Lifestyle Blogger


What are smoking's health risks?
In the UK, smoking is one of the leading causes of illness and death.

In the UK, smoking causes over 78,000 annual deaths, and thousands more suffer from crippling illnesses.

More than 50 major health disorders are more likely to develop among smokers.

Some could be fatal, while others could harm your health in the long run in an irreparable way.

You could get sick:


if you personally smoke
if others close to you smoke (passive smoking)
Health effects of smoking
About seven out of ten occurrences of lung cancer are brought on by smoking (70 percent ).




Many other areas of the body are also affected, including the:
throat, mouth, and voice box (larynx)
oesophagus (the tube between your mouth and stomach)
bladder
pancreas
kidney
stomach
bowel
cervix
liver
Smoking harms your heart and blood circulation, raising your risk of contracting illnesses like:
cardiovascular disease
chest pain
stroke
the disease of the peripheral vasculature (damaged blood vessels)
Alzheimer's disease (damaged arteries that supply blood to your brain)

Additionally, smoking harms your lungs, resulting in illnesses like:

Bronchitis and emphysema pneumonia are both components of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Additionally, smoking can exacerbate or prolong the signs and symptoms of respiratory illnesses like the common cold or asthma.

Smoking can lead to impotence in men because it reduces the blood flow to the penis.

It can also lower both men's and women's fertility.
No one is flawless. However, many individuals struggle with perfectionism, which can trigger a cascade of anxieties. Depending on how it is used, stubbornness can be both a strength and a weakness. Dr. Szymanski teaches psychology at Harvard Medical School and runs the International OCD Foundation as its executive director.

According to Dr. Szymanski, the intention to do something well lies at the heart of all perfectionism. If you can maintain focus on your intention and desired outcome while adjusting your strategy as necessary, you will be fine. But when you cannot tolerate making a mistake and your strategy is to not make any, perfectionism begins to veer in the wrong direction. " In its worst form, perfectionism can make a person afraid to do anything because they don't want to make a mistake.
 
Dr. Szymanski has given you the following exercise to help you decide which projects and activities are the most important and to keep your personal strategy in place:

What do you value most in life? 

What would you like the past 50 years to represent? If this seems overwhelming, consider where you would like to focus your efforts over the next five years.

Nobody can be a perfectionist in all areas. Consider your current objectives and projects and rank them accordingly. Use the letters "ABCF" to determine where you want to excel (A), where you want to be above average (B), where you want to be average (C), and where you can let go (F) (F). For instance,
A (one hundred percent effort) is reserved for your top priorities. For example, if your career is the most important thing to you, you might want to impress your boss, make sure your clients are happy, and do good work.
 
B (above average, maybe 80% effort): You might enjoy golf, tennis, or learning a new language. You enjoy these activities but have no plans to pursue them professionally.

C (moderate effort): Perhaps having a clean home is also essential. But how often should you clean your home? People do not visit it on a daily basis. Could you simply clean on weekends? Or concentrate on the few rooms with the most foot traffic?

The ability to manage stress reduces the risk of developing anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular disease.

The more we learn about women's hearts, the clearer it becomes that they differ from men's. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or broken-heart syndrome, is nine times more prevalent in women than in men. This is one of the most striking differences. It has been cited as proof that sudden emotional stress can cause death in some women.


However, unlike a heart attack, takotsubo cardiomyopathy does not involve clogged arteries. Symptoms include chest pain and shortness of breath. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is caused by an influx of stress hormones that literally distort the heart. As a result, when the main pumping chamber of the heart (the left ventricle) contracts, it swells, preventing it from effectively expelling blood into the arteries.

In September 2015, The New England Journal of Medicine published the results of a study conducted by an international team of physicians from the United States and Europe on 1,750 patients with takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Similar to previous reports, ninety percent of these cases occurred in postmenopausal women in this study. The most common causes of takotsubo cardiomyopathy were lung problems and infections. The second most common trigger was emotional shock caused by grief, panic, or interpersonal conflict. Patients with takotsubo cardiomyopathy were nearly twice as likely as patients with other heart conditions to have a neurological or psychiatric disorder.

