Category Archives: Health

Going Healthy, Health, Lifestyle

Depression vs. Sadness: How Not To Confuse the Two

Leave a comment

It’s normal to feel sad from time to time. It’s a normal human emotion that can sometimes feel overwhelming. However, sadness is meant to be temporary, which makes it very different from depression. Depression is a long-term illness that can impair the normal functioning of a person’s life. To further distinguish sadness and depression from each other, here’s more about what you should know.

Symptoms Of Sadness And Depression

Although you might feel sad from time to time, you should be able to laugh and feel comforted once those moments are over. Depression is much different from this and can make it very impossible for you to ever feel happy for a long period of time. To find out if you have depression, here are some of the most common symptoms:

● constant feelings of sadness

● irritability

● fatigue

● changes in sleeping or eating patterns

● difficulty concentrating

● loss of interest in things that used to provide pleasure

● feelings of deep, unwarranted guilt

● physical symptoms, such as headaches or body aches that do not have a specific cause

● feelings of worthlessness

● constant thoughts about death

● suicidal thoughts or actions

The DSM-5 Criteria

Mental health professionals tend to use the DSM-5 criteria to determine if a person has depression or not. There are nine potential symptoms, the severity of which can differ from person to person.

1. feeling depressed throughout each day on most or all days

2. lack of interest and enjoyment in activities you used to find pleasurable

3. lack of sleep or sleeping too much

4. lack of appetite or eating too much

5. irritability, restlessness, or agitation

6. extreme fatigue

7. unwarranted or exaggerated feelings of guilt or worthlessness

8. inability to concentrate or make decisions

9. suicidal thoughts or actions, or thinking a lot about death and dying

The Risk Factors Of Depression

Although depression occurs in both men and women of any age and any socioeconomic background, some factors come into play that increase the risk for depression.

● low self-esteem

● trauma that takes place early in childhood

● history of alcohol and/or drug abuse

● family history of mental illness

● trouble adjusting to a serious medical condition

● lack of a support system, such as friends, family, or coworkers

Medical Causes of Depression

Depression could also be a side effect of some medications that can alter a person’s mood. Some of these medications include:

● corticosteroids

● beta-blockers

● statins to treat high cholesterol

● hormonal medications

You should always speak to your doctor if you’ve been prescribed any of these medications and start to notice a change in your overall mood. Your doctor might be able to find an alternative or alter your dosage to reduce these side effects.

It is recommended that you speak to a medical professional if you start to experience sadness for longer than two weeks. If you’re having suicidal thoughts, then you should seek immediate medical help. You can start receiving professional help, such as therapy and medication, so that can get you back to feeling like yourself again.

Going Healthy, Health, Lifestyle, Tips

5 Quick Ways To Look After Your Appearance

Leave a comment
hand soap on bathroom sink, looks, style, fashion

Image Credit: Congerdesign from Pixabay.

How much effort do you put into looking after your appearance?  Is it something that you actively care about, or is it more of an afterthought? If it’s the second of these, it could be worth putting a little bit of time and effort into it. By taking the time to look after your appearance, you’ll see quite a few benefits.

You’ll not only look better, but feel better about yourself, making you feel more confident. Add in the mental health benefits it can offer, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t do it. It wouldn’t even take much time and effort, especially when you focus on a few quick and easy strategies.

  1. Practice Good Hygiene – One of the more important parts of looking after your appearance is practicing good hygiene. It removes any dirt and grime for your body and hair, making sure you can look and smell as nice as possible. No matter what else you do, this is one of the first steps you should take.
  2. Have A Skincare Routine – A skincare routine is vital to looking after your appearance, as it’s vital to making sure your face and the rest of your body looks as amazing as it could. With a high-quality routine, your skin will even end up feeling much nicer than you would’ve thought. Put the effort into it every morning.
  3. Look After Your Teeth – When you want to look after your appearance, it’s important you don’t forget about your teeth. They play more of a role in how you look than you’d expect. It could be worth visiting a dental clinic to get everything checked out and make sure your teeth are as healthy and appealing as they should be.
  4. Don’t Forget Your Nails – While your nails often seem like a minor detail, they make a difference in how you look. If they’re uncared for, you’re not going to look as nice as you’d want, and it’s always worth putting some effort into them. Even cutting them regularly could be more than enough to help look nicer.
  5. Stay Hydrated – Good skincare doesn’t just focus on putting products on your skin. You’ll also need to stay hydrated so your skin gets everything it needs to look after itself. It also lets your body remove toxins, which would otherwise have an impact on your skin and other areas. Make sure you stay as hydrated as possible to prevent that.

