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Traveling with your parents can be a wonderful experience if you plan well ahead. Here are five things you must do to ensure that you and your parents will have a great vacation.
1. Ensure that the itinerary is not too fast paced.
Old folks tend to get tired easily and thus it is not advisable to include activities that are too strenuous. It is also not advisable to pack too many activities in the itinerary such that you and your parents have to rush from one place to another.
2. Ensure that everyone has ample sleep
Plan to have at least six to eight hours of sleep for you and your parents for each day of your vacation. Try to avoid having any more activities after 11 p.m. Prepare some hot water for your parents to soak their legs before bed time if there is a fair amount of walking in the day.
3. Have ample supply of their medication
If your parents are suffering from diabetes, asthma, hypertension, high cholesterol or any other illness, make sure you obtain ample supply of medication from their doctors to last for the whole trip. To ensure that you remember to bring the medication, create a checklist of things to bring and put their medication among the top five items on that list. As a safety precaution, ask them to carry a medical record of their illness and contact details in case you are not around when they need medical attention.
4. Healthy diet
Most old people do not take heavy meals and thus you need to plan for multiple light and healthy meals that are low on salts, oil and sugars but high in fiber. Always have a sandwich or high fiber biscuits in your bag in case they get hungry and there isn't a snack bar in the vicinity. Also make sure that you and your parents drink a lot of water to prevent dehydration.
5. Bring along a first aid travel pack.
Your first aid travel pack should contain medication for fever and diarrhea, cold symptoms and giddiness. It should also include a thermometer, tweezers, sharp scissors, safety pins, adhesive bandages, sterile gauze, adhesive tape and antiseptic wipes. While this list is not exhaustive, the stocks in the travel pack should be enough to cater to most conditions that require general first aid assistance. Do check the expiry date for those medications that you bring along to ensure that they are safe for consumption.
Traveling with your parents need not be a hassle as long as you plan ahead and take care of their needs. Involve them in all the activities along the way and remember to have fun!
Read more!
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Tips On How To Maintain Proper Posture To Avoid Chronic Back Pain
Chronic back pain is not just an affliction of the elderly and increasingly, younger people are suffering from it.
Chronic back pain is commonly described as deep, aching, dull or burning pain in one area of the back or travelling down the legs, chronic back pain may manifest itself as numbness, tingling, burning, or a pins-and-needles sensation in the legs.
Chronic back pain is usually non-specific. Back pain used to be associated with old age but increasingly numbers of young men and women suffer from chronic back pain. The estimated yearly prevalence of back pain ranges from 15 to 20 per cent in the United States and from 25 to 45 per cent in European countries. For 40 per cent of patients suffering back pain, four out of 10 experience a recurrence within a year or two. Other important identifying factors of chronic back pain include obesity and smoking.
To treat chronic back pain, the symptoms and signs must be identified.
Tips on how to maintain proper posture to avoid your back from being hurt, take care your posture when sitting, standing or even driving.
Standing:
1. Try to keep with the natural curves in your back at all times
2. Wear comfortable shoes with good arch support
3. If you are standing for long periods of time, change positions and try to place one foot on a stool or low shelf. This takes the strain off the lower back.
4. Don't stand in one place for too long
5. Don't bend forward with straight legs
Sitting:
1. Avoid sitting for prolonged periods of time as it causes postural strain
2. Take frequent breaks to stand and stretch
3. Place both feet flat on the floor when sitting
4. Avoid crossing your legs as it can lead to an imbalance in the pelvis
5. Sit back on the chair as it is important to give your back proper support
6. Adjust your chair so that your knee is slightly higher than your hip;otherwise use a footrest.
Driving:
1. Move your seat forward until your thighs rest comfortably on the seat and your feet are on the pedals
2. Lift the headrest upwards until it is right behind the back of your head
3. Sit upright against the back of the seat
4. Keep both hands on the wheel
5. Don't sit too far backs as reaching for the steering wheel or pedals puts strain on the spine
Read more!
Chronic back pain is commonly described as deep, aching, dull or burning pain in one area of the back or travelling down the legs, chronic back pain may manifest itself as numbness, tingling, burning, or a pins-and-needles sensation in the legs.
