What is Cholesterol?

Preventing high cholesterol is just as important as keeping your heart healthy. You are reading this article because you care about your heart and you want to keep it healthy. One way to keep keep your heart healthy is to know the importance of having a balanced cholesterol level.

What is cholesterol?

According to America Heart Association, cholesterol is a fatty, waxy substance in your blood. Having cholesterol in your body isn’t bad, it can only be bad if it becomes excess in the body. This can cause health problems. Our body needs cholesterol in order to make hormones and healthy cells.

The food we eat has a higher contribution to cholesterol in our bodies, especially the food that comes from animals, such as meat, poultry, and dairy products which contain dietary cholesterol. These foods have high fats and it causes the liver to produce more cholesterol than it should. Bad cholesterol can also result from the consumption of some tropical oils such as coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil. These oils contain saturated fat that increases bad cholesterol in the heart.

Two kinds of cholesterol in our body

There are two kinds of cholesterol in our body, Low-density lipoprotein(LDL) and High-density lipoprotein (HDL).

• Low-density lipoprotein(LDL) is a bad kind of cholesterol that clogs the arteries. Unhealthy cholesterol contributes to a high risk of cardiovascular disease. It is best you check your cholesterol level to know if is below 100 Mg/dL which is the normal level for a person.
• High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is a good kind of cholesterol, it helps to eliminate LDL cholesterol in your arteries. The normal level for HDL is 60 Mg/dl.

Excess cholesterol in the blood vessels can affect the heart and brain. If a blood clot is formed and restricts blood flow, it can result in a stroke or heart attack.

6 effective tips to prevent high cholesterol

In order to prevent high cholesterol and keep it normal, there are 6 effective tips you should adhere to:

1. Check your cholesterol level

If you don’t want your heart to be at risk, you need to check your cholesterol level regularly.

2. Create a new diet

What we eat into our body is very important, we need to be guarded. Avoid or limit saturated and trans fat foods because they increase LDL cholesterol. Examples of saturated foods are;

• baked goods i.e cookies, cakes, biscuits, etc.
• red meat
• junk food
• excess butter consumption
• egg yolks

Instead, create a new diet that is not saturated and trans fat such as;

• soybeans
• wheat
• nuts i.e walnut, cashew nut
• Avacado
• Fatty fish
• brown rice
• seed
• fruit
• vegetables

3. Avoid or Quit smoking

Smoking is very bad, it has no positive benefits for health. Rather, it increases the risk of cancer and lung disease. Smoking damages the blood vessels and buildup plaques inside the arteries. Quitting smoking might be difficult, but don’t give up on trying to break free from it. Seek help from trusted people or groups you think can help you break free. Your health is important here, change is constant and you can take that step to change your lifestyle.

4. Be in control of your cholesterol level

When it comes to cholesterol, you need to learn how to control it so it won’t be so high or so low. High cholesterol levels can increase your risk of heart disease. It can also develop fatty deposits in blood vessels, and when these deposits grow, it makes it difficult for enough blood to flow through your arteries. Work on keeping a balanced cholesterol level. How can you do that?

There are some green teas that naturally help destroy bad cholesterol, balance cholesterol levels, cleanse the arteries, boost good cholesterol and eliminate free radicals. They include; GOTEA Cholesterol Reducing Tea, Greatea Cholesterol Herbal Tea, Greatea Hypertensive & Cholesterol Regulating Tea, Smiley Cholesterol Care Tea, and JIANXI Cholesterol Tea. Some persons who have used these teas have so many positive reviews on how these tea has enabled them to have balanced cholesterol. Here is one of the reviews I had during my interview with a lady who had high cholesterol.

Priscilla said “I almost had a stroke because of bad cholesterol, but after GOTEA Cholesterol Reducing Tea was recommended to me, i gained my health back. This tea helped cleanse my arteries, boost my cholesterol to be good, balanced my cholesterol levels and eliminate free radicals from my system. Today, I feel so relieved knowing that my cholesterol level is now balanced and my heart is in good shape.

My advice to everyone out there is to always check their choleseterol level and take GOTEA Cholesterol Reducing Tea if you notice you have high cholesterol.”

The point here is, always try to be in control of your cholesterol level, don’t let it control you.

