Lifestyle Blogger

Chronic pain and disease can have a detrimental effect on your mental, emotional, and physical health. That is why it is critical to work with a healthcare professional who is knowledgeable about your illness and attentive to your requirements. If you're having difficulty performing daily duties as a result of chronic arthritis, a management plan can help you streamline your routine, get relief, and live a happy life.

Dr. Amit Paliwal of Indus Healthcare in Pomona, West Covina, and Montclair, California, provides treatment for conditions such as chronic arthritis in order to improve patients' quality of life. He assists you in determining how to live with arthritis and enhancing your entire outlook.



Basic information about chronic arthritis


The two most common kinds of arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, are both chronic and degenerative. This indicates that there is no permanent treatment and that symptoms may persist and deteriorate over time. While this may sound like a doomsday diagnosis, medical improvements enable you to manage your disease and maintain an active lifestyle.

Osteoarthritis is caused by normal joint wear and strain. While infection or injury can increase the damage, the majority of people get some kind of degenerative joint disease as they age. Chronic pain is a frequent symptom of osteoarthritis and can be exacerbated by extreme cold or heat, excessive exercise, or immobility.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a more aggressive form of arthritis. It is brought about by an autoimmune condition that targets the synovial membrane that lines your joints. Your immune system gradually degrades the cartilage in a joint over time, resulting in stiffness, deformities, inflammation, and chronic discomfort.
For older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury, and many of these injuries are fatal. A fall becomes more dangerous as you age. That is why it is critical to identify fall hazards in your residence and to keep emergency services close at hand.



Why are falls more deadly as you age?


As we age, nearly every facet of our health begins to decline. Muscles deteriorate, bones grow more brittle, and our center of gravity becomes more difficult to locate.

Osteoporosis is prevalent in older adults, particularly postmenopausal women, smokers, and individuals with a history of alcoholism. This illness weakens and brittles your bones, which might result in catastrophic injuries if you stumble or fall.

Additionally, many seniors have eye difficulties and poor balance, which increase their risk of falling. Dizziness can be caused by a variety of conditions, including low blood pressure, dementia, and vertigo, putting you in even greater danger.

Each fall increases your risk of falling again by a factor of two, so it's critical to keep alert of your surroundings and eliminate risk factors in your house.



Fall hazards that are frequently encountered


While we perceive our houses to be safe havens, they can sometimes be highly dangerous. While rugs and high cupboards may appear harmless, they might pose a threat to seniors living in their homes. If you or a loved one has previously fallen, be aware of the following frequent fall risks:

Cabinets that are difficult to reach can throw you off balance when you reach up to grab items.

Rugs, particularly those on hardwood or tile floors, have a tendency to slide beneath your feet.

Stairs, particularly those that are steep, poorly lit, or uncarpeted, pose a fall hazard.

It's challenging to navigate in low lighting, especially if you have impaired vision.

Clutter, such as laundry baskets and cords, can clog walkways and make movement around the house difficult.

Slips and falls can occur on wet or glossy floors in persons of all ages, not just seniors.

In the middle of the night, a long walk to the restroom can be deadly.

Entering and exiting the tub or shower can be challenging and dangerous.

You can make your home as fall-proof as possible by moving furniture or installing grab bars in the shower and tub.




How to prevent heart disease

There is never a time when you are too young or too old to take care of your heart! The decisions you make now have an effect on how your heart feels in the future. You do not have to be at a high risk of developing heart disease to take preventative measures. Anyone, regardless of age, can benefit from maintaining a healthy heart! Here are some straightforward measures for preventing heart disease:



1. Eat a balanced diet


Balanced diet

Simple changes in your unhealthy eating habits can have a significant effect on your heart. The trick is to consume fewer processed foods and a greater variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Additionally, you should consume fiber-rich whole grains, seafood, nuts, and legumes. Consume less saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium-containing items, such as fried foods, chips, cookies, doughnuts, and fast food. Consume salmon, citrus fruits, avocado, and dark chocolate instead. Substitute almonds or blueberries for your midday snack! Not to mention the spinach! Use spinach in place of lettuce in sandwiches and salads. Simple substitutions of harmful items here and there will assist you in achieving a healthy diet.

