GERD – A Pain in the Throat

Writen by Jeff Foster

Persistent heartburn occurring two or more days a week and having lasted for at least three months may be the result of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease otherwise known as GERD, acid reflux disease or simply good old fashioned heartburn, is a bother to many today. GERD occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) fails to remain completely closed. The resulting opening in the lower esophageal sphincter allows acid from the stomach to regurgitate or flow backwards into the esophagus, the tube leading from the throat to the stomach. This regurgitation of stomach acid can cause frequent and persistent heartburn, often lasting two hours or more.

Although many sufferers of persistent heartburn report episodes of GERD occurring at night while lying down, there are others who report more occurrences during the day, especially after eating a large meal or a meal high in acid or fat content. Some gastroenterologists suggest that sleeping with the head of the bed elevated approximately six inches can help to prevent nighttime acid reflux.

Other symptoms associated with GERD include a burning in the back of the throat, chest pain, difficulty swallowing, pain with swallowing, hoarseness, throat irritation, bitter or acidic taste in the mouth or even an inflammation of the throat and esophagus.

It is critical to remember that the chest pain associated with GERD or acid reflux disease can mimic the symptoms of a heart attack. For example, both acid reflux and a heart attack can cause chest pain which may be either sharp or dull and can radiate into the back, the arms and the neck. Ignoring these symptoms is foolish and dangerous. The cause of chest pain must be determined by a physician or healthcare provider. Simply assuming that chest pain is a result of heartburn without confirmation from a professional should never occur.

Smoking, caffeine, hormones, chocolates, peppermint, tight clothing, certain medications, obesity, pregnancy, and even certain body positions have all been identified as GERD triggers. Many of these triggers are avoidable or even controllable making it easier to manage acid reflux disease with lifestyle modifications.

GERD may often be accompanied by a hiatal hernia. Defined as a protrusion of a portion of the stomach through the esophageal hiatus, an opening in the diaphragm, which leads into the chest, a hiatal hernia can certainly contribute to the onset and severity of GERD. A hiatal hernia is thought to allow the lower esophageal sphincter to relax and thereby keep the esophagus from emptying completely. A hiatal hernia may also contribute to esophagitis, an erosion of the lining of the esophagus from excessive stomach acid and gastric enzymes, because of the over exposure of sensitive tissues to stomach acid.

Lifestyle modifications, diet and over the counter medications are generally the first line of treatment offered by healthcare providers once a diagnosis of GERD has been confirmed. However, if the acid reflux cannot be controlled by these methods prescription strength medications may be ordered. Surgical intervention is often viewed as a last resort to manage gastroesophageal reflux disease.

GERD is a disease which can cause long term damage if left untreated. There are non-invasive options available to treat and hopefully eliminate acid reflux before it has a chance to cause long lasting harm.

Ever Wondered What A Seaweed Wrap Is?

Writen by Kim Snyder

With the holiday days coming, you might want to get your body and mind ready by checking out your local spa for a seaweed wrap. And why not? The holidays take out so much on your body that this might be a great new way to relax and unwind. If the thought of a seaweed wrap is new then how about a few facts on the simple but beneficial seaweed wrap. After reading this you might be changing your mind after all.

A seaweed wrap, was created years ago to help with those in need of getting rid of toxins at the spas and maybe loose a few inches at the same time. So why not consider for yourself a seaweed wrap? Seaweed wraps are becoming more popular than ever and after you experience one, you will understand why. Most seaweed wraps are conducted at spas and massage centers, however there are natural recipes that help you in creating the same wrap only at home. Whether you venture to the spa for your first seaweed wrap or choose to enjoy it in your own home, your results will be fantastic.
Ever been curious about why seaweed might be used for a wrap procedure? How about a few facts about the wonders of seaweed? Seaweeds actually provide more than half of the Earth’s oxygen. They are one of the most primary life sources because seaweed has been around since just about the beginning of life on this planet. The interesting thing about seaweed is that it absorbs all of the great things from the ocean. Through osmosis, it absorbs copper, iron, potassium, zinc, and iodine. It also absorbs many vitamins that are healthy for our bodies as well.
It is no wonder that seaweed can do so much for our bodies, because our insides are extremely similar in composition to seawater. With our bodies being made of mostly water, seaweed is a welcoming product for our skin. Our skin can never get too much water. Most wraps use seaweed algae from the Brittany Coast of France. Something about the way it grows in that area of the world. A lot of spas will order the seaweed from France to use in their centers for their own famous seaweed wraps. Companies who sell seaweed for the used in wraps have found a way to maintain the natural elements of the seaweed. It’s those elements that help the wrap do its job.
Most women try seaweed wraps for their relaxation properties. Seaweed wraps are much more useful than simply for the use relaxation. A simple wrap can stimulate your circulation, making your blood flow better. It can also increase your metabolism, allowing you to have more energy and to lose weight more easily. One of the main things a seaweed wrap does for your body is it helps your body get rid of toxins. It is a gentle form of detoxification for your skin and your body. It will help with cellulite, sagging skin, stretch marks, and help you seem to lose a inch or two.

