Showing posts with label mental health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mental health. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

5 Safe & Effective Home Remedies



While some ailments require specific medications, others may be treated with simple home remedies that have withstood the test of time. Generations ago, people began using home remedies and have passed their knowledge on to their families as time progressed. Still, many are unaware of the large number of home remedies that can provide instant, safe and effective relief. Best of all, home remedies do not cause side effects as other conventional medications often do.


Anyone who suffers from allergies or a cold may find themselves increasingly congested throughout the night. In order to relieve breathing and open the airway passages, an individual may find success in running hot water in the sink and slowly inhaling the steam from the running water. This will help to relieve blocked nasal passages and may help the sufferer to breathe easier at any time of day, including at night.


Snoring is a big problem, but few know how to treat it. In addition to a number of anti-snoring devices, medications and even surgery for extreme cases, there are also a number of home remedies that may help to eliminate this nighttime nuisance. Anyone who snores may find that sleeping on their side, instead of their back, may help to eliminate the problem. Adding an extra pillow may also help to curb snoring due to the fact that the head is raised slightly higher and may help to prevent air passages from becoming restricted, which is a leading cause of snoring. In the event that snoring worsens or does not seem to respond to home remedies, it is possible that the individual has developed sleep apnea. This is a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention.


With warmer months just ahead, the bees will be buzzing and this means the potential for bee stings. To lessen the itching of a bee sting, a combination of baking soda and water can be combined to create a paste that will ease some of the discomfort. Many individuals find this to be just another part of summer but to others, it can be life threatening. For people who are allergic to bee stings, medical help are not always close enough. Therefore, over the counter Benadryl is often recommended as a temporary aid to keeping the allergy under control until the bee sting sufferer can get to a doctor or hospital for further treatment. Individuals who are allergic may find that carrying Benadryl with them is a good idea.


Everyone is scared of the dentist, but it’s a part of life that everyone must face. Whether a recent tooth loss, cleaning or other procedure that may cause bleeding, rinsing with warm salt water on two to three occasions daily will help lessen the chance of infection and will ease soreness.


Anyone who paints their fingernails is probably familiar with the smell of nail polish remover. Well, for anyone who finds the smell unbearable or simply feels lightheaded in its presence, there is a much simpler way to remove nail polish. Simply applying clear nail polish to each nail and allow it to sit for 3-5 seconds before wiping it away with a napkin or paper towel. This will help to remove any trace of nail polish.

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Acne Treatment, Best Acne Treatments

Acne treatment has many varieties. Acne is a broad term which includes blemishes, blackheads, and whiteheads. See acne information for more. Acne can strike at any age. Effective acne treatment is sometimes difficult to find, and understanding acne and prevention can be frustrating. Below are some acne treatment tips that have worked for many. Understanding acne treatment is a very important step to take before undergoing the treatment itself.

Although acne isn't life threatening it can be uncomfortable and hard on your ego. There has always been a debate about the actual cause of acne. The actual cause isn't as important as finding a cure. There's acne treatment for teenagers that has been specifically configured for the teenage age group. Adult acne is also common and adults can experience acne problems well into their 40's.

So is there a cure for acne? Well yes and no. There are many products available and for some they are a cure, for others they do not help. A cure is only a cure when you find a product that works for you.

Most acne treatments will take time to work. It usually takes around 8 weeks before you see any significant improvement so you are going to have to be patient. Once your acne's cleared up it's important to continue with the acne treatment that's working so it does not return.

If you have serious acne it is best to consult a dermatologist. However in milder cases you will often be able to get it under control by yourself just by preservering. Try these acne treatment tips to conquer your acne.

Acne control through exercise

Regular exercise helps keep your whole body in shape. It builds your immune system and helps eliminate toxins from the body. It's a great start to fighting acne.

Diet can act as acne medicine

You need to eat at least 5 servings of fresh fruit and vegetables each day. Fresh fruit and vegetables are full of nutrients that your body needs. They boost the immune system and are good antioxidants. They can work towards helping you get rid of the acne. Try to avoid refined sugars and fatty foods which have are not good for you or your skin. You also need to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to flush your system of toxins.

Cosmetics can help acne treatment

Choose cosmetics that are water based and hypo-allergenic. Avoid oil free products, coal tar derivatives, and heavy creams. Make sure you wash your skin thoroughly every night to remove makeup residue.

Hormones and acne

Hormones can play a role in acne flare ups and they can be used to reduce outbreaks. Your doctor may decide to use HRT to eliminate or reduce your acne outbreaks.

Clean skin for acne treatment

You need to avoid harsh scrubbing of your face but you also need to thoroughly clean your skin nightly. Use a mild cleaning regime every night. Once or twice a week you should also use an exfoliator to gently remove damaged skin and unplug pores. Also see acne skin care tips that work.

Shaving and acne

Is actually a great exfoliating treatment the removes dead skin. However you should never shave an area that is infected or inflamed. Always use a shaving cream if your skin is sensitive.

Stress and acne control

Can be a contributing factor to acne so try to relax and unwind. Emotions trigger chemical reactions in the body which can cause an outbreak.

You can help control your acne outbreaks by following these simple steps. What are you waiting for?

