Clearing Ear Wax - Tips and Tricks

 The building up of the wax in the ear is the most common concern of every individual. However, many people don't realize the importance of little wax in the ear which protects ears from dirt, bugs and infections. 

  The most common method of clearing ear wax is using the cotton swabs. This method may remove little wax from the ear giving temporary relief, but it also tends to push the wax deep into the ear, causing the blockage which leads to pain, infection or loss of hearing in worst case.

There are more safer methods than the cotton swabs such as heat therapy or using an ear wax dissolver which is easily available in any drug store.

HEAT THERAPY:

       Heat therapy is mostly used to soften the ear wax so that its easier to dissolve and clear out the wax from the ears. The best way of clearing ear wax using this method is to fill a bottle, such as a hot water bottle, full of warm water. The patient should then lie down with the affected ear situated directly against the bottle. Within a few moments, the wax will begin to melt, making removal much safer and easier than trying to remove a hardened clump of wax.

Sometimes, despite the best efforts of the patient, clearing ear wax at home just is not possible. Most doctors are skilled and experienced at clearing ear wax, and the process generally does not take very long. Some doctors use a device that squirts a thin stream of water into the ear, dissolving the ear wax buildup. Others use an instrument that gently and safely scoops out the excess wax buildup without causing damage to the inner portion of the ear. Still another medical device used for clearing ear wax somewhat resembles a small vacuum that uses gentle suction to remove the excess wax.

Stiff Neck and Shoulders - Causes

        The pain caused by the Stiff neck and shoulders is very severe and unbearable sometimes. The main causes for this stiffness are poor posture, stress, a muscle sprain in that area or a severe headache. The stiffness might also be caused by the poor ergonomic conditions. In the worst case, these problems may be due to the underlying medical conditions called as Meningitis. Poor sleeping positions when the head and neck are improperly supported, may also cause shoulder and neck problems.

        When the weight of the head is not properly balanced, stress is placed on the neck and shoulders, which results in stiffness and pain. Stiffness caused by poor posture can be treated without medical intervention. Some people, however, may need to wear a back brace or specialized clothing to correct poor posture and relieve from the pain.

       Stress is the most common cause for stiffness to neck and shoulders. Many people have the tendency to unconsciously tighten their shoulder muscles when preoccupied with worry and anxiety. This results in stiffness of neck and shoulders. Prolonged Stiffness may lead to Chronic pain in that area.

       The stiffness caused by meningitis is a serious problem. Bacterial forms of this illness are treatable with prescribed antibiotics. Along with pain, the infected person may also experience nausea, a headache and vomiting.

       Headaches caused by tension, food allergies, a lack of quality rest and repetitive or prolonged work may also contribute to stiffness. A caffeine dependency or skipping meals may also cause a headache, which in turn contribute to Stiffness. The symptoms of this conditions can be relieved by proper rest and over the counter or herbal headache remedies.  

 

Why do we feel sleepy after heavy meals?

           In the human body, the mechanism is such that the oxygen we breathe in and the vital nutrients in the food that we eat are absorbed by the blood and supplied to the different organs, This job is accomplished efficiently by about 5 liters of blood that circulates in a normal adult.

           The amount of blood supplied to each organ depends on the oxygen and nutrition requirement of the tissues of the organ and the importance of the function it plays at any given time.

            Under normal conditions, the liver receives slightly less than one-third of the blood that the heart pumps. Likewise, the kidneys get about one-fourth, and brain about one-sixth. The remaining goes to the muscles and other parts of the body. These quantities change depending on the body work and needs.

            When we eat, the food needs to be digested and the nutrients absorbed by the blood. That is the focus of the work shifts to digesting the food and so more blood is sent to the stomach walls. Automatically, the flow of blood to other parts of the body, including the brain, is reduced.

             Only a few other very important functions like the functioning of the heart and lungs are continued. Once the blood flow to the brain is reduced, the body becomes lethargic and sleep sets in. So, better take a nap after meals, it is absolutely Normal!

What causes Hiccups?