Chronic back pain is usually non-specific. Back pain used to be associated with old age but increasingly numbers of young men and women suffer from chronic back pain. The estimated yearly prevalence of back pain ranges from 15 to 20 per cent in the United States and from 25 to 45 per cent in European countries. For 40 per cent of patients suffering back pain, four out of 10 experience a recurrence within a year or two. Other important identifying factors of chronic back pain include obesity and smoking.
To treat chronic back pain, the symptoms and signs must be identified.
Tips on how to maintain proper posture to avoid your back from being hurt, take care your posture when sitting, standing or even driving.
Standing:
1. Try to keep with the natural curves in your back at all times
2. Wear comfortable shoes with good arch support
3. If you are standing for long periods of time, change positions and try to place one foot on a stool or low shelf. This takes the strain off the lower back.
4. Don't stand in one place for too long
5. Don't bend forward with straight legs
Sitting:
1. Avoid sitting for prolonged periods of time as it causes postural strain
2. Take frequent breaks to stand and stretch
3. Place both feet flat on the floor when sitting
4. Avoid crossing your legs as it can lead to an imbalance in the pelvis
5. Sit back on the chair as it is important to give your back proper support
6. Adjust your chair so that your knee is slightly higher than your hip;otherwise use a footrest.
Driving:
1. Move your seat forward until your thighs rest comfortably on the seat and your feet are on the pedals
2. Lift the headrest upwards until it is right behind the back of your head
3. Sit upright against the back of the seat
4. Keep both hands on the wheel
5. Don't sit too far backs as reaching for the steering wheel or pedals puts strain on the spine
Read more!
The Basics of Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a system of medicinal treatment founded by Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician. He published a paper in 1796 in which he promulgated his principle that "likes are cured by likes". This principle is known as "Law of Similars". Hahnemann claimed that quinine, a medicine widely used for successful treatment of malaria, produced symptoms of malaria in a healthy person. The patients of malaria were treated with a medicine which created the same symptoms as those created by the disease. The observations with quinine and other medicines led Hahnemann to his "Law of Similars".
Four years later Hahnemann advanced his doctrine of "potentization of dynamization" which stated that medicines in small doses effectively exerted their curative power.
The homeopathic system of treatment is based on these two principles - Law of Similars and Potentization.
Potentization is a process by which medicine is diluted in precise steps and subjected to "succussion" (a vigorous shaking action). This process brings about an energetic change that gives medicines a deeper curative effect. Repeated dilution ensures that the medicine has no toxic effect. This allows homeopathic use of many substances which would be unsafe under normal conditions.
Traditionally homeopathic treatment is done to cure the disorders, not just the symptoms. Any physical and emotional disorder produces certain symptoms in the body. In many cases different ailments produce similar symptoms. As a part of the treatment the medicines are prescribed to eliminate the causes of disease or discomfort. If two patients have similar problems, they may still require different medicines depending upon their habits and many other factors. Medicines of higher potency is generally given only after the cause of the disease is established.
Homeopathy is relatively young - just over 200 years old. New medicines and treatments are constantly being evolved and documented. Such research studies are called "provings". As a result of these research studies, Homeopathy is used in a wide variety of health conditions.
Homeopathic medicines do not work strictly by chemical action. At higher potency the medicine is diluted so much that concentration of original medicine reduces to insignificant level. Yet the medicines not only work, they are more effective at higher potency. "Potentization" process brings energetic change in the medicine. In turn the medicine stimulates the body's defense mechanism to fight the cause of disorder. This approach produces more stable cure as compared to treatment with drugs. Direct chemical action of the drugs often produce harmful side effects. Homeopathic medicines on the other hand have no or little side effects. They are safe and non-toxic.
Two centuries of existence has firmly established homeopathy. It is accepted form of treatment in many parts of the world. However, the theory of homeopathy is inconsistent with known laws of science, therefore the critics often dismiss it as pseudoscience and quackery.
Homeopathy has thrived on the basis of its results. Its medicines have relatively slow but lasting effects. It is not trusted to meet emergency situations, but it is extremely useful in many other situations.