You can think of a seaweed wrap as a total body cleanser. It cleanses both inside and out. The wrap works by absorbing the vitamins and minerals from where it was grown, those same minerals absorbed by your skin and in turn help break up fatty deposits in your body. It will make your skin look and feel supple and smooth.

While at the spa your wrap specialist will ask you to either remove your clothing, or put on a disposable bikini. Now realize that the specialist is going to be smoothing seaweed paste all over your body. Now if you can’t handle the thought of sea paste being painted on then this is not something for you. After the paste is applied, the specialist will then wrap the area with warm thermal sheets. These sheets are very relaxing. You will then relax for up to 45 minutes. The specialist will remove the sheets and you will rinse the seaweed off your body in the shower there at the spa. You should be able to noticed a different in your skin as soon as you dry off.

After receiving seaweed wrap at a spa or if you are thinking about doing it yourself at home, there are a few things you should remember. Since the wrap is removing toxins from your skin, you got to sure to drink extra water for 24 hours before and after your wrap. Drinking water is a great way for your body to replace the toxins with something useful and healthy. Be sure to drink about 4-6 extra glasses to get your body back on track. Not only will drinking more hydrate your body, but it will also allow your skin to stay smooth and supple longer. It’s amazing what water does for you!

If you would rather not try a seaweed wrap on your entire body, you can try localized treatments. If you are only concerned with your hips and thighs, you can get a seaweed wrap for your hips and thighs alone. You can also do a seaweed facial wrap. Anyone thinking of getting a seaweed wrap should consider just doing your face, that way you will know that it is something you could handle all over the rest of your body.

Remember any part of your body can have a seaweed wrap. These treatments will improve the firmness in your skin as well as help you with other problems. Just understand for the best results, salon specialists suggest you get a seaweed wrap once a week for at least six to eight weeks. is can be a bit costly, but after all, beauty is not cheap! Well, at least in this type of treatments it isn’t easy on your pocketbook. So go ahead, try out a seaweed facial wrap and see if this is something that you want to try on the rest of you. As in all things, don’t knock it till you try it!

Copyright 2005 Kim Snyder Owner of Overallbeauty.com Great lover of beauty care and products, never happy without trying to make the world a little prettier for all.
Visit http://Overallbeauty.com to see the latest in beauty products and skin care.
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Antidepressants 101- What You Absolutely Need to Know

Writen by Mansi Aggarwal

Introduction

Change in social and economical states throughout the world although has brought prosperity among the individuals of the world but at a price. It has brought both physical and mental stressors. Now people have to work harder and under mental tensions. Now the depression is prevalent everywhere at office, in transport and also at home. To relieve those stressors people are trying every type of therapy be it drugs or some exercise or some kind of psychotherapy so as to work efficiently.

What is depression?

Depression is basically a pathological change in mood. For being diagnosed as depressed medically one has to have certain well defined symptoms such as early morning awakening, decreased or increased appetite, decreased interest, sense of guilt, etc. continuously for a period of 2 weeks. From the biochemical point of view at the neuronal level it is hypothesized that there is a lack of nor adrenaline and Serotonin at the neuronal nerve endings.

Different types of antidepressants

Modern day antidepressants are classified broadly into nor adrenaline and serotonin reuptake inhibitors, selective serotonin reuptake intake inhibitors and the atypical ones. As stated above, the cause of depression is lack of nor adrenaline and serotonin and hence most of the antidepressants are meant to serve that purpose for e.g. some like imipramine increase the concentration of nor adrenaline and serotonin while selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) like fluoxetine block the uptake and hence increase the concentration of serotonin. The atypical antidepressants like mianserin increase the release of nor adrenaline at the neuronal nerve endings cause the elevation of mood. Extreme forms of depression are associated with suicidal tendencies and they are mostly treated by electro convulsive therapy.

