Tag Archives: health

Sinusitis – Are you even aware?

Relax and get to a healthy climate!

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Sinusitis is an infection of the lining of the sinus cavities in your head and is one of the main causes of pain and pressure in your face and head.  It can be long-term (chronic) or short-term (acute) and can last 12 weeks or longer.  Its usually caused by a bacterial or fungal infection.  Allergies, if applicable, may also be one of the causes of sinusitis, especially if you have extreme allergies and not properly medicating.

Chronic Sinusitis can be hard to treat and can lead to permanent damages in the mucous membranes that line the sinuses.  It could make you more susceptible to future sinus infections. Infections may take some time to treat, mainly with antibiotics if it is caused by bacteria.  Most doctors recommend use of a corticosteroid nasal spray that you would need a prescription for.  Doctors often discuss surgery or allergy testing if your infection is not cured after trying one or two different dosages of antibiotics.  Yes, when sinusitis affects me, I usually need two doses of different antibiotics to knock it out.  Immediately I pull out the cranberry juice, water, soup, jello, saline nasal spray, vaporizer/humidifier, kleenex and pain killers.  Along with these I plan no activity except plenty of REST.

If your sinusitis is caused by a fungal infection, you may need to take antifungals or other medicines that your doctor will suggest and/or prescribe.  Of course, there’s always the hint of surgery, but don’t get anxious about that too soon.  There are alternatives your doctor will discuss.

Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment  after visiting your doctor and learning your diagnosis.  Be sure to make and go to all your appointments and call your doctor if you are having problems.  Always have your test results and keep a list of the medicines you are taking handy.

Caring for yourself at Home

  • Take medicines as prescribed.  Never stop taking antibiotics because you feel better, take all of them.  Antibiotics continue working even after your last dose.
  • Use steamy shower, hot bath, or sink filled with hot water to breathe warm, moist air.  Avoid cold, dry air.  A humidifier at home may help.
  • If recommended by your doctor, use saline(saltwater) nasal washes every day to keep your nasal passages open.  The solution can wash out mucus and bacteria.  Some recommend a neti pot.  I have a weak membrane lining in my right nostril so having to blow my nose after using the neti pot would not work for me.
  • Put a warm, wet towel or a warm gel pack on your face 3 or 4 times a day, leaving it on 5 to 10 minutes each time.
  • DO NOT smoke or breathe secondhand smoke.  Smoking can cause sinusitis to worsen.
  • If you experience headaches along with your sinusitis contact your doctor immediately.  I experienced such severe pain in my face and head.  It was pain not fit for humans.  After calling my doctor I found while taking my sinus medicines to dry up my sinuses, the dryness was actually causing the severe headaches.  It was like drying up my brain.  Funny, I thought the headaches was coming from my hairdressers’ special type of hair dye she put in my head.  That’s one for the funny papers!  Once I stopped taking the sinus medicine, the headaches went away.  It took some time and pain medication, but it subsided.
  • Resting in a quiet, dark place worked for me.  No TV or reading, it just made my head hurt worse.  I called it ‘straining the brain’!
  • Using a cold, moist face cloth 10 minutes at a time helped and then I alternated with a warm cloth(my solution, not my Docs); and I used a heating pad behind my neck and shoulders to relieve the tension pain.

Most of all, do not self-medicate if your condition has continued longer than 3 days!  Sinusitis is nothing to play with.  It could lead to so much more if left unattended.  Mainly, rest, hydrate, and even change climates temporarily to get the relief you need.  I hitched a ride with a relative down to my Aunt’s place in Myrtle Beach to change my environment.

Most important, call 911 anytime you experience the following:

  • sudden numbness, paralysis, or weakness in your face, arm, or leg, especially on only one side of your body
  • sudden trouble speaking
  • sudden vision changes
  • confusion or trouble understanding simple statements
  • sudden problems with walking or your balance
  • a sudden, severe headache that is different from any of your other headaches

So understand your health is not a simple thing to take for granted.  Always be aware of your body and any changes.  Never be afraid to contact your doctor when something feels OFF.    Always get your annual check-ups.  Spend time with your family, plan a vacation(vacations can be local and not expensive), and get plenty of rest.  Doing these things will alleviate a lot of stress which can cause so many health problems.

Visit our Health Page for more health issues that may affect you.

 

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November is National Diabetes Month

What is Diabetes: the Balance of Glucose and Insulin?

Diabetes is a disorder that affects the way your body uses food for energy. Normally, the sugar you take in is digested and broken down to a simple sugar, known as glucose. The glucose then circulates in your blood where it waits to enter cells to be used as fuel. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, helps move the glucose into cells. A healthy pancreas adjusts the amount of insulin based on the level of glucose. In diabetics, the process doesn’t work properly, and blood sugar levels become too high.

