Saturday, December 3, 2016

3 Effective Home Remedies For Annoying Eczema

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Eczema is generally described as an inflammation of the skin and can result in dryness, redness, soreness and extreme irritation and ITCHINESS. It can reach a point of being almost unbearable. For those of us who have experienced eczema, you will understand and sympathize with the unpleasant effects of it.

Avoiding harsh cleaning products and chemicals and understanding the best diet for your skin can be a huge benefit for those with eczema. But when the outbreaks do occur — and sometimes they are nasty and long living, some even with little reprieve over time —  there are some home remedies we can partake in to soothe the pain.

Oatmeal Soak

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Oatmeal is a natural moisturizer and nourishes and soothes the skin with its anti-inflammatory properties. You can best apply this to your skin by partaking in an ‘oatmeal soak’ where you place some oats in a piece of cheesecloth or muslin and tie it off to hang it under your bathroom or bath faucet. Let the water run through the oats and you will see a milky sort of consistency come through the water. Soak or apply this to your skin for 10-15 minutes every day and let it work its magic, applying your moisturizer and things as normal afterward. You will be surprised by the results!

Coconut Oil

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Eczema, otherwise known as dermatitis, is literally translated as ‘inflamed skin’. This can mean differing symptoms, but generally it is when the skin is inflamed and red and can sometimes even form small blisters that crust over if scratched. Our main goal is to soothe out eczema, soothe the redness and inflammation and bring the itching down. You want products that are as natural as possible so that there aren’t any hidden chemicals or synthetic ingredients that are going to aggravate your eczema. This is why coconut oil is a wonderful product to use. It is an all-natural product that helps us to retain the moisture that skin prone to eczema can often lack, or which has been stripped away by harsh soaps or other chemicals on  the skin. Simply clean your skin gently and then apply as much or as little oil as you like to soothe sore areas every day.

Epsom Salt

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Bathing to soothe our skin is one of the most commonly known eczema remedies — in children’s hospitals, they sometimes use mild bleach with bath oils to soothe infected skin. Epsom salts (in the bath) are another good way to gently give the body some overall relief. Baths in general can soothe our stress, which can also be a side effect of skin inflammation and other health issues and stress will only increase your condition. Epsom salts are otherwise known as a ‘hydrated salt’ and combine magnesium and sulfate, which sink in and soothe the skin. For 7-8 weeks promising results would be shown. It also helps with nerve and muscle function, so you will feel an overall relief after this kind of bath.

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Two Tests To Check If You Have Bad Breath That Scares People Away (With Solutions)

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Has someone ever politely offered you a stick of mint gum from out of the blue, but you were not sure why? You accepted the offer, but in your mind you were silently wondering if you were offered the gum because you had bad breath.

Two Ways To Test For Bad Breath

These two bad breath tests are highly recommended by experts:

1. Scrape the back of your tongue

This is easy to do and all you need is a spoon. Scrape the back of your tongue using the tip of the spoon, let it dry, and then smell it. If it smells foul, then you do have bad breath, and the possible cause for a foul smell from this spoon test is coming from your tongue.

2. Lick your hand

If you do not have a spoon handy and want to know as soon as possible if you have bad breath, all you have to do is lick the back of your hand, let it dry, and then smell it. If it smells bad, then yes, you do have bad breath.

How To Fix Your Bad Breath Problem

These fixes are temporary since bad breath can be caused by different reasons. They also need to be done regularly to help eliminate bad breath, but the good thing is that they are quick fixes:

1. Drink water regularly

A dry mouth causes dead cells on the tongue and then when bacteria breaks it down, it causes bad breath. If the body is hydrated, the mouth will be able to regularly produce saliva, meaning there will be less bacteria build-up. Experts recommend drinking eight 8-ounce glasses, which equals about 2 liters, or half a gallon per day.

2. Rinse with mouthwash

Bacteria built up on the teeth can create a bad odor in your mouth. Rinsing or gargling with mouthwash washes away bacteria.

3. Clean the back of your tongue regularly

Use tongue scrapers to clean the back of your tongue regularly. Tongue scraping can reduce the concentration of volatile sulfur compounds and therefore, will reduce bad breath. It is most effective when done after every meal.

