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It can be tough to deal with baby heartburn because babies are so small and they are not able to rely on the regular treatments that adults can. The problem is that baby heartburn is actually quite a common condition. Acid reflux and heartburn in babies is not unusual because babies are so small and have such tiny stomachs.

The reason that babies so often get heartburn, acid reflux and similar conditions is because their little stomachs are so sensitive.

Sign and Symptoms of Baby Heartburn
Parents need to remember that it can be hard to even learn that the baby has heartburn in the first place. It is important to have an eye out for the symptoms of baby heartburn and these are typically the same as those in an adult.

That includes regurgitation and a painful burning sensation in the chest. Of course it can often be hard to tell what is wrong with the baby because at this age they are not able to talk and explain what it is that is bothering them.

Dealing With Baby Heartburn
Parents will usually be able to recognize baby heartburn because they will see that their baby is in discomfort. Taking the child into a doctor will be important because they can talk with the doctor and a proper assessment will be made on the child. Because baby heartburn and acid reflux are so common this is probably one of the first things that the doctor will suspect is the issue here. Baby heartburn is usually very easy to treat but of course the regular treatments that adults with heartburn rely on cannot be used on babies.

The doctor will make a diagnosis and will then begin offering ideas to the parent of what they can do to help. It is more important than anything to be safe when dealing with baby heartburn. Lifestyle changes are the best bet in most cases. One of the best things a parent can do is change the feeding time for their baby and gives them smaller, more frequent meals.

They should also try to keep the child’s head elevated when they are going to sleep at night. cause allergies and be too heavy on a baby’s stomach. Smoking around baby can also cause heartburn as well as a number of other health problems and so of course this should be avoided. These are all great tips that can help parents to offer relief to their baby if they are dealing with any heartburn.

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Hypothyroidism disease is a condition due to underactive thyroid gland. There is a decrease in the production of thyroid hormones, which slows down the body functions.
More than 15% of older people have some degree of hypothyroidism. Women are affected about twice as often as men.



Hypothyroidism Causes
* In many people, a specific cause cannot be found
* Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (the most common specific cause of hypothyroidism) – the thyroid gland may enlarge initially but as the disease progresses, it will damage the thyroid gland resulting in hypothyroidism.
* Drugs eg. those used to treat overactivity of the thyroid gland, lithium (used to treat mental illness) and amiodarone (used to treat heart disease)
* Previous surgical removal of the thyroid gland
* Previous thyroid radiation
* Disorders of the hypothalamus or pituitary gland (these are rare causes).

Symptoms of hypothyroidism
Elderly patients have significantly fewer symptoms of hypothyroidism than do younger adults and complaints are often subtle and vague.

* Sensitivity to cold
* Constipation
* Weight gain
* Feeling tired
* Dry and coarse skin, puffy face and swelling especially around the eyes.
* Depressed mood
* Muscles and joints may be painful or weak, which can interfere with the ability to walk.
* Non-specific symptoms eg. confusion, loss of appetite, weight loss, falling, incontinence, and decreased mobility
* Coma (or lost of consciousness) if severe and can be fatal

The term subclinical hypothyroidism implies that the patient has no symptoms of hypothyroidism and it can only be diagnosed by blood tests.

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Guest Post by : Sheryl Pantig
It is important to know the condition of your blood pressure as often as you can by reading blood pressure charts. Especially for those who are already suffering from hypertension, constant monitoring is important and you will need all the numbers that you can get for more accurate approach.

So what’s next after you get all of those readings? You have to turn them into useful information about your body condition. You will need a blood pressure charts to do this. Measuring your blood pressure accurately is one thing but making sense of the numbers you get is another thing.

A blood pressure charts comes in many forms but basically, it shows you the ranges of blood pressure readings that are classified accordingly. It also allows you to record you actual readings so that you can compare them to the standard readings. Then you’ll be able to come up with the meanings for your readings and identify the necessary steps to be taken to improve any abnormalities in your blood pressure.

It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with blood pressure readings and the blood pressure charts since they come hand in hand.  Once you have been given your readings, you will want to check your blood pressure chart. Some preventive measures will be based after getting the average reading for a certain period and so will need more than one measurement just be sure.

A normal blood pressure is measured to be 120/80. This means that the person should just maintain his normal lifestyle and be aware of any sudden increase or decrease in his blood pressure while regulating his diet and daily routines. The main point is to keep your blood pressure as close to the normal reading as possible. Any reading that is too low, say 90/60 or less would mean that you have a low blood pressure and you have to get more nourishment from healthy foods.