5. Engage in exercise

Exercise helps boost HDL cholesterol and also is beneficial for health. Try to do some aerobic exercises for 15-30 minutes two or three times a week. If you feel you can’t carry heavy weights or do some strenuous exercises, you can walk 10-15 minutes every day. Research shows that walking prevents and manages various health conditions including heart disease, stroke, cancer, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. It also improves cardiovascular fitness and prevents high cholesterol.

6. Maintain a healthy weight

Being overweight can increase the risk of coronary heart disease. Eating well and keeping fit often will help improve your cholesterol level and prevent high or bad cholesterol.

Bottom line

To prevent high cholesterol and maintain good cholesterol, you need to apply these six simple lifestyle tips. This includes checking your cholesterol level, creating a new diet for yourself, avoiding or quitting smoking, engaging in exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight.

Cholesterol levels play a major role in heart disease risks. Don’t wait until then before you apply the health tips discussed in this article. Good luck to a healthy heart!

Written by Mary E. Linus

About Infertility

According to WHO, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/infertility Infertility is a disease of the male or female reproductive system defined as the failure to achieve a pregnancy after 1 year or more of unprotected sexual intercourse.

An estimation suggests that between 48 million couples and 186 million individuals live with infertility globally. Infertility isn’t just a woman’s problem, it is a problem for both men and women. For women who are over 35, there is a 90% chance of not being able to get pregnant after 6 months of trying and that’s because of their age.

In this article, we will discuss 3 easy steps to control infertility. But first, let’s look at types of infertility.

Types of infertility

There are two types of infertility, they include:

1. Primary infertility

Primary infertility is when a woman has never been able to get pregnant.

2. Secondary infertility

Secondary infertility is when a woman has had at least one or two successful pregnancies in the past.

Studies have shown that about one-third of infertility cases can be associated with women, while another third can be related to men. Also, when male and female infertility is combined, it is said to be the third infertility case. Sometimes the causes of infertility cannot be known, but the chances are slim.

Causes of infertility

There are various factors that contribute to the infertility of men and women.

 Male infertility causes

They include the following:

1. Medications and drugs

Examples of medications and drugs that can affect male fertility are:

• tricyclic antidepressants
• chemotherapy which is used for cancer
• marijuana and cocaine
• sulfasalazine is often used for RA(rheumatoid arthritis) and UC(ulcerative colitis).
• calcium channel blockers used for blood pressure
• anabolic steroid

2. Medical conditions

• having antibodies that attack the sperm and destroy them
• retrograde ejaculation
• hormonal imbalance
• undescended testicles
• varicocele

3. smoking cigarettes

4. exposure to toxins, such as herbicides, pesticides, and heavy metals

5. excess alcohol consumption

6. Old age

Any of these risk factors can lead to infertility in men.

Female infertility causes

Studies conclude that ovulation issue causes one-quarter of female infertility. But they are other risk factors that affect female infertility, they include the following:

1. Medications and drugs

• long-term high usage of NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
• antipsychotic medications
• chemotherapy
• drugs such as marijuana and cocaine

2. Medical conditions

• hormonal imbalance
• uterine fibroids
• pelvic in inflammatory disease
• scarring from previous surgery
• endometriosis
• premature ovarian failure

3. Sexually transmitted disease

4. Old age

5. Smoking cigarettes

6. Heavy alcohol drinking

7. overweight or underweight

If you and your partner have been seeking fertility treatment for a long time now, this article has some recommendations for you.

Steps to control infertility

1. Know the symptoms

Knowing the symptoms of infertility in both males and females is important. The symptoms of infertility in both genders vary.

For females, the symptoms are:

1. Painful or heavy periods – most women experience stomach cramps during their period, it is considered normal. But if the pains become so unbearable it’s a sign of endometriosis which is one of the causes of infertility.
2. Pain during sex – experiencing pain during sex isn’t normal, it could be related to hormones and other underlying medical conditions that can cause infertility.
3. Irregular or no periods – stress and heavy workout can result in irregular periods. But if you hardly see your periods in months, then it is needed you visit a doctor and have your fertility examined.
4. Hormone fluctuations – hormone fluctuations such as weight gain, facial hair growth, skin issues, low sex drive, and tiny hair can contribute to infertility issues.

