Tag: Central Nervous System

Healthier Body Comes When You Better Your Brains Power!

The human brain is a multifaceted organization of cells and around fifty million neurons that work with utmost complexity in order to keep you going healthy and strong. It is believed to be five times bigger than an average brain of a mammal with the same body size. In human beings, the frontal lobes and the forebrain are especially expanded since these parts are the ones responsible for self-control, planning and reasoning. Thus, in order for you to have a stronger and healthier body, try to better you brain. Healthier mind means healthier body.

It is during our childhood, or the early stage of our lifespan that the development of the brain and the central nervous system is critical. As we grow older, the bodys capacity to absorb nutrients is weakened. Thus, it becomes more difficult for us to protect ourselves from illnesses, injuries and stresses. Simultaneously with our aging process, we also lose neurons, or commonly called as the brain cells. Unlike the other body cells, the neurons do not regenerate nor do they replicate; and they do not have the capacity to repair themselves. Because of this, our brain is not able to perform as well as when we were younger.

Thus, in order to keep our brains performing well, we have to follow some dos and donts. This way we can help our brain maintain its fitness and strength.

What to do:

See to it that you exercise regularly and that you engage yourself in physical activities that can help you maintain your vitality.

Your mind is exercised more if you participate in active learning. Try new experiences so that you can learn from such experiences firsthand.

Maintain your social life as well. Do not isolate yourself from your social groups; instead, you should keep in touch with each of them. A happier life would mean a healthier life.

You should always be in control of your life. Do not feel as if you have no power over things. Maintain a positive self-image and a positive outlook on life.

Do not be overwhelmed by stress. You should know how to handle them all.

A balanced diet will definitely keep you healthy. So, as much as possible, you should eat a balanced meal and foods that are rich in antioxidants and vitamins.

You should get enough rest and sleep. Professionals believe that you should sleep for at least six to eight hours a day.

If you have any health problems, you should give attention to them as early as possible. Never take your health for granted.

What not to do:

Avoid drinking excessive alcohol and smoking too much cigarette. Also, do not do illegal drugs!

Never forget to inform your doctor of your mental condition. Important changes should always be reported.

Do not miss a visit to your doctor when these changes occur.

Never self-medicate because some drugs may interact negatively with your mental status, especially if you are taking more than one drug.

Do not live alone by isolating yourself from the others.

Never stop yourself from experiencing new things.

Most importantly is the fact that in order for you to have a healthy mind, you need to always have a positive attitude. Be ready to face all the challenges that life may bring, and never lose hope! Be in command of your life. Better your brain by having a better attitude about life.

Celiac Disease And Other Digestive Disorders

Celiac disease is also known as sprue, nontropical sprue or gluten- sensitive enteropathy. Celiac disease occurs to people who cannot tolerate gluten, a protein substance present in barley, wheat and rye. Celiac disease is a digestive disorder. There are also other digestive disorders that are often confused with celiac disease like the irritable bowel syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS is often confused with celiac disease. IBS is considered to be the most common disorder. In North America, there is about 20 percent of Americans believed to have some form of IBS. Unfortunately, the treatment for IBS is not the same for celiac disease patients. There are times when celiac disease patients would not receive the appropriate treatment and can take a long time before the correct diagnosis is made.

Patients with IBS should ask their physician to make sure that they dont have any celiac disease. Medical researches in Britain have found a high rate of celiac disease with patients with IBS. The British study found that the chance of having celiac disease was seven times higher for patients with IBS.

IBS causes however, are not well understood. There are several studies saying that it has something to do with the central nervous system. There are changes in the nerves that control sensation or muscle contractions in the bowel. The bowels of the intestines contract irregularly, meaning that food is pushed too quickly or slowly.

IBF effects are more likely to be emotional than physical. Some IBS patients find it hard to lead a normal, happy life while experiencing the digestive disorder. But people with IBS have been found to have a lower chance to develop more serious or life-threatening bowel diseases. Although this is reassuring, this does not mean that serious diseases cannot occur separately.

Another digestive disorder is the inflammatory bowel disease. This is the name of a group of disorders that cause the intestine to become inflamed or red and swollen. The inflammation lasts a long time and usually comes back over and over again.

A germ or by immune system problem may cause the disease. The disease is not contagious however, inflammatory bowel disease, like celiac disease, does seem to be hereditary.

Celiac disease is also misdiagnoses, sometimes, as Crohns disease. Crohns disease is an inflammatory bowel disease. It causes ulcers to form in the gastrointestinal tract anywhere from the mouth to the anus. Symptoms may include stomach cramps and pains that comes and goes and blood in the stool. Similar to celiac disease, Crohns disease patients also experience diarrhea, sick feeling in the stomach, unexplained weight loss and tiredness.

Crohns disease gets treated depending on the status of the gastrointestinal tract. When the disease is mild, medicines may still help. But for sever cases, steroids are generally used. There are times that even surgery may be necessary, but it cannot cure the disease.

There are about 95 million people affected by digestive problems every day. Digestive disorders are one of the primary reasons for physician visits. It is important to get medical attention for digestive disorders since digestive diseases are very complex. They may have subtle symptoms and their causes may be unknown. Identifying or reaching a diagnosis need a thorough and accurate medical history and physical background since some digestive disorders can be hereditary.

If we re what we eat then we should take care of our digestive system. A digestive disorder or digestive disease like celiac disease is impossible to ignore. Undermining celiac disease and other digestive disorders means undermining our total health and would eventually threaten our lives.

Illnesses That Can Cause a Sleep Disorder

Many times a sleep disorder can be caused from an illness or from the medications used to treat an illness. Some of the common health conditions that can cause a sleeping problem are cardiovascular disease, endocrine disorders, neurological disorders, respiratory disease, mental illness, gastroesophageal reflux disease, kidney disease, and arthritis.