2. Maintain an active lifestyle


This is one of the simplest tips to implement and one of the most effective. Exercise is critical for maintaining a healthy heart. Additionally, exercising does not have to be difficult. It might be as simple as strolling through your neighborhood or as strenuous as running a marathon. Set out an hour each evening after work to engage in some form of physical activity, whether it's going to the gym, participating in a sport, or simply going for a stroll. All you have to do is stay upright and active. If you're new to exercise, begin cautiously by spending 2.5 hours per week on moderate-intensity physical activity. Once exercise becomes ingrained in your daily routine, it will develop into a habit that you will find difficult to break!


Below is a guide to perimenopausal bleeding to help you decide when it's time to see a doctor about your symptoms.


Normal can be a little difficult to define when it comes to menstruation. What is considered normal for one woman may not be for someone else. For instance, while the average interval between menstrual cycles is 28 days, a healthy cycle can last between 21 and 35 days.

perimenopausal

As you get closer to menopause — which is defined as one year since your last menstruation cycle — you may notice that your normal schedule changes. Women's cycles frequently change in length during the years preceding menopause, which doctors refer to as perimenopause. Bleeding may become more intense or less intense. You may even skip a period on occasion. When these changes are combined with existing individual variation, it can be difficult to determine what constitutes a problem — and what does not.

Dr. Karen Carlson, an internal medicine specialist and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, provided some guidelines for women to use when determining which changes are normal variations and which should be brought to the attention of a physician. Here are her responses.

Q. Could it be common for women to have menstrual changes during perimenopause?

A. Menstrual changes are normal during perimenopause, which typically begins four years before the last menstrual period.

Q. When it comes to the years leading up to menopause, what kinds of changes are typical?

A. As a woman enters her late reproductive years in her forties, her cycles frequently become shorter. The intervals between periods begin to lengthen as perimenopause progresses. Menstrual changes can also be more dramatic, including missed periods and occasional episodes of heavier bleeding. After several years of irregular menstruation, menstrual periods cease entirely. It's critical to remember that no one-size-fits-all pattern exists, and women should never hesitate to report a concern to their physician.

Q. What kinds of bleeding should be brought to the attention of a medical professional?

A. Generally, more severe or prolonged bleeding (greater than seven days) is a cause for concern rather than the absence of bleeding. Between periods, continued irregular bleeding or spotting is not normal and should be reported. Keep in mind that even if you miss a period, pregnancy is still a possibility, even as fertility declines as menopause approaches.



Q. When should you consult with your doctor, and how long should you wait? Is a single abnormal cycle sufficient, or should you wait for several cycles?

A. I will say It depends on the magnitude of the change. Sudden onset of extremely heavy premenopausal bleeding should prompt a call to report the event. It is reasonable for a woman who is experiencing longer cycles or who skips a period to keep a menstrual diary for a few cycles and then consult with her doctor.
Smarter food shopping tips

Nutritional health does not have to be costly. Indeed, the reverse is true. Some of the healthiest foods available at supermarkets are also some of the least expensive.

You don't need to spend a fortune to stock your refrigerator and pantry with the healthiest foods for regular meals, which will help you cut down on takeout and bad snacks. If nutritious foods are more readily available and ready to eat, you will consume more of them.


Thoughts on food


Healthy buying comes down to a few fundamental methods. Moore's advice for selecting the greatest foods at the best rates is shown below.

Create a plan. Make a list of everything you require, from the essentials to ingredients for specific dishes. Sticky notes to your refrigerator and jot down products you'll need during the week so you're not forced to create a comprehensive list all at once. Another alternative is to use your phone to take images of the inside of your refrigerator and pantry to use as a visual reference when you're at the grocery shop.