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Different Types of Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety is a common occurrence when a person faces potentially problematic or dangerous situations. It is also felt when a person perceives an external threat. However, chronic and irrational anxiety can lead to a form of anxiety disorder. There are different types of anxiety disorder depending on their causes or triggers.

Common forms of anxiety disorders

Generalized anxiety disorder

A person who has this type of anxiety disorder usually experience prolonged anxiety that is often without basis. More accurately, people with generalized anxiety disorders cannot articulate the reason behind their anxiety. This type of anxiety usually last for six months and often affect women.  Due to the persistence of the anxiety, people affected with generalized anxiety disorder constantly fret and worry. This results to heart palpitations, insomnia, headaches, and dizzy spells. 

Specific phobia

Unlike someone with generalized anxiety disorder, a person who has a specific phobia experiences  extreme and often irrational fear of a certain situation or object. When exposed to the object or situation they fear, people with specific phobias exhibit signs of intense fear like shaking, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and nausea. Common specific phobias include fear of heights, enclosed spaces, blood, and animals. The fear a person with phobia feels can be so extreme that he or she may disregard safety just to escape the situation. 

Panic disorder

Also known as Agoraphobia, panic disorders are characterized by recurring panic attacks which are often unexpected. Symptoms are usually shaking, chest pains, dizziness, fear of losing control, and reluctance of being alone. People with panic disorder are aware that their panic is usually unfounded  and illogical. This is why they avoid public situations and being alone. A panic attack can be so severe that people may lose control and hurt themselves. 

Social phobia

Alternatively called social anxiety, a person with social phobia may exhibit similar symptoms like those of panic disorder especially in social situations. Shaking, dizziness, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations may ensue when a person with social phobia finds his or herself at the center of attention or in the company of many people, regardless whether they are strangers or not. 

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

People with obsessive-compulsive disorder experience anxiety caused by a persistent obsession or idea. They tend to avoid experiencing anxiety by resorting to repetitive actions or behaviors that prevent anxiety. For example, a person who is obsessed about cleanliness may experience anxiety at the mere sight of a vase placed slightly off-center. To prevent anxiety, he or she will clean and organize everything compulsively or without reason. 

PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder may occur after a person experienced a severely traumatic event. He or she may relive the experience in his or her mind which causes stress and anxiety. If a person with PTSD comes into contact with stimuli (any object, person, or situation) that he or she associates with the traumatic event, he or she may literally re-experience the event by crying uncontrollably, panicking, or losing control. Subtler symptoms include insomnia and avoidant behavior. PTSD may manifest itself immediately after the traumatic event or even years after. 

Determining the type of anxiety disorder a person has is crucial to seeking treatment and recovery.  Techniques and methods that are used to help a person cope with a certain anxiety usually target not only the management of symptoms but coping mechanisms when exposed to triggers. Only after thorough diagnosis can treatment and recovery for anxiety disorders really commence.


Breaking Point: The Factors Behind Insanity

What can drive someone to insanity? Certainly, insanity is something that is commonly understood (or misunderstood) and usually carries some sort of stigma in the popular consciousness. If you believe in modern psychology and psychiatry, there are literally thousands of forms of insanity that a person can end up developing over a lifetime. Some of them, like depression, are temporary, while others, like social anxiety, require more work for a person to get through. However, there appears to be some commonality as to what actually brings about most of the forms of insanity that people go through. Which brings the question to bear: is there a common, underlying trigger that compromises the stability of a person's mental health?

Things like stress and anxiety are often cited, as most of the common (and several uncommon) mental health issues are triggered by one of the two. Continued exposure to stress can eventually push someone beyond their “breaking point,” with the form of insanity afterwards being affected by external factors. This is often a long, strenuous process because most people have some level of resistance to such things, allowing them to at least survive the stressful period with their sanity intact. Additionally, the process may not even really result in insanity, with most of the population serving as proof of this theory. Prolonged stress can affect a person's behavior and outlook, but it is also known that several other factors can increase or reduce the impact of this. In some cases, stress and anxiety can merely even have the opposite effect, depending on the person's personal outlook.

Emotions are also said to play a critical role in driving or pushing people into insanity, with feelings being so closely tied to mental health. A person's emotional state can often be a reflection of a person's relative state of mental stability, but may also become an effect of fractured sanity. There is no doubting that emotions can disrupt and affect a person's thought processes and make them do things that they normally would not do. It has also been noted that extremely emotional situations and heavy emotional trauma can permanently affect a person's mind, often resulting in a condition that requires therapy to eventually overcome. However, it is rather arguable that emotions are merely augmenting the effects of stress and pressure, not a factor in itself.

Trauma is also frequently cited as having drastic effects on a person's sanity, particularly if it occurs during the formative years. The extreme psychological and emotional impact that trauma victims have to endure can often force some past the breaking point, having permanent effects on their mental health. However, it should be noted that trauma tends to be little more than a combination of stressful and emotional factors, usually mixed in with extreme circumstances. The vulnerability of the person's psyche plays a larger role here than in other potential causes of insanity, which explains why trauma encountered later on in life does not have the same general effect as similar events encountered during childhood.

Ultimately, insanity is something that, like sanity, must be defined on an individual basis. What is sane for one person in a given society may not be considered such by a different person within the same society. Insanity is a matter of context in this case, which is the assumption that some psychological texts make.