Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Curious About the Effects of Caralluma Fimbriata on the Body?

Looking for a lucky person who does not have a weight problem is unusual. You probably possess some unused fat kept in the body somewhere, but even if you are as skinny as a supermodel, it is possible to be considered unhealthy. Fortunate are those that have a high metabolic rate simply because they do not build up a lot of non-metabolized fat, but because not many are privileged with this natural capacity, all of us have to behave to prevent one of the world's major weight issues, obesity.

It's not easy having weight problems. There are so many activities that you cannot carry out because of your weight. Your pals will mock you, you can't fit into your old clothing any longer, plus you've got to regulate the kinds of foods which you take in. The dilemma is that even when you make an effort to shed weight, blindly pursuing exactly what the media states are items that will help you shed weight right away isn't likely going to help. Apart from potentially possessing dangerous side effects, products just like sugar substitutes which are believed to provide your food further taste may additionally be adding up a few undetected calories on your body.

In recognizing this, how would you manage to have sufficient energy for your productive lifestyle, control pointless hunger, reduce the fat, and lose weight? A plant that is located in the deserts of India known as caralluma fimbriata might get your interest. It has interesting characteristics that the diet conscious person would certainly wish to know more about. The most important thing about this is that it was utilized to curb craving for food previously throughout long travels to the desert and during starvation.

Next, it may cease producing fat that you simply can't use and it's also thought to improve your metabolism. You won't have problems just like having a full stomach and putting on the weight. To get a leaner body, it assists to burn the fats that you actually have on top of everything else. Could your energy levels be affected because of this? There's nothing to worry about since it can supply you with the energy that you'll need the entire day.

Looks good, doesn't it? But how about its security? Could it be certain that the offers it made are going to be experienced? Would it be assured that it will be better than other goods being advertised on advertisements that had dissatisfied you because of their inadequacy in the past? It is better as compared to all others basically because it is natural plus it had been utilized countless instances in the past. In addition there are lots of experiments backing up its performance claims, so you can rest assured that it's surely useful.

The safety of caralluma fimbriata once applied to your system, nevertheless, is dependent on the form of this natural product that you are going to buy. For best results, choose the items that don't make use of any binders, fillers, preservatives, flow agents, as well as other bad additions. Their addition dilutes the effects of caralluma, and in addition they can also overcome the objective of this product. You are advised to use extracts which have a minimum of 500 mg of caralluma. As there's no chance that you can come across caralluma fimbriata in the uncooked form, the extract will be the next best thing to use.

Infection Control of Blood Borne Pathogens: 3 Major Factors

Infection control of blood borne pathogens is preventing their spread from one individual to another and thereby preventing illness and infection. The first step in infection control is to understand how the germs spread. The second step is, knowing how to control their spread.

There are 3 factors involved in infection control. There are discussed below:

• Knowing and practicing universal precautions
Universal precautions protect you from contracting infection by bloodborne pathogens. They also keep others around you safe. Hand washing, gloving and wearing protective clothing are the main precautions to be followed to control the spread of infection. Universal precautions are standards of infection control. They protect you from blood borne diseases like Hepatitis B, C and HIV. You must follow these precautions when you come in contact with blood and other human body fluids like semen, vaginal secretions, saliva, nasal secretions, vomit, urine and excretion.

Hand washing: Thorough, regular washing of hands will help to curb the spread of infection. Hospital employees must always wash hands before and after contact with patients and while using sterilized equipments.

Gloving: While attending patients and especially whenever you come in contact with body fluid you are required to wear disposable latex gloves. This is a part of the universal precautions. Correct donning and removing of gloves is crucial in preventing the spread of blood borne pathogens. Gloves should be changed after every use. New gloves are to be used for new patients as used or contaminated gloves can transfer germs from one patient to another. In the event of a glove tearing while working on a patient, take it off immediately and thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water.

Personal Protective Clothing: Put in the protective clothing in the prescribed order, i.e. gown, mask or respirator, goggles or face shields, and gloves. Be careful while putting the clothing on and off.

• Cleaning and Disinfection
The second way to prevent the spread of blood borne pathogens is by cleaning and disinfecting the surroundings. It is essential for health care employers not to infect others and also not to be infected by others. Regular cleaning of surfaces and other items with soap and water is the best way to prevent infection. Going a step ahead of cleaning is called Disinfection. This involves soaking the surface or item with a special solution for sometime after washing with soap and water. Soaking in the special solution kills any extra germs. The best and most common washing solution is water and household bleach.

