Tips For Curing Acid Reflux

<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; text-align: left;">By </span><b style="font-family: georgia; text-align: left;">Deden Sura Agung</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: georgia; text-align: left;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">You have just enjoyed a heavy, delicious meal and are looking forward to relaxing. Suddenly, you encounter a painful and burning sensation in your throat. This is called acid reflux. If you experience this frequently, you will be unable to enjoy your meals. Persistent acid reflux (or heartburn) can also lead to permanent damage of your esophagus. When this problem occurs more than twice a week, you should consider it serious. If you are suffering from this problem, do not worry. Here are some tips to cure this problem.<br /> <br /> What is acid reflux?<br /> Acid reflux disease occurs when the acid from your stomach enters your esophagus repeatedly. This is due to the weakness and relaxation of the sphincter muscles that lie between the esophagus and stomach. Since the acid does not encounter any barrier, it returns again and again to the esophagus.<br /> <br /> What causes acid reflux disease?<br /> High fat foods are the culprits that give rise to this problem. They weaken the muscle temporarily.<br /> <br /> How do I treat the acid reflux problem?<br /> <br /> There are some simple methods to treat this problem.</div><ol><li>Since high fat foods are the primary cause, control your intake of such foods.</li> <li>Change the position of your bed. Sometimes, you might get immediate relief by raising the head of the bed. Keep 4 to 6 inch blocks below the bed bedposts. This keeps the acid away from the esophagus due to force of gravity. But it does not work in all the cases.</li> <li>Use antacids. But use this as a short-term method or if you suffer from the problem rarely. If you use antacids for a long time, the acid in your stomach decreases, giving rise to other problems.</li> <li>Change your lifestyle habits. Quit smoking if you are a smoker. Reduce or quit drinking. Include more fiber in your foods. Eat small and more frequent meals to ensure that your stomach does not get totally full. Eat more complex carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Cut down on your intake of fatty and fried foods. Include herbs like ginger in your meals. This is the best, healthiest and a long-term solution.</li> </ol><div style="text-align: justify;">If you are having acid reflux problem for a long-time then it is advised to consult a physician. </div>

By  Deden Sura Agung You have just enjoyed a heavy, delicious meal and are looking forward to relaxing. Suddenly, you encounter a painful a...

Bone Up On Vitamin D

<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; text-align: left;">By </span><b style="font-family: georgia; text-align: left;">Deden Sura Agung</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: georgia; text-align: left;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Weak, fragile bones and susceptibility to fractures-these are some of the painful consequences of the debilitating bone disease, osteoporosis. Currently, 10 million people suffer from osteoporosis in the United States and another 34 million are at risk of developing the disease. The Surgeon General has named osteoporosis a national health threat and estimated that by 2020 one in two Americans over the age of 50 will be at risk for fractures from osteoporosis or low bone mass.<br /> <br /> There are several risk factors associated with the development of osteoporosis, including inadequate levels of vitamin D, a nutrient essential to the body's absorption of calcium. Recent research has uncovered that over 70 percent of women over the age of 50 have low levels of vitamin D, and even women being treated for osteoporosis have low levels of the important vitamin. To address the need for greater awareness about low levels of vitamin D, Spirit of Women Hospital Network has teamed up with Dr. Marie Savard, an internationally recognized women's health expert, to launch a new vitamin D risk assessment.<br /> <br /> "Patients are frequently unaware of the importance of vitamin D in bone health and may not know they have low levels of vitamin D. Given its effect on calcium absorption, vitamin D inadequacy is an important medical concern for women, especially those over 50 or those who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis," said Dr. Savard.<br /> <br /> In 2005, The American Medical Women's Association issued recommendations that called for an increase in vitamin D to 800-1,000 IU daily. The risk assessment will enable women to actively address the adequacy of their vitamin D intake and will direct them toward a possible treatment option for osteoporosis to discuss with their doctors.<br /> <br /> "Women today want to be on top of their health to ensure their mobility and independence for a lifetime. The vitamin D risk assessment will help women recognize risk factors for osteoporosis and empower them to make important decisions about their bone health," said Tanya Abreu, national director of Spirit of Women Hospital Network. "By spreading the word about the importance of vitamin D, we hope that women would recognize one of the risk factors for osteoporosis and take ACTION to prevent osteoporosis by talking to their doctors."</div>

By  Deden Sura Agung Weak, fragile bones and susceptibility to fractures-these are some of the painful consequences of the debilitating bone...

How Anxiety And Depression Are Connected

<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; text-align: left;">By </span><b style="font-family: georgia; text-align: left;">Deden Sura Agung</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: georgia; text-align: left;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Depression is a disorder that does not get nearly enough attention. Depressed people are often told to "cheer up" or to "look at the bright side" of things, and may spiral even deeper when they are unable to simply snap out of the mood that has such a hold on them. While depression can often lead to fatigue and listlessness, it has a close cousin by the name of anxiety. Anxiety causes the opposite effect, putting our bodies into the "fight or flight" mode that protected us in the wild.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anxiety attacks can feel like heart attacks, and even at more moderate levels, anxiety can have a dangerous and very negative effect on our lives and on our quality of living. Anxiety can also lead into depression, when a sense of worry and fear for the future leads into the sense of helplessness and hopelessness. That is a classic symptom of depression. Depression and anxiety are often seen together, and can sometimes lead into one another.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anxiety is a way of describing a certain way of feeling. It may represent a sense of fear, dread, or a sense that you are in immediate danger, even when you are safe and have no reason to feel this way. There are several different kinds of anxiety disorders, including phobias or irrational fears, situational anxiety, panic disorders, generalized anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorders among others.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">These disorders can lead to a state of almost constant high stress, and can affect your daily life much to the worse. You may be unable to function in certain situations, or you may come to fear leaving your own home, and if untreated, the symptoms of anxiety disorders can lead to many of the same problems as depression, including insomnia or a reluctance or fear to leave the house or to be around other people.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anxiety symptoms can also feel like heart attacks, with palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pains, and more. You might begin trembling and shaking, your mouth might go dry, and you might become dizzy from the stress of the situation. The body becomes "hyped up" by your reaction to the situation, and your senses go into a sort of overdrive that is unlike the depression of the system that happens when you suffer from clinical depression.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Depression disorder actually slows the body in some ways, making you feel sluggish rather than ready to run or fight, and hopeless rather than actively panicked or fearful. If you have been suffering from anxiety attacks, the attacks themselves may lead into depression because of the hopelessness that you feel at the hands of the attacks and because of the fears that are associated with possibly having another attack.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">If your anxiety symptoms have changed to include listlessness, a disinterest in things that used to engage you, or feelings of hopelessness and self-loathing, then you may now be suffering from depression disorder, and should be treated accordingly for your medical condition.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Depression is not a constant state of being, nor is anxiety. You might think that because you have a good number of "good days" that your depressive days are just bad moments that will pass, however depression can become worse over time if it is not treated and taken care of, and can lead to suicide if left untreated long enough.</div>

By  Deden Sura Agung Depression is a disorder that does not get nearly enough attention. Depressed people are often told to "cheer up...