Each week, shop on the same day. A basic routine removes the need for additional store visits, which may encourage you to purchase items that weren't on your list.

Work your way around the perimeter. This is frequently where the most nutritious, least processed items, such as fresh vegetables, dairy, and frozen foods, may be found. However, this is dependent on the setup of the shop.

We all understand just how important it is to stay healthy. After all, being able to stay healthy is an essential part of living the longest, happiest life possible. However, for a lot of people, it’s easy to fall into the trap of feeling stuck when it comes to making any kind of improvements to your health. Whether you’re trying to become more active, lose weight, deal with an existing issue, or any reason at all, it’s shockingly easy to find yourself feeling like you’re running in place. Not only does this leave you unable to make the positive changes that you really need but it can also lead to you feeling incredibly demoralized. However, that’s not the way things have to be. Here are just a few things that you can do to rethink the way you approach your health and get unstuck!




Understand your motivations


Getting your health right                                                                                       Source

One of the biggest mistakes that a lot of people make when it comes to trying to improve their health is that they don’t actually bother to consider one very important question: why? Why are you trying to improve your health? This might seem like an odd question since it’s assumed that the answer to that is self-evident. However, that’s not exactly the case. The truth is that people want to improve their health for a lot of different reasons. It could be because you’re looking to improve your ability to live a particular lifestyle, it could be in response to an illness, it could even be because you’re simply looking to lose weight for aesthetic reasons. The reality is that if you don’t know your motivations, it’s so easy to get stuck feeling unmotivated. Make sure that your motivations for improving your health are positive ones. If you’re working from a negative place, it’s so much easier to feel stuck in place. Think about the things that you want, rather than focusing on getting away from things that you don’t.




Find a network of support


Trying to make positive, healthy changes in your life is incredibly important, but far too many people fail to realize just how difficult it really is. One thing that will make it a whole lot more difficult is trying to handle it all on your own. The reality is that trying to make changes to your health is complex and difficult and trying to do so without any kind of support network in place is going to leave you exhausted and discouraged. The key is to make sure that you have people around you who understand the things that you’re doing, what you’re trying to achieve, and how they can best support you in that. This includes friends and family, of course, but you might also want to consider something like a personal trainer if you’re looking to get a little fitter. Having someone else around to both motivate and guide you is one of the absolutely best ways to ensure that you don’t end up feeling stuck in a rut when it comes to your health.

Know that you have options


Far too often, people try to make positive changes to their life and health, stumble, and wind up giving up entirely. On one level, this is somewhat understandable, after all the last thing anyone wants to have to deal with is any kind of failure. However, it’s a mistake to assume that just because one thing failed, that means that there’s no way that you can find any way to succeed. Whether it’s emotional support, mental health counseling, a weight-loss treatment service, a new workout routine, or any other of a huge number of different things, you always have options in place to make sure that you’re getting the most out of any changes you’re making to your life. It’s just a matter of being able to recognize when something may not be working and to move in a different direction if that’s the case.

What is Neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity is a term that refers to the idea that people experience and interact with the environment in a variety of ways; there is no single "correct" method of thinking, learning, and behaving, and variations are not considered as weaknesses.


Although the term "neurodiversity" refers to the diversity of all people, it is frequently used in conjunction with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurological or developmental problems such as ADHD or learning impairments. It was in the 1990s that the neurodiversity movement was launched with the purpose of enhancing the acceptance and inclusion of all people while also respecting their neurological differences and differences. Online platforms enabled an increasing number of autistic persons to unite and develop a self-advocacy movement. Simultaneously, Australian sociologist Judy Singer created the term neurodiversity to advocate for the equality and inclusion of "neurological minorities." While neurodiversity is largely a social justice movement, it is becoming increasingly influential in how clinicians evaluate and treat specific impairments and neurological diseases.




In neurodiversity, language is critical.