According to Dr. Thomas H. Lee, a cardiologist at the Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital, Takutsubo cardiomyopathy is an extreme example illustrating a general truth. "There is no doubt a strong connection between the head and the heart," he asserts. Stress and the negative emotions it elicits, such as anxiety, anger, and sadness, have been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease for decades.


How our feelings impact our hearts
Protect yourself from the harmful effects of persistent inflammation.
Chronic, low-grade inflammation can become a silent killer that contributes to cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and other conditions, according to scientific evidence. Experts from Harvard Medical School provide simple advice for combating inflammation and remaining healthy.


There is a growing body of research on the relationship between stress and heart health. A small amount of stress can be beneficial, as it stimulates the release of hormones that help you face adversity. These hormones increase your heart rate, muscle tone, and the brain's oxygen consumption. However, prolonged exposure to stress can contribute to a variety of conditions, including high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, anxiety, and depression.

Furthermore, stress-related health issues are frequently interrelated. Not only are anxiousness and depression risk factors for heart disease, but a heart disease diagnosis can also exacerbate emotional issues. To alleviate stress, people with anxiety or depression may engage in unhealthy behaviors such as smoking or overeating, which may also increase their cardiovascular risk.

Relieving stress
Replacing negative emotions such as anxiety, sadness, and anger with positive emotions such as happiness and contentment may be a key to better mental and cardiovascular health, but no single therapy has been demonstrated to achieve this. "We have so much to learn about how to utilize the positive effects of emotions while minimizing the negative ones," says Dr. Lee. In the interim, the following are likely to be of assistance.

The practise of mindfulness meditation.
 The practise consists of sitting comfortably, focusing on your breathing, and remaining in the present moment without dwelling on the past or the future. A meta-analysis of thousands of studies published in October 2016 in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that mindfulness meditation can alleviate psychological stresses such as anxiety, depression, and pain.

Exercise. 
There are mountains of evidence that regular physical activity reduces the risk of heart disease, anxiety, and depression. If you're not physically active, you may want to begin with a 10-minute daily walk and work your way up to the recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week.

Social support. In times of stress and crisis, friends and family can provide emotional support that helps to sustain the individual. There is also growing evidence linking a supportive social network to a reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms and a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Pexel image

The 5 Most Vital Aspects Of Senior Home Care

An increasing number of self-described "elderhood advocates" are working to change outdated social ideas about aging to ones that emphasize exciting new experiences, possibilities, and an abundance of happiness.

Elderhood advocates, who have a positive view of aging, tell us to ignore the crazy ideas that many of our contemporaries have about how aging is a scary, panic-inducing, slow decline into a kind of subhuman nonexistence.

Instead, we're told to trust our own judgment and see aging for what it is: a normal part of life that should be welcomed, dealt with, and added to the many other things that make up and define our lives.

After all, life's many facets—including old age, illness, disability, and long-term care—do not determine who we are as individuals.

  

One of the most important parts of building a healthy life is making sure that older people get good care for their health problems.

You are in a good position to make a personal care plan for your life that includes all of the key pillars needed to build a happy, healthy, sustainable, and functional life through reflective and affirmative thought, avoiding pessimism and choosing optimism, and focusing on the positive.

Making sure that older people, patients, and even family members get high-quality long-term care and that the tasks we may need help with are taken care of by professionals who treat us with the utmost care, compassion, and respect is one of the most important parts of living a healthy life that lasts.

We need to ensure that we are taken care of properly and appropriately and that our health and well-being are respected and upheld, whether it be through personal care, primary care, nursing home care, in-home care or non-medical home care, patient-centred medical home care, being a part of a retirement community, or any other form of elderly care.

The majority of our health, emotional, physical, and activities of daily living (ADL) needs are professionally met by home health care assistance services, allowing you to focus on being a vibrant, self-assured senior dynamo who is full of zest and zeal for life and is excited about the new experiences to be found with each passing day.

Continue reading to find out more about the key components of home health care services and how they can improve your quality of life.


Photo by Kampus Production from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-assisting-elderly-man-7551667/

Experience


Make sure the healthcare aides the agency will send to you are trained, licensed, credentialed, and have the depth and breadth of expertise necessary to fulfill your needs before selecting a home health care agency to assist you with your in-home needs.

You should receive consistently high-quality service from your home health care provider, on par with the care you would receive in a skilled nursing facility.