Uses and side effects

The antidepressants are used in major depression and also are sometimes used in enuresis of children. The side effects of the antidepressants are many like dry mouth sedation increased appetite hypotension and convulsions to name only few but the most important of them all are dependence of the patients on these medications and then the drug abuse.

The electro convulsive therapy has the side effect of some impairment in memory hence it is only used in extreme cases.

Other options and their advantages

The other options available in the market are herbal medicines, cognitive psychotherapy, yoga and other alternative medicine. Most of these therapies are based on the age-old system on minimally disrupting the chemical composition of the body but at the same time relieving the subjects of their symptoms. One of the herbal medicines is St. John’s wort. Therapies like yoga and psychotherapy are gaining ground as most the drugs are having their own side effects profile but these have none. Cognitive therapy aims at altering the thought processes of the individual and has beneficial effects not only in depression but also in disorders as varied as panic attacks, bulimia, etc.

From the discussion it is clear that there are a number of options available and what is best for one is not necessarily going to be the best for other and hence the therapy should be customized for individual rather than generalized.

Mansi Gupta writes about Antidepressants topics.

Day Dreamin Now Call ADHD

Writen by Robert Emler

Daydreaming as an occasional way of coping with the difficulties of life, dealing with the difficulties of life, dealing with frustrations, disappointments, and hopes, may be expected as a child approaches the beginning of his school years. But it is the adolescent who is the daydreaming champion. His motionless idleness does not mean that his mind is as slack as his body. He is doing something going somewhere inside that skull of his, and it is a good idea to let him alone to do or to go. For a normal amount of daydreaming is not harmful: it can definitely be constructive. It lets off steam; it broadens a child’s world and permits him to set his own high goals.

But too much of anything is not healthful. If a child daydreams at the expense of playing with friends or getting his schoolwork done, or if the child’s not quite sure which are his daydreams and which are his realities. The child’s probably exceeding a healthy limit of fantasy.

Teachers today are in my opinion the biggest contributor of a child’s ADHD problem. Let me explain my theory on this. Today’s teachers don’t really care about there students there are too many children. So they pick out a few they will help out more then the others and the ones how just can’t get the rite kind of help act out. So they are marked as a problem child. Let me rephrase what I said earlier. It’s not that the teachers don’t care because most of them do. There are too many children for any one teacher to give the help that is needed. This is not the child’s fault but the child suffers, and is put on some drug because he or she couldn’t get the help that was needed.

An over dreamy child is retreating from his or her problems rather than meeting them constructively. Parents and teachers should work together and try to find out what the pressures are on this child, why the child has to have relief, and how relief can be given to the child. Frequently, when school and home give a child their patience and support, and reduce their pressures on him, his daydreaming can be brought back to a more reasonable level.

Exercise Bike Program – How to Lose Weight

Writen by Michael Walker

Your pants are a bit tight, you can’t seem to stop eating junk, and you’re tired all of the time. It’s time to get healthy and lose weight. Combined with a more sensible diet, an exercise bike can help you achieve the results you want.

Ugh, the Diet.

So many people go wrong here. Forget fad diets, forget starvation. Slow and steady wins the race. Try changing one thing about your diet. Limit yourself to one soda a day. Stop skipping meals. If you always clean your plate, start leaving one or two bites. A total change in diet is work. If you go for a radical change, you are setting yourself up for failure. You’ll be surprised how well small changes work.

The Right Bike Determines Your Success

This is a critically important part. There are literally hundreds of exercise bikes available. You have to be honest with yourself to discover the one that will work best for you. If you talk yourself into some fantasy world where your exercise plan is going to work this time even though there’s nothing different, you’re going to be disappointed. If you think ahead, you will buy the right bike for your needs. You will end up with a successful long-term exercise routine.

Think back to your last exercise routine attempt. Why did you stop? Did you suffer an injury? Did you get bored? Was it just too hard to do every day? Was it hard to find the time? Answer these questions truthfully. If you don’t figure out where you went wrong, you won’t be able to come up with a solution.

Avoiding and Working Through Injuries

If an injury caused you to stop working out, how did you sustain your injury? Becoming physically fit is supposed to help you prevent injuries, not cause them. There is an exercise bike for someone who has been injured working out. It’s called a recumbent exercise bike. It’s the kind found in a lot of health clubs. It has a large, bucket seat, and you sit back and low to the ground. It is perfect for people beginning a new exercise routine. It’s also very good for back problems as it forces you to keep good posture. It puts no pressure on your joints, and you can keep working out even if you have minor injuries.

