts look under your clothes, consider using the tips mentioned above to help give you the lift, size, and support you’re looking for.

 

For most teens and adults, shaving is just a part of life. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s easy or comfortable to do. Especially if you have particularly sensitive skin or haven’t been taught the best ways to remove hair from your skin, using any kind of razor to shave can cause you a lot of irritation.

So to help you learn how you can keep this from happening to you, here are three ways to avoid razor burn on your face and body.

Shave In Or After The Shower

In order to have a clean and comfortable shave, you have to make sure the hair you’re going to be removing will come off as easily as possible.

The best way to do this, according to Carissa Stephens, a contributor to Medical News Today, is to shave either when you’re in the bath or shower or immediately after you get out of the warm water. At this time, the hair on your body is going to be as soft as it will get, which can make shaving much more pleasant and will allow the hair to be removed easier. Both of these things can help you avoid razor burn and any other irritation that comes with shaving your body or facial hair off.

Replace Your Razor Regularly

Another common reason why people get razor burn is because they’re not using the right razor or are using a razor for longer than it should be used. If you don’t replace your razor regularly, it becomes dull, which can cause it to pull the hair rather than cutting it and scratch your skin rather than gliding over it.

To ensure that you don’t run into any of these issues, Mark Henricks, a contributor to Everyday Health, shares that dermatologists recommend that you replace your razors after every five to seven uses. Once it gets past that point, the chances of getting razor burn become much higher.

Prep Your Skin Correctly Before Starting

In addition to softening the hair you’ll be shaving off by using warm water, you also want to prepare your skin correctly before you begin shaving over it.

To do this, Dr. Deborah Weatherspoon, a contributor to Healthline.com, recommends that you first exfoliate the skin before you begin shaving. This will remove dead skin cells that could clog up your razor and irritate your skin. After that, be sure you use some kind of lubricant, like shaving cream or gel, so that your razor slides gently over your skin rather than getting stuck or scraping.

If you tend to get razor burn each time you shave your body or face, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you learn how to avoid these issues in the future.

 

The fingernails are one of the first things you notice when you meet someone. There are also some instances when the colour, condition and shape of the nails serve as tell-tale signs of certain diseases or health conditions. A few examples of such health problems include psoriasis, anaemia, liver problems, diabetes or lung diseases. Discolouration and abnormalities on your nails may also denote either acute or severe infections. Below are some of the most common nail abnormalities and what they might indicate.

Yellowish and cracked nails

If you notice yellow stains on your nails, then you most likely have fungal nail infection. It is a highly prevalent form of acute infection that can damage your nails and nail bed. To prevent the disease from worsening, you can buy med packs from companies like https://www.anytimedoctor.co.uk. They can provide you with the necessary anti-fungal medication to resolve your problem as soon as possible.

Rippled fingernails

Do you have pitted or rippled fingernails? It’s highly likely that you have inflammatory arthritis and/or psoriasis. Pits are tiny depressions while ripples or ridges are deep horizontal or vertical lines on the nails. You can consult with your doctor to find out the underlying medical condition that might have triggered rippled or pitted fingernails.

Clubbing

Nail clubbing is a condition wherein the nails thicken and change in structure and shape. This nail abnormality is a common sign of more severe health problems such as inflammatory bowel disease, pulmonary disease, AIDS and liver problems.

Leukonychia

It is a condition wherein tiny white spots appear randomly on the nails. It often results from nutrition deficiency, but it may also be caused by injury or trauma. It is not a serious condition. The white spots tend to disappear after a few weeks.

Terry’s nails

Terry’s nails is a condition wherein a dark band appears on the nail. You can often observe this condition among ageing people. However, it may also develop amongst individuals who suffer from health problems such as liver disease, heart failure and diabetes.

Onycholysis

This is a condition where the nails detach from the nail bed because of an infection or trauma. It can also be caused by serious medical conditions such as thyroid disease, yeast infection, and nutrient deficiency. Lastly, it can be triggered by severe nail fungal infection. It’s crucial to pinpoint its cause in order to manage the condition correctly.

Take care of your nails!

If you tend to neglect your fingernails and toenails, now is the perfect time to change your ways. There is a variety of things you can do to ensure that your nails grow healthy. Some of these tips include clipping the nails after you take a bath, keeping them clean and dry all the time and avoid biting or tearing them with your teeth. After using cuticle treatment to remove the old layers of nails, apply a small amount of cuticle oil for hydration.

Also, be more mindful when applying nail polish. As much as possible, you should let your nails breathe for at least a week before you start applying a new coating of polish.