Despite the fact that many disability advocacy organizations favor person-first language ("a person with autism," "a person with Down syndrome"), According to certain research, the vast majority of autistic people choose identity-first language when interacting with a person with Down syndrome or another autistic person. Rather than forming assumptions, it is critical to openly inquire about a person's preferred language and preferred manner of communication before making any assumptions. Clinicians must also be aware of neurodiversity and use polite language in order to treat the mental and physical health of people with neurodevelopmental variations.

How to practice Neurodiversity


Autism spectrum disorder and neurodiversity


Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulties with communication, learning, and behavior, though it manifests differently in each individual. Individuals with ASD may exhibit a wide variety of strengths, abilities, needs, and difficulties. For instance, some autistic individuals are capable of verbal communication, possess a normal or above-average IQ, and live independently. Others may be unable to articulate their needs or emotions, may battle with impaired and dangerous habits that jeopardize their safety and well-being, or maybe completely reliant on others for support in all parts of their lives. Additionally, for some individuals with autism, deviations may cause no discomfort to the individual. Instead, societal standards may establish restrictions that cause social exclusion and unfairness, resulting in pain.

Why does your nose run when it's cold outside?


Sniffles in the winter

You don't have to be sick to have the sniffles in the winter. In many cases, it means your nose is performing its job. It is through the nose that air is heated and moistened before entering the lungs. The blood-filled membranes that cover the bones of the nose protect them. Behind the nasal cavities, blood flows through these membranes, keeping the area warm.

Nasal membranes release water and mucus when exposed to cold air. Moisture drips down the walls like a little steam bath in a small room. The more water and mucus created as the air becomes colder and dryer, the more sniffles, and tissues are produced.

A warm shower or bath can also help dry up a runny nose and relieve your sinuses. Because you're already breathing moist, warm air, it allows the membranes to stop secreting mucus.

When you have a cold, your nose runs for a completely different reason. When you sneeze, your body creates a lot of mucus to flush out the bacteria that cause a cold. During a cold, mucus may change color due to the white blood cells that fight infection.

Antibiotics will do nothing to alleviate the symptoms of a cold, no matter what color it is. Instead, use a pain reliever or decongestant over the counter to relieve your symptoms. (Check with your doctor or read the labels to see if the ingredients are safe for you.) Take hot baths or showers on a frequent basis to aid in the drainage of your nose.

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed type of cancer in women in the United States and the second largest cause of cancer-related mortality. Each year, it is believed that approximately 270,000 women — and a much lower number of men — are diagnosed. When detected early, it is frequently highly curable.

A promising new approach to targeted therapy may expand treatment options for some women with early-stage breast cancer associated with specific genetic mutations. (Cancers in the early stages have not spread to distant organs or tissues.)

What does the BRCA gene do?

You may have heard of the BRCA (BReast CAncer) gene family, which includes the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Normally, BRCA genes contribute to the repair of DNA (genetic code) damage that occurs on a regular basis in cells throughout the human body.

BRCA mutations that are inherited are aberrant abnormalities in these genes that are handed down from parent to kid. When an individual carries a BRCA mutation, their body is unable to repair regular DNA damage to cells as easily. This cumulative damage to cells may contribute to the development of cancer. Having a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation — or both — increases a person's risk of developing breast, ovarian, prostate, or pancreatic cancer, as well as melanoma. Other gene alterations and other factors can also affect a person's risk of developing breast cancer.

In general, only about 3% to 5% of all women diagnosed with breast cancer have BRCA gene mutations. However, certain subgroups of people are more likely to have BRCA mutations, including those with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), Ashkenazi Jewish heritage, a significant family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer, and younger women with breast cancer.

Breast cancer types and inherited BRCA mutations

Breast cancers of specific types are frequently detected in women with BRCA gene mutations.

Estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer: Women with a BRCA2 mutation are more likely to develop estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer — that is, cancer cells that are fuelled by estrogen but not by a protein called HER2 (human epidermal growth factor 2).