4. Eat an apple

Apples can help prevent bad breath because they work as a natural toothbrush. They are effective in brushing away the bacteria on the teeth and also help in removing food particles and plaque. Apples also have a high water content so they aid in adding extra moisture and keeping our mouths hydrated. They are also rich in a soluble fiber called pectin, so it will aid in proper bowel movement.

Bad breath is almost always preventable. The only way for us to prevent it is to take proactive steps in preventing it.

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1 In 5 Men Has Low Sex Drive, Here's Why And How To Deal With It

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Men always want sex? It’s a belief held across our culture, a staple of what makes a man, a man. But is this real? Our focus centers so much around their unwavering desire for sex that the men lacking this trademark attribute are often afraid to share; feeding even more into the image that all men want sex all the time.

But do all men really want sex, all the time? Though it may seem contradictory, the answer is no. In fact, a low sex drive is projected to affect “at least 20 to 25%” of adult males [1].

This lack of or lowered sexual desire often creates issues within a relationship, as differing levels of desire lead to chronically pending contention. The resulting stress from the relationship disturbance then can amount to all sorts of new issues, causing a whole chain of adverse events.

What Causes Low Sex Drive?

The causes range from physiological imbalances such as low testosterone, one of the primary male hormones, to exercise habits. Often, it can be attributed to a mix of multiple factors.

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1. Age

Low testosterone and low sex drive are both correlated to a greater age; since testosterone is the driving force during puberty responsible for building muscle, deepening voices, and increasing the size of the penis and testes, it also plays a role in sex desire [2]. When men reach their 30s, testosterone levels begin to gradually decrease and so do their sex drives. By age 45 roughly 4 out of 10 men have low testosterone [3].

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2. Medical And Psychological Issues

However, a low sex drive can also be caused by medical and psychological issues. Mood and mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and even typical daily stress can cause low sexual interest. Certain diseases, especially those with diabetes, coronary artery disease, obesity and high blood pressure also often suffer from a low sex drive [4]. Prescription medication also can interfere with sex drive by disrupting normal bodily processes and altering hormones.

3. Low Levels Of Dopamine

Another cause can be from low levels of a chemical messenger in the brain called dopamine. Dopamine is a key player in the brain’s centers for reward and pleasure, allowing us to identify certain things that bring pleasure and gravitate towards them [5]. It has been theorized that dopamine is highly related to sexual desire. This has been supported through administering patients with drugs that increase dopamine levels and observing an increase in sex drive as well [6].

Aside from the medical reasons, it can also be attributed to not enough or too much exercise, drug use, and sleep patterns [7].

Solutions

Finding Out The Underlying Reasons By Keeping Records

Since many of the causes are due to medical and psychological issues or particular lifestyle choices, treating low sex drive is often done by targeting the greater underlying problem. Therefore, the first step in increasing sex drive is determining what the reason is for the lowered interest. This can be done by keeping a journal to record what has been done for the week and keeping an eye on what triggers lower sex drive. Once this has been identified, an appropriate treatment plan can be selected.

Making Healthier Lifestyle Choices And Reduce Stress

Additionally, many of the solutions and treatment approaches are done through making healthier lifestyle choices. These include: improving diet, getting regular exercise, regulating sleep cycles, limiting alcohol intake, and reducing stress if possible [8].

Testosterone replacement therapy

Testosterone replacement therapy also exist for those suffering from low testosterone, although this has been shown to have many side effects and are only effective for those experiencing issues as a result of their significantly deficient levels [9].

Sex Therapy

Finally, sex therapy can be beneficial for helping men rediscover enjoyment during sex. This focuses solely on issues regarding sex by introducing various strategies and techniques to combat the individual’s lack of pleasure [10].

Ultimately, a doctor will likely be able to distinguish whether the cause of your lowered sex drive is psychological, physical or a mixture of the two. Seeking advice of a medical expert can clarify the problems that need to be addressed.

Reference

[1] http://ift.tt/2gYi6zj
[2, 4, 6] http://ift.tt/2fS6EsX
[3, 7, 8] http://ift.tt/1lqSAVv
[5] http://ift.tt/1y6zVh9
[9] http://ift.tt/2gYee1p
[10] http://ift.tt/2fS5lKJ

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Often Have Digestive Problems? It Might Indicate Poor Mental Health

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Sometimes with a filled memo of meetings and deadlines, meals get gulped down as you watch the clock ticking, mind set on the next mission of the day. In addition, at your meeting, you sit down and feel bloated like a blow fish. You have an urge to burp but you have to hold back or all eyes will be on you. According to Mark Davis, a nutritional psychologist, when we eat and are going through stress at the same time, our digestive system shuts down.