           Two sudden and involuntary contractions within the diaphragm cause Hiccups. There is a diaphragm located between the chest and the stomach. While inhaling air the diaphragm presses down on the stomach and the lungs are filled with air. While exhaling the diaphragm presses on the lungs and we exhale air. The diaphragm works like a piston. But sometimes due to the formation of gas or increase of acidity in the stomach the diaphragm gets irritated and as a result contracts suddenly. In such a situation the air passing into the lungs experiences obstruction and makes a peculiar sound. This is nothing but a Hiccup. Hiccups can also be caused by eating too fast or too much. It can occasionally be a symptom of mineral disorders, pneumonia, pancreatitis, bladder irritation and stomach disorders.

            For mild Hiccup attacks, we need to hold breath for a tolerably long spell, drinking a glass of water while holding your breath and swallowing in rapid successions three times a glass of water duly holding your breath. If these methods do not work, hold a paper bag tightly over your nose and mouth, breath in and out for a minute or two. The relatively high level of carbon dioxide in blood shall inhibit Hiccups.

   

Motion Sickness - Vomiting while travelling

        Giddiness occurs when we lose our sense of balance. The sensations perceived by the eye, inner ear, skin,  muscles and joints help  the body to know its stability. Several unusual situations, such as travelling in a bus or looking down from a great height, overstimulate and confuse that part of the brain which controls balancing. This condition is called Motion Sickness.

        Researchers have discovered that motion sickness  is caused by the temporary disturbance in what is known as the Vestibular Membranous Labyrinth. This is the part of intricate series in the structure of inner ear, and helps to maintain the body's equilibrium. If the Labyrinth becomes overloaded with information from the eyes and other senses, it can trigger a sudden desire to vomit.

       The Motion sickness can sometimes be avoided by shifting the vision from objects at short range and those  far off. This is the reason why car drivers are not usually affected, while backseat passengers  often are. Those  in the front seat  have a panoramic, more stable and slower-moving scene. Passengers in the back seat see through the side windows, where the scenery flashes past and the brains labyrinth has more information to process.

How does Scratching stop Itching?

       Itching is the result of damage to cells in our skin. As a result of the damage, substances like Histamine (the amine that causes widening f blood vessels and plays a role in allergic phenomena) are set free and irritate the nerve fibers in the skin. These send signals, similar to pain signals, to the Central Nervous System (CNS).

       One can compare the nerve fibers to telephone lines and the central nervous system to a switchboard. The switchboard routes incoming telephone calls, and makes sure that only one line at a time is connected with each telephone number. By occupying the line you can prevent others from having a conversation with the same number. Likewise, the itch message can be blocked by occupying the central nervous system with another signal, for example, the one generated by Scratching, which is less irritating.

Hence scratching is the best remedy for Itching.

Posh people really do think they're better than others

According to new research, Posh people really do think they are better than others. People in higher social classes are "overconfident" about their abilities which means they come across as more competent - even when they don't know what they are talking about.

The study concludes that being able to confidently express what they think means they better at job interviews than working-class people who are socialized to embrace humility and authenticity. Social class shapes the attitudes that people hold about their abilities and that, in turn, has important implications for how class hierarchies perpetuate from one generation to the next. This overconfidence means people who are born into the upper echelons of society are likely to remain there.

 Researchers believe that this overconfidence might be due to the differences in values between middle and working-class people. They carried out four investigations into the connection between social class and overconfidence.

To measure social class, researchers looked at information about the applicants income, education level and perceived standing in society. They also had to complete a psychological assessment which involved using a flashcard game and a cognitive test. After completing the test, they were asked to guess how well they did on a scale of 1 to 100.

When psychologists compared the actual scores with the applicants' predictions, they found people with more education, income and perceived social class had an exaggerated belief that they would perform better. The results suggest that finding solutions to mitigate class inequalities may require a focus on subtle and seemingly harmless human tendencies.

                                                                                             Source: The Independent

Parental Factors That Shape You

       "Five Ways in which your parents behavior has molded your personality today."

Whether your parents were your best friends or you barely knew them, your relationship with your mother and father have had an impact on who you are today.

Sigmund  Freud had said that when he theorized that our adult personality develops from early childhood experiences, an insight empirically tested by attachment theory and developmental psychology through the 20th century up until today.