For males, the symptoms are:

1. Erection Problems – a man’s erection is often linked to his hormone levels, when an erection can not be controlled, it results in reduced hormones. Reduced hormones can affect fertility in men.
2. Changes in sex drive – changes in virility are changes in hormones which can be an issue to fertility.
3. Ejaculation issues – the inability of a man to ejaculate are signs of infertility. Visit a doctor or health professionals for medical advice if experiencing ejaculation issues.
4. Testicle pains and swelling – testicle pains and swellings could be a result of various health diseases, such health conditions can affect male fertility if not treated.

If you’re concerned with any of these symptoms, consult your doctor for solutions. Your doctor will carry out various testings include infertility testing to know your overall health conditions.

2. Know the causes

Knowing the factors that cause infertility is very important. It serves as the key solution to tackling the problem of infertility.

3. Accept treatments

Infertility treatment varies depending on the factors related to individual infertility.

Factors that determine infertility treatments

• you and your partner’s ages
• period of time you’ve been trying to conceive
• health check of you and your partner
• the cause of infertility

Types of treatments

1. Surgery
2. Medications
3. Assisted reproductive technology(ART)
4. Herbal tea

Treatment for female

• Surgery – treatment for women’s infertility includes surgery. Surgery helps improve fertility by removing fibroids, unblocking fallopian tubes, and correcting abnormal-shaped uterus.
• Assisted reproductive technology – involves methods such as intrauterine insemination (IUI). Millions of sperms are injected into a woman’s uterus near the time of ovulation during IUI.
• Medications – infertility medications help encourage or regulate ovulation in the body just like hormones.
• Herbal tea – surgery has become rare now because of advanced infertility treatments like herbal teas. There are a variety of herbal teas that help treat female infertility, they include GREATEA Infertility Control Herbal Tea, Smiley Fertility Booster Tea, and TWININGS SYNERGY Fertility Support Tea For Women.

Treatment for male

• Surgery – surgery in men can fix obstructions that are preventing sperm from being present during ejaculation. It can also correct causes of infertility such as varicocele.
• ART – In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment takes place when the egg and sperm are being handled outside of the body.
• Medications – medications are used for the treatment of hormonal imbalance, ED, and other infections that sperm count.
• Herbal tea – There are a variety of herbal teas that help treat male infertility, such as TWININGS SYNERGY Reproductive Support For men, MEJIC Fertility Booster Tea, Gotea Manpower Tonic Tea (Men Immune Enhancement), Dr Secret Bio Herbs Male Coffee, and La Botti Active Man.

Summary

A number of couples who experience infertility have been able to conceive after some time. What does this mean? Being diagnosed with infertility doesn’t mean you won’t be able to bear a child, you will, but it will take some time. We are in an advanced world, and the chances of bearing your own child are very big. For some, they might need medical assistance, herbal treatment and etc. while to some it will happen naturally without any treatment. The choice is to be made by both you and your partner.

Treatments for infertility vary depending on the factors related to it. In some cases, fertility issues may not be treated even after applying all recommended treatments. In such circumstances, your doctor may suggest surrogacy, sperm donor and etc. to you and your partner.

The bottom line is this, do not hesitate to seek medical help when faced with infertility problems. Control infertility today with these 3 easy steps listed above.

Written by Mary E. Linus

So many people today are suffering from liver problems like NAFLD (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease), alcoholic liver disease, cirrhosis, liver failure, liver cancer, and hepatitis.  The death rate for liver disease worldwide is around 2 million.

Do you want to know how to keep your liver healthy? In this article, you’ll learn 7 tips to keep your liver healthy.

First, let’s discuss the factors that cause liver damage.

Factors that cause liver disease

•  smoking
• excess alcohol consumption
• obesity
• high cholesterol and blood sugar levels
• viruses
• high blood pressure

In recent and past years, liver disease has been treated through a liver transplant, lifestyle change, nutritional therapy, surgical resection, immunotherapy, herbal medicinal teas, and supplement. Studies show that 70-80 % of Nigerians take herbs to prevent and treat several liver problems. Here are necessary precautions to take to avoid liver diseases.

