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Saturday February 28, 2009

Chickenpox and your Child

If you begin to notice your child wakes up one morning with a rash of spots that followed a runny nose and a cough, you are more than likely looking at chickenpox.
A virus known as varicella zoster causes chickenpox. If your child does develop chickenpox, you will see a rash of spots that look like blisters all over their body. The blisters themselves sit on a red area of skin. They can be just about any size from the size of a pencil eraser to that of a dime.
Chickenpox can be accompanied by a runny nose and cough even though in some children these two symptoms disappear once the spots have developed. The worst thing about chickenpox is that they itch.
What to watch for are a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, and a cough. You may think your child has a cold, but within one or two days, the rash begins to appear. Most of the time, you will notice the rash first on the chest and face in groups. From there is spreads to the entire body. However, this is a worse case scenario some children only have the rash on their chest, face, and back, while others may even have them inside their ears and mouth.
In the very beginning, the rash will look like pinkish dots that will develop a small blister on top. After you notice the blisters, in about 24 to 24 hours the fluid inside the blisters will begin to look a bit cloudy and will then crust over.
However, this does not mean that they are just about over chickenpox when you notice a few of the spots crusting over. The blisters appear in waves, when one group begins to crust over, new blisters appear on another group of red dots. It normally takes around seven days before you will not notice any new spots. Some children may not develop any more spots after only three days, but seven is the longest. Within one week of the last group of spots developing blisters they should all crust over. Once, you notice the crusting on all the spots then the chickenpox are on their way to healing.
Some children may have more than just a cough and a runny nose many also have a stomachache and a fever.
Chickenpox is contagious. The most contagious time for chickenpox is before the rash appears during the first two to five days when they have the cough and runny nose. Therefore, you will not know that your little one has chickenpox before it is too late.
Chickenpox will make your child uncomfortable and if you have never developed chickenpox, you can also come down with them. The best advice is to talk to your doctor and have your child receive a shot for chickenpox. This does not mean that he or she will not ever catch them but if they do, it will be mild.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Friday February 27, 2009

Doing The Math on Credit Card Rewards

With the increasing popularity of credit cards in America, it's no surprise that credit card companies and banks continue to flood the market with all manner of cards--rewards credit cards, cash back credit cards, 0% APR credit cards--all in an effort to appeal to as many potential cardholders as possible by offering a wide variety of incentives for use. The major problem with the strategy, however, is that there's often little explanation of exactly how credit card rewards work in their respective programs what's the difference, for example, between cash back cards and rewards credit cards? And which card will, in the end, save you more? The variety and sheer number of rewards programs leaves some potential cardholders confused about the actual market value of their "points" value
The most prevalent credit card rewards plans out there today fall into two different categories -- percentage-based rewards and points-based systems. The former offers a percentage of your money back on purchases in certain targeted categories, most commonly gas, travel, and in some cases entertainment. The latter offers a series of "points" for all purchases made, which can eventually be redeemed for reimbursements on various expenses, most commonly travel. The percentage rewards plans are fairly straightforward (except for a few obscure snags, such as how your cash actually gets back to you and how much you can earn in any given year through credit card rewards), but in the case of "points", it's often difficult to determine exactly what you're getting for your purchases using a points-based rewards credit card.
But in the end, it all comes down to the numbers, specifically the math formula used to calculate the rewards. A good percentage-based rewards credit card will offer anywhere from 3-5% back on targeted purchases (again, commonly gas and travel.) If you spend $1,000 at the pump in a given year (which, with current gas prices, is a pretty low amount to spend on gas in a year), you'll earn $50 back in rewards at a 5% rate. For a year's worth of gas purchases, $50 isn't a huge amount of money, but it'll fill you up twice and it's certainly better than nothing.
Compare this to "points" systems. One points system (from Chase's Free Cash Rewards Visa) offers a rewards rate of 2,500 points for $25, with one point earned for every dollar of purchases. That's only a 1% rate of return on the money you put into the card. Certain airline credit cards offer a slightly better deal, such as American Express's Blue Sky, which allows you to redeem points (again, one dollar per point) in 7,500 increments for a $100 reimbursement on travel expenses, meaning about a 1.3% rate of return. Again, even a low rate of return can help to offset any expenses you may incur, and can make certain purchases essentially free. But 1.3% versus 5% -- you do the math.
On non-targeted purchases, points systems and percentage rewards credit cards even out, since most percentage reward cards offer a 1% rate of return on the majority of non-targeted purchases you make. And the "points" cards can offer a few incentives that a percentage rewards credit card can't, such as bonus points on sign-up, anywhere from 1,000 to 15,000 and up (depending on the value of a given points system, of course.) But, assuming that you frequently purchase the targeted items on a percentage rewards credit card (and who doesn't make frequent gas, travel, and entertainment purchases?), you've got a slight edge with percentage-based rewards program
Check all of the fine print and consider your specific purchasing needs, of course, but remember one of the first rules of finance when dealing with credit card rewards, always look at the long term and make sure to do the math.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Thursday February 26, 2009