Below are the Five Points that your parents behavior has impacted you:


1  If your parents made you do chores, you are likely take on tasks independently.

       If your parents constantly berated you for not making your bed, they were actually doing you a favor. Children who grow up doing chores take more responsibility at work instead of waiting for tasks to get assigned to them. They also better collaborate with their coworkers and can better empathize with others. By making them do chores like taking out the garbage, doing their own laundry etc. will make them realize that they are part of Family, part of ecosystem and part of a workplace.


2 If your parents taught you social skills, you were more likely to get a college degree and a high-paying job.

     A recent American study says that when parents taught their young kids social skills, like how to be helpful or cooperative with their peers, they were more likely to earn a college degree and have a full-time job by the age of 25. Those without social skills were more likely to drink and get arrested.


3 If your parents set high expectations for you, you probably did better in school.

     A recent study found children whose parents expected them to go to college performed better on tests than parents with low expectations. The trend occurred among both wealthy and low-income families.


4 If your mother was loving and attentive when you were a baby, you were more likely to do better in school.

   According to the recent study when parents foster loving environments around the time children are as young as three,those kids grow up to score better on exams.


5 If your parents taught you to verbalize your feelings, you are less likely to get divorced.

    A recent study reveals that if your parents told you to 'describe how  you feel', you can better communicate during adult romantic relationships. Styles of Communication are often formed by observation and direct experience of our primary role models in childhood.


                                                                                                               Source: Business Insider

Evolution Made Us Prone to Heart Attacks

"Loss of Single Gene in Our Ancestors Resulted in Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease"


A recent study suggests that the loss of single gene, two to three million years ago in our ancestors may have resulted in a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease in all Humans as a Species. The same evolutionary gene loss may also have set up a further risk for red meat eating humans.

Atherosclerosis - the clogging of the arteries with fatty deposits, is the cause of one-third of deaths worldwide due to Cardiovascular disease. There are many known risk factors, including blood cholesterol, physical inactivity, age, hypertension, obesity and smoking. However, in roughly 15% of first-time cardiovascular disease events (CVD) due to atherosclerosis, none of these factors apply.

Researchers noted that naturally occurring Coronary heart attacks due to atherosclerosis are virtually non-existent in other mammals, including closely related chimpanzees in captivity which share human-like risk factors, such as high blood lipids, hypertension and physical inactivity.

The new study shows that mice modified to be deficient (like humans) in a Sialic Acid Sugar Molecules called Neu5Gc showed a significant increase in atherosclerosis compared to control mice, who retain the CMAH gene that produces Neu5Gc. They said that human-like elimination of CMAH and Neu5Gc in mice caused an almost two-fold increase in severity of Atherosclerosis compared to unmodified mice.

This may help explain why even vegetarians without any other obvious cardiovascular risk factors are still very prone to heart attacks and strokes, while other evolutionary relatives are not.

However, in consuming red meat, humans are also repeatedly exposed to Neu5Gc which prompts an immune response and chronic inflammation they call "xenosialitis".

                                                                                                                        Source: Airbus

Music Therapy - Beating Stress Before Surgery

🎶🎶"Music is as good as a Sedative in calming patients nerves before Surgical Operations."🎶🎶


A recent study suggests that - 🎵Playing Soothing Music🎵 to patients before anesthetizing them for surgery could calm their nerves as much as the conventional anxiety drugs.

The Researchers found that patients who listened to a relaxing song on noise-cancelling headphones had similar levels of anxiety to those who were treated with the sedatives - Midazolam. This suggests that Music could provide a drug less alternative to treat pre-surgery anxiety, a common issue that can cause Stress and Negatively Impact Recovery.

It could also minimize the risk of side effects associated with Midazolam and other common Benzodiazepine drugs, which can affect breathing, blood flow and potentially even leading to agitation. Patients needs to be closely monitored by anaesthetists after taking the drugs.

The Researchers selected 157 adults and divided them into two groups. The first half were asked to listen to an soothing instrumental track, just three minutes before they were given a nerve block anaesthetic. The other half received a 1-2mg dose of Midazolam, before the nerve block was applied as normal.The study concluded that a greater anxiety reduction in the Midazolam group, but the difference was not statistically significant from the other group who had Music Therapy.