Having a low blood pressure is a clear sign of malnourishment and people suffering from this condition often faint a lot. Since we have normal blood pressure, there is what we call ideal blood pressure which is measured to be in the range 91/61 to 119/79. Anything within this range is perfect and should be maintained.

Now let’s go to serious cases. If you found your readings to be in the range 120/80 to 140/90, it is still considered tolerable but you have to lower it back to the ideal level. Any reading that is 140/90 or higher in a span of two weeks or more means that you may already be suffering from high blood pressure. More changes in your lifestyle are needed for these cases and people involved should be more responsible in monitoring their blood pressure levels regularly to avoid complications.

A blood pressure charts helps you maintain and regulate your blood pressure. All you have to keep in mind to be familiar is that you have to maintain it to the ideal 91/61 to 119/79 and you’ll be safe from all the risks.

About The Author:
Sheryl Pantig writes articles on Blood Pressure and Blood Pressure Charts. She’s an advocate of health awareness and early prevention. To know more about Blood Pressure Charts, you’re welcome to visit our site.

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Make safety a key concern when planning exercise in your workplace.  An accident or injury won’t “sell” the health promotion program and might end up costing the business. This section will help you take the necessary steps to avoid an accident or injury.

Points to Consider

Using Qualified Professionals

Hire specialistly licensed instructors to lead fitness courses (whether on or offsite) or to run workplace lunch and learn sessions. It’s also a good idea to ask the instructor for references.

When you hire instructors, make sure that your insurance protects both the instructor and your organization.

Risk Management

Whether or not we like it or not, liability is an issue these days.

Risk management plans do not have to be complicated or expensive. for example, part of the plan might require that workers complete fitness appraisals and sign statements accepting the possible risks involved in physical activity.

It compensates to be prepared. Safety and emergency policies and procedures reduce the risk of loss both to person and to your organization.

Ask staff members to sign a waiver when participating in both onsite and offsite activities. for liability reasons, staff members must understand the risks involved in participating in the activity and understand that they are waiving their right to sue.

The staff member should not be asked to sign the waiver just before the activity.  The waiver could  be invalid when staff claim that they did not fully understand the risks.

Other Safety Tips

Here’s a list of some other safety tips to rememberwhen planning physical activity.

Look at the environment where staff members are active -

o  Sidewalks must be clear of ice and snow, away from falling debris or snow, and have clearly marked curbs and safe crosswalks.

o  Stairwells should be well-lit and in good condition and have handrails and safety features, so that personnel are not locked out of floors.

o  Fitness facilities should have proper flooring, good ventilation, and access to water and an emergency telephone.

Make available medical screening for personnel participating in activities -

o  PAR-Q

o  PAR-MEDX for Pregnancy

Following are some other important safety factors -

o  First-aid kit and automated external defibrillator on site.

o  Emergency Action Plan (EAP) in place and practised.

o  Commercial grade fitness equipment (not donated, “hand me down” equipment).

o  Documented equipment inspection and maintenance schedule.

o  Orientation of equipment and health promotion programs done by licensed expert with a exercise background.

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With all of the various fitness personalities and vast numbers of aerobic activity videos and programs featuring low-intensity workouts claiming to maximize fat burning, it’s no wonder that you’re second guessing your workout regimen.

The argument behind this supposed theory is that low-intensity aerobic training allows your body to use more fat as an energy source as opposed to energy from carbohydrates, accelerating the loss of body fat.

There’s a difference in the percentage of calories utilized from fat versus carbohydrates, depending upon the level of exercise intensity.

People expend around 60% of their calories from fat based caloric reserves while performing low-intensity exercise. This number decreases to 35% when performing high-intensity exercise.

Notwithstanding, individuals will still utilize more overall calories and total calories from fat when exercising at a high intensity level than at a low intensity level for the same time.

Having said this, your body doesn’t burn all of the available calories from carbohydrates and then move on to burning calories from fat. Your body utilizes both at the same time.

The suggested order for completing a workout needs to consist of a short warm-up, some weight training, a cardio aspect, and a brief cool-down.

The warm-up and cool-down can include stretching, cardio, or both. When you do the cardio portion of your workout simply depends upon when you wish to have either more energy or pre-fatigue your muscles for your resistance training.

For  instance, you can do a bit of cardio to warm-up the muscles, do your resistance training, and then complete a more strenuous cardio portion, cooling down at the end with some stretching.

On the other hand, you are able to do all of your cardio at the starting of your workout session to pre-fatigue your muscles, do your weight training, and then cool-down with stretching.

For a more personalized consultation, you could want to consult with a certified fitness trainer at your gym concerning the latest in fitness research and on the best program design for what you’re attempting to accomplish in the gym

Bottom line – if you’re exercising, including warming up at the starting and cooling down at the end with some stretching, the order of your cardio and resistance training in between does not really matter.

