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How To Ease Arthritis Pain with Glucosamine & Chondroitin Supplements

How To Ease Arthritis Pain with Glucosamine & Chondroitin Supplements
Daniel Lesser

If you are suffering from arthritis pain, you’ve probably heard
of a relatively new over-the-counter remedy called Glucosamine.
But what is Glucosamine, and how does it work to relieve
arthritis? In this article, I’ll introduce you to this new
treatment and provide you with the pros and cons of its use. By
the time you’ve finished reading this article, you’ll be able to
make an informed decision on whether or not Glucosamine is right
for you.

What is Glucosamine? Glucosamine, together with a related
ingredient called Chondroitin, are substances which exist
naturally in your body. It is believed that glucosamine helps to
build and repair cartilage (the soft, spongy material between
your joints), while chondroitin lends to the elasticity and
flexibility of joints. A deficiency of either one can lead to
increased wear and tear on the joint, and cause redness,
swelling and stiffness as a result. When used together,
glucosamine and chondroitin act as a tag-team of arthritis
fighters, improving flexibility, soothing inflammation and
reducing swelling caused by achy joints.

Where Can I Buy Glucosamine and Chondroitin Supplements? You can
find these products in virtually any pharmacy or health goods
store. The downside to this is, like other herbal and
alternative medicines, supplements are not regulated by any
governing body. That’s why you’ll need to do a little bit of
research to find the best, most potent brand for your needs.
Here’s what you need to know when comparison shopping for a
glucosamine supplement:

You should expect to pay anywhere from $1-3 per pill when
taking glucosamine daily. Since insurance companies rarely cover
supplements of any kind, you’ll most likely be paying for them
out of pocket.

Read the ingredients label on the bottle to determine the
dosage. Approximately 1500mg of glucosamine and 1200mg of
chondroitin have been safely used in clinical trials. Depending
on your individual medication tolerances and the severity of
your arthritis, you should consult your physician or
rheumatologist to find the right dose for your individual needs.

Select supplements manufactured by a well-known, reputable
company. Recommended brands include: Osteo Bi-Flex, WholeHealth,
Flex-A-Min, MoveFree and individual pharmacy brands.

Are There Any Side Effects I Should Know About? As with any
medication or supplements, there are a few warnings you should
know:

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, do not use
glucosamine/chondroitin supplements, as no long-term studies
have been done to gage what materials (if any) are passed on to
the baby either internally or through breast milk.

If you are diabetic, chondroitin (a form of sugar) may cause
your blood sugar to rise.

Chondroitin also acts as a mild blood thinner. Therefore, if
you are taking any heart medication or are taking an aspirin
regimen, have your blood clotting time checked more frequently
by your doctor.

Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplements should not be taken by
children since no studies have been done to determine their
effect (if any) on the child’s development.

(Please note: The information contained within this article is
not intended to replace or substitute for that of an experienced
physician. Remember to check with your doctor or rheumatologist
before starting daily glucosamine/chondroitin supplements, and
don’t stop or cut down on any of your current medications
(whether they’re for arthritis or not) without talking with your
doctor first).

About the author:
Daniel J Lesser is the creator of HotArthritisSecrets.com. Find
out how you got it and how to live with it at www.hotarthritissecrets
.com.

Finding the Right Blood Pressure Home Monitor

If you are checking your blood pressure from home you have the choice of choosing your own monitor. You can use either an aneroid monitor or a digital one. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

An aneroid monitor has a dial gauge and your blood pressure is read by a pointer. You inflate the cuff by hand using a rubber bulb. With a digital monitor you can choose a manual cuff or an automatic one. You can read your blood pressure reading on a screen digitally as well. You want to choose the one you are more comfortable using.

An aneroid monitor is very portable. The cuff that comes with this monitor also has a stethoscope built into it. The aneroid blood pressure monitors range cheaper in price compared to the digital ones. A down side to this monitor is that it may be too hard for some people to hear as well as too hard to squeeze the bulb.

Digital monitors are the more popular blood pressure monitoring devices because they are automatic. Unlike the pointer on an aneroid device, the digital device shows your numbers on a screen. This makes it a lot easier to read. You can even purchase a digital monitor that comes with a paper print out feature. This would make it easier to keep a record of your blood pressure readings.

The digital monitor has a gauge as well as a stethoscope. With the digital monitor it has an error code which can be very beneficial and automatic deflation of the cuff. With a digital monitor you have to use batteries and depending on the model you may have to use your left arm. You can purchase a digital monitor anywhere from thirty dollars to ninety and higher.

You want to choose a blood pressure monitoring device with a cuff that is the right size for you. The right cuff size will ensure correct blood pressure readings. Ask your doctor if you are unsure of what size you need. Be sure you can easily read and operate the device.

If money plays a factor in your decision choose a device that fits your needs as well as your budget. When it comes to your health you have to decide if you can really put a price on it. While you do not want to spend an unreasonable amount of money on something like this, you still might have to splurge a little extra.

Look around and see what your options are. You might know someone that has a home blood pressure monitor. If so, ask them what they might recommend. They might recommend whatever device they are using now or tell you to steer clear of it.

You want to choose one that is easy for you to use and read. Be sure you can understand how to operate it as well. The less confusing it is to use, the more beneficial it will be. Imagine how much better you are going to feel once you gain control of your blood pressure. It will be much simpler by monitoring from home as well as having regular check ups at your doctor visits. Lower blood pressure lessens your risks of a stroke or heart and kidney disease. This alone should make you feel much better.

