Signs and Symptoms of COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) sometimes is not diagnosed in the early stages because people may slowly modify their lifestyles to be able to perform daily activities that do not cause shortness of breath. If you have shortness of breath or any of the signs or symptoms listed below, be sure and talk to your health care professional and ask to have a lung function test, such as spirometry. Remember that COPD is treatable, and an early diagnosis can help you manage symptoms and breathe better.

1. Breathlessness. You may feel like there is a heavy weight on your chest, a sense of increased effort to breathe, air hunger or gasping, or that you can't take in or fully blow out a full breath.
2. Cough. Often with mucus production but sometimes without. May be intermittent but can eventually occur throughout the day.
3. Wheezing and chest tightness. Often occur after physical activity or other exertion.
4. Fatigue. This may occur because you're out of shape or not getting enough oxygen. Typically occurs later in the disease.
5. Weight loss and loss of appetite. These symptoms can occur later in the disease and are signs of severe and very severe COPD.
6. Rib fractures. Severe coughing can cause rib fractures.
7. Ankle swelling. This results from heart failure and may be a sign of very severe disease.
8. Depression and anxiety. Make sure you tell your health care professional about these conditions so you can get appropriate treatment. They both can make your condition worse.

This resource was created with the support of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

source : http://www.healthywomen.org/

Americans Are Eating Too Much of This and Not Enough of These

Planning to eat a quick bowl of pasta topped with butter and cheese for dinner? That won't cut it if you're trying to eat a healthy, balanced diet. Instead, start with a whole-grain or multigrain pasta, cut back on the portion size, top it with sautéed veggies or tomato-based sauce with added veggies added and serve a piece of fruit for dessert. Now you're talking!

The average American diet is badly out of whack. Recently, the scientific committee working on updating the Dietary Guidelines for Americans reported that:

We eat too much sodium and saturated fat.

We don't get enough of vitamins A, D, E and C or folate, calcium, magnesium, fiber and potassium. For adolescent girls and premenopausal women, add iron to the shortfall list.

What does this mean? Most of us aren't adept at tracking how much of various vitamins and minerals we eat in a day. Many health care professionals agree we'd be healthier if we'd follow this simple advice from author and activist Michael Pollan: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

And by "eat food," he means "real food"—not processed, refined foods that are barely identifiable. As Pollan puts it, "Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food."

If you want to improve your diet based on advice in the Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, here's a good place to start: Reduce your sodium and trans fatty acids.

An easy way to reduce sodium intake is to stop adding salt to your food in cooking or at the table and reduce the processed foods you consume. Most of our daily sodium comes from processed foods (canned, packaged or frozen items, deli meats, prepared take-home dishes) and meals eaten at restaurants, whether fast-food or sit-down. For more information, check out How to Shake the Salt Habit.

To reduce trans fat, first know it also hides out in many places. It occurs naturally in small amounts in the fatty parts of meat and dairy products. But it can come from foods that contain partially hydrogenated oil. Food manufacturers use artificial trans fat to increase the shelf life, stability and texture of certain foods. Though it may make foods taste good, it's really bad for our health, raising low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol and increasing risk for heart disease and other health problems.

Many manufacturers and fast-food chains have removed or reduced the trans fat used in their products. Some of the worst offenders remaining are fried items at fast-food restaurants, savory snacks (like microwave popcorn), frozen pizzas, cakes, cookies, pie, margarines and spreads, ready-to-use frosting and coffee creamers.

Always read food labels carefully. Limit foods that are high in sodium or contain trans fat—and remember: trans fat may be labeled as partially hydrogenated oil.

Now, how about those nutrients we need more of? Experts generally agree that it's better to get necessary vitamins and minerals through a well-balanced diet, when possible, but some nutrients may be hard to get through food alone. If you think your diet may be lacking, talk to your health care professional about what supplements may be right for you.

If all of this nutritional information is too much to keep up with, the advisory committee says most of us should just eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grain and dairy, and less refined grains and added sugars. Simple.

The following infographic shows ways to increase your intake of the nutrients you may be lacking.

source : http://www.healthywomen.org/

5 Foods for Your Moods

Scientific research finds an association between diet and depression. Diets that included vegetables, fruit, meat fish and whole grains are associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety. Is it any wonder that foods and moods are related?

Is it possible to eat foods that put you in a better mood?

Before you answer that with a "duh, yes, that's what comfort foods are for," let me clarify.

Comfort foods, while they may be hearty and make you feel all nostalgic, cuddly and cared-for, are usually not the best foods to eat in terms of health. Think macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, biscuits and gravy and apple pie, and it doesn't take long to realize why. Along with consuming lots of carbs, starches and fats, chances are you're swallowing a side of guilt.

