Dangers Of Stress -The Symptoms You Can Look For

Dangers of stress and what you can do to limit the effects that stress has on your body read all about it below.

If you are under an enormous amount of pressure either from work or school or family life at home or all of the above plus anything else you can throw into the mix then you really do need to know the dangers of stress and learn how to deal with it as soon as possible.

Increased levels of stress in our lives can cause:

• Headaches, 
• increased or abnormal heart rate, 
• tension in the shoulders and neck, 
• and digestion problems like nausea, heartburn, constipation and/or diarrhea.

You may also find that you get sick more often. This is because prolonged exposure to stressful situations can deplete your immune system and leave you with nothing to fight off even the most common germs that bombard us every single day.

Prolonged exposure to stressful situations can also have an effect on the one thing that keeps us all going every single day of our lives, our heart. Stressful situations can lead to high blood pressure. 

High blood pressure can lead to heart attack, blood clots that can cause stroke, and even death. 

If you have been under an increased amount of stress lately and have noticed any of these symptoms, you should get to your doctor as soon as you can and get a physical. 

Maybe you just need someone to be a sounding board to get things off of your chest. You may be surprised how talking to someone can alleviate many of these symptoms.

I do not mean you have to go out right now and find a counselor but anyone who will listen and help you get things off your chest can do you a world of good. Never underestimate what a good friend and a cup of coffee can do for you.

Since we all know that stressful situations are dangerous and bad for us and finding ways to deal with our stress after the fact can be difficult, we should learn techniques to deal with things as they come and eliminate the possibility that it will cause future health problems. 

There are numerous techniques that can teach you how to reduce the amount of tension you feel in your life, some as simple as relaxing in a nice, hot bath or taking a walk. 

Just being out in nature is said to be a huge stress reliever. If you have access to a nature preserve or state park, take the family on a nature walk, or go by yourself. Breathe the air and watch the birds and animals all around you. You will feel a lot better in the end.

Other forms of exercise will benefit you, as well. Join a local gym and go work out all of your frustrations on the weight machines or treadmill. Do whatever you can to alleviate all the stressful situations in your life and you will not have to worry about the dangers of stress affecting your overall health in the long run.

How To Fight Acne Before It Happens

Acne is not the same as having a few zits, or a few pimples appearing on your face. Acne can even spread to different parts of the body, including your neck, your back, and your chest, and can be a very embarrassing skin condition.   

  

Those who have severe acne should most certainly seek the advice of a dermatologist for possible treatment options. For those who do not have acne, most of the time, you can prevent it from ever occurring. The following paragraphs will take a look at a few ways to prevent this skin condition.

Diet

Most people do not realize it, but our skin is the largest organ that expels waste from our bodies, in conjunction with our intestines, bladders, and colons.   

   

Because of this, how we eat will be reflected in by the condition of our skin. By eliminating unhealthy foods from our diets, we are decreasing the amount of toxin being expelled from our pores. Thus, we can help prevent an acne outbreak from development by eating a healthier diet. Nutrients recommended to add to your diet to help with acne prevention include:

• zinc
• vitamin A
• vitamin E
• vitamin B6

Each of these vitamins and minerals can aid in the prevention of acne in their own way. While zinc, especially in the form of zinc gluconate or zinc sulfate, can reduce the androgenic hormonal effects on our skin. Vitamin A can help reduce sebum production. Vitamin E helps protect skin cell membrane from damage, as well as helps maintain healthy skin my eliminating harmful free radicals from our bodies, that can often be generated during physical activities.  

    

Vitamin B6 helps prevent premenstrual acne, and reduce the sensitivity to the effects of testosterone. By adding foods rich in these vitamins and nutrients to your diet, you can reduce your chances of getting acne.

Exercise

Getting regular exercise can also help prevent acne. When we exercise, we are increasing the blood flow to our skin, and providing more oxygen to our skin cells. Sweating moderately also cleans our skin pores from the inside out, also aiding in the prevention of acne. Regular exercise and moderate sweating are excellent ways of helping to prevent acne, but taking a shower immediately afterwards is very important.

Detoxification

Detoxification is the process of removing harmful toxins from our bodies. 

Many different types of cleansers are available to help prevent acne, including:

• colon cleanses
• liver flushes
• enemas

When there is a toxin build up in vital parts of our digestive system, the toxins begin to excrete themselves from our skin pores, increasing the chances of an acne outbreak. By eliminating the build up of toxins, we are helping to prevent acne.

Anxiety Depression

Getting anxious over Anxiety Depression?