Precautions to take 

Although not all liver diseases can be prevented, but there are major lifestyle choices that need to be taken to prevent some liver diseases. They include:

• Avoiding smoking and usage of drugs
• be cautious with toxic chemicals
• limit alcohol intake
• engage in physical fitness
• watch your weight
• eat hearty meals
• use contraception during sex
• visit your doctor for an annual blood examination.
• drinking more water

Now that you have the knowledge on how to prevent or reduce liver damage, below are tips for you to keep your liver healthy.

7 tips to keep your liver healthy

Keeping the liver healthy is very important if you want to live longer. Here are 7 tips that can contribute to a healthy liver:

1. Ginger – Ginger is famously known as a medicinal treatment for health conditions, especially the heart. While many choose to add it to their meals, other chose to eat it raw and yet others choose to consume it as tea. Ginger teas like Cossy Green Tea with Lemon & Ginger , Samira Lemon & Ginger Green Tea, and Napa Ginger and Lemon Drink are teas that some persons find medicinal to the liver. Whichever way you choose to take ginger, have in mind that it helps keep your liver healthy.
2. Astragalus – is an edible herb that is commonly used by the Chinese people. It has medicinal compounds like isoflavonoids, saponins, and polysaccharides. Astragalus serves as protection against fibrosis and high fat diet-induced fatty liver.
3. Turmeric – Turmeric has so many health benefits just like ginger. Studies show that turmeric has powerful anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties which are effective for liver disease. Gotea Liver Detox Organic Tea and GOTEA Turmeric Ginger Herbal Tea are strong teas that keep the liver healthy. You should give it a try!
4. Licorice – Licorice is an herb with powerful medicinal properties that protect the liver from diseases. A person suffering from some liver conditions can find relief in eating licorice. Licorice is best used when there is alcohol-related liver damage.
5. Garlic – Garlic is packed with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant plant compounds such as alliin, allicin, and ajoene which help support liver health.
6. Ginseng – Ginseng is a famous herbal tea that has so many health benefits. Studies conclude that it has antioxidant effects that can help protect against liver injuries such as alcohol damage, virus, and toxins. Ginseng herbs such as GREATEA Ginseng Root Tea, TWININGS SYNERGY Ginseng Double Roots Tea, Looys Ginseng Green Tea, and Instant Ginseng Herbal Tea are teas that improve liver function. It also reduces fatigue and inflammation in people with liver disease. Drinking a cup of ginseng tea daily helps keep the liver healthy.
7. Green Tea – Green tea helps reduce fatty liver. Drinking green tea like ZIZA Kuding Green Tea, Tetley Pure Green Tea, Alokozay Green Tea , and God’s Garden Pure Chinese Green Tea fights off various liver diseases including hepatitis, liver cancer, cirrhosis, chronic liver disease, and fatty liver.

If you want to keep your liver healthy, then make it your aim to try out any of these 7 amazing tips listed above.

Summary

A damaged liver is a damaged body, without the liver functioning properly a person’s lifespan can be cut short. It is highly encouraged you do your utmost to avoid anything that can cause harm to your liver. These include avoiding smoking, reducing alcohol intake, stopping usage of drugs, drink enough water, annual checkups with your doctor, being overweight and etc. Endeavor to try out one of the seven tips to keep your liver healthy. Anyone who intends to use these herbal treatments should confirm with his medical advisor that their liver condition is not complicated before going ahead with the treatment.

Written by Mary E. Linus

Menstrual disorders problems affect female reproductive health, therefore, leaving many females unhappy and seeking solutions. In this article, we’ll discuss the causes of menstrual disorders and the solution to fix them.

What is menstruation?

Menstruation is when the lining of the uterus breaks down and leaves the body through the vagina.

Females between 9 years and above experience a monthly cycle called menstruation or period. In the early stages of menstruation for young girls, their menstrual cycle may be irregular. While for adult females, a regular menstrual cycle is between 21-35 days. Once a menstrual cycle lasts longer than 35 days, then that is an irregular menstrual cycle.

While for menstrual periods, the regular number of days for it is between 3-7 days. Sometimes it all depends on individual hormones. But if a period lasts more than 7 days, it is considered irregular.