A home health aide who has experience giving this kind of basic care should be willing to help you with any tasks, chores, ADLs, bathing, grooming, medical, or financial issues that you may not be able to handle on your own.

Always provide a patient-centred experience that considers your particular goals and preferences.

What to do: Before deciding on a home health care agency to assist you with your in-home needs, make sure the healthcare assistants the firm will send to you are trained, licensed, credentialed, and have the depth and breadth of expertise required to fulfill your needs.

Make an appointment if you can to speak with the agency and the specialist they plan to pair you with.

Bring a list of your top issues along with a selection of questions that address each one in turn.

Bring relatives and close friends with you to the interview if at all possible to get their opinion of the company's quality.


Reputation

Your home health care provider should have a stellar reputation and have unvarnished reviews that are simple to find online and elsewhere. A quick Internet search for their company name can turn up a ton of extremely helpful information that will help you make an educated decision.

Make sure you read all the available reviews, both positive and negative. You want to get the most accurate picture of the agencies' services overall, including how consistently they deliver top-notch medical treatment and use ethical business procedures.
You can be productive at work and offer your elderly parents the care and attention you wish to give them.

Isolation, being alone, and boredom are the most prevalent difficulties among the elderly. It may be exacerbated by mobility problems. The inability to drive as much as they once did may exacerbate their everyday sense of isolation. Even worse, they witness their pals' passing away. Fewer chances to make friends and do fun things with other people is one reason why many older parents choose to stay at home.

Their children's first goal may be to provide for their aging parents. Even if you hire a caregiver to assist with the care of your elderly parent, there is still a chance that he or she will experience a loss of fulfilment, excitement, or enjoyment. Your parents may have no social ties with the housekeeper outside of the cleanliness of the home. Even if you are the busiest person in the world, you should consider the aforementioned concerns when thinking about your parents.

  

You should not allow a caretaker to replace you in your role in the lives of your aging parents.

Numerous family members do not reside near their aged parents. Seniors who are alone are seeking strategies to alleviate their boredom. This causes some of them to participate in lotteries and contests. According to the Federal Trade Commission, more than half of all adults participated in sweepstakes in the past year. While the majority of events are handled by trustworthy organizers, some are run by those looking to take advantage of the naive. Who doesn't like fun? The elderly enjoy it more than any other population group. Therefore, there is an increase in the number of elderly people who gamble with their money and are subsequently tricked. Even worse, many continue to invest their money repeatedly.

Seniors should be safeguarded against these cons if their offspring make more time for them, regardless of how busy they are. Oftentimes, elderly parents are placed in a precarious position, and their adult offspring must take steps to rectify this. So, what can you do as an adult kid to safeguard your parents from boredom and the realistic chance of being scammed? Here are some tips for staying close to your elderly parents and ensuring they receive adequate care.

1. Maintain Contact frequently

Nothing prevents you from communicating with your parents on a regular basis. Technology has even enabled you to view their faces even when you are not physically present. You may be accustomed to calling your parents once a week or twice a month. If you have a busy schedule, make the time.

You can phone your folks on your way to work in the morning. You could even call them after work hours. You should go above and beyond if any of them has recently lost a significant other. The loss of a significant other raises the chances of depression. Your daily call will assist in keeping boredom at bay. Your parents will even include receiving a phone call from you on their daily to-do list.

2. Visit your parents more often.

The only person who knows how frequently you visit your parents is you. No matter how frequently you visit, you need to boost that number. Even though technology has a lot of benefits, nothing can take the place of a face-to-face meeting.

It's advantageous for both of you to see how your parents are doing and for them to see your face. The distance can make it difficult for you to visit them as frequently as you would want. However, you can still plan quality time with them using video call services like Skype or any mobile app that enables video call connections.

Take the best care of your loved ones. Age-related parental care is never simple. With the assistance of home care services, you may continue to be close to your loved one while giving the best care possible.


3. Encourage your elderly parents to attend social events in the neighbourhood if it's a peaceful community. 


If your elderly parents reside in the city or the suburbs, their community is probably home to senior social groups and resources. You can nudge them to participate in these social gatherings.

A retiring individual who is shy can become outgoing after meeting new people.
This can lessen your concern for your parent's well-being. Additionally, it will give them the social contacts they need to stop worrying about their current circumstances. A retiring individual who is shy can become outgoing after meeting new people.