Women with a BRCA1 mutation are more likely to develop triple-negative breast cancer (ER-/PR-/HER2-) – cancer cells that are not fuelled by estrogen, progesterone, or HER2.
Understanding what causes various types of breast cancer to grow aids scientists in developing new treatments and physicians in selecting available therapies to delay or stop tumor growth. Frequently, this will require a combination of treatments.

A new treatment option for early-stage breast cancers associated with BRCA mutations

Women with early-stage breast cancer and hereditary BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations were included in the Olympia trial. Despite normal treatment, all were at significant risk of breast cancer recurrence.

The study participants had received standard breast cancer treatment:

surgical procedure (a mastectomy or lumpectomy)
Chemotherapy (which may be administered before to or following surgery), radiation, and maybe a hormone-blocking medication called endocrine therapy.
They were randomly allocated to consume olaparib or a placebo (sugar tablets) twice daily for one year.

Olaparib is a member of a class of medications known as PARP inhibitors. PARP (poly adenosine diphosphate-ribose polymerase) is a typically occurring enzyme that aids in DNA repair. By inhibiting this enzyme in BRCA-mutated cancer cells, increasing DNA damage leads the cells to die.

The New England Journal of Medicine reported the study's findings. Women who got olaparib were less likely than those who received a placebo to have their breast cancer relapse or metastasis (spread to distant organs or tissues). After an average of two and a half years, slightly more than 85% of women who took olaparib were alive and had no recurrence of cancer or new second malignancy, compared to 77% of women given with placebo.

Additionally, the researchers calculated that after three years:

With olaparib, the probability of cancer not spreading to distant organs or tissues was roughly 88 percent, compared to 80 percent with placebo.
The olaparib-treated group had a 92 percent chance of survival, while the placebo group had an 88 percent chance of survival.
Olaparib may cause a decrease in white blood cell count, a decrease in red blood cell count, and fatigue. These were extremely unlikely to develop.

Conclusion

Olaparib has previously been licensed by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of BRCA-related ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate cancers, as well as metastatic breast cancer. FDA approval for BRCA-related early-stage breast cancer is expected soon, based on this study. These findings imply that continuing to take olaparib for a year following completion of normal therapy may be a suitable option for women with early-stage breast cancer who have a hereditary BRCA gene mutation and are at a high risk of cancer recurrence and, possibly, metastasis. 

Breast cancer

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Let's begin by discussing everyone's least favorite aspect of warm weather: bugs. It's difficult to go an entire summer without receiving a bite. That is why it is critical to understand the sort of insect bite or sting and how to treat it.  Melody Jacobs health guide has put together some of the top tips for treating insect bites and stings.

1. Remove the Stinger


If a honeybee or yellow jacket stings you, they will leave a stinger in your skin. To remove it, use a flat-edged instrument, such as a credit card, to gently scrape the area. Using your fingers or tweezers to pinch the stinger can result in more venom being injected.

2. Cleanse the Bite/Sting


This tip is straightforward. Keep the area around the insect bite or sting-free of dirt and debris. Maintain cleanliness by cleaning the area with a mild soap and water solution.

3. Put the ice on it


Ice might lessen any pain caused by the bite or sting. Apply a cold compress or ice pack to the area in 10-minute intervals to aid with pain and swelling reduction. Wrap the ice in a clean cloth to prevent it from coming into direct contact with your skin. Additionally, you can use over-the-counter analgesics such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.


4. Refrain from Scratching the Itch


While it may be tempting to scratch an itchy bite, it is critical to let it alone. Apply calamine lotion or a mixture of baking soda and water to the region several times daily to alleviate the itch.

5. Watch for Severe Allergic Reactions


Insect bites and stings can have varying effects on various people. Certain individuals experience an extremely severe allergic reaction to bug bites and stings. Hives, abdominal pains, nausea and vomiting, swelling of the face, lips, or throat, breathing difficulties, and shock are all signs to watch for. If you have any of those symptoms within a few hours after being stung or bitten by an insect, you should immediately contact 911 or your local emergency services.


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