There are 3 Types of Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetics cannot produce insulin on their own. This usually shows up by the age 30, but still can happen at any time. Glucose doesn’t move into the cells so their glucose levels rise too high.  Type 1 is full-blown diabetes.   Type 1 can be caused by a genetic disorder. The origins are not fully understood, and there are several theories. But all of the possible causes still have the same end result: The pancreas produces very little or no insulin anymore. Frequent insulin injections are needed for Type 1.

Type 2 Diabetics can produce insulin on their own, but their cells don’t respond to it. In this case also, glucose can’t move into the cells and again blood glucose levels can become high. Serious complications can occur when you leave your glucose levels high for a long period of time. Type 2 is also considered full-blown diabetes.   A person with Type 2 diabetes has adequate insulin, but the cells have become resistant to it. Type 2 usually occur in adults over 35 years old, but can affect anyone, including children. The National Institutes of Health state that 95 percent of all diabetes cases are Type 2. Why? It’s a lifestyle disease, triggered by obesity, a lack of exercise, increased age and to some degree, genetic predisposition.

Pre-Diabetics have cells in their body that are becoming resistant to insulin or their pancreas is not producing as much insulin as needed.  Their blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered full-blown diabetes. The diagnosis of pre-diabetes is a warning sign that diabetes can possibly develop later.  Stress has also contributed to sugar level spikes.  Read a good book, go on vacation, or simply spend time relaxing.  To avoid escalating to Type 2 diabetes make sure you lose weight: make changes in your diet and get regular exercise.

Please use this link for more information on Diabetes, cause, effects, and prevention.

Island

Oliver Clark’s guide to fluoxetine and alcohol. This guide explains some of the potential drawbacks of taking the anti-depressant fluoxetine with alcohol.

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10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse – Lose Weight and Feel Healthy

10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse: Lose Up to 15 Pounds in 10 Days!

I have heard others talk about Smoothies that cleanse your system and you lose weight while you’re doing it. Actually there’s been a lot of talk about it and because there was so much talk on the various Talk Shows I really didn’t pay attention.

Two days ago I was idling watching The Steve Harvey Show (and no I’m not promoting Steve Harvey, he doesn’t need any help), when he introduced his guest: JJ Smith and her 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse. For some unknown reason I was glued to the TV. Maybe it was the presentation, maybe it was Steve pushing it, but it finally sunk it.

This was actually something my Sister had me doing earlier this year, making the smoothies from fruit and spinach(that was her choice, so I just followed her). And you know, I actually lost a few pounds, started breathing better, moving better, and sleeping better. I didn’t really do it to lose weight, although I needed to lose weight. There was just so much going on with my health, little things, but a lot of them. Couldn’t sleep, breathing heavy, sinus issues, allergies, headaches, just little things, but I knew something had to change and the Smoothies made the difference.

My little 6 year-old Grandson was excited about helping me cut up the strawberries and bananas and I let him push the cup to blend everything. It was great to see him wanting the smoothies also. A great way to get those greens!

Somehow during the Summer with all the activities, I got away from my daily Smoothie. And now I’m feeling sluggish again! Haven’t gotten back to all the ailments but thank GOD for wake-up calls! WOW, what a wake-up reminder to get it back together.

I don’t remember my sister telling me where she learned about the daily Smoothie, but it worked for her and me too! So now that I’ve sit still long enough to listen to JJ talk about her book: 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse, I’m getting back to the healthy part of life. This may work for you, I don’t know.

But sometimes we learn and do something that’s good for us, then we get side-tracked. Eventually something comes along that reminds us that our HEALTH is crucial to our well-being. So here’s all I have to say to YOU! JUST DO IT! One Smoothie a day won’t kill you. And the way Steve presented it made it look so appetizing.

Putting fruit and nuts in your Smoothie makes it taste more inviting and better. The best part of learning about the 10-Day Smoothie is that you don’t have to stop at the 10th day. You’ll want to continue to have that smoothie as a great drink and energizer. You won’t be hungry. It will become a way of life for you.

Now that I think back on an earlier show, I remember hearing Steve talk about flaxseed being that ingredient that keeps you regular. So guess what: I put crushed flax seed in my smoothie also. Of course my Sister told me about flax seed first, but it didn’t register until I heard Steve. Shame that we have to hear it from celebrities to make that move!

But listen, whatever works for you. Its really all about your health, no matter who presents it.

10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse: Lose Up to 15 Pounds in 10 Days!


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