Specific vs. Generic Airline Miles Credit Cards

Many potential cardholders are confused about the differences between the variety of airline miles credit cards available today. Miles credit cards can be divided into two mostly neat categories airline-specific cards and generic cards. Each set has its own advantages, but it's often advisable for a frequent traveler to go with a specific card, and a less-frequent traveler to go with a generic card, in order to minimize interest fees and to maximize earned mileage of the former, and in the latter case to have the flexibility to search for the least expensive flights while still earning reward
Anyone who's ever considered getting an airline mileage credit card has probably balked, at least once, at the massive number of options out there. Additionally confusing is the dual terminology at work in the airline industry there are frequent-flier miles, yes, but how do those relate to miles credit cards? And where do "points" come in to the equation? It's a bewildering array of terms, few of whose definitions are readily available, and the lack of clear explanations cause many people to just give up on mileage cards altogether. Which is a shame, because mileage cards--assuming that they're properly and carefully used--can be an easy way to save money on travel expenses, up to and including free flights around the globe.
Most of the differences between the varieties of miles credit cards boil down to two basic categories airline-specific mileage cards and generic mileage cards. The airline-specific mileage cards allow you to accrue mileage that often applies directly to a specific airline's frequent flier program mileage (for example, American Airlines' AAdvantage Cards from Citi apply miles directly to your AAdvantage account, one mile for every dollar spent), miles which can then be turned around into actual airline seats and in some cases a discount or outright free travel. The advantage of these is that occasionally flights can be cheaper through a "loyalty" miles card than without. JetBlue, in particular, offers the standard deal of about 25,000 Award Dollars (points) for one plane ticket, but offers a 31 point to dollars ratio when making travel arrangements exclusively with JetBlue, which is an extremely good deal in the mileage card world, assuming that you fly JetBlue on an exclusive basi
The generic mileage cards, by contrast, allow you to redeem your miles on whatever airline you choose (assuming that they participate in that mileage card's specific rewards program.) You won't usually find loyalty deals here, but there are some additional benefits. For one, in some cases a generic mileage card can offer the cardholder a much wider array of hotels to stay at to accrue additional mileage points (another key in the miles credit card world.)
Knowing a little bit about the airline dynamics in your region is also helpful in making your decision, such as the predominate carrier in your region and the availability of domestic and international flights from your local airports. Even still, it may be a difficult choice. To help make that decision, consider the following. As a rule (and there are exceptions), airline-specific cards generally will charge cardholders a pretty hefty annual fee and tend to have a higher ongoing APR. Generic miles credit cards typically won't stick you with an annual fee but also tend to have higher ongoing APR's than traditional non-reward credit card offer
So really, to ask which mileage card is right for you is to ask how frequently you travel, and how many travel expenses will start to show up on your budget. If you do a great deal of traveling, consider an airline-specific card. The annual fee is fixed, and as long as you pay down your balances every month, should not be much of a consideration because of the benefits that you will derive from the reward program. But if you're a more infrequent traveler, go for the generic mileage card and shop around to find the best flight from whatever airline offers it. Chances are that if you take just one or two flights a year, the generic card offer is the better bet for you. You can plan ahead to find some excellent discount flights in advance while enjoying all of the potential travel rewards that airline miles credit cards have to offer.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Wednesday February 25, 2009