You don’t have to spend hours trying to look after your appearance, and it could be much easier than you might’ve thought. By focusing on the right areas, it’ll be faster than you’d think, and you’ll still see all the benefits it has to offer.

Practicing good hygiene, not overlooking your nails, staying hydrated, and several other tips and tricks can all help with this. While they’ll take a little bit of time, it’ll be far less than you’d think, and you’ll see quite an impact on your appearance. It’ll be more than worth the time you put into it.

Food, Going Healthy, Health, Lifestyle

Here’s How Your Diet Affects Your Oral Health

Leave a comment

Various studies reveal that a poor diet can increase the risk of developing oral diseases.  It’s worth noting that various food groups can trigger tooth decay, staining, gum infections, and other dental disorders. And these can affect your life’s quality. Therefore, knowing how your daily meals affect oral health can be beneficial. This way, you can determine what foods to remove from your menu. Here are a few things you can consider. 

  1. Sugary foods and tooth decay
sugary colored pancakes, breakfast, unhealthy, processed food

Image credit 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 26% of adults in the United States have untreated tooth decay. Indeed, eating sugary snacks makes your teeth vulnerable to decay, as bacteria can combine with plaque to destroy your enamel with time. And if left untreated, cavities may form. Unfortunately, many people don’t monitor their sugar intake, which can hurt their oral health in the long run. Therefore, checking your food and snacks for sugar content is essential.  Processed foods and snacks may contain sugar labeled with different names. Therefore, consider stopping or reducing your intake of foods with sucrose and glucose.  Ensure you control sugar consumption to improve your dental well-being and overall health.

  1. Acidic foods can be bad for your oral health

Highly acidic foods cause similar decay problems as sugar; the only difference is that the effect is faster with acid. Lemons, oranges, and pickled foods may contain significant levels of acid, which can weaken your teeth’s enamel and cause erosion. Since acid-containing foods soften your enamel, brushing your teeth immediately after eating is not a good idea. Experts recommend you should rather swish your mouth and wait for at least 20 minutes before brushing. Alternatively, you can combine low-acid foods, including bananas, cheese, and nuts, to help neutralize the acid or balance your oral pH. Fish, meat, eggs, and oatmeal are good alternatives for this process, so feel free to leverage them.

  1. Fruits and veggies enhance your teeth’s brightness

Eat more fruits and vegetables to achieve a brighter smile, as they come with rich nutrients promoting teeth whitening. For instance, strawberries contain enzymes that help brighten your teeth. Eating apples, carrots, and celery will naturally enhance your saliva production and remove stains. It’s noteworthy that saliva is a natural balancing fluid with cavity-fighting properties, so feel free to consider this. Also, remember that teeth staining can happen when you repetitively eat pigmented foods like coffee, tea, and tomato sauce. Therefore, you may require professional dental cleaning to restore your teeth’s shine if they lose their brightness due to plaque or staining.

  1. A balanced diet is healthy for your teeth
people eating healthy meal with chopsticks, diet, nutrition, whole foods, teeth, oral health

Image credit 

Eating a nutrient-rich diet is one habit you can prioritize for your teeth’ health. Dentists say your teeth love essential nutrients like calcium, antioxidants, proteins, and vitamins A, B, C, and D. Nutritious foods boost your body’s ability to fight gum disease and decay, so embrace a balanced diet. Fortunately, healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring. You can research nutritious and tasty meal recipes to spice up your daily menu.