Overcoming Boredom

Did you get bored the last time you tried to workout on a regular basis? If you did, you are likely to get bored again. With exercise bikes, the solution is usually a bike with several different levels and riding programs. You can get bikes with different difficulty levels. This means that when it becomes too easy for you to pedal, you simply move up to the next level instead of having to ride longer (which just isn’t likely to happen for the person who is easily bored). You can also get different programs. Programs give you variety and goals. They make you pedal harder, simulate conquering hills, and even sprinting for short periods.

Riding programs might not be enough for you. You might need a bike that you can hook up to your television that simulates riding through different courses. You can take a leisurely ride through a park or compete with other computer riders on a difficult obstacle course. These bikes might cost more up front, but if you don’t invest in a bike that will let you sustain your workout, you’re wasting money on anything less.

The coolest thing for game addicts who get bored is an interactive bike that plugs into a Sony Playstation or Playstation 2. It makes over 50 games interactive. Whatever is happening on your bike happens on the screen in bike, car, and similar games. There are all types of similar bikes available.

If you plan on listening to music or watching TV while you cycle, be sure to pay attention to features that will make the exercise bike quieter. It’s also a good idea to get a quieter bike if you live with other people. For all you know, your workout time is going to be 5AM or midnight. A quieter bike won’t disturb other people in your home.

Don’t Try to Be Lance Armstrong Yet

People beginning exercise programs are sometimes too ambitious. It’s good to be excited, but you have to remain realistic. If your last exercise program failed because it was just too much work, don’t make the same mistake again. Fight the urge to overdo your first workouts. It is critical to your long-term success that you start out slow. If you go from no exercise at all to 5 to 10 minute exercise bike workouts with little resistance, you are much more likely to avoid injury, soreness, and most of all, early feelings of defeat. If you aim too high – expecting to go from a sedentary lifestyle to 45 minute workouts immediately, for example – you are setting yourself up for failure. When you don’t reach your unattainable goal, it is more likely you’ll quit altogether to alleviate the feeling of failure that much sooner.

The perfect bikes for people who get a bit over-excited are exercise bikes with built in riding programs. You simply start out at the lowest level, and the bike determines your workout. You program in a small goal (10 minutes, 50 calories, or .25 mile) and when you reach that goal, your workout is over.

Finding the Time

You do have time to burn fat and calories on an exercise bike. No matter how intense your schedule is, there are people busier than you who find time to make an exercise routine work. They are not better than you. They don’t have more than 24 hours in a day. They simply figured out how to make it work. You can, too.

It can be as simple as the time of day you chose to workout in the past. There is scientific evidence that people who are “morning people” or “night owls” are physically different. Different people have energy at different times. Think about when you work best. If you wake up without an alarm clock ready to go, you should exercise first thing in the morning. If you are a night owl, you should consider working out at night. You might find that you are one of the people who tire yourself out enough with a night workout to sleep like a baby.

You Can Do This!

Losing weight is not a punishment. You are smart enough to know how to eat a little better and become more active. If you are honest with yourself, you will choose the proper bike. You want to look forward to the workout itself. Don’t get caught up in which bike burns more calories. Find an exercise bike you will enjoy riding. Figure out the time of day that’s best for you to exercise. Make it like getting dressed or bathing – it’s just something you do every day. You don’t have to train for the Tour de France. You just have to get on and do something every day. Ten minutes a day will yield results. Bookmark this article for future motivation, find your exercise bike, and get busy!

Michael Walker is a freelance author providing useful information about stationary bicycles, spinning equipment and portable exercise bikes. His numerous articles offer comprehensive tips and solutions for the fitness enthusiast.

Important Information Regarding Temperomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorder

Writen by Dr Dean Howell

There are many medical conditions individuals are afflicted with these days. Some are more common illnesses whereas others may not be as prevalent as the usual ones. One such medical condition which falls somewhere in between the two rates of occurrence is temperomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ. It is important to highlight some of the general information regarding TMJ such as its true definition, symptoms associated with the disorder and possible remedies for curing an ailment of this type.