Causes of menstrual disorders

There are various causes of irregular menstruation, they include;

1. Birth Control 

Birth control such as pills, patches, and IUDs(intrauterine devices) suppresses ovulation. Some persons who take birth control are likely to have irregular bleeding, lighter bleeding, heavy bleeding, and spotting. It can also lead to abnormal or no bleeding.

2. Pregnancy 

Pregnancy can make someone have missed periods or spotting.

Other pregnancy signs include nausea, fatigue, breast tingling, smell sensitivity, and morning sickness.

3. Breastfeeding

Women doing exclusive breastfeeding have irregular periods because of the prolactin in the hormones. Prolactin which doctors call lactational hormones suppresses ovulation. Some person’s period comes after they must have stopped breastfeeding, while for some is immediately after they began breastfeeding.

4. Stress

Stress can contribute to irregular periods. After a retrospective study conducted by some scientists in 2021, they find out something new about the female body. When the female body is overly stressed the body releases stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. This can affect the hormones that regulate menstruation. Stress is harmful to both your physical and mental health. Try to avoid it.

5. Perimenopause

It is the first stage of menopause. It begins 4-8 years before menopause. During this stage, the menstrual cycle gets longer or shorter at some points. Menopause begins when a period hardly occurs in a month or does not occur.

Signs of perimenopause include:

• vaginal dryness
• mood swings
• hot flashes
• difficulty sleeping
• nights sweats

Menopause isn’t a disease, you can still live happily even though you’ve reached the stage of menopause. If you can’t detect premenopause in your body, visit a doctor and run a blood test. You can try vaginal moisturizer if you have vaginal dryness. And for hot flashes, estrogen therapy can help.

6. Thyroid Disease

The thyroid produces hormones that affect heart rate, metabolism, and basic functions. The thyroid is in two forms, overactive and under-active.

When a thyroid is underactive, the gland does not produce enough hormones. This can cause heavy bleeding and longer periods.

If a thyroid is overactive, it can cause shorter and lighter periods.

Most doctors recommend radiotherapy as a treatment for the thyroid.

7. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (POS) 

It occurs when a cyst grows in the ovaries which is caused by a high level of androgens. It can stop ovulation which leads to irregular periods.

8. Uterine Fibroids

Fibroids are tumors that can develop in or around the uterus. A person with a fibroid has painful and heavy periods. It also results in pain during sex, pain in the pelvic, and abdominal pain.

Another problem associated with the menstrual cycle is menstrual cramps.

Causes of menstrual cramps

Painful menstruation is also known as dysmenorrhea. There are two types of dysmenorrhea:

Primary Dysmenorrhea: this happens in women who experience pain before and during menstruation.

Secondary Dysmenorrhea: Secondary dysmenorrhea occurs later in one’s life which could be a result of a reproductive disorder.

Causes of dysmenorrhea include:

• Estrogen and Progesterone 

According to a medical study, when an estrogen level is lowered in the body, it affects the chemicals in the brain. As a result, it triggers headaches during your period.

Estrogen enlarges the breast ducts and progesterone makes the mile glands swell. This result in breast pain and tenderness during your menstrual cycle.

• Prostaglandins

Lipids also called prostaglandins make the female uterus contract to help get rid of the linings. When this takes place, it increases the force of the contractions during the first few days of your period.

The higher the level of prostaglandins, the more severe the cramping becomes. It can also result in diarrhea and nausea. The more the lining is shed, the lesser the levels of prostaglandins in your body. This causes the cramps to subside after the first few days of your period.

Other causes include:

• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Endometriosis
• Cervical stenosis
• Uterine fibroids

Speak with a doctor if you:

• have a cycle that varies often in length
• suddenly develop irregular periods
• encounter bleeding between periods or after sex
•  have a cycle that is shorter than the regular menstrual days which is 24 days or it is longer than 38 days.
• bleeds after menopause
• stop seeing your periods for numerous months without being pregnant
• occurrence of vaginal discharge

Menstrual Disorders Treatments

It doesn’t matter if your painful periods have to do with your hormones or if it’s a genetic problem, what matters is you don’t need to let the pain continue, you need treatment. You need treatment to ease your pains.