A lot of people who are exerting too much of their brain power usually exhaust not only their physical strength when engaging in various multi-tasking activities, they also tend to over extend their brains up to the point when it plainly needs some good old time for relaxation. A lot of busy people who seem to cannot fathom the idea of relaxing and taking time of from work, as well as their worries, tend to actually start having nervous breakdowns, anxiety depression and all sorts of mental illnesses that can cause a person's sanity to go haywire, fortunately, if you're one of those poor unfortunate ones who are unable to distress and is constantly worried and fussing over things, there are actually available cures and various treatments for treating anxiety depression. 

Anxiety depression is actually characterized by all sorts of irregularities and erratic behavior from the person who is suffering from it, this is usuallu due to certain stress triggers that may tend to easily cause a person undue jitters and stress. Also, a lot of people who tend to get easily nervous over stressful activities are actually prone to having anxiety depression, its just a matter of being strong-willed when it comes to facing difficult and stress-prone activities. It may be pretty hard to overcome at first, but trying to be calm and cool in times of extreme pressure is what'll actually save your mental health from going totally downward spiral.

When it comes to effectively curing one's self from a mental illness, one must keep in mind that you have to be actually honest with yourself and assess what kind of depression or mental illness you actually have, go to reputable psychiatrist to get yourself diagnosed correctly as well as be able to get the right depression treatment for yourself. Here are the various types of depression:

Manic or Bipolar depression - characterized by sudden and extreme changes in one's mood wherein one minute he or she is in an elevated state of euphoria while the next minute (day or week) he or she is feeling to be in a personal hell.

Postpartum depression - characterized by a prolonged sadness and a feeling of emptiness by a new mother wherein physical stress during child birth, an uncertain sense of responsibility towards the new born baby can be just some of the possible factors why some new mother go through this.

Dysthimia - characterized by a slight similarity with depression, although this time, it's been proven to be a lot less severe, but of course with any case, should be treated immediately.

Cyclothemia - characterized by a slight similarity with Manic or Bipolar depression wherein the individual suffering from this mental illness may occasionally suffer from severe changes in one's moods.

Seasonal Affective Disorder - characterized by falling in a rut only during specific seasons (i.e. Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall) studies however, prove that more people actually fall in to a rut more during the Winter and Fall seasons and lastly, Mood swings, wherein a person's mood may shift from happy to sad to angry in just a short time.  

But the type of depression that has actually been proven to be quite common among people is anxiety depression, which is actually characterized by the state of being overly anxious about things. Anxiety, a supposedly normal behavior that'll actually help a person adjust more to a certain stressful activity like first date jitters or a grueling exam the following day. Anxiety actually helps you get psyched up towards facing certain "difficult situations"; anxiety therefore is actually a good thing. Anxiety depression however, is simply the opposite, not to be easily dismissed as a "case of the nerves"; Anxiety depression is in actuality an illness that can be caused from the biological makeup of an individual, or in other words, a hereditary illness.

Also, there are actually various types of Anxiety depression, each having its own unique characteristics. Take for example Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD, this kind of Anxiety depression is a lot more complicated than the average Anxiety depression, in spite of possibly being a day-to-day habit for those who suffer this kind of Anxiety depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder actually makes the individual quite more paranoid than usual, anxiety attacks are more frequent, even absurd at times. They can even be anxious even when there's no apparent reason that calls for them to behave in such a way. People suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder actually shows a lot of symptoms, from lack of sleep, to being unable to relax, getting tired easily, cannot concentrate on what they're doing and even suffering from depression.  This kind of Anxiety depression is still curable; just a little work will actually do the trick.

Consult a reputable cognitive behavior therapist who'll help give the individual the therapy that he or she needs to help him or her loosen up, also prescribed medicines are sort of a must to help these individuals battle anxiety attacks, help them calm down and relax.

Wives Tales and Pregnancy

It's all great to hear advice during your pregnancy, especially unwelcome advice. I'm sure you've been told by one person or another how to live. Am I right? It only gets worse the further along in your pregnancy you are. Someone will want to tell you that you shouldn't bend, or walk a certain way, not to pick up a baby in case you hurt the one in your stomach or put yourself in labor. As the pregnancy gets closer to the due date you'll be told many different home remedies of how to put yourself in labor. Got a headache?  Someone can tell you exactly what to drink to get rid of it without any medication, remember it is important to ask a doctor before trying to take something you've never tried before doing it.  But the most fun I have during the course of the 9-10 months stretch is hearing all the wives tales, also known as myths. 

I'm pretty sure you aren't going to even care at this point what sex the baby is, all you want is for the morning sickness to stop. You may even be counting down the days until the first trimester is over.  Chances are if you morning sickness someone is bound to tell you what sex of the baby is.  One wives tale is if you are having severe morning sickness is a sign you are having a girl.

Here's a wives tale that is a lot of fun and you can test it on everyone in your household. Take a thin piece of string or your hair, slide your ring down it, hold it above your belly and let the ring dangle above it. If the rings spins in a circle it is a boy, but if it goes from one side to the other, it is a girl.  Once you've tried it out on your tummy, get someone in your house and do it above their hand. Does the ring spin in a circle above your husband's hand? Hmm, is it really and old wives tale or is there really something to it?