Definition of TMJ and Symptoms Associated with TMJ

TMJ can be defined as the inability of the muscles and joints in the jaw to work together accordingly to enable an individual to perform normal and necessary tasks such as chewing food. There are a number of often-cited symptoms which go along with TMJ. These may include headaches, neck pain, craniofacial pain, facial spasms, earaches, clicking of the jaw, grinding of the jaw and mental stress caused by the constant pain which the individual with TMJ experiences on a daily basis. The severity and rate of occurrence of these aches and pains will differ amongst various individuals and may be signs of other medical conditions besides TMJ.

Causes of TMJ

In order to properly treat TMJ, it is first beneficial to know about some of the related causes that go along with a medical condition of this type. Certain causes of TMJ may include teeth clenching habits, teeth grinding habits, malocclusion, trauma to the face and jaw regions and arthritis, just to name a few of the more common ones. Some individuals have experienced only one type of cause or may have fallen prey to more than one of the previously mentioned causes of TMJ. By pinpointing the cause of TMJ in a particular individual, the medical health professional may be that much more likely to prescribe a beneficial treatment to help rid the patient of their TMJ.

Ways to Diagnose TMJ

Individuals who experience some of the symptoms mentioned above may wish to go to their medical health professional to have a concrete diagnose given. As the previously mentioned symptoms can often be related to other illnesses and medical conditions as well, it is important for the individual to have their particular medical issues looked into by a doctor. Once the person experiencing the symptoms has had a consultation with the doctor, the medical professional will then perform certain tests to ascertain if the symptoms are related to TMJ.

The first thing the doctor will do once he sees a patient with symptoms such as these in a consultation is to inquire about each and every symptom and see if they are in correlation with a diagnosis of TMJ. Next the doctor will look at the range of motion of the jaw to see how that fairs. Once both of these things have been completed, the doctor may prescribe radiology imaging of the joint to see what lies beneath. The patient will have to submit to tomography of both the open and closed position of the jaw. The doctor may also pair the tomography with an MRI in order to reach a definitive conclusion with regard to a concrete diagnosis.

Treatment of TMJ

There are a few different treatment methods with regard to treating TMJ. These methods combine both medical and dental resolutions. The patient may be given anti-inflammatory medications for their TMJ. Along with the medications, the patient may be advised to apply hot compresses to the location of the TMJ and told to remain on a soft-food diet for a certain period of time.

Once the medications and compresses have done their duties, the next step is to visit a dental professional to have the jaw-related issues resolved. At the dental professional’s office, the patient may have to have permanent dental corrections performed in order to ensure that the TMJ does not come back again. There are a few different dental treatments for TMJ which include orthodontics work, construction of a removable prosthesis or dental reconstruction. The treatment method which is applied will depend on the diagnosed cause of the TMJ.

Self-Treatment to Alleviate Symptoms of TMJ

There are also self-treatment methods which individuals with TMJ can perform in order to help alleviate their symptoms. Some of these include avoiding hard foods and gum, chewing evenly, preventing oneself from grinding or gritting their teeth, taking aspirin and applying a heating pad to the trouble spot.

Conclusion

TMJ is a medical condition which is not pleasant for individuals who are stricken with a disorder of this type. It is important that an individual who experiences symptoms of TMJ have it properly diagnosed by a health professional and follow medical advice with regard to curing themselves of this irritating problem. Although TMJ can be extremely uncomfortable it is something which can be resolved easier than one may think.

Essential Oil Dilution – Making Essential Oil Suitable For All

Writen by Bryan Josling

Essential oils have gained popularity due to the benefits attached to it. There is no better way than essential oils that can be put to multitasks that too keeping you nearer to nature. Anyone can use essential oil according to his needs. Variety of essential oil is available in the market to satisfy the diverse never-ending needs of people.

Different people use different essential oils as per their need. Sensitivity of skin vary from person to person, you need to stay aware of the fact that essential oil may harm your body if your skin is sensitive. But, no need to fear. Now, you can use essential oil dilution to dilute the concentration of essential oil in case if you have sensitive skin.

Essential oil is made from all natural ingredients so that there are no side effects. Essential oils are quite easy to use and have many benefits attached to it. They are commonly used for easy inhalation, steam inhalation that can help with cold and influenza, massage that helps in toning the body, room freshening, bath and many more.

It is true that pure essential oils are volatile oils and can easily penetrate the skin. Using essential oil may cause skin irritation or sensitivity if not properly diluted in carrier oil or if used in high concentrations. Children and the elderly are especially sensitive are specifically found to be sensitive to neat essential oil.