Below are listed remedies you can try:

1. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, felvin, naproxen, and other pain relief drug.
2. Natural herbal teas like GOTEA Happy Period Menstrual Cramps Relief, Nozie Detox Bitter Tea, GREATEA Anti-Pelvic Inflammation & Infection for FEMALE Herbal Tea, Yogi DeTox Healthy Cleansing Formula can ease your pains and remove infections.
3. Yoga – 10-15 minutes of yoga can help relieve your menstrual pains. It works for some people, you can give it a try.
4. Exercise – try two or three workouts session, it helps to relieve pains.

If pain persists, please visit a doctor for a proper test to get a better recommendation to help ease your menstrual pain.

Summary

Menstrual pains are normal, but if it becomes too severe, do not hesitate to seek help from a doctor.

Start tracking your period so that you can know when it becomes irregular or when your pain changes from normal to severe.

You can track your period using a tracking app, diary, and calendar. Mark the first and last day of your bleeding and jot down any symptoms you find unusual. This will you explain better to your doctor if the situation gets worst.

Written by Mary E. Linus

Importance of sleep

Quality sleep is important to your physical and mental health just as food and water are. Sleep is necessary to restore energy. It allows the brain to filter new information, maintain vital body functions, and fix up muscle tissue.

When the body doesn’t get enough sleep, it affects your thinking ability and controls your emotions and the way you react to things. This can lead to you having problems at home, school, and your workplace.

Lack of sleep can become so serious to the extent it affects your immune system making it easy access to infections and diseases. It can increase the risk for health conditions like depression, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

Do you need much sleep?

As we age so also do our sleeping habits changes. Below are sleeping recommendations by CDC:

Age           Hours of sleep

18-60        7 hours or more

13-18        8 to 10 hours

6-12          9 to 12 hours

3-5           10 to 12 hours, naps included

1-2           11 to 12 hours, naps included

A person who lacks sleep can increase the risk of accidents when he/she is driving because they won’t be paying attention. They are likely to fall asleep on the wheels which can result in accidents.

Low-quality sleep makes you feel tired the next day regardless of whether you had slept before the morning.

So yes, you need enough sleep to keep you mentally and physically alert.

What can cause sleep deprivation?

There are many reasons a person may not get enough sleep. These include:

• Caring for another person during the night (i.e nursing mom, family, or friend caring for a sick loved one)
• Meeting deadlines (i.e work, school, or personal goals)
• Medical problems (i.e chronic pain, sleep apnea, or depression)
• Work shift
• Sleeping in a noisy environment, or a hot temperature
• Using electronic devices before bedtime

Other health issues that can cause sleep deprivation include:

• Anxiety
• Obesity
• Depression
• Bipolar disorder
• Sleep apnea
• Drug misuse
• Chronic Fatigue syndrome
• Schizophrenia
• Narcolepsy
• Chronic pain
• Bruxism
• Insomnia
• Parasomnias

3 ways to get quality sleep

Sleep deprivation can damage a person’s mental health and overall quality of life. So you need quality sleep to keep your physical and mental health sound. Here are three ways to get quality sleep:

1. Natural Treatments

Lifestyle and environmental adjustments are one way to improve your sleep. These include:

• Meditation
• Exercises to help reduce tension
• Music
• Drink chamomile tea such as ORGANIC Chamomile Herbal Tea, BIOGENIC Chamomile Stress Relief Tea, Yogi Comforting Chamomile Tea, Bigelow Cozy Chamomile Herbal Tea
• Eat 2-3 hours before bedtime.
• Turn off electronic devices and keep them away
• Keep the bedroom quiet before sleeping
• Limit usage of alcohol and caffeine.

2. Medications

Sedative-hypnotic medications such as dyphenhydramine and doxylamine have helped some persons sleep well.

Before taking medications, ask your doctor or any health professional for instructions because such drugs can be addictive and usually have side effects.

3. Therapies

Cognitive-behavioral therapy(CBT) is a therapy that helps a person who is lacking to identify the factors contributing to his lack of sleep.

Other therapies that have proven to work for some include:

• Yoga
• Massage
• Meditation
• Ayurveda

Quality Sleep Benefits

You’ve seen the dangers of sleep deprivation in the preceding paragraphs. Now, here are the benefits that come with having quality sleep.