Why You Should Consider Herbal Products For Your Cat

Cat owners everywhere are choosing to pamper their loving feline companions with all-natural herbal products instead of conventional veterinary medicine. The holistic philosophy teaches that a natural diet and lifestyle are best for sustaining a healthy, long life. Herbal holistic medicine was popularized for use in people, but it didn't take long for cat lovers to begin taking care of their feline friends in the same manner. Herbal products are being successfully employed to treat and prevent health issues targeting cats. Holistic treatment utilizes natural products from our environment instead of synthetic medications. It also treats the animal as whole, as opposed to focusing on one specific area at a time.
Herbal products to take care of your cat typically come in liquid or powder forms. You can mix the product with food, feed it to your pet with a dropper, or mix it in their water dish. Herbal products exist for every ailment and chronic condition your cat might face. There are also herbal products which serve as vitamins to promote general health for your cat. Holistic veterinary practitioners have discovered herbal remedies for your cat for everything from dental hygiene to intestinal health.
For example, if your cat suffers from anxiety when going to the vet or traveling in the car or any other potentially stressful events, there are herbal products which will soothe and relax it. If your cat suffers from allergies, there are herbal products designed to ward of the symptoms. There are herbs for your cat to help it maintain healthy teeth and clean gums. For upset stomachs and digestion problems, give your cat an herbal product made just for such issues. Herbal products will aid their digestion, relieve gastro-intestinal inflammation, and improve their bowel movements. Tonics are available which will stop chronic vomiting. To make sure your cat has healthy eyes, you can find herbal products to help their vision. Herbal remedies exist to help your cat deal with the itching, swelling, and pain from the bites and stings. Herbal products for the skin and fur maintain coat health and decrease shedding. If your cat has joint pain and inflammation or circulatory problems, there's relief in the form of an herbal product made just for such issues. Even the seemingly unavoidable hairballs can be eliminated with laxatives and all-natural organic herbs.
Aging cats can be rejuvenated with herbal remedies. An herbal remedy which targets the thyroid gland can help when your cat has become chronically sluggish. These remedies will make your cat more alert and lively. Such herbal products also improve their coats and will address weight issues. Since overweight cats have more health problems, keep your cat slim with an herbal product designed to help them lose weight. Cats commonly experience urinary difficulties, and there are herbal products which will relieve them of such troubles. Another issue commonly afflicting older cats are joint problems. Have no fear, there's an herbal product for your cat which will have her springing onto countertops in no time.
So you may be wondering what exactly is in all these new-fangled herbal remedies. Well, being all-natural you have nothing to fear. These medicines contain well-known ingredients such as dandelion, milk thistle, garlic, echinacea, and gingko. People have been taking these so-called new remedies for centuries, and now you can give them to your cat. In addition to herbs, these holistic products may also employ mineral products such as silicon dioxide, which is a natural dewormer and gets rid of other parasites as well. Another interesting substance employed by holistic veterinarians is lignite. Lignite is a by-product of the coal industry which is not only safe for you cat, but it serves as a detoxifier that helps your cat eliminate harmful chemicals.
Contact a holistic veterinarian for further information to find out more about improving and maintaining your cat's health with holistic herbal remedies and nutritional supplements.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Tuesday February 24, 2009

Fungal Infections and Children

Whether you know it or not, fungus is a type of organism that lives on every person all over the world. Most of the time, this organism is harmless, however, when conditions are just right it can cause a fungal infection. Even children can have fungal infections.
Some fungal infections are highly contagious which means they can spread from one person to another by a simple touch of a person infected. Fungus needs a warm, dark, and humid place to grow so such areas as pools, locker rooms, public showers and even their socks and shoes are a great place for fungal infections to start.
The most common types of fungal infections that are seen in children include athlete's foot and jock itch.
Athlete's foot also known as Tinea pedis is a fungal infection that as the name implies appears on the feet. Normally it affects the area between the toes, but can be on the bottom and sides of the feet as well. The reason this fungal infection is known as Athlete's feet is that it thrives in areas where athletes congregate such as public pools, showers, and locker rooms where the environment is moist and warm. Your children pick up the fungus and then put on their socks and shoes and the fungus begins to grow on their feet. Signs of Athlete's foot include dry, cracked, and itchy skin between the toes. Other people have red, scaly blisters on the bottom and sides of their feet. When the blisters burst, it can cause pain and swelling. Athlete's foot does not necessarily stay on the feet some people have had it spread to other areas of their body including the groin and underarms. This can be caused from scratching the feet and touching other areas of the body. Children are not the only ones that can contract Athlete's foot as it is contagious, the fungus can be brought into the home and be living in your shower.
Jock itch is another fungal infection that is seen in young boys and girls. This infection also thrives in dark and damp environments and usually appears on the groin or upper thighs. Athletes, those who perspire heavily or people that are obese usually have problems with jock itch. This fungal infection is not seen as often in girls as it is in boys, but it can occur. The most usual way in which to transmit jock itch is by touching feet with a fungal infection and then touching the groin area. The signs of jock itch include chafed, irritated skin rash with elevated edges located in the groin, inner thighs, pubic or anal areas. It itches just like athletes foot, but many people complain that it also burns.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Monday February 23, 2009

