Category Archives: Health

Going Healthy, Health, Life, Tips

4 Ways to Relieve Rheumatoid Pain

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Rheumatology is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and therapy of all rheumatoid conditions. In this field, rheumatologists are doctors and will have specialist knowledge of a variety of rheumatoid conditions concerning their patients.

Some common rheumatic disorders include rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis, scleroderma, and gout, to name some of them.

This article will examine four ways in which we can relieve the pain from such conditions.

Medication

The DMARDs most often prescribed by rheumatologists to treat rheumatoid arthritis will include methotrexate, leflunomide, sulfasalazine, and hydroxychloroquine. Their purpose is to slow down the progression of rheumatoid arthritis, which saves the tissues and joints from permanent damage. This is no prevention as such, just the ability to slow the condition down with medication and to relieve it in other ways. Using the medication to slow things is relief to many sufferers and avoids them experiencing the worst symptoms for as long as possible.

Rheumatologists will prescribe prescription medicines and over-the-counter ones can be obtained for mild pain relief.

Compress

Warm, moist compresses can be used to loosen up stiff joints. Conversely, an ice pack can be used on inflamed joints. In addition, patients may find that a massage helps them. All these treatments are quick and easy to apply and will provide relief for the milder symptoms. In more severe cases, pain relief will be the best relief.

In addition to the compress, which is relaxing, it is also important to relax mentally and avoid becoming stressed, as this is one sure way of making a rheumatoid condition worse.

Diet

Eating a healthy and balanced diet can help with all rheumatoid conditions.

Continuing with Rheumatoid arthritis as the example, foods that should be avoided include fatty ones that are full of omega-6 fatty acids, meats that are fried, grilled, or boiled, gluten, sugars and refined carbohydrates, preservatives and anything that enhances flavour, and of course alcohol.

The best fruits to eat that will help with rheumatoid arthritis are tart cherries, red raspberries, watermelon, grapes, and avocado. In the case of the cherries, their dark red colour is indicative of them having powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties from their flavonoid anthocyanin.

Although diet is not a cure, it can certainly create a relief. Not only by eating foods that help with the inflammation that results from rheumatoid conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, but by avoiding foods that exacerbate the condition. As with anything eaten, moderation of the worst kinds of foods will help almost as much as their avoidance altogether.

Exercise

As with everything that is good for you, a good diet should also be combined with regular exercise. Contrary to what might seem logical, exercise will make joints better rather than worse. Even in pain, certain exercises can still be carried out that will help. A rheumatologist or physiotherapist will be able to advise on some good ones that are suited to a certain condition.

Exercising together is a good way of forming a support group of people who are in the same situation, who can talk over their complaints and what works best for them in terms of relief. There is nothing like receiving first-hand knowledge and support from a fellow sufferer who knows just how it is to live with the condition. This is on top of the professional health care that will hopefully already be being received from a rheumatologist. There is plenty of help for those who take the time and trouble to seek it out. Also, it is knowing about where to turn for help. A local GP can be the best place to start, as they can then make a referral to a specialist.

So, four ways to obtain relief from rheumatoid conditions. Medication where prescribed, compressions to provide much relief, a sensible diet to provide further relief and not worsen symptoms, and exercise to keep the joints moving.

Health, Life, Lifestyle, Parenting

How Disciplining A Child Can Be A Healthy Process – If You Let It Be

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It’s important to discipline our children as they grow up, not because it’s fun to do, but because it helps them understand the certain boundaries they need to live within in order to be healthy and happy. The standards you set now will carry with them throughout their whole lives. Of course, many people consider ‘discipline’ to be a reprimand, but that’s not always the case. Discipline is simply making a value judgement and going for the best option, making sure you’re able to get to it, or that your children are.

For instance, brushing our teeth before bed every night is a discipline, and bestowing that on our child is important. As you can see, discipline is more than a stern word or punishing a child. It is a very healthy process. So – how can we keep it healthy? Well, of course, first and foremost it’s important not to raise our voice, or to get emotional, or to let on any bad impressions or examples if our child is misbehaving. You’d also be forgiven for making a mistake in this regard from time to time – parenting is extremely tough. 

But how else can we discipline our children to help them learn important and foundational life lessons? Let’s consider:

Staying Consistent

Staying consistent in your discipline is important because children often realize if they are being held to different standards from week to week. If there’s a bedtime you set – keep it. Make sure that you don’t allow them to jump around some nights, even on the weekend. If they’ve been mean to their sibling, don’t handwave it one day and reprimand them the next. This can take some work and none of us are perfect at applying it, but consistency can be the biggest aid to discipline in the best possible sense.

