Cancer, 10 early warning signs you cannot ignore

If you have one of the following symptoms, be sure to consult your doctor.  Let them know what you have noticed, even if you are not concerned by it. Chances are it is nothing to worry about, but it is better to play safe. And it is important for your overall health to get to the bottom of it.

• New lumps or growths on your skin
• A sore or bruise that does not heal
• A mole that changes in shape, size or color or bleeds in unusual circumstances
• An ongoing cough or hoarseness that last longer than three weeks
• Indigestion or difficulty in swallowing
• A change in bowel or bladder habits for no good reason
• Shortness of breath
• Loss of appetite
• Unexplained weight loss or tiredness
• Blood anywhere it normally should not be – in urine, bowel motions, or from spitting

Treatment works best when cancer is found early—while it’s still small and is less likely to have spread to other parts of the body. This often means a better chance for a cure, especially if the cancer can be removed with surgery.

10 tips to get out of depression, fight depression

It’s normal to lose interest in life when you are depressed, but keeping up some favorite activities will help you feel better in time. Enlist the help of family and friends to help you get through the rough patches.

Here are some tips to help you cope with your depression.

1. Continue to do activities you've enjoyed in the past. This is important, even if you don’t enjoy them right now.

2. Do your best to stay active every day. Studies show that regular exercise may be as effective as medication in relieving mild depression.

3. Know your triggers and risk factors. Common causes of depression include loneliness, painful life events, chronic stress and chronic pain.

4. Try to keep up with friends. People who are depressed usually shun other people, but isolation and feelings of loneliness can make depression worse.

5. Keep up a routine. Get up at the same time every morning and avoid naps during the day. Too much or too little sleep will make you feel worse.

6. Try to control your worrying habit. Avoid dwelling on negative thoughts and feelings. Instead, focus on realistic thoughts and talk through your concerns.

7. Schedule regular time to relax. People who are depressed often feel agitated and unsettled. Try meditation, exercise or making time for hobbies – whichever works best for you.

8. Don’t self-medicate with alcohol or drugs. Substance misuse causes a wide range of problems and will also make you feel worse in the long run.

9. Seek out support. Tell trusted friends, family members and colleagues what you are going through.

10. See your doctor. If depressed feelings persist despite your efforts, always seek professional help.

Neck Pain causes and effective treatments

The neck, with its intricate structure and wide range of mobility, is particularly vulnerable to stress and strain. The head, which weighs between 10 and 20 pounds, is supported by a stack of seven small bones called vertebrae and held in place by 32 complex muscles. Neck pain is a serious problem that can limit your ability to perform normal, everyday tasks. It can cause you to lose range of motion in your neck, and it may also be a source of pain in your shoulder, arm, or hand.

Causes of Neck Pain

There are many different causes of neck pain. Occasionally, poor sitting posture puts the neck in an awkward position and causes pain. Wear and tear from arthritis or disc problems may also be a cause of your neck pain. Some neck pain is the result of injury and is called whiplash, but the vast majority of neck pain is due to simple muscle tension.

The pain that comes from your neck may be felt in different locations, which can make your condition confusing and difficult to treat. Do not panic if you experience pain in your neck. Oftentimes neck pain gets better in few days, and in many cases the pain subsides greatly in four to six weeks. When pain strikes, gentle neck exercises may be beneficial, and heat or ice can also help control symptoms. If symptoms persist, visit your doctor to see if a prescription medication will help your condition. Physical therapy helps a great deal in lessening the pain.

Exercise can be your main tool in the treatment of neck pain. Your physical therapist may prescribe specific exercises to help you improve the Range Of Motion of your neck.  Few treatment options are:

•         Traction
•          Postural Correction
•          Joint Mobilizations
•          Massage.
•          Therapeutic modalities

Heat and ice are also treatments that may be used to help relax muscles and to decrease inflammation. Invasive treatments like spinal injections may be an option if pain doesn’t subside within weeks of therapy and medication. If the damage in your neck that's causing your pain is severe, you may require neck surgery to help eliminate the pain.

Best positions for better sleeping

Getting enough sleep is the most important thing but sleeping in the correct position also is important.  The eight common sleeping positions are described below.

1. On Your Back, Arms at Sides
Sleeping on your back with your arms at your side is generally considered to be the best sleeping position for spine health and it’s good for your neck, too.
2. On Your Back, Arms Up
Whether you have your arms up around your pillow or not, sleeping on your back may also help to prevent facial wrinkles and skin breakouts. Plus, having your arms up can put pressure on nerves in your shoulders, leading to pain.
3. Face Down
Sleeping on your stomach can improve digestion but unless you’ve developed a way to breathe through your pillow, it most likely leads to you tilting your face in one direction or the other.
4. Fetal Position
Sleeping all curled up into a ball with your knees drawn up and your chin tilted down might be comfortable but it’s probably one of the worst sleeping positions to consider as it can do a number on your back and neck.

5. On Side, Arms at Sides
When you’re sleeping on your side with both arms down, the spine is best supported in its natural curve. This can definitely help reduce back and neck pain while also reducing sleep apnea.
6. On Side, Arms Out
This position has many of the same benefits of sleeping on your side with your arms straight down.
7. On the Right Side
If you’re a side-sleeper, which side you sleep on also makes a difference. Sleeping on the right side can worsen heartburn while sleeping on the left side can put strain on internal organs like the liver, lungs, and stomach (while minimizing acid reflux).
8. Pillow-Supplemented
Choosing a proper sleeping position is important but regardless of which sleeping position you prefer, it’s highly likely that you can get a better night’s rest with less pain in the morning by supplementing your body with a pillow.

Feeling sleepy after having lunch, overcome post lunch dip

Do you experience the post lunch dip that makes you feel sleepy after a lunch? Whatever you term it; drowsiness, sleepiness, tiredness, or fatigue, it just makes you stop work & crawl under your desk to get a sleep. This is a natural phenomenon common in people who wants to go to sleep about seven hours after they have awakened.

What happens in the body that it craves rest after lunch?

The circadian rhythm or the 24-hour cycle of the body comes to a resting time after lunch as its 7 -9 hours after being awakened. During afternoon hours this rhythm converges with another physiological cycle called homeostatic that measures the amount of time spent awake and pushes for a rest. Adding the effects of a high carbohydrate food an overpowering desire to sleep may arise.

Does everyone have this issue?

Though there are few people who discard this dip, about 15% to 20% of the populationare hidden nappers. These people prefer to nap in quiet & abandoned spaces like empty rooms, parked cars, etc. They do this because of the unsurpassable urge to sleep.

To overcome the "post lunch dip"

To avoid feeling tired after lunch you need to first make sure you are getting enough sleep. Seven - eight hours is ideal. Secondly, go for a lighter, more nutrient dense lunch that are balanced with fiber-rich carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, legumes or whole grains), protein and healthy fats.

More realistically, a 20-minute long "power nap" can have a rejuvenating effect and is known to increase productivity at work. Some may choose to have caffeinated drinks like coffee to overcome this dip. But responses to caffeine vary, and for some people it can disrupt nighttime sleep.

Another way to push through the dip is to exercise or to simply get up and move around the room. If you need to talk to a colleague at another desk, this could be the ideal time.