What's the point of trying to comfort yourself if the unintended outcome leads to stress and regret?

On the other hand, there are actually foods that been proven to have properties that can help you feel more relaxed and happier.  In her book, Get Smart, registered dietitian Samantha Heller writes, "It is not unusual to see an improvement in mood … as a result of a better diet."

Surely foods and moods can make for a happy marriage.

What to eat: Fish

Why it can make you happy: Major depression is associated with lowered omega-3 fatty acid levels. Fish has a high concentration of these beneficial fatty acids. A study of depressed people who had not responded well to antidepressants showed that those who were given 1,000 milligrams of EPA—a type of omega-3 fatty acid—daily for three months showed significant improvements including better sleep and less anxiety.

Best Fish: Cold-water fish, like salmon, mackerel and sardines, have the highest levels of omega-3s. Other sources of omega-3s include ground flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, soy, tofu, canola oil, walnuts, walnut oil and seaweed.

What to eat: Dark green veggies

Why they can make you happy: Veggies like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus and spinach are loaded with folate, which is a B-complex vitamin that helps regulate mood. Many studies find that depressed people suffer from folate deficiency in their diets; this deficiency can deplete levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which helps regulate moods.

How much to eat: Consume at least five servings of fruits and veggies each day.

What to eat: Eggs and bacon

Why they can make you happy: Psychiatrist Drew Ramsey, author of The Happiness Diet, says that free-range eggs contain lots of vitamin B12, which is crucial for avoiding agitation and loss of focus. In addition, pasture-raised pigs contain oleic acid, which is linked to a decreased risk of depression in women. The choline in both eggs and bacon is linked to lower anxiety, he says.

What to eat: Beans

Why they can make you happy: For one thing, beans take a long time to digest, thus stabilizing blood sugar levels (low blood sugar can result in mood swings). For another, they contain folate and are rich in the amino acid tryptophan, which is used by the body to produce serotonin. If you're not used to eating beans, start slowly to avoid bloating and gas.

What to eat: Tomatoes

Why they can make you happy: Aside from being rich in lycopene, a nutrient that stops the buildup of pro-inflammatory brain compounds that are linked to depression, tomatoes also contain folic acid, which may help prevent an excess of homocysteine from forming in the body. Excess homocysteine can interfere with the production of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, all mood regulators.

source : http://www.healthywomen.org/

Enjoy Easter Eggs Without Getting Sick

Many of us fondly remember dying and decorating Easter eggs. In my house, my mom and siblings and I would dye and decorate nearly two dozen eggs (a few didn't survive the boiling) on the Saturday afternoon before Easter. Once the dye dried, we'd carefully arrange the Easter eggs in a basket and place it on the hearth where the Easter bunny would add a few small gifts while we slept.

On Easter Sunday, we'd hide the eggs in the yard and search for them—repeatedly. Finally, that evening we'd crack and peel some of the eggs and help Mom make deviled eggs, which we'd devour.

I don't recall ever getting sick, but food safety experts might tell me I was a very lucky little girl. Most agree that you should not eat hard-boiled eggs that have been unrefrigerated more than two hours. Ours sat out waaaaay longer than that. Oops.

Here are more tips from STOP Foodborne Illness to help assure you and your family have a safe Easter holiday:

• Wash your hands. Use warm water and soap and wash for 20 seconds before and after you handle food. 
• Avoid cross-contamination. Keep kitchen surfaces and equipment clean, and use separate knifes and cutting boards for different types of foods. 
• Use only food-safe dyes. You can use the dyes that come in cute little kits or homemade dyes, but read the labels of any dyes or decorations you use to make sure they're safe.
• Start with fresh eggs. Check the "best by" date on the egg carton and don't use eggs that have passed that date. Also, give them a sniff. Some eggs that have gone bad will have an off odor (though not always).
• Buy in-shell, pasteurized eggs. If the eggs aren't pasteurized, make sure you cook them until the yolks are firm. Even fresh, organic eggs can be contaminated with Salmonella, a type of bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
• Don't store eggs in the refrigerator door. The temperature on the door fluctuates, and eggs should be stored at 40 degrees or below.
• Don't boil eggs too far in advance. Hard-boiled eggs spoil faster than uncooked eggs. Eat hard-boiled eggs within a week.
• Refrigerate those eggs. As soon as you finish decorating, put the eggs in the fridge. You may pull them out to put in an Easter egg in the morning or to use for an egg hunt, but don't eat them if they're out more than two hours.
• Keep it clean. If some of your hard-boiled eggs are cracked or dirty, don't eat them. If the eggs were placed on the ground, it's safer to throw them out. You may think the shell protects them, but cross-contamination can occur while you're peeling the eggs.