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Aerobic Exercises

Aerobic exercises are important for your health. These activities include brisk walking, bicycling, swimming or dancing. Other activities you can do include playing with your kids or your grandchildren, doing housework or working in the garden.

If you are not active, begin gradually.  The goal is at least 30-minutes of activity most days of the week, but you can split that into several parts. For example, you can take three 10-minute walks during the day. Slowly increase how often and the amount of time and the intensity of your exercise.

•  Find an activity that you enjoy.

•  Attempt to alternate the types of activities you do. Walk one day and go dancing the next.

•  Invite a friend or your spouse to join you.

•  If exercising outdoors, be careful when it’s very warm or very cold.

Strength and Balance Activities

Activities that improve your strength and balance are also important and have health benefits. These activities help build strong muscles and bones and might prevent falls.

Do strength and exercises for all major muscle groups week 2-3 days a week. Do not do strength exercises on the same muscle groups (e.g., arms, legs, and trunk) two days in a row. Muscles need at least a day to recover from strength activities. This will help to avoid injury and soreness. Be sure to warm-up, cool-down, and stretch whenever you are active.

For additional information on specific strength activities see MOVE. Handout P32 “Sample Strength Activity Plan for Beginners” at www.move.va.gov.  

Stretching Activities

Stretching activities help increase your flexibility. They can also make everyday activities like bending to tie you shoes easier. Stretching exercises can also help as you recover from an injury. They might even prevent an injury from happening. Stretch in both directions. If you stretch to the left don’t forget to stretch to the right.

Stretch gradually and smoothly.

Stretch to a point where you place mild, but not painful, stretch on the muscles. When you repeat the stretch, you must be able to go a little further without pain.

Hold each stretch for 10-30 seconds. Repeat each stretch 3-5 times. Breathe slowly in and out without holding your breath.

When a stretch causes too much pain, stop doing it, or do it more gently. Listen to your body.

When you’ve questions about physical activity, talk with your healthcare team.

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Handwashing

Simple handwashing is one of the easiest and most effective methods of preventing the spread of infection.

When we forget to wash our hands, or do not wash our hands correctly, we can spread these germs to other individuals . Washing your hands correctly and frequently is the first step toward staying healthful and can help us avoid spreading and receiving germs.

How?

How you wash your hands is just as important as when you wash them, specifically when it comes to eliminating germs. Just rinsing hands quickly isn’t enough. Follow these steps when you wash your hands

1. WET your hands with warm water.

2. APPLY plenty of SOAP.

3. SCRUB your hands together vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Wash the front and back of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails. Scrubbing your hands together loosens germs and dirt and permits them to be washed away.

4. RINSE your hands.

5. DRY your hands with a paper towel.

6. TURN OFF THE WATER with a paper towel.  

How do you know you’ve scrubbed your hands for 20 seconds?  

Attempt singing “Happy Birthday” to yourself twice while washing your hands.

Plain soap and water are best!  You do not need to use antibacterial soaps, regular soap and water will kill up to 99.9 percent of common germs on your hands.  If you do not have soap and water available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

When?

o  Before, during, and after you prepare food — particularly raw meat, poultry, seafood products, eggs, and fresh produce

o  Before you eat

o  Before and after changing a baby’s diaper

o  After you use the bathroom

o  After handling animals or animal waste

o  After sneezing, coughing, or using a handkerchief or tissue

o  After touching any part of the body

o  After handling garbage or trash

o  Whenever your hands are dirty

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Worksite medical screenings can take a variety of forms. Common screening components might include -

o  Blood pressure and heart rate.

o  Cholesterol (typically a finger-stick sum cholesterol test, either fasting or non-fasting).

o  Blood glucose (diabetes screening).

o  Height and weight.

o  Percent body fat and/or Body Mass Index (Body Mass Index).

o  Fitness level.

o  Bone density.

o  Posture assessment.

Considerations when offering workplace screenings -

o  Medical testings should be conducted by qualified, and at times, qualified individuals.

o  Medical screenings must be conducted in a location that authorizes for privacy and confidentiality.

o  Time for discussion and explanation screening results should be permitted as part of the screening process.

o  A process must be in place for referral for participants whose results are indicative of a need for further medical analysis.

o  Screenings could be very costly to the overall wellness budget OR there might  be no cost to the wellness program when participants are willing to cover the cost of the assessment themselves.