Obesity in Adolescents

Obesity and overweight are the second most major reasons of preventable deaths in America. Stagnant lifestyle and junk food is to be blamed for more than three hundred thousand deaths per annum. The sad thing is that this problem is on the rise. Obesity is a chronic disease which poses serious health risk to the health of an individual. Also, obesity is the easiest recognizable medical problem, but is very difficult to deal with.

People usually confuse obesity with overweight. Overweight is gaining of a few extra pounds. A person is considered obese when the total body weight is minimum ten percent more than the recommended weight for his/her body structure and height. According to an estimate every year hundred billion dollars are spent on the obesity problem. It is very important to treat the problem as early as possible. Obese children between the age of ten and thirteen have eighty percent chances of growing into obese adults, unless they change their ways and adopt a healthier lifestyle. The obesity problem starts from the age of five and continue till adolescence.

Obesity can be caused due to complex reasons including biological, genetic, cultural and behavioral factors. Usually a person gets obese when he/she consumes more calories than the body burns. Also there are fifty percent chances of becoming obese when both one of the parent is obese and when obesity has affected both the parents, the chances increases to eighty percent. One percent of obese people can have that fat because of health reasons, as obesity can be caused due to few medical disorders. The causes of obesity in adolescence are overeating, family history, bad eating habits, little or no exercise, medical illness, low self esteem, medications, depression, emotional problems, stressful life, and family problem.

Obesity can cause many major problems. Some of them are diabetes, sleeping disorders, high blood pressure, breathing problems, emotional problems and increase in heart disease risk. Teenagers are more prone to get emotional problems. Because of the weight, they develop low self esteem. They get into depression, obsessive compulsion disorder and anxiety.

Adolescents who want to tackle the obesity problem should approach a pediatrician who will thoroughly evaluate the cause. If no physical disorder is to be blamed, the weight is reduced by limiting the calorie intake and increasing physical activity. The doctor can advice a weight management program and change the eating habits of the teenager, slowly. The patient must avoid oily, fatty, fast and junk food. The potions must be reduced in order to decrease the calorie intake. If the adolescent has developed emotional problems because of obesity, an adolescent psychiatrist can collaborate with the pediatrician in order to make a comprehensive plan for treatment. The plan includes reasonable goals, behavior modification, family participation, and management of physical activity.

Self motivation is extremely necessary in loosing weight. Because obesity is more a family problem and not an individual problem, the whole family can switch to eating healthy food and exercising regularly. This can make the weight control program a success. Parents can play a major role by boosting the self esteem of their children by concentrating on their strengths and encouraging them, instead of targeting the weight problem. The whole family should eat meals together, instead of eating individually while watching a movie. This helps all the members to focus on the food and the quantity being eaten. If the teenager isnt getting support from his family members, he/she can join support groups which can help towards the goals.

After the adolescent has lost weight, it is very important that he/she maintains it. In majority of the cases, people shift back to their old eating habits after loosing weight. That is the reason why obesity is more of a lifetime issue. So the main aim of any weight loss program must be make the adolescent like healthy food. He/she must also be made to exercise regularly, irrespective of the weight.

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Teeth Whitening Options: When Toothpaste is Not Enough Anymore

When toothpastes are no longer capable of giving people that shiny and bright smile, teeth whitening is the only alternative left.

Having the perfect white teeth have long been advertised by toothpaste and other tooth products. Due to the aggressive marketing that they use, it is no wonder why a lot of people are finding ways to whiten their teeth more.

One of the options that they have is teeth whitening. The perfect candidates for teeth whitening are those that have teeth that are discolored because of age, due to possible smoking and many other factors.

Once teeth whitening was found out to work effectively, more and more people are enticed to try them out for themselves. And due to this need, there are now a growing number of ways in which people can have their teeth whitened.

Some of these are:

1. Teeth whitening systems.

This is the process of teeth whitening that you can do yourself and at home. Teeth whitening systems usually consist of whitening gels that needs to be placed in your mouthpiece for specific number of times. In order to maintain its effectiveness, you have to make sure that you comply with the required amount and time that is dictated in the whitening system.

If you want to have your own whitening system, you need to have a minimum of $500 set aside as a budget. You can also opt for those that cost less than $100 but they do not work as well as its expensive counterpart.

Before you buy the whitening system, it is advised that you check out their labels first. Most of them are already approved by the American Dental Association so you need to look for their seal of approval.

Another thing that you need to keep in mind is to follow instructions to the letter. Do not go beyond what is required. You can always consult a dentist if you have queries regarding the whitening system that you are using.

2. Teeth whitening done by professionals.

This is by far the most effective means of teeth whitening. The procedure is assisted by a dentist so you can be assured that everything will be done properly.

There are steps that are needed to be taken before the actual teeth whitening. You first have to be examined by a dentist so they will decide if you need teeth whitening or not. Then he or she will suggest what type of teeth whitening will work effectively for you.

The dentist will then tell you what you can expect from the procedure. Every whitening session varies from case to case. There are those that tend to be more successful than the rest. This will all depend on the condition that the teeth and how effective the procedure will be.

Before an individual is treated for teeth whitening, the dentist will first have to clean the teeth to prepare them for the cleaning process. Then cavities are filled in. The teeth whitening process will begin once your dentist has checked that your gums are as healthy as can be.

The two types of teeth whitening is not an assurance that your teeth will remain permanently white. Take note that the process is only temporary. Teeth whitening needs to be done repeatedly so that you can maintain that shiny white for longer times.