  

4. Take Your Elderly Parents Out! 

Do you enjoy going to the movies and concerts when you have the time? Do you ever have the need to go shopping? Why not do everything with your parents? You don't have to take your parents to these urban entertainment spots; you may stay close to home. Older adults don't want to miss any of the local festivities that are held in many areas.
According to research published on March 28, 2021, in Geophysical Research Letters, long, hot summers are becoming longer and hotter, and this trend may continue as a result of global warming. Autumns, winters, and springs have gotten shorter over the last 60 years, while summers have grown by nearly 20 days. Among the many concerns, this raises is an increased risk of heat-related health problems, particularly as we age.

Photo by Jaime Reimer: https://www.pexels.com/photo/two-person-walking-on-unpaved-road-2679814/


Heat and aging
Maintaining a core (internal) body temperature is critical to your ability to function. "In a hot environment, your body temperature rises. Sweating and carrying blood away from the core of the body to the skin surface, where heat leaves the body, are two ways your body releases heat. However, as you get older, these functions become less effective. Heat can accumulate, putting organs at risk of serious damage "Dr. Kalpana Shankar, director of Geriatric Emergency Medicine at the Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital, concurs.

Even when you can't see it, you're releasing fluid as well as heat — not just through sweating, but also through your breath and evaporation through your skin. You can become dehydrated in a hot environment due to the constant need to release body heat. Meanwhile, we're already prone to dehydration as we get older. "Your fluid intake may be low due to a decreased sensation of thirst and hunger," explains Dr Shankar. "Some medications, such as diuretics, also promote fluid loss."

However, the body requires fluid in order to continue releasing heat and lowering your core temperature. As a result, the cycle continues, causing heat to build up quickly inside you.

Photo by David Disponett: https://www.pexels.com/photo/nuts-in-round-white-bowl-2161650/

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a vital component of mitochondria, the energy-producing component of every cell in the body. CoQ10 is involved in the production of ATP, which is used by the body to produce energy. CoQ10 functions similarly to a spark plug in an automobile engine; without this first spark, the body cannot function.

CoQ10 can be produced by the body, but there are occasions when our bodies simply cannot produce enough. The heart is one of the most metabolically active organs in the body; therefore, a CoQ10 deficit can cause major heart issues. A deficiency may occur from a poor diet, genetic or acquired abnormalities that inhibit CoQ10 synthesis or increasing tissue requirements. Heart and vascular disorders, such as excessive cholesterol and hypertension, might raise the need for CoQ10 in tissues. In addition, individuals over the age of 50 may require additional CoQ10, as levels are known to decrease with age.


Are CoQ10 Sources in Foods?
Yes, however, the average daily CoQ10 consumption from food sources is approximately 3 to 5 mg, which is nowhere near the amount required to dramatically increase blood and tissue levels. Meat, poultry, and fish are the primary sources of CoQ10 in the diet.

What are the Main Functions of CoQ10?
CoQ10 supplements are typically used to treat or prevent cardiovascular disorders like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, mitral valve prolapse, coronary artery bypass surgery, and angina. Numerous scientific investigations have supported these applications. In addition, CoQ10 has been demonstrated to be beneficial in the treatment of diabetes, periodontal disease, immunological deficiency, cancer, obesity, and muscular dystrophy.

Be advised that it may take eight weeks or more of daily CoQ10 dosage before you observe a significant improvement in any of these conditions.

How exactly does CoQ10 enhance heart function?
CoQ10 improves the heart's energy generation and works as an antioxidant. CoQ10 insufficiency is frequent in heart disease patients: In fifty to seventy-five per cent of all instances, biopsies of the heart tissue of individuals with various cardiovascular illnesses revealed a CoQ10 deficit. Correction of a CoQ10 shortage can frequently provide substantial therapeutic benefits in patients with any type of cardiovascular disease.

Does CoQ10 reduce blood pressure?
Research indicates that 39% of people with hypertension are deficient in CoQ10. CoQ10 supplementation has been proven in multiple studies to reduce blood pressure in hypertensive individuals, however, the impact is typically not observed for eight to ten weeks. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreases are typically in the 10 per cent range.

If you know where to look, you may find several excellent free photo editors online. Here, we've compiled a few of the top choices.