Good quality sleep can help fight off short-term and long-term health problems such as:

• Mental Awareness – A person who gets enough sleep is more competent than a sleep-deprived person. Such a person hardly loses focus on whatever he does. He/she sets his mind on those things he wants to do without slacking behind. The way they react to situations around them is more reasonable and calm.
• Physical balance – your body is free from fatigue and tiredness when you are not sleep-deprived. Even your immune system can fight off any infection or disease that may find its way to your body.
• Lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease – healthy sleep lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.
• Lowers depression – studies show that people who have depression suffer from a lack of sleep. Quality sleep reduces the risk of depression.

Bottom line

Sleep deprivation can lead to complicated health problems such as anxiety disorder and sleep apnea. It can also affect your daily lifestyle like losing concentration at work, school, or at home.

If you notice some complications due to lack of sleep, see a doctor or a professional health practitioner for a remedy. Remember, your physical and mental health matters.

Written by Mary E. Linus

What are the discomforts of Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Rheumatoid Arthritis(RA) happens when the body’s immune system attacks its tissue including joints. This chronic inflammatory disease affects many joints in the body including the hands and feet.

RA not only affects joint linings but also causes painful swelling and can cause bone weakening and joint deficiency. It usually starts slowly, by affecting the small joints and spreading to larger joints.

Unlike other types of arthritis, the pains of Rheumatoid Arthritis occur in multiple joints. Joint pains can become severe in all areas of your body like your knees, right and left wrist, and hands. The pains can sometimes make your bones fragile and even unbearable to touch.

Paralysis in the joints is another discomfort you’ll feel if you have Rheumatoid Arthritis. Your ankles, feet, knees, or hands can become numb and you might find it hard to get out of bed or do anything. Most times this happens in the morning and can last for 45 to 60 minutes. Such discomfort can make you feel useless.

The pains can become unbearable to the extent that sleep will be far away from you, and even though sometimes you had sufficient sleep, tiredness will creep in. Studies have shown that 80 percent of people with RA admit to feeling this way.

Long-term inflammation can affect the lungs and this can lead to shortness of breath and dry cough.

Rheumatoid Arthritis can also affect the skin and eyes. It can cause itching to the skin because of the lumps that have developed on the skin. While it can also cause redness, pains, and dry eyes.

Other organs of the body Rheumatoid Arthritis(RA) can affect are:

• Kidney
• Heart
• Liver
• Nervous System

Delay in treating RA can lead to deformed joints in your body and lumps will begin to develop on some parts of your body.

When do you need to see a doctor?

See a doctor when you begin to have swelling in your joints and feel any discomfort. Your doctor can examine you and notice other symptoms of RA you might be feeling. He is likely to run numerous tests on you to get the actual symptoms you have to recommend the right medications to you.

Treatments for Rheumatoid Arthritis

1. Herbs

There are herbs that were used for the prevention and treatment of joint and muscle inflammation in ancient times. Today the same herbs are contained in teas like Gotea Anti Arthritis Herbal Tea, TWININGS SYNERGY Anti-Rheumatism & Arthritis Tea, and GREATEA Rheumatic & Arthritis Supporting Tea. These teas prevent and treat rheumatoid arthritis naturally. It treats back, knee, elbow, shoulder, and neck pains. It also treats the aches and pains associated with arthritis and Rheumatism.

Medications

Your doctor may prescribe Nonsteroidal drugs(NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, and other pain relief drugs. He can also recommend disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs  (DMARDs) to curb disease advancement and reduce inflammation. This drug also helps prevent tissue and joint harm but does not cure RA. Rather it only relieves symptoms of pains, fatigue, and other joint pains.

3. Surgery

If medications don’t help your situation, your doctor may recommend surgery to you. When surgery is carried out, they are two things that are likely to be done. The inflamed lining of joints will be removed, or the joints can be replaced with a prosthetic if it is damaged.

4. Fitness 

Engage yourself with fitness, it helps maintain flexibility in your joints and also strengthens them. Doing exercises like walking, swimming, running and any other exercises that can relieve joint pains are recommended.

Conclusion 

Getting any of these treatments earlier will help you continue to live a healthy and happy lifestyle even though you have Rheumatoid Arthritis(RA).

Written by Mary E. Linus