For example, cholesterol and glucose testing generally costs twenty to twenty-five dollars per individuals, per exam. Employees could  be willing to pay for screening in exchange for the convenience of having the screening at work.

o  It normally works best to have scheduled appointments at intervals sufficient to allow time for the assessment and a brief discussion of results. Thus, a registration and scheduling process must be devised.

o  Some types of screening, such as fitness testing, require participants to bring casual clothes in which to do the testing. Workers ought to be notified of the need to dress in a specific manner for the screening.

o  To ensure high attendance at screening events, it’s advisable to coordinate promotion of the event with reminders to workers.

o  Supply staff members with “screening preparation” guidelines to remind them how to prepare for the most exact screening results.

Resources for workplace screenings -

1. Talk with a wellness consultant or biometric screening corporation.

2. If staff member participation is low for onsite Healthy Benefits screenings, or when offering additional worksite screening is an choice, check with the community health or outreach department of your local hospital, health education department, occupational health department or worksite health department as to screenings they might offer.

3. Local health clubs might also have certified staff for some kinds of screenings, such as fitness testing or body fat assessment.

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Nearly all  athletes wonder whether they should eat before, during, and/or after their workouts and which foods are best to eat at which times.

Research studies show that snacking on carbohydrates and staying hydrated during an extended workout (an hour or more of vigorous exercise) might keep athletes energized and prevent fatigue.

Additionally, rememberthat carbohydrates are the brain’s major source of energy – keeping brain well-fed can help you think obviously, focus on the game, and maximize your performance potential.

Our bodies are able to change rates of nutrient breakdown based on the body’s energy demands (e.g., when we shift from mild exercise/stretching to more strenuous exercise).

But, depending on body type, gender, age, type of exercise, and other factors, the body can only absorb a maximum of about 1.0 to 1.5 grams of carbohydrate per minute.

That means that consuming more than about 60 to 75 grams of carbohydrate per hour while working out will not benefit you, and it could even cause you to feel sluggish or to have an upset stomach.

A banana is a excellent source of carbohydrate, as well as potassium, folate, and other nutrients.

An average-sized banana is about 35 grams, so you can figure that your body will be able to digest that banana and get those nutrients to your working muscles within 25 to 35 minutes after consuming it.

You could not experience a surge of energy, but following your coach’s suggestion may help you to stave off fatigue through the second half of your soccer games.

Lots of foods and drinks (not just bananas) make great snacks that help you maintain your energy without upsetting your stomach.

If you’d rather to take in calories in a liquid form during a game, you could want to try sports drinks or 100 percent fruit juice at half-time. Or, you could prefer denser energy sources like energy bars.

Either way, the best way to determine what snacks will help you to perform at the top of your game is to experiment with different foods and drinks.

Experimenting with new snacks must be done at practice, not on game days – you won’t want to find out in the middle of a game that your new half-time snack actually makes you feel sick!

For additional information, including specific food suggestions, take a look at Is it better to eat before or after exercise?.

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What is alcoholism?

Alcoholism or alcohol dependence is a disease that has four main features. These are –  

•  Craving or a strong need to drink alcohol.

•  Loss of control or not being able to stop drinking once you have started.

•  Physical dependence on alcohol which is having withdrawal symptoms after you stop drinking.

•  Tolerance or the need to drink more to more to get the same effect.

Is alcoholism a disease?

Yes. Alcoholism is a chronic illness. It lasts a lifetime.

Are you able to inherit alcoholism?

The risk for developing alcoholism does run in families. Certain genes can put you at risk. Your lifestyle might also put you at risk. This includes having friends who drink, having a excellent deal of stress in your life and alcohol being available. All these might increase your risk of developing an alcohol problem.

Can alcoholism be cured?

No. Alcoholism is a chronic disease. an alcoholic can stop drinking and be in recovery, but have a relapse and begin to drink. It is important that an alcoholic not drink.  

Can alcoholism be treated?

Yes. Treatment may use both counseling and medications to help a individuals stop drinking. Most alcoholics need help to manage their disease. Support and treatment helps many individuals  to stop drinking and rebuild their lives.

What when you think a family member is drinking too much?

Talk to your health care team about getting help for yourself and your loved one. There are support groups available for family members. These include Al-anon for adults and Alateen for teenagers.

Does alcohol affect everyone in the same way?

No. Alcohol can affect women and older adults differently compared to men or younger adults. Women feel the effects of alcohol more compared to men. Aging slows the body’s ability to break down alcohol. For older adults this means that alcohol stays in the system longer. For anybody, taking medicines and drinking alcohol may be dangerous.

How can a person get help for an alcohol problem?

There are many ways to get help.

•  Consult with your healthcare team about getting help.

•  Groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous can help.

•  Be sure to check in your community for your local alcohol/substance abuse information center.             

•  Veterans ought to contact their local VA to get help.             

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