It is crucial to enjoy meals in a relaxed mode. You enjoy the meal and the flavors tantalize your inner cells. Metabolism and digestion are enhanced. If the metabolic energy in your system is anchored into a survival route, bloodstreams route from digestive organs into legs and arms or even to your brain for thinking on cue. Your body shuts down the digestive function under any circumstance that may trigger even more stress.

Emotions and Your Gut

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The digestive system walls are linked to health, mood, and even thoughts. This link is known as the ENS (Enteric Nervous System) and has earned the term ‘the second brain’.[1] Thin layers of over one hundred million nerve cells line the gastrointestinal tract. Unlike the main brain in your skull, the ENS cannot think. Its main role is keeping digestion on track, from the initial swallowing to the releasing of enzymes and breakdown of the food, while controlling the flow of blood to help with absorbing nutrients. According to John Hopkins Center for Neurogastroenterology director, Jay Pasricha, M.D., the Enteric Nervous System sends signals to the main brain and suggests that the digestive system may affect cognition too.[2] The ENS send signals to the brain which may feel like butterflies in the stomach if you happen to be anxious or nervous about something.

The ENS system is so connected to the brain, it can actually trigger off emotional shifts (i.e. anxiety and depression) that are thought to link to conditions like IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), diarrhea, constipation, and bloating.

Coping with Stress

According to Emeran Mayer, a UCLA professor of biobehavioral sciences, psychiatry will need expansion for treatment to our ‘second brain’ as well.[3]

Devote time and energy to deal with stress, as this would save you in sudden roundabout turns of life that may occur as a result of digestive disorders.

If you’re experiencing high levels of mental stress, here are a few quick fixes to calm you down:

  • Traditional Siesta: Many traditions follow a siesta. A nap after a big meal. Metabolic forces are highest at midday during lunch. A midday break will flow with the natural body rhythm. A siesta does not have to be a nap. Relaxing and resting suffices after a good midday meal helping with digestion and leaving you flowing with energy and vitality for the rest of the day.
  • Breathe and eat: A calm sense of deep relaxed breathing rather than a shallow and infrequent stress linked breaths that bring out an anxious state is recommended. When stressed, adopt a breathing pattern to relax. Conscious breathing techniques relate the rhythmic breathing flow to the brain. This will facilitate a smooth flow of the digestion journey.
  • Body posture: If you tend to eat hunched when stressed, take note that the digestion process needs gravity. Be seated upright for meals with relaxed shoulders and feet flat down on the ground. When the spine is erect, it gives way for the lungs to be operational at the best level. Breathing will help digest the food. By sitting up straight, while eating you have a raised consciousness and are more aware of what is on the plate you are devouring. This, in turn, will make digestion easier.

For longer-term emotional support, however, try making these activities below a daily habit:

1. Track your emotions by writing them down

To deal with stress take the time to keep a daily journal. Write down your emotions and keep track of them. Writing heals emotionally, psychologically and physically. In Writing to Heal, author Dr. James Pennebaker describes how writing leads to improved immune functioning.[4]

Journaling and keeping track of your mood swings is a great way to increase self-awareness and to express your emotions. This familiarity of yourself is crucial for understanding your life experiences.

2. Record your achievements

Note down every achievement ever though it might be minor, as noting down all achievements boost confidence [5]. Journalling achievements may help you relive them in your mind. This reaffirms your abilities even when self-doubt intervenes. With a boost of self-esteem, journaled reflections become personal achievements that will keep you moving forward.

3. Color!

Get a coloring book. Coloring helps to minimize stress. Coloring was reserved as an activity for children and occasionally adults when babysitting. Recently, it has become an international trend for adults to buy coloring books making them bestsellers worldwide. Coloring has been proven to be very therapeutic and has been referenced as almost a type of meditation.[6]

Reference

[1] http://ift.tt/1KcPfSA
[2] http://ift.tt/2gYdhGg
[3] http://ift.tt/1pYJAFg
[4] http://ift.tt/1oG8gBV
[5] http://ift.tt/2gY9rNx
[6] http://ift.tt/1MzwABm

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