The Researchers said that allowing patients to listen to the music for longer or choose their own Music, could improve the results. 🎵Music Therapy🎵 offers an alternative to intravenous Midazolam prior to single-injection peripheral nerve block procedures. The Researches are still on to validate the findings may be in coming days Music plays important role in everyone's life.

                                                                                        Source: THE INDEPENDENT

Optimistic People Sleep Better at Night

       Study shows that a Positive Attitude results in less Insomnia and Day Time Sleepiness.


             A recent study published in the Journal of "Behavioral Medicine", discovered that people who are the most Optimistic  tend to be better Sleepers.

             The study revealed significant associations between optimism and various characteristics of self-reported sleep after adjusting for a wide array of variables, including -

                Socio-demographic Characteristics, Health Conditions, and Depressive Symptoms.

             The Participants levels of Optimism were measured using a 10-item survey,which asked them to rate on a five-point scale how much they agreed with Positive statements such as "I'm always Optimistic about my Future", and with negatively-worded sentences such as "I hardly expect things to go my way."

            Scores in the survey ranged from Six (least optimistic) to 30 (most optimistic). Participants reported on their sleep twice, five years apart, rating their overall sleep quality and duration during the prior month. Individuals with greater levels  of optimism were more likely to report that they got adequate sleep, slumbering six to nine hours nightly. And they were 74% more likely to have no symptoms of Insomnia and reported less daytime sleepiness.

           The lack of healthy sleep is a public health concern, as poor sleep quality is often associated with health problems like higher risks of Obesity, Hypertension, Weak Immunity and All-cause Mortality.

                                                                                                                                     Source: ANI

10 Super foods to Beat Arthritis!

Millions of people across the world suffer from Arthritis, causing chronic pain and mobility problems. Luckily, there are few Super Foods that can have positive effects on your Joints in the long run.

Below are the Top 10 Super Foods -


Olive Oil:

       Eating two to three tablespoons of olive oil daily could have anti-inflammatory effect, which could reduce Arthritis pain. The best thing is to have the Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It can be used in cooking or as a Salad Dressing.

Citrus: 

       Grapefruit, Oranges, Lemons, Limes and other Citrus fruits are rich in Vitamin C which can help prevent inflammatory Arthritis thereby maintaining healthy joints for those with Osteoarthritis.

Yogurt: 

       Fermented foods such as Sauerkraut and Live Yogurt can increase the amount of good bacteria in the gut and work anti-inflammatory magic easing symptoms of Arthritis.

Porridge: 

      Oats are an excellent way to reduce Cholesterol, and in turn, could have positive impact on Arthritis Aches. Eating Porridge every morning for breakfast is also an excellent form of slow-release energy.

Trout: 

      Oily Fish is an excellent source of Omega-3, which can also reduce inflammation associated with Arthritis. Salmon, Anchovies, Herring and Trout are all good oily food options.

Green Tea: 

       A Cup of Green Tea contain Polyphenols, nutrients which are believed to reduce inflammation. It also contains antioxidants, some of which are believed to slow Joint Damage in people with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Turmeric: 

      Research shows that taking Turmeric Supplement improved pain and long-term mobility in patients suffering from Osteoarthritis. Ginger, Cinnamon and Cayenne Pepper are also good for anti-inflammatory affects.

Meat: 

     In cases of Rheumatoid Arthritis, flareups could result in sufferer becoming Anemic. Grilling Steaks is an excellent source  of Iron. Anemia can leave you tired, weak and out of breath. So, Arthritis sufferers should get enough Iron in their diet.

Garlic: 

     Research shows that eating more Garlic could lower your risk of developing Arthritis all together. Alliums, which include Leeks and Onions, appeared to limit the amount of cartilage-damaging enzymes in the body. Adding Garlic could be an easy way to get Allium in your Diet.

Wholegrain Bread: 

    Whole grains can reduce level of CRP - C-reactive Proteins - in the Blood,which is a marker of inflammation in your body. It is associated with diabetes and heart disease as well, so eating Whole Grain Bread can help overall health.

                                                                                                                   Source: Daily Mirror