• Awareness and Reporting
Be aware of the various signs and symptoms of blood borne pathogen infections. Report them to a doctor accurately and in a timely manner. This will help the doctor is correctly diagnosing the infection and thus providing you with the best treatment.

It is not enough to be aware of the signs. Reporting the incident immediately is essential. Instant reporting permits immediate medical action which can prevent the development of Hepatitis B and enable the doctor to know if there is risk of potential HIV infection. Instant reporting also helps in avoiding spread to other individuals. Moreover, it helps the people in-charge to assess the situation and find means to avoid the same situation from repeating in the future.

How to Select a CPR Certification Course in 4 Simple Steps

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) comprises of emergency techniques used for the revival of blood circulation and oxygen supply within the body that might have been affected due to a health condition or because of any kind of accident.

CPR techniques can be life saving and are thus not only required when working in certain fields but can prove to be useful in day-to-day life too. If you want to learn this invaluable skill and have decided to take up a CPR course then you will be spoilt for choices because there are several bodies offering such courses today, both through the in-class and online medium.

The following 4 steps will guide you in the process for choosing a CPR certification course that is right for you.

• Personal Requirement: While a CPR course is beneficial for everyone your particular requirement from the course will differ if you want a career in the healthcare industry or are in an occupation where such a skill may come in handy. If you want to learn CPR simply in a personal capacity then a basic course that gives you an overview and covers the most common situations will be sufficient. On the other hand a more detailed course or one that focuses on a particular area may be required depending on the nature of your profession. Thus you must pick a course that fits your requirement for anything exceeding or falling short of your needs will be useless.

• Standardized Courses: CPR like any other aspect in the healthcare industry has evolved over the years and will continue to do so as advanced and more effective techniques are found to address emergencies. Organizations like American Red Cross, American Heart Association, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other reputed agencies in healthcare issue various guidelines for administering CPR. The course that you select must be line with the guidelines recommended by one or more of these organizations.

• Course Recognition: All CPR courses offered by different bodies are not equivalent even though of a similar level, and also do not enjoy a uniform recognition by different employers. Making sure that the course is recognized by certain premier bodies is not enough, if you want to enter a certain field it is best that you find out their particular requirements and then select a course that confirms to it.

• Curriculum and Institute: The CPR course that you are enrolling in must include theoretical as well as practical modules covering a number of situations and possibilities. Also ensure that the institute has the required facilities and equipment for effective training. Furthermore the teachers and instructors must be experienced in the relevant field and have updated knowledge to make the learning useful. If the course is partly online then make sure that there is sufficient support to address your queries.

After you finish learning the contents of the course you will have to appear for theory and practical examinations. On passing them with a minimum number of marks, you will receive your certification.

First Aid Training For Kids: 5 Points to Consider

Kids first learn about safety when told by parents not to touch a hot stove. Kids have an amazing capacity to learn new things. So you need to teach them from a very young age about safety and what to do when emergencies arise.

Accidents and emergencies are frightening to adults, so how much more for children. They come as a surprise and therefore it becomes difficult to react properly. However, with a little knowledge and planning you can avoid a big disaster. Children are prone to accidents. Though they are young they can protect themselves and others by some simple measures. It is always better to discuss first aid with your kids rather than waiting for an emergency to happen first.

Five points to consider while teaching your kids about first aid:

• Talk about First aid: First of all, you need to talk to them about safety and fist aid. The basics of first aid can be adapted so that your kids can understand them however old they may be. There is no need to go into details. Talk about situations they may encounter in everyday life like bruises, cuts, choking, etc. In the end, make them tell you what they learned so that you can clear doubts and misunderstandings.

• Act it out: Make up a situation and act it out with your kids. Acting out helps to strengthen a kid's knowledge. Alarming and fearful situations can be dealt with while acting it out. It builds their confidence to be able to do the same thing when emergencies arise. Discuss how to respond in certain situations and allow them to practice on you or on dolls.

• Calling 911: A child should be taught to call 911 in case of an emergency. The first thing your child should do is call 911 before attempting to help the victim. Teach your child to use the phone and what numbers to press. Explain to your child what situations constitute an emergency, like someone passing out, choking, convulsing, and so on.

• Bleeding: Show your child how to control bleeding by applying pressure using a cloth or bandage and pressing it on the wound. Allow your child to practice bleeding control techniques on dolls.