Essential oil dilution acts as a mode to diminish the strength of essential. People who experience skin sensitivity to even mild essentials oils can choose appropriate essential oil dilution. Whenever you use an essential oil for the first time make sure to test yourself for sensitivity by applying your chosen essential oils in a dilution only to a small skin area before using on a larger area of the body.

Skin sensitivity, type of essential oil used and the degree of results you desire determines the dilution needed in the essential oil. Make sure to take a careful, measured approach when using any essential oil and adjust both the quantity of oil used and the amount of dilution in accordance with the body’s response that will help you make the best use of the benefits of essential oil.

Use of essential oil dilution does not affect the benefits of essential oil in any manner. It is just a means to make essential oil suitable for all even for people with sensitive skin. It is always recommended to buy the essential oil from a trusted source, which serves only pure essential oils to derive essential oil benefits in the best possible manner.

Bryan Josling is working with the Horticultural Research Station in Adelaide. He has also been involved with research on plants. To find Aromatherapy essential oils, Essential oil Dilution, Aromatherapy Massage Oil visit http://www.ndaroma.com

Depression Online Research

Writen by Justin Meyer

The internet gives us access to a lot of information, and the instinct is to go and look for details on your medication, on your symptoms, on anything you can get. It’s all right there waiting for you. Does that mean that you should go search it out, however? Or that it is all correct? What is important is finding legitimate sources for information, and knowing what to do with it.

The first site for you to look at is http://www.crazymeds.org. It is a great site for examining medication. The person who maintains the site has experience with various psychiatric drugs, and he, along with other users, post their own experiences with almost any medication available. That said, most of the information on the site is anecdotal. You will read about side effects that people experienced, and how it helped or hindered them. You may not have the same results.

Yahoo!Health and WebMD should be another place for you to look. Both web sites have spent time developing information to educate on health. However, because neither site focuses solely on mental health, you may have to comb through other areas to find everything that you are looking for.

Beyond those three sites, there are many other websites out there that will give you information. However, knowing which sites are reliable and can be trusted might be difficult to tell. How do you tell which sites should you rely on? Generally, sites that are hosted by professors or departments at universities are sites that you should rely on. These are sites that are verifiable as legitimate. A site that simply has its own domain name does not make it an authority. But no matter what, make sure you bring anything from these sites to your doctor or therapist before acting on the advice.

Learn to alleviate your depression at http://www.curemydepression.com

Belly Button Piercing Facts

Writen by S Cullen

Body piercing is when a needle is put through part of the body and then a foreign object is inserted as jewellery. Eventually, the skin around the jewellery heals and a hole is left. The hole is the piercing. It is perfectly safe when done by professionals who are careful.

DO NOT pierce your own belly button. The piercing needs to be done with a sterilized needle, gloves and other sterilized pieces of equipment.

Belly button piercings may migrate within about five to ten years, and then they will fall out.

Belly piercings take time to heal – approx 4 months to 1 year

Belly piercing is a big decision. The following information will help you make a decision that’s best for you. Make sure you go to a reputable piercer and see your doctor if you have symptoms of an infection!

Which piercing salon to use?

You should ask friends and relatives with piercings where they went and if they liked the place.

Is the salon clean and safe as this can help you keep healthy after getting your piercing, and prevent you from contracting diseases? Is it well lit so the piercer can see well while working? You should feel safe there.

Do they wash their hands and use sterile gloves and instruments? All the instruments should either be brand new and disposable (meant to be thrown away after one use) or be sterilized in pouches. If disposable needles are used, you should see him/her open sealed packages of the needles! The piercer should throw away the needles in a biohazard container after using them. If disposable needles are not used the salon should have sterilization equipment on site, which you should ask to see. If they refuse to show you, go somewhere else.

A piercing gun should not be used (except on ears) because it cannot be sterilized properly. If the salon uses a piercing “gun” to do body piercingsLEAVE!!

Look for a salon that has a large choice of jewellery. The salon should not tell you what kind of jewellery to have.

What kind of jewellery should you buy?

Only jewellery made of a non-corrosive metal, such as: surgical stainless steel is safe when you first have your piercing done. It is least likely to produce a foreign body reaction or infection in the skin. Other choices for when you first have your piercing done are metals like solid gold (at least 18k), titanium, or niobium. All of these cost more than surgical steel. For people who are extremely sensitive to metal, Teflon or nylon piercings may be used. Gold plated jewellery should NOT be used.