You want to get better at photography, but you're not sure which online photo editor to use. To assist you in choosing which one is best for you, we've put together this helpful guide.

No matter how excellent a shot is without editing or how skilled a photographer you are, there are virtually always things that can be tweaked or enhanced. The use of a background remover, which instantly changes any photo and provides a smooth and clear cutout, is yet another good method for enhancing an image. A background remover is a great tool for editing photos because it changes them right away and gives you a clean, precise cutout. To reach the level of polish you desire for your work, you shouldn't have to spend a fortune. That's where photo editing applications come in.

Lightroom is definitely the most popular paid photo-editing application due to its unparalleled strength and accessibility. Your success as a photographer is contingent on the quality of your images, an enticing portfolio to display your work, and the correct equipment to shoot with, all of which can be costly. Ultimately, a limited budget may make it difficult to invest in premium picture editors, given the availability of excellent free alternatives.

Instead of focusing on popular, more expensive editors like Photoshop or Lightroom, we're going to direct your attention to the top less popular choices for free online photo editors. Making a decision might be challenging with the wide variety of photo editing applications on the market if you are unaware of the advantages and features of each app.
It happens to a lot of menstruating women: you go about your daily routine until you discover you've just gotten your period. You feel frightened, vulnerable, and exposed after the clumsy search for a restroom and the ardent hope that you had a menstruation product with you. This is exacerbated by the fact that our society stigmatizes menstruation — or, for that matter, anything having to do with the uterus — and these topics are forbidden.

If you're one of the almost 22 million women in the United States living in poverty because they can't afford menstrual hygiene supplies, you're experiencing period poverty. According to a study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 64% of women have had trouble purchasing period items like pads, tampons, or reusable goods like menstrual cups. And 21% said they couldn't afford to buy these items on a monthly basis. People who are homeless or incarcerated are more likely to lack proper menstrual hygiene supplies.


Why is it considered a luxury to use period products?

Menstruation is an unavoidable aspect of life. Menstrual hygiene items should be considered necessities rather than indulgences. Menstrual products are not covered by food stamps or WIC (women, infants, and children) subsidies.


Protect yourself from chronic inflammation's harmful effects.

Chronic, low-grade inflammation has been demonstrated to be a silent killer, contributing to heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and other diseases. From Harvard Medical School experts, learn simple ways to reduce inflammation and stay healthy.


People who have heavy periods and need to change their pads or tampons frequently experience financial difficulties since they need to buy more pads or tampons than the average menstrual person. They may have vulvar irritation and vaginal discomfort if they try to extend the life of items by using them for many hours at a time. They may also be more susceptible to toxic shock syndrome, a potentially fatal infection.


Why is it vital to talk about period stigma?

To understand and address the issues people confront when it comes to access to menstrual hygiene products, we need to eliminate the stigma around menstruation. Poverty is a reality. Period equity should also be genuine. Embarrassment or taboos may hinder people from speaking up for themselves, but if that stigma is removed — or even alleviated — we can move forward as a society to fulfil the needs of half of our population. When half of the population suffers financial and physical hardship as a result of the reproductive cycle required to guarantee human survival, there is no equality.

Open laptop on desk with photo editing software - Image Courtesy of Pixabay

With rampant cyber threats, you must keep your laptop free from viruses. A computer virus can result in a damaged OS or even stolen personal data. Here are some helpful tips.

Be Careful What You Install

One of the most common ways of getting a virus is by downloading an infected file. Lesser-known programs, unauthorized apps, and pirated software often contain malicious code. A good anti-malware package will alert you when something is suspicious. However, it's best to stay vigilant about what you install. Sometimes a virus can be a challenge to remove. However, you can get rid of a potentially unwanted program (PUP) by removing it from your laptop. App removal is the first step. But the effects might also mean you have to reinstall your OS.

Don't Let Others Use Your Computer

While you can do all you can to prevent viruses and malware, others might not be as assertive. In addition, many people often ignore threats or are completely oblivious. For these reasons, it's best to not let other people use your laptop unless you monitor them. However, if you can't avoid this, try setting user access controls in your guest profiles. Access restrictions can block specific sites, disallow downloading and severely limit the interaction with your OS. However, as often is the case, user error will likely cause an infection.

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