• Breathing and basic CPR: Based on the age of your child, you can teach him the important points of chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Instruct your child to check if the person is breathing and teach him to administer gentle breaths. A child should also learn how to check the pulse. All this information is to be given to a child who is old enough to understand and apply it. Therefore, parental discernment is necessary here.

The home is the best place to provide first aid training for your child. In familiar surroundings they learn faster. There have been many cases where little children have saved their parent's life by calling 911 for help when their parents became unconscious, all because that's what they had been taught.

4 Kinds of Workers Who Should Be Trained in First Aid

A lot of people, other than those who work in the medical field need first aid training. It is safe to say that anyone who is around a number of people on a daily basis should learn first aid. This is because as much as we think we are safe, and nothing wrong could happen, unfortunately it could. You could slip and fall on your way to work, your child could have a fall while playing in the park, there could be a car collision near your house or a fire could have broken out in a nearby area. You could either be a by-stander, or be one that helps a large number of people get on the road to recovery.

First aid is, simply put, the first kind of treatment given to a sick or an injured person. This could be before professional help arrives or even at the Emergency Room (ER) of a hospital. First aid training helps curb bleeding, teaches you how to administer Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), take care of minor cuts, bruises and burns.

There are a number of people who must take up first aid training such as:

• Healthcare professionals: Every single person associated with the medical field, from doctors, nurses, and attendants and absolutely anyone else should learn first aid. Over and above this anyone working at a hospital should know first aid; this not only helps in a crisis situation, but also raises the standards of the hospital.

• Rescue workers: This refers to firefighters, police officers, lifeguards and security guards. In case of emergency, civilians will look up to you for help. Being trained in first aid and CPR will make a huge difference in bringing the situation in control.

• Physical fitness personnel: Gym trainers, sports coaches, aerobics instructors, massage therapists and dance instructors, there is a lot of physical activity around their work areas. A fall resulting in a sprain or a fracture could be taken care of instantly.

• School staff and child-care facilitators: You need to make sure your child is safe when you are not around. Children by nature are difficult to handle and when they are in groups an accident is bound to happen. Make sure you are certain that your child's school or day-care center has a first aid trained professionals.

It has become increasingly common that large offices have a Safety Committee or a Safety Officer. This committee or officer must be trained in first aid and CPR administration. Over and above this they also make sure the office conducts regular fire drills and keeps fire exits clear and safety norms up to date. They also take care of a well-equipped first aid kit so that there is a sense of safety that employees feel while working in the office. Workplaces also have tie ups with hospitals or clinics where they can take their employees in case professional help is required.

First aid training makes you aware of how you can help save lives with basic essentials. Make sure you speak to as many people as possible to spread the word about first-aid training.

What Sort Of Headaches Do You Experience?

There are many different views on what type of headaches you may get on a regular basis. Also, because symptoms may overlap it is important to know that your headache may fit into more than one category. Below is a list of the main types of headaches. Remember that in categorizing the different types of headaches they may share some symptoms.

-Tension headaches (also referred to as "stress headaches")- Probably the most common headache today. Muscle contraction is the main contributor to this type of headache. Because of the way we hold our body when under stress, oxygen and blood flow is impeded into the muscles that contribute to headaches. There are many ways to prevent tension headaches but being aware of when you are starting to feel an overwhelming amount of stress is your first step.

-Migraine headaches- Recent studies suggest that migraines may actually stem from tension and have similar symptoms, at the beginning, of other headaches. However, they are considered to be vascular in nature, which means there is too much blood flow into the head, which is the opposite of most headaches. The symptoms may include- severe throbbing pain accompanied with nausea, vomiting, cold hands and feet, sensitivity to sound and light, dizziness, tremor, hallucinations, visual disturbances, smelling of strange odors and numbness of arm or leg.

-Hormonal headaches- These are brought about by hormonal disturbances in the body, which may come at a distinct time. The symptoms are usually similar to those of a migraine headache but will dissipate, at times when hormone levels change usually on their own.

-Sinus headaches- Brought about by a blocked flow of sinus drainage, these headaches may be the result of sinus infection, which is mostly felt in the face, especially the nasal area. You may experience fever, as well.

-Temporal Mandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ) headaches- A lot of times these headaches occur after an accident, especially when there is whiplash involved. This is mostly because one of the main headache muscles (sternocleidomastoid) becomes hypertonic, or tightened. The first thing to do if you feel you have this type of headache is to check with your dentist because he/she will be able to assess why you are experiencing this type of pain. Sometimes having a bite plate made for you will help.