Dental Guide for Children

Somewhere between three and sixteen months you will notice that your baby is drooling more, chewing on anything he or she can get their tiny hands on and may be irritable. This is when the very first tooth will appear. Most of the time, the first tooth comes in around six months of age and will be one of the two bottom front teeth. After, your baby has his first two bottom teeth the four upper teeth will be next within four to eight week
When you little one receives, his or her first tooth has a lot to do with when you and your spouse received your first tooth. If you had your teeth come in early then your baby will also have their first tooth early.
Your child will continue to get new teeth with about four new teeth every four months until they have twenty primary teeth around age three.
At around age 6 or 7, it will be time for the Tooth Fairy to make an appearance as this is the time when you child begins to lose their primary teeth. They will lose these primary teeth until they reach age 11 to 13.
At the same time, they are losing their primary teeth, they will also be getting their permanent teeth and they will continue getting teeth until they have all of including the third molars or wisdom teeth by age 17 to 22 years.

You will hear that teething does not cause much pain, but think back to when you were getting your molars. Did your gums hurt and swell? Some children do not have much pain, while others do. Treating the gum with teething gel and Motrin for pain will give your little ones a bit of relieve. You can also massage the gum when your baby is getting his or her first teeth. For older children, you can give them apples to eat and tell them to chew back where the teeth are coming in. This might help the teeth come in a bit faster and will also help massage the gum.
The best time to start caring for your baby's teeth is when the first one appears. You should wipe the new teeth with a moist washcloth until they have a few and then use a soft bristled toothbrush. It would be best to start with non-fluoride toothpaste until your child is able to spit it out. Not rinsing and spitting out the fluoride toothpaste can cause staining on the teeth.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Sunday February 22, 2009

Allergies in Children

Many people do not think that young children can have allergies as doctors at one time believed since the nasal cavities are not completely developed then allergy problems should not exist.
Today, we now know allergic rhinitis is one of the most chronic childhood diseases. The main reason some children have allergies and some do not, comes down to heredity. If only one parent has allergies their children have a 30% to 50% percent chance of developing allergies and if cases where both parents have allergies the percentage goes up to 60% to 80%.
The most common allergy seen in both infants and children is an allergy to cows milk protein. This usually happens during the first year. Before a child can develop an allergy, he or she must first be exposed to a substance that may later be considered an allergen.
Besides food, some allergies that children may have include indoor allergens such as molds, household dust mites, and pets, outdoor allergens include weeds, tree pollen, and grasse
If you think that your child may have allergies, then there are some physical symptoms that might help you make an educated decision prior to visiting your doctor.
Symptoms of food allergies in infants can cause your little one to be colicky, vomit, have diarrhea, rashes, eczema, cry more than they should, and have cold like respiratory congestion.
Physical symptoms that may show that your child has an allergy include bluish/brownish discoloration around both eyes, puffiness under the eyes and the eyes may look red and irritated, and the ears and cheeks may appear flushed. Your little one may not be able to explain to you how they feel but you may notice them breathing through their mouth, rubbing their noise, sniffling, sneezing, and have congestion that may make it hard for them to breath.
If you notice that your child is always complaining of a sore throat, has nasal congestion quite a bit and has had to be treated for chronic ear infections you may want to ask your doctor is your little one could be suffering from allergies since these also accompany allergies.
Remember, allergies can