Tag: Swimming

How To Prevent Strokes

When blood circulation in the brain fails, the result is a stroke. Also known as a brain attack, brain cells die from decreased blood flow and lack of oxygen. The two main categories of a stroke are those where a blockage of blood flow to the brain and those caused by bleeding in or of the brain. Not usually life threatening, the blockage of a blood vessel in the neck or brain a causes roughly 80 percent of all strokes. Bleeding into the brain or surrounding areas of the brain causes the second kind of strokes or a hemorrhagic stroke. Sudden numbness, confusion, speech slurring, dizziness or loss of balance and headaches without cause are the symptoms that some suffering from a stroke may experience. Prevention is the key to managing your risk and prevents you from having to go through the damaging effects of a stroke. Simple lifestyle changes can greatly reduce your risk for strokes and increase your overall health simultaneously.

Many factors contribute to a persons risk for stroke, age is one of them. Anyone can have a stroke at any age but a persons risk increased double after the age of 55. African Americans unfortunately have a higher risk for strokes than other races. If you have suffered a stroke in the past or have experienced a mini stroke, this increases your chances of having another in the future. Alcohol use and smoking both are contributing factors of persons who have suffered a stroke and being overweight. Persons with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and irregular heat rhythm can cause a person to have a stroke. The ways to reduce your chances of having a stroke are many and very manageable and will produce some beneficial life changes. First and foremost, stop smoking. If you smoke, stop as soon as you can. Smoking is the major cause of numerous illnesses. Drink less alcohol and loss weight if you are overweight.

Try your best to control any other illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure and change your eating habits. You have the power to prevent strokes by incorporating any or all of these very minor lifestyle changes. One of the most effective methods is to eat healthier foods. Almonds, apples, cinnamon, fish and oatmeal all contain ingredients that lower cholesterol and heart diseases as well as the possibility of having a stroke. Dark chocolates, tea, and strawberries are other foods that contain nutrients that benefit the body and help to maintain good immune systems. If you have suffered from a stroke in the past there are things that you have control over to prevent the reoccurrence of strokes. Prevention of a reoccurrence of a stroke and maintaining good health include medications and getting regular exercise to control heartbeat and breathing. Reducing your intake of harmful agents like caffeine, animal fats, and sugars and limiting your intake of processed foods. The most important thing is to rearrange your lifestyle to a healthier way of living, taking care of your body in whole to prevent diseases of all kinds to improve your quality of life for the long term.

No matter if you are above the age of 55 or if you still have decades to go, you definitely need to consider the prevention of strokes. You may have had a horrible diet and awful exercise habits in the past, but changing can help you see positive effects right away. On top of the mental clarity that comes from physical health, you can prevent things like strokes from happening. So tomorrow instead of wasting time in front of the TV or reading the paper, you should get your tennis shoes on and go for a run or a brisk walk. If that doesnt sound like your cup of tea, you can also benefit from stretching, swimming, playing tennis, or any other physical activity that you enjoy.

Swimmers Ear in Children

Swimmers ear is bacterial growth infection inside the canal of the ear. It is also known as Otitis Externa. It differs a lot from ear infections which are dealt with on a regular basis, which is contracted at times when the child catches a cold. The common ear infection is known as Otitis Media, in which the middle of the ear is infected. Incase of swimmers ear, the ear canal which leads towards the ear drum is infected by bacteria. The first symptom is that when the finger is stuck inside the ear canal, it will hurt a lot. In normal cases, it wont hurt at all.

The skin within that are is very delicate and hence, is protected by nature by a thin earwax coating. Usually, water can easily glide inside and then outside the ear without any problem. But when the water cleans some or all of the earwax and if some of the water is retained inside, the bacteria will take advantage of this situation. Chemicals in the water aggravate the situation by increasing the irritation. It starts growing within the soft and warm ear canal and can cause swelling and redness. A slight itchiness also accompanies it. But the child must be instructed to not to scratch, otherwise there is a greater chance of the situation becoming worse. If there is no itchiness, obviously there will be pain, which is the initial symptom. The ear should not be bumped or touched even from the exterior, as that will cause intense pain. Hearing can become difficult due to the bacterial infection as that will swell the ear canal and block the passage.

The pain and itchiness can only be gotten rid off by fighting the infection and killing the grown bacteria. In usual cases, ear drops are prescribed by the doctor. These ear drops have antibiotics which are meant to kill the bacteria. The dosage and number of days to use the ear drops as told by the doctor should be strictly followed. If the doses are missed there is a possibility of bacterial re-growth. A wick is also introduced inside the ear, sometimes. This wick actually is small piece of sponge with absorbed lotion. The wick is left inside then. This procedure is used when the doctor thinks it is important to apply medicine directly to the part of the ear canal which is infected. If the pain is unbearable by the child, parents can give pain killers, but only after taking suggestion from the doctor. Once the antibiotics begin working, pain killers can be stopped.

Swimmers ear cannot be just attained cause of water entering the ear at the time of taking baths or showers. Children, who have joined the summer swimming camp, can complain of this problem. After the swimmers ear is treated, the child shouldnt swim immediately. Doctor, usually, advices them to stay away from water for a week or two. The time period may sound very long, but it keeps the pain away for a long time. Special ear drops are available over the counter which can be put inside the childs ear after swimming is over. This will dry up any water inside the ear, if any. Swimmers ear can also be caused when inquisitive kids try to stuff things inside the ear and thus damaging it. Bacteria get a chance of developing on the scratched area. In this case, only parents supervision will do the trick.