Read more!
Four years later Hahnemann advanced his doctrine of "potentization of dynamization" which stated that medicines in small doses effectively exerted their curative power.
The homeopathic system of treatment is based on these two principles - Law of Similars and Potentization.
Potentization is a process by which medicine is diluted in precise steps and subjected to "succussion" (a vigorous shaking action). This process brings about an energetic change that gives medicines a deeper curative effect. Repeated dilution ensures that the medicine has no toxic effect. This allows homeopathic use of many substances which would be unsafe under normal conditions.
Traditionally homeopathic treatment is done to cure the disorders, not just the symptoms. Any physical and emotional disorder produces certain symptoms in the body. In many cases different ailments produce similar symptoms. As a part of the treatment the medicines are prescribed to eliminate the causes of disease or discomfort. If two patients have similar problems, they may still require different medicines depending upon their habits and many other factors. Medicines of higher potency is generally given only after the cause of the disease is established.
Homeopathy is relatively young - just over 200 years old. New medicines and treatments are constantly being evolved and documented. Such research studies are called "provings". As a result of these research studies, Homeopathy is used in a wide variety of health conditions.
Homeopathic medicines do not work strictly by chemical action. At higher potency the medicine is diluted so much that concentration of original medicine reduces to insignificant level. Yet the medicines not only work, they are more effective at higher potency. "Potentization" process brings energetic change in the medicine. In turn the medicine stimulates the body's defense mechanism to fight the cause of disorder. This approach produces more stable cure as compared to treatment with drugs. Direct chemical action of the drugs often produce harmful side effects. Homeopathic medicines on the other hand have no or little side effects. They are safe and non-toxic.
Two centuries of existence has firmly established homeopathy. It is accepted form of treatment in many parts of the world. However, the theory of homeopathy is inconsistent with known laws of science, therefore the critics often dismiss it as pseudoscience and quackery.
Homeopathy has thrived on the basis of its results. Its medicines have relatively slow but lasting effects. It is not trusted to meet emergency situations, but it is extremely useful in many other situations.
Read more!
Five Things You Must Do when Traveling with Older Parents
Traveling with your parents can be a wonderful experience if you plan well ahead. Here are five things you must do to ensure that you and your parents will have a great vacation.1. Ensure that the itinerary is not too fast paced.
Old folks tend to get tired easily and thus it is not advisable to include activities that are too strenuous. It is also not advisable to pack too many activities in the itinerary such that you and your parents have to rush from one place to another.
2. Ensure that everyone has ample sleep
Plan to have at least six to eight hours of sleep for you and your parents for each day of your vacation. Try to avoid having any more activities after 11 p.m. Prepare some hot water for your parents to soak their legs before bed time if there is a fair amount of walking in the day.
3. Have ample supply of their medication
If your parents are suffering from diabetes, asthma, hypertension, high cholesterol or any other illness, make sure you obtain ample supply of medication from their doctors to last for the whole trip. To ensure that you remember to bring the medication, create a checklist of things to bring and put their medication among the top five items on that list. As a safety precaution, ask them to carry a medical record of their illness and contact details in case you are not around when they need medical attention.
4. Healthy diet
Most old people do not take heavy meals and thus you need to plan for multiple light and healthy meals that are low on salts, oil and sugars but high in fiber. Always have a sandwich or high fiber biscuits in your bag in case they get hungry and there isn't a snack bar in the vicinity. Also make sure that you and your parents drink a lot of water to prevent dehydration.
5. Bring along a first aid travel pack.
Your first aid travel pack should contain medication for fever and diarrhea, cold symptoms and giddiness. It should also include a thermometer, tweezers, sharp scissors, safety pins, adhesive bandages, sterile gauze, adhesive tape and antiseptic wipes. While this list is not exhaustive, the stocks in the travel pack should be enough to cater to most conditions that require general first aid assistance. Do check the expiry date for those medications that you bring along to ensure that they are safe for consumption.
Traveling with your parents need not be a hassle as long as you plan ahead and take care of their needs. Involve them in all the activities along the way and remember to have fun!
Read more!
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