The Health Blog

Home care can help open the sinuses and alleviate their dryness.

• Promote drainage
1. Drink plenty of water and hydrating beverages. Hot tea is often recommended.
2. Inhale steam two to four times per day by leaning over a bowl of boiling hot water (not while the water is on the stove) or using a steam vaporizer with a towel over the head and bowl to prevent the escape of the steam. Inhale the steam for about 10 minutes. Taking a hot, steamy shower may also work. Mentholated preparations, such as Vicks Vapo–Rub, can be added to the water or vaporizer to aid in opening the passageways.

After delivering the baby, the perineum must be kept clean. Lochia may drain for up to four weeks, so pads should be changed frequently.

• Do not use tampons after delivery. Tampons may cause an infection.
• Take a bath or a shower once or twice daily. A sitz bath should be used after every bowel movement. A sitz bath involves sitting in shallow water, only deep enough to cover the hips and buttocks.
• Urinating can be painful after delivery. Squirting warm water over the perineum during urination may ease the pain. When finished urinating, gently pat the perineum dry.
• Cold sitz baths help reduce swelling and discomfort after delivery. Sit in a lukewarm or room temperature bath, and then gradually add ice cubes to the water. This prevents the uncomfortable, sudden sensation of ice water on the skin. Soak for 20 minutes at a time, up to three to four times a day. After the first two to three days, warm sitz baths will improve blood flow to the perineum. Check with your physician before adding medications such as epsom salts to the bath.

As soon as you feel the first symptoms of a migraine attack, drink a caffeinated beverage. While caffeine has been thought to trigger a migraine, once it starts the caffeine will actually help by opening up constricted blood vessels. Make sure you drink plenty water for the duration of the headache. Even mild dehydration can worsen headache symptoms.
A warm shower or bath may help at the onset of the symptoms. If you are not able to take a shower, try putting a cool compress on your head. Sit quietly in a darkened room. This will help ease light or noise sensitivity as well as nausea. A face massage can ease the headache pain and stimulate blood circulation. A warm foot soak is also good for blood circulation.

Some herbal remedies are known to prevent or ease a migraine headache. Dried herbs can be used to make teas or tinctures. Herbal extracts are potent and need to be diluted before use. Capsules come in many herbal combinations and are readily available at most natural or health food stores.

Start with limiting your young girl’s television watching. Of course, this is easier said than done. Studies show television programs and advertising can have a negative effect on viewers. Television shows targeted toward children are mixed with many advertising messages. Some of these messages are very subtle, while other messages are quite clear.

Of course we cannot blame the media for everything. We can, however, realize that too much television may negatively affect our children’s self esteem and confidence. For example, children who learn at a young age that food equals happiness, may have problems with body image later in life. Television advertising and programs present ongoing messages to young children that “things” are the solutions to problems and the route to happiness. These messages only exaggerate feelings of low self worth if a child does not possess all these “things,” or the “right things.”

Cancer experts have identified a set of health problems that may be symptoms of ovarian cancer, and they are urging women who have the symptoms for more than a few weeks to see their doctors.

These symptoms, which are found more common in women, include bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly and feeling a frequent or urgent need to urinate A woman who has any of those problems nearly every day for more than two or three weeks is advised to see a gynecologist, especially if the symptoms are new and quite different from her usual state of health.

To help you stay awake and alert, follow these suggestions from the National Sleep Foundation:

• Get plenty of quality sleep the night before a long drive.
• If there’s a time that you typically begin to feel sleepy, avoid driving during that time.
• If you’re planning to drive through the night, try to get at least some shuteye between midnight and 6 a.m.
• If driving all day, stop and take a mid-afternoon nap.
• Try to take a break about every 100 miles or so — stop to get gas, walk around, stretch, nap or get some exercise.
• If traveling with a passenger, it helps if he or she is awake, too. Talk to each other to keep yourselves alert.

Most skin cancers are preventable. To protect yourself:

1. Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Because the sun’s rays are strongest during this period, try to schedule outdoor activities for other times of the day, even in winter or when the sky is cloudy. You absorb UV radiation year-round, and clouds offer little protection from damaging rays. Remember, sunburns and suntans cause skin damage that can increase your risk of developing skin cancer. Sun exposure accumulated over time also may cause skin cancer.

2. Wear sunscreen year-round. Sunscreens don’t filter out all harmful UV radiation, especially the radiation that can lead to melanoma. But they play a major role in an overall sun protection program. Be sure to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen, which means the product blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Select sunscreen products with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. Use a generous amount of sunscreen on all exposed skin, including your lips, the tips of your ears, and the backs of your hands and neck.

We all have at least some moles on our skin. But many of us might not know which moles are normal, and which could be signs of trouble.

How can you spot a suspicious mole? Experts from the Ohio State University Medical Center say, just remember your “ABCDE”.

A - stands for Asymmetry. The moles that tend to be malignant are irregular in shape. The ones that are benign are rounded.

B - stands for border. If the mole has a rough edge, get it checked.

C - is color. Moles with more than one color could spell trouble.

D - stands for diameter. Moles larger than a pencil eraser should be checked.

All toys, no matter how safe, may not be appropriate for children of all ages. Other toys may have moving parts or sharp edges that make them inappropriate for children of any age.

Here are suggestions on how to choose safe toys for your child, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

* Don’t give your child toys with small parts that can be easily removed or broken.
* Follow safety information and age guidelines listed on toys.
* Look for toys that say “non-toxic,” or “washable/hygienic materials” on stuffed animals that can be washed.
* Make sure your child only has access to toys that are appropriate for her age.
* To prevent choking, don’t allow young children to play with marbles, or other small toys less than 1 3/4 inches diameter or 2 inches long.

Product Details
Book Publisher: McGraw-Hill (10 February, 2005)
ISBN: 0071444815
Book author: Mason W. Freeman, Christine E. Junge
Amazon Rating: 5.0

Book Description:
From the experts at one of the world’s most respected medical schools–your complete guide to managing cholesterol and staying healthy for life. Everybody knows that high cholesterol is something to be concerned about. But what does it really mean when your doctor tells you that your cholesterol levels are high, and what should you do about it? If you’re worried about your cholesterol, here’s your chance to get the answers you need from a top expert at the Harvard Medical School.

Women’s Health Magazine lists 100 simple ways to burn calories. Do five of them a day and you can lose a pound a week. The list shows us that it is possible to lose weight from simple daily activities.

1. Slather on lip balm 765 times.

2. Relive the ’80s. Lip sync George Michael’s Faith 16 times.

3. DVR an episode of Arrested Development and watch it commercial free. (Ten straight minutes of laughter can burn 40 calories–no joke.)

4. Watch the documentary An Inconvenient Truth. (Serious stuff doesn’t scorch as many.)

5. Wiggle while you watch for 40 minutes: Fidgeters burn up to 350 more calories a day than couch potatoes.