PPPPP

Word Count 580

Staying Fit On The Go

Just because you are a busy person with lots to do everyday, it doesnt mean that you dont have time to stay fit and keep in shape while traveling. Excuses do not keep you fit and in shape and able to keep up with the demands of your busy life. If you are a member of a health club it would benefit you greatly if you ask the club if it participates in any programs that offer privileges at other facilities. Guest passes to certain spa and athletic clubs are sometimes free for one day. If your hotel does not have arrangements with a club near your hotel, the hotel that you are staying at just might. Asking at the front desk may open your eyes to many possibilities for a workout away from home and you will find out exactly what your options really are. Lots of hotels at least have treadmills or similar machines, which are much better than simply laying in bed and watching TV during your stay. When traveling just remember that almost every town has a YMCA or YWCA. Locate the yellow pages in your hotel room and give them a call. Again, there is now no excuse to become a traveling couch potato. Opportunities for you to take care of your fitness needs abound in all of your business and personal travels.

If necessary you may need to get a little creative, by using your hotel room as the gym of the day. Exercising in your hotel room is an easily and very convenient way to make certain that you get in your work out without missing a beat. Before you leave for your trip pack some collapsible hand weights or elastic exercise bands or other equipment that is made for travel, and turn your hotel room into the indoor gym that it has the potential to be. Elastic bands are great for getting resistance without lugging around big old dumbbells everywhere you go. Use the chairs and other pieces of furniture to your advantage to satisfy all of your fitness needs. Body weight exercises are enough for a great workout. Combine crunches, pushups, and legups. You wont exercise a large variety of muscles using only body weight, but you will at least be able to work on your heart and your endurance.

We understand that working out is not as easily done when you are in route to your next destination, so if your time is extremely tight and you dont have time for a complete work out. There are other alternatives to not working out at all. Stretch in your room, take a long walk. I bet the hotel is just as nice on the other side of the pool. Speaking of pool, you could always take a swim. Swimming is definitely a workout that will work every muscle in your body. With all of these ideas for a good work out, if not the best work out that youve ever had, you should no longer have any excuse for not continuing your fitness routine while traveling. Just remember that it doesnt really matter where you are when you do your work out but that you do your work out where you are. And if you cant do the exact routine that you are useful, just take solace in the fact that you are getting a workout.

Appropriate Eating Habits Before Competitions

As athletes work to prepare for competitions and tournaments, it is very important that nutritional needs be met. This includes both in eating habits, what is consumed, and when it is eaten. The old saying that you should not eat before swimming is a very real concern for athletes regardless of which sport they are involved in.

In order to allow the body to fully convert the good foods that you are eating into energy it needs time. The amount of time it needs varies depending on the exact foods that you are eating but the process is certainly not instant. In order to achieve the best results it is ideal if you break up your eating habits before competitions and try to limit the amount of food that you are eating right before engaging in sports. For example, if you are going to be running track at 10a.m. you should not eat anything after 9:30a.m. unless it is an emergency. This allows your stomach time to start converting the food you consumed into energy.

While it is necessary to drink liquids during a work out it is also essential to know what foods are safe before a work out. In order to ensure that your athletic experience goes as smoothly as possible you should always consult your sports medicine doctor for specifics based upon your body type, athletic activity and any other variables that are specific to you. In the meantime, there are some general guidelines that are acceptable to use and can assist in helping you ensure that you are ready to go.

Before you exercise, you should look at eating about 4 hours before your exercise. This means a real meal with components from all of the food groups. This does not mean simply snacking on an energy bar, or even an apple. Instead, it should be a complete meal, this may require you to adjust your workout schedule to better coordinate with your eating habits, or if your schedule handles it better adjust our eating habits around your workout schedule. Either way, it is important to eat a full meal 4 hours before your work out.

Once you are finished eating it is a good idea to eat a snack or even an energy drink that is loaded with carbohydrates. This gives your body an extra burst. It is best to look into this high carbohydrate snack about 2 hours before your workout. Remember, worrying about the calories you are consuming is not as important as ensuring that you are giving your body the fuel that it needs to function. In addition, about one hour before your workout looking into a sports drink is a really good idea. Following this schedule should have your body well stocked with plenty of energy to handle the rigors of your workout.

In the time immediately before a workout or even a competition of any type it is best to stick to small foods that are healthy and offer high amounts of carbohydrates. Examples include fruits, fruit juice, vegetable juices, and even sports drinks are all healthy choices that keep your energy levels full. They are also light enough that they will not cause any problems with your stomach while you are engaged in your athletic activity.

In addition to eating the healthy foods, sports medicine doctors also recommend consuming something sugary approximately 45 minutes before any highly strenuous activities. This includes candy bars, energy bars, and even some soft drinks. Keeping your energy levels up is not always a simple task but if you focus more on your energy levels and less on the calorie intake that you are consuming your body will appreciate it once you are moving and using the stores of energy.

Remember, limiting the amount of sugar that you consume is best since it only gives you energy for the initial start to the activity. The carbohydrates that you consumed before will provide you with the long-term energy that you need to be successful. With some careful planning it is possible to work with your sports medicine doctor and coach and decide exactly what your best eating routine is to keep you in top notch shape.

PPPPP
(word count 701)