Regulations

Since the law is different in each country, you will need to find out what the law in your country says about:

Minimum age for belly piercing
Whether or not you need parental permission to have a piercing
What qualifications and regulations the salon should have and should be displayed

How is it done and does it hurt?

Immediately before piercing, the piercer should wash and dry his or her hands and put on latex gloves. The gloves should be worn at all times during the procedure. If the piercer leaves the procedure and touches something or returns later and you haven’t seen everything he or she has done, ask them to put on new gloves.

An experienced piercer uses a hollow needle to create a hole by passing the needle through the body part you want pierced. The body jewellery is then inserted through the hole. Sometimes there can be a small amount of bleeding. You should not take aspirin or any pain medication that contains aspirin the week before any piercing is done, since these medicines may cause you to bleed a little bit more than usual.

As for the ‘pain’ issue. It’s going to vary from person to person as different people perceive pain in different ways. Everyone has a different tolerance level, so really you just have to experience it for yourself.

The piercer should give you instructions about cleaning, maintenance, etc., if they don’t, ask questions (it’s your body, you deserve to know how to take care of it).

What are the risks?

The most common piercing problem is infection. Infection is quite common and is easily cured with the proper care and attention. Another risk with a piercing is that your body might reject it. If it does, this may cause swelling and pain. If your piercing is causing you a lot of pain or continually gets infected, you may want to remove your piercing and get it re-pierced once it has healed. Infections may be caused by hepatitis, HIV, tetanus, bacteria, and yeast. If the piercer washes their hands and uses gloves and sterile equipment and you take good care of your piercing, the risk of infection is lowered (but still exists).

As with other piercings, the belly button piercing is going to be swollen, red, and have pus. It could be painful. If the piercing does not improve in the next couple of days pull out the piercing. Some bodies do not like piercing. It will not heal properly and it has nothing to do with the piercing itself or the piercer. It has to do with that particular person’s body. The belly button piercing can be rejected by the body.

There is no real danger by the piercing itself, but it is important to take care of it. The dangers are once it is in. The reason is that it is on the front of the body with clothing constantly rubbing against the piercing. People have a tendency to touch the piercing and transfer germs from their fingers to the ring. Once it rotates into the piercing a few bellybuttons can get infected.

Infections caused by bacteria getting into the puncture of the piercing may also happen later, even after the piercing has healed.

Another cause of problems from piercings is the wrong kind of jewellery for the area pierced. If the jewellery is too small, it can actually cut off the blood supply to the tissue, causing swelling and pain. If the jewellery is either too thin or too heavy or if you are allergic to the metal, your body can sometimes reject the jewellery (your body reacts against the jewellery because it is a “foreign object”).

How to take care of the piercing

Clean the piercing at least twice a day until it has healed. This is done by:

Always washing your hands with soap and water (or antibacterial soap) before cleaning
Removing and crusty skin from the piercing and from the jewellery with warm water
Gently washing the piercing with a saline solution (sea salt mixed with water) or antibacterial soap
Gently rinsing the area to remove the solution or soap
Gently drying the area with a paper towel (do not use cloth towels as these may contain bacteria)
Do not over wash or scrub as this can irritate the piercing

Check your jewellery while cleaning it to see if any parts have come loose

Do not use alcohol or peroxide or any other strong solution as this will cause irritation and/or discolour the jewellery

Do not let anyone tough the piercing until it is healed

If you are not cleaning the piercing then do not touch it!!

Avoid taking baths, take showers instead to avoid sitting in bacteria

Do not use hot tubs, swimming pools, lakes, seas as these are breeding grounds for bacteria

Always clean the piercing after exercise or playing sport as bacteria love damp moist spots

Do not use antibacterial cream as these trap bacteria

Always wear clean loose clothing while the piercing is healing to allow the air to circulate around the piercing. Clothing should be made of soft fabric and should not cling or rub the piercing. Avoid jeans, leotards, belts, body suits and tights until the piercing is healed

Change your bed sheets once a week to help avoid infection

Do NOT attempt to change the piercing during the healing process. When you get it pierced ask the piercer how long you need to wait before you can.

Always look out for signs of infection; bad smell, discharge, redness, soreness, swelling, rash around the piercing. If you think you have an infection always go and see your doctor.

Be careful with your piercing – it will take time to heal and for you to get used to it

For hair, fashion and jewellery accessories visit http://www.lady2b.com

Bodybuilding Sins That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts: Part 3

Writen by Jesse Cannone

Welcome to article number 2 in our series “Bodybuilding Sins That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts”. In this article we are going to talk about how bodybuilders tend to create massive muscle imbalances and what you can do to not be one of them.