Many women claim to suffer from bouts of heartburn during the pregnancy, according to the old wives tell this would mean your baby will be born with a head full of hair. 

Right before the end of your first trimester your doctor will listen to your baby's heart rate, this is to make sure the baby is doing alright.  The wives tale goes, if the heart rate is high it is a girl and a low one is a boy.  

Ever have someone tell you that you are carrying high or low and wonder what that really means? Basically if you are carrying your baby low it is closer to your abdomen, a high baby is closer to your chest.  Look at yourself in the mirror. How is your baby sitting?  The old tale says that if you are carrying high it is a girl, carrying low is a boy.

Wives tales can be a lot of fun but keep in mind these aren’t fact. Don’t go preparing your child’s room just because one of these told you, you were going to have a girl. 

Pregnancy’s Beautiful Stretch Marks

The minute you find out you are pregnant you know things are going to be changing, from your waist size to those little stretch marks that pop up. Stretch marks are exactly that, red or purple marks left in your skin because it has stretched. The most common areas for it to appear is the buttocks, thighs, stomach, breasts and even arms. 90 percent of all pregnant women will get them, whether they get a lot or a few depends on the body and how they are preventing them. 

There are a ton of lotions out there that claim to help prevent stretch marks, such as scar serum, cocoa butter or Maderma. Make sure your skin is always moist, this helps in stretching the skin and not tearing it.  There are new discoveries every day, ask your doctor what he/she recommends.  Try them out yourself first and see if they work for you. This isn’t something you just put on one time during your pregnancy, you’ll have to make this a daily effort in order for it to work. That’s where most women fail, they just stop doing it. 

During your pregnancy try to eat healthy and stay in shape. This can help to keep off any access weight. The recommended weight gain for the average, 25-35 healthy pregnancy is 25-35 pounds. Make sure you drink plenty of water, staying hydrated helps keep the skin healthy. The moment your skin dries out you can begin getting stretch marks. 

If you’ve had one or more children your chances of getting more stretch marks will increase. Your skin has already been stretched out and you are about to do it again. Large babies and multiple babies can increase your chances of getting stretch marks too. Begin using preventing creams and lotions with vitamins A and E in them, as soon as you find out your are pregnant and try to lessen your chances of getting them. 

After the pregnancy if you have any stretch marks you may still have a few stretch marks, even after all the care you took. These do fade over time, so don’t worry about the way you look.  If they are unbearable to you and you’ve waited a while, you can choose to have a tummy tuck or laser removal. Make an appointment with a dermatologist to see what he/she has to tell you. You may discover that you can live with them after all. 

Besides caring for your skin daily and eating right, there isn’t much you can do to prevent these beautiful pregnancy marks, however this doesn’t mean you don’t have to try. Take comfort in knowing that half the woman you know that have been pregnant probably have a mark or two, they may even have a little road map. Think about it as you’ve just been initiated into the gang of motherhood. No woman should ever feel ashamed of her stretch marks, they may not be the prettiest thing in the world but they do represent one thing…your child. Remember that the next time you are getting disgusted by them. 

Preparing the kids for Pregnancy

The moment you find out your pregnant you want to tell everyone, including your kids. The way you tell your child depends on their age, an older child will understand what it means when you tell them you are pregnant or that they are going to be a brother or sister soon. However, a toddler is a little bit harder to explain this too. 

Think about your child’s personality when it comes time to tell them. You know your child best. They may enjoy being sent little clues like you did with daddy, or they may just want you to tell them straight out.  You could get lucky and have them walk in the room while you are announcing it. This happened to me when I was expecting child number four. I had just walked out of the bathroom waving the wand in the air to show my husband. I had no clue that my kids had walked into the room until I heard them screeching I was pregnant. Oops. 

Their Reactions

Don’t be shocked if at first your child acts distant, many children will respond to the news in their own way. One of your children may even start to pretend to be pregnant right along with you, mimicking everything you do. While another child may tell you they don’t want you to bring home a new baby. These are all common reactions to the news, the way you handle it will determine the outcome. 

If your child seems reluctant to want another child in the home you may want to find out why. The only way to find out what’s bugging him/her is to ask.  Maybe they are just scared that you are going to stop loving them, or that everyone will forget about him/her when the baby is born. 

Showing them They are Important too

A good way to do this is to make sure they get something the moment the baby is born, some have had the doctors give the sibling their own baby doll when their sibling was born. Try reading children’s books with them to show them that it’ll be a good thing. Dad can always spend some one on one time with them.   