The Proper Environmental Feedback

In some respect, certain environments teach social discipline no matter what. For instance, placing your child in the best possible daycare can help them come into contact with other children, as well as responsible adults that know what children need. In this way, they begin to learn social boundaries and how to better work with other children – even if that means sharing a toy or simply being polite. In this way, your lessons at home are given credence in an environment you use to aid your own life convenience. That can be a great win-win for all parties involved.

Teaching Temperance & Patience

It’s important to teach our children patience and temperance. For instance, it might be that instead of purchasing that toy because they have asked for it in the store, you tell them that if they make their bed and eat their vegetables for a week straight, you will happily buy it for them. This helps them learn that earning something is more valuable than simply having it, and they learn patience through this, or a refusal of the reward if they fail to keep up with their tasks. Of course, not everything should be a harsh negotiation, but sometimes employing methods to help them understand what patience is (even if you don’t expect them to be patient as a child), will help the develop the foundational knowledge for later.

With this advice, you’re sure to discipline your child healthily, not punitively unless absolutely warranted. In this sense, you’ll go from an already great to an amazing parent.

Going Healthy, Health, Lifestyle, Tips

Key Things to Integrate Into a Healthy Lifestyle

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You’ve all heard it before, “it’s not a diet; it’s a lifestyle.” The simple reason for this is that it’s true! Fad diets simply don’t work, and the reason you either snap back to your natural weight setting or put on more weight than before is that you’re not permanently changing anything. Your body tries to get back to what it considers normal.

But there’s more to life than weight, and more to your body, too. A healthy lifestyle can improve your energy levels, organ functions, skin elasticity and appearance, hair thickness, bathroom habits, oral health and most importantly, happiness. After all, if something happens and you need your wisdom teeth removed, you’ll be in a better and happier state than if your health was simply left to deteriorate and you didn’t have the dental procedure. It is a simple fact. Plus, being healthier will make your dentist happy too. So, here are the keystones of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, which are all very doable.

Water

It’s free, and it’s easy to do. You might have heard that drinking 8 glasses a day is the ideal amount, but really it varies from person to person. Using your body weight in pounds, calculate 2/3 of that to give you the amount of water in ounces you should aim for.

Our bodies are made up of mostly water, and keeping a good balance of H2O can improve your energy levels, organ functions, and the appearance of your skin and hair. Water keeps headaches at bay and can even curb food cravings. Sometimes if you get a hunger pain, it’s actually a pang of dehydration. Have a glass of water and see how you feel.

Walking

Any exercise is good exercise, and walking is my personal favorite. It’s so easy to do, and you don’t have to be an athlete or wear special clothes to do it. You don’t get sweaty or need to get changed, and you can integrate it into your day and use it for getting to and from places you need. Park a little further away, get off the bus a few stops early, walk to the shop if you don’t need to drive, take the stairs instead of the elevator. There are lots of simple ways to add more steps to your day if you look for them.

Fiber

Eating fiber every day maintains a healthy gut, and more importantly, a healthy bowel! It’s clear if you haven’t been eating your bran or fibrous fruits when you’re feeling bloated or constipated, which is a pretty horrid feeling. Eating a bowl of fiber-filled cereal every morning is my way of ticking it off for the day.

Protein and Fats

Proteins such as meat, eggs, nuts, dairy, soy, tofu, and plant-based sources are important for repairing muscle and keeping the body going. It’s incredible how filling a little protein can be and should be part of your main meals.

5 a Day

An easy rule to follow is to consume at least five portions of fruit and veggies every day. This doesn’t mean five servings of blueberries, of course, but a good balance of various produce, with more veggies than fruit.

Less Refined Sugar

Sugar is a modern invention and an addictive one. While it’s almost impossible to avoid all sugar, keeping refined sugars down is beneficial to your health. This means everything from candy and chocolate to junk food, chips, and processed foods. Don’t be fooled by ‘low fat’ labels, which just means they add more sugar, which then turns to fat in the body anyway. Similarly, with ‘no added sugar’ labels, which means there is still sugar in them, just no ‘added,’ whatever that means! Keep an eye out for this, and your body and your teeth will be thankful for it.

Moderation

Everything in moderation, including moderation, it’s okay to have cheat days or indulge yourself once in a while. Even the pediatric dentist’s office from this website practices moderation by offering free ice cream. This is for the rest of your life, after all. Don’t think of it as a punishment, but as a way of feeding and nourishing your body. As long as any unhealthy habits are done in moderation, you’ll be on the right track!