If you missed the first article, you can read it by clicking on the link below.

Here’s a breakdown of the articles to look for:

1. Article:1 – Choosing The WRONG Exercises
2. Article:2 – Training Variations for Pain Relief and Maximum Results
3. Article:3 – Targeted Stretching
4. Article:4 – Targeted Exercises
5. Article:5 – Rest, Recovery, and Injury Prevention

Article:3 – Targeted Stretching

Stretching can be great, but it can also make existing injuries worse or even bring about new ones!

The key to making stretching work for you is knowing which stretches you need to be working on and just because a muscle feels tight, that doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to be stretched.

For example, many people stretch the hamstrings because they feel tight and they think the hamstrings are limiting their flexibility

the fact is, most of the time the hamstrings are “tight” because they are constantly being pulled / lengthened due to muscle imbalances that tip the pelvis forward.

As you can, when the pelvis tips forward the hamstrings get pulled upward and are constantly held in a stretched position

And this is why millions of people can stretch their hamstrings every freakin day and never make any improvement in their flexibility.

Are you one of those people?

If you are, you need to stop stretching your hamstrings and find out exactly which muscles you need to be targeting by reading the rest of this article

Not only does this forward tipping of the pelvis (which is caused by muscle imbalances) keep the hamstrings tight and make it very difficult to make improvements in the muscles flexibility, but it also leads to the following:

increased stress / wear and tear from the ankles all the way up the spine

For example, the forward tipping of the pelvis places uneven pressure on the ankle, knee and hip joints and also many of the vertebrae in the spine.

weakens the hamstrings, inhibits normal functioning and increases the likelihood of hamstring pulls

When the hamstrings are constantly being strained because of the muscle imbalances, the muscle is weak, not able to function as it normally would, prone to injury and without correcting the muscle imbalance recover can take up to 9 months to a year, or longer!

creates excess curvature in the lower and middle spine

This tipping of the pelvis places excessive amounts of abnormal stress on the muscles, vertebrae and discs in the lower and mid spine and this sets you up for potential injuries to the muscles of the lower and middle back

Plus, it also causes the discs between your vertebrae to wear down and deteriorate much faster than they normally would and this sets you up for degenerative, bulging, protruding and herniated discs along with numerous other spinal conditions like arthritis, spinal stenosis, and the oh so popular sciatica!

This hamstring example is just one of many muscle imbalances are responsible for nearly every ache, pain, injury and condition out there!

Here are a few more examples of injuries / conditions that are caused by muscle imbalances and can easily be prevented and/or eliminated with targeted stretches and exercises:

upper back and neck pain
shoulder injuries (rotator cuff)
elbow and wrist pain (carpal tunnel, tennis/golfer/baseball elbow, etc)
knee pain (runners knee, chondromalacia, ligament tears, etc)
hip pain (IT band syndrome, bursitis, etc)
ankle pain (Achilles tendonitis, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, etc)

All of these conditions are caused by muscle imbalances and will NOT go away unless you work towards correcting the imbalances and the only way to know for sure which imbalances are causing your pain or injury is to do a series of physical assessments like the ones covered in our Lose the Back Pain Video which is designed for anyone suffering from back pain or sciatica.

What the heck is a targeted stretch?

This is a question we are asked often and here’s the definition we give it:

Targeted Stretch – a stretch or stretching exercise that is chosen, based on physical assessments, to target a specific muscle or muscle group to increase the flexibility and range of motion in that area and bring the bones and or joints back towards the normal position.
When you compare a targeted stretch to general stretches like the ones found in Yoga, Pilates and the corny ones your doctor, chiropractor or physical therapist gives you, it’s no surprise they give little or no pain relief and almost always fail to get rid of the problem.

Conclusion

Remember, the key to eliminating injuries and preventing future ones is to identify what areas you need to target. In the next article we’ll be discussing in detail, how to address various injuries like back, hip, knee, and shoulder pain with targeted exercises. In the meantime, be sure to read thru all of our detailed Pain Articles and post any questions you have on our discussion fourm.

Article by Jesse Cannone, CFT, CPRS, CSPN and Steve Hefferon, CMT, CPRS of http://www.losethebackpain.com. If you’ve got back pain or sciatic pain, you’ve gotta check out their website!