Wondering how to hard-boil eggs?

Place a single layer of eggs in a large saucepan. Cover the eggs with at least 1 inch of cold water and bring just to a boil. Remove the pan from the burner. Cover the eggs and let them stay in the water for 12 minutes for large eggs (about 9 for medium eggs and 15 for extra-large eggs). Drain the eggs and serve warm, or cool under cold running water or in a bowl of ice water. Refrigerate the eggs when they're cool enough to handle.

If this seems like too much work for an Easter egg hunt, STOP Foodborne Illness has an easier way: use plastic eggs. You can still boil and decorate and eat your "real" Easter eggs, but you won't have to worry about contamination or how long they've been out of the fridge.

source : http://www.healthywomen.org/

Natural Remedies for Pain Management

Natural Remedies for Pain Management

When you experience pain, do you:

1. Become anxious and depressed
2. Pop a painkiller
3. Lose sleep
4. Call in sick
5. Book a massage
6. Do nothing, live with it and suffer in silence
7. All of the above

There's really no simple answer to this question, because there are many dynamics—like the type of pain, your background and personality and family and social environments—that can determine what your treatment plan will be, says the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Advancing Pain Research, Care and Education.

After all, chronic pain is a tenacious problem that will not go away anytime soon and has implications beyond the source of the pain.

Chronic pain becomes more common as we age, and that's partly due to health problems like osteoarthritisthat become more persistent with the advancing years. It's no surprise that a national survey finds low-back pain and osteoarthritis to be the most frequent chronic pain conditions older Americans suffer. That's not to say there are not other conditions that can cause pain as well, like rheumatoid arthritis, migraine, carpal tunnel syndrome and fibromyalgia. In addition, chronic pain can be caused by an underlying disease or health condition, an injury, a medical treatment like surgery, inflammation or a tricky nervous system (known as "neuropathic pain").

And sometimes, there's no explanation at all.

But let's not fall into the trap of feeling depressed, hopeless or despondent.

Here's some relatively good news for the 100 million adults in the United States who suffer from chronic pain: A recent study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) acknowledges that there are some pain management alternatives to popping a pill or throwing up your hands in despair.

There's a growing body of evidence suggesting that several alternative approaches—like spinal manipulation, acupuncture and yoga—can effectively manage some painful conditions.

And there's one more—one of my all-time favorites, which dates back thousands of years: massage.The evidence for massage as a way to manage pain is mounting.

One study, published in the Annals of Family Medicine found that multiple 60-minute massages each week helped people with chronic neck pain more than fewer or shorter sessions did. 

Another study by researchers at various universities found that massage therapy helped reduce pain and improve function in people with low-back pain faster than usual medical care did. 

And yet another study has suggested that massage therapy is effective for reducing pain in cancer patients (at least, for the short-term).

Let's hear it for massage!

• It relieves muscle tension by enhancing blood flow, which helps muscles relax.
• It decreases inflammation by activating genes that naturally reduce swelling.
• It reduces pain intensity by diminishing bodily substances that create and prolong pain.
• It improves recovery by stimulating mitochondria, the "energy packs" that drive cellular function and repair.

I know what you're going to say: How many of us have the time/money/energy to "indulge" in massages? In my dreams, I have a master masseuse visit me at home at the end of each long, tough week. Presto, change-o: My sore muscles, stiff back and tension float away with their magic touch.

But reality enters and tells me to … dream on.

The solution? An all-natural, do-it-yourself massage; no expensive appointments required.

Take a tennis ball, foam roller or use your own (or a willing partner's) hands, and massage tight or painful muscles to work out your trouble spots.

Or, purchase one of the many handheld massagers that are on the market. Wahl makes a variety of massagers that are easy to use and large enough to alleviate discomfort in major muscle groups, while being small enough to hold right in your hand.

Take its Deep Tissue Percussion Massager, one of the many Wahl offers. It's one of the most powerful handheld massagers on the market. Through a combination of interchangeable heads and variable intensity controls, it zeros in on muscle pain that hides out deep below the surface.

True story: My son, a marathon runner and avid athlete, came to visit recently. When he complained that he went a bit overboard on lifting weights the day before, I brought out my massager. At first, he looked at me skeptically. But as soon as I stood behind him and gently began massaging his sore muscles, he wasdumbstruck. I handed it off to him, and he quickly got lost in alleviating all the other parts of his body that he had overworked in his passion to stay in shape.

After all these years, it felt good to still be able to soothe my (now-grown) child's aches and pains.

But I can tell you this: He's not going home with my massager. 

source : http://www.healthywomen.org/

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