-Cluster headaches- These headaches are probably the most rare and most painful of all headaches. The symptoms are excruciating pain mostly behind the eye, typically on one side of the face, with watery eyes, flushing of the face and nose congestion. Pain may last for several hours and attacks may occur every day for weeks or months, and then disappear for up to a year. Most sufferers are male.

-Rebound headaches- Unfortunately these headaches may be brought on by the very medications that were prescribed to reduce them! The symptoms include throbbing generalized pain and sometimes jolts of pain. They can feel similar to a migraine with anxiety, depression, fatigue, insomnia, nausea and mood swings. Most discomfort is felt after periods of not taking medications, for instance when one first wakes up or intentionally tries to stop taking them.

Headache sufferers can all benefit from a variety of natural treatments. Using range of motion stretches, massaging certain muscles, acupressure, hot and cold application and aromatherapy can all be beneficial in learning to manage your headaches on your own.

Regardless of what type(s) of headache you experience the feeling of empowering yourself over your headaches will contribute to a better life for you so hopefully you will become "Headache Free…Naturally."

Why Foam Rolling Works, For Some People

Have you ever had this happen? You wake up one morning and discover something is really tight, stiff, and sore? Maybe it's your back or your hamstrings or maybe a shoulder.

It just sort of makes sense to you that stretching it would help; that it would feel better somehow. But, when you stretch, it feels more like steel cables have been inserted into what used to be muscle.

And it hurts.

So, if you're like most people you turn to your local diagnostician to sort things out.

Google.

And low and behold, one of the common solutions to this vexing problem is the foam roller.

What is a Foam Roller?

A foam roller is a cylinder of high density foam usually 2 to 4 feet in length and about 4-6 inches in diameter. It reminds me of one of those "noodles" that kids use in a pool (or my wife who is still a kid at heart).

Many people use it as a "poor man's massage" by rolling on it in various directions.

And it does seem to reduce pain, increase motion and flexibility with only a few minutes of use.

Why Does A Foam Roller Work?

The most common explanations are that the rolling "irons out the fascia", "hydrates the tissue", and "breaks up muscle knots".

None of that is proven.

Here's what we actually know about pressure on soft tissue.

A lot of stuff seems to work. Rolfing, Myofascial Release, Active Release Technique, Deep Tissue Massage, Graston Technique, and others.

What do they have in common?

Pressure.

And what makes each differ from the other?

Duration, intensity, and frequency.

The Science

Embedded in the fascia that envelopes muscle, are very small sensors known as mechanoreceptors. Mechanoreceptors respond to mechanical stimulation - tapping, pressure, stroking, stretching, etc. And there is a lot going on inside this tissue so hang in there with me.

There are different types - Golgi Tendon Organ, Ruffini and Pacinian Corpuscles. The Ruffini modulate Sympathetic Nervous System activity. Pacinian Corpuscles modulate proprioception (helps you know where your limb is and what it's doing). Interstitial receptors are linked with the Autonomic Nervous System. These receptors are multi-modal. They can function as mechanoreceptors and as pain receptors.

When you apply pressure and an ever so slight stretch, which always happens when you deform tissue with pressure, the mechanoreceptors go to work. Some will begin, depending on the intensity of the pressure and your individual tolerance for it, to relax the muscle via a reflex at the spinal cord. The result is you feel looser, more mobile, and less painful.

Some techniques add deep breathing. Deep breathing has been shown to slow the Sympathetic Nervous System - the fight or flight response - and as a result also reduces the muscle tension.

So, as you roll on the foam roller, you're applying both pressure and stretch; activating the receptors that then reduce pain and increase mobility.

But, the results rarely stick around.

And that's because it takes a lot of stimulation, a lot of repetition to permanently change the resting "tone" of your tissue. So, once you stop, the muscles, tendons and even fascia slowly creep back to where it was before the rolling.

For those of you who like creative use of video, you might enjoy this movie I used, years ago, in a course I taught (and maybe some of you actually went to this course) to help raise the question, "Why do so many things work?"

Bottom Line

Foam rolling seems to work for some people. I like it. It helps. But, one of the keys is finding out what your body likes or responds to when it comes to the intensity, frequency, and duration of the pressure and stretching. If you experiment a bit and listen to what you body has to say, you'll find it.