Cardiovascular disease includes congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease. These are the two most common heart problems that affect sleep and can cause a sleep disorder. Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart can no longer pump enough blood fo the body’s needs. Blood backs up in the veins of the heart which lead to the kidneys and edema eventually damages the lungs and other organs. People suffering from congestive heart failure have a very high risk of developing the sleep disorder of obstructive sleep apnea. Coronary heart disease is the build up of fatty deposits in the arteries that supply blood to the heart, called atherosclerosis. This condition also can lead to obstructive sleep apnea.

Sleep disorders can occur from endocrine disorders such as diabetes and thyroid disease. Diabetes is a disease that affects the way the body processes and uses carbohydrates, fats and proteins. People that have uncontrolled diabetes often develop the sleep disorder of restless leg syndrome. Thyroid hormones regulate the body’s energy levels. Hyperthyroidism can make it difficult to fall asleep, and cause night sweats the person to wake.

Neurological disorders include Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, and strokes. Parkinson’s disease is a central nervous system disorder. This disease causes problems with body motion, including tremors, unstable posture, slowed body movements, muscle stiffness, and difficulty walking. Sleep disorders that occur with this disease include REM sleep behavior disorder and sleep onset insomnia. Alzheimer’s disease impairs the brain’s intellectual functions and is the most common cause of dementia. This disease causes sleep fragmentation. Epilepsy causes recurrent, sudden, brief changes in the normal electrical activity of the brain. People with this condition are twice as likely to suffer from the sleep disorder insomnia. People that suffer a stroke usually also have obstructive sleep apnea.

People that have respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
usually also have a sleep disorder. Asthma is a chronic lung condition that makes breathing difficult when air passages become inflamed and narrow. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, known as COPD, refers to a group of disorders that damage the lungs and make breathing difficult. Many people with these conditions suffer from insomnia and sleep fragmentation.

Mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder can also lead to a sleep disorder. People with these mental health disorders often suffer from sleep fragmentation and insomnia.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, known as GERD, causes the stomach’s juices to flow backwards into the esophagus. This causes the sleep disorder of sleep fragmentation.

Kidney disease causes the kidneys to lose their ability to filter the proper amount of waste products from the blood and regulate the body’s balance of salt and water. This can cause the sleep disorders of restless leg syndrome and insomnia to develop.

People with arthritis often find it difficult to fall asleep because of the pain. This often results in insomnia.

If an illness causes a sleep disorder to develop, the sleep disorder is secondary to the illness. Successful treatment of the primary underlying cause will usually diminish the effects of the sleep disorder.

Tips on How to Relieve Anxiety and Stress

It begins with alarm. The muscles, particularly in the face and neck, tighten. The stomach feels knotted. The pulse is rapid, the mouth is dry, and the palms are sweaty. Lactase, a substance released during muscle contractions, appears in the blood. Hormones that speed up the heart and constrict the blood vessels are released. Blood pressure rises.

All of these things constitute to a condition that people commonly know as stress or anxiety. Experts define it as the bodys nonspecific response to any demand made upon it.

After this initial response, the body returns to normal, but maintaining normalcy under stress and anxiety requires all the energy of mind and body. If the stress and anxiety continue long enough, normal functioning cannot be maintained, and the initial alarm responses reappear.

In fact, experts say that even a small amount of additional stress and anxiety at this stage can cause breakdown. Scientific reports show that in small animals, stress beyond the point of endurance has proven deadly.

So how do people manage stress and anxiety? What are the ways on how on how to relieve anxiety and stress? Here are some great tips you must muster to fight back stress and anxiety and live your life to the fullest.

1. Exercise

Regular exercise helps to relax a tense body and a stressed mind because it helps uplift depression and improve mood. It can also decrease the activity of the sensory receptors in the muscle, which send information to the central nervous system. Tension makes these receptors oversensitive so that they bombard the nervous system with electrical impulses.

Exercise can also cut down on the overload on the nervous system by quieting the electrical signals from the muscles. Best of all, exercise induces and enhances the ability to sleep restfully.

2. Take out a multivitamin or mineral insurance policy

Physiological and emotional stress can rob the body of important nutrients, including antioxidant vitamins. In times of stress and anxiety, free radicals, such as unstable molecules of harmful chemicals, can increase and sack the bodys health fragments for substitute electrons, parting uninhibited radicals and impaired tissues and cells in their body.

Anti-oxidants, most particularly vitamins E, beta-carotene, and vitamin C protect the bodys healthy fragments by giving up their personal electrons to counteract free-radical attackers. So to arm yourself against a stress-induced free-radical invasion, take a daily multivitamin or mineral induced supplement.

How Does Exercise Acts as Tranquilizer?

Scientists do not understand the precise how and why yet. They believe that certain brain chemicals found in relaxed states are released during exercise.

In experiments with cats, researchers found that the activity of the muscle receptors was reduced when the temperature of the receptors themselves or of the hypothalamus, a region in the brain, was raised. Vigorous exercise is one way of raising these temperatures and, perhaps, of slowing the receptors activity.

Some investigators suggest that the tightening of the muscles associated with tension causes chronic over-arousal and over-activity of the nervous system. Moving the muscles, they say, may be necessary to keep the muscle receptors transmissions to the nervous system at a normal level.

Mental health professionals have begun to study the effects of exercise on emotional disturbances. No one is suggesting that people can quite literally run away from our problems, but one psychologist did find that depressed patients improved significantly after ten weeks of jogging.

All of these things are boiled down to the fact that exercise is one of the best solutions to relieve people from stress and anxiety.