Involving Your Child in the Pregnancy

This is their baby too, have your children accompany you to a few of the doctor visits. Let them hear the heartbeat of their little sister or brother. Watch their faces light up when they see the baby for the first time on the screen. There are many ways you can involve them, you can encourage them to help you decide on a name. Try letting them feel the baby kick for the first time by placing their hand on your swollen belly. 

It’s easy to prepare the siblings for your new arrival as long as you involve them in the pregnancy along the way. They’ll be happy to be part of it and feel more of a connection to the baby when he/she is born. 

Staying Fit During Your Pregnancy

Keeping fit during your pregnancy is great for you, not only will it help you keep your body toned but it also can help when it comes time to push that baby out. Every pregnant woman wants to be able to go back to her pre-pregnancy weight after the baby is born, but the only way to do that is to make sure you can. By excising or working out every day you are making sure you don’t add fat to your body.  During labor it’ll be much easier to push the baby if you’ve been strengthening your leg and stomach muscles. Who knows, it may even make labor a little bit shorter.  Isn’t that what we all want?

Plus when you are tired and just feeling a little blue, just by exercising you actually increase your energy.

Here are a few quick things you can do to stay fit during pregnancy, without really having to break out a sweat. I’m sure by now you’ve heard of yoga, this is a very good thing for you to practice, especially if you haven’t always been in the best of shape. Not to worry, there are beginning levels here, you don’t have to jump into the human pretzel right away. Try purchasing a set of small weights that you can use throughout the house, like hand weights or wrist weights that can use while walking. Instead of just laying on the couch while you rest you can be lifting small weights.

Get a chair and try doing a couple crunches, 5 to 10 in the beginning to make sure you don’t pull anything. Don’t worry you can always add to it as the weeks go on.

Try running, walking or jogging outside. Not only will this boost up your energy but it’ll also help get your spirits up, especially if you’ve been inside all day. Remember, if you are going for a walk to always bring a drink with you. You don’t want to dehydrate out there. Always make sure that you are wearing comfortable shoes, before you leave the house. If you didn’t always run, ask your doctor if you can. Sometimes a doctor may suggest you walk around the block at first and increase it from there, if you didn’t always do it before you were pregnant.

If you can you may want to try going for a swim or try bicycling. However, if you find that you are accident prone you may want to stay away from the bike.  A bike accident is something that can easily happen, even when you’ve always road a bike. Swimming can help you relax and stay cool. Take a dip in the pool near you, they may even have a swim class for pregnant women in your area. This would be a great way to meet other moms.

Whenever you are doing exercises, make sure you aren’t overdoing it. If you believe you could be stop immediately and take a break. You never want to do anything that’ll harm the pregnancy.

Concerns During Pregnancy

There is nothing more stressful than to have something go wrong during pregnancy. It doesn’t matter if it is your first time being pregnant or your fourth. There are many things to be concerned about during your pregnancy and it is easier when you know what they are. 

Vaginal bleeding- This may also known as spotting, but make sure that is what is going on. There is a difference between actively bleeding and spotting. Spotting is lightly bleeding kind of like your period, the blood can be red, pink or even brown. If you are bleeding actively with any pain call your doctor, if you can’t get a hold of him go immediately to the emergency room. Bleeding can be a number of things from implantation, ectopic pregnancy, labor, infection or even miscarriage. Always let your doctor know, so everything can be ruled out, you’ll feel better too. 

Stomach pain or cramping- During the pregnancy it may be hard to decipher the difference between a growing pain and an actual stomach pain/cramping. However, if you do get a pain of any sort rest. After a few minutes if it doesn’t subside, call your doctor and describe the pain to him. Don’t worry about it if you find out you only had gas or were having Braxton hicks contractions, at least you know everything is okay with pregnancy. 

Gush of liquid- This could mean you are in labor and that your water broke, however if it isn’t close to the time of birth it can be something else. Call your doctor immediately and head for the emergency room. 

Dehydration-  While you are pregnant it is easy to become dehydrated, especially if you have morning sickness or just don’t drink those 8 glasses of water. If you find yourself pale, dry mouth or dizzy, you could be dehydrated and should be seen by a doctor. Dehydration can cause premature labor and/or distress on the pregnancy. 

Painful urination - Could be a urinary tract infection, also known as UTI. This can be easily treated with medication or by drinking lots of fluids and cranberry juice. A urinary tract infection isn’t something to be embarrassed about, it is very common amongst pregnant women. The growing belly pushes against your ureters and makes it harder for it to flow through. Which of course can cause infection. Another way to find out if you have it is if you have a foul odor when you pee. 

Pregnancies can be scary enough, there’s no reason to add to it. If you are ever in doubt or have a concern talk with your doctor. It is common that first time moms are worried about many pains that they feel.  Never fear calling because you are afraid of waking the doctor up or because you feel silly. Being silly might just save the baby. While you are worrying, you are only causing stress on you and the baby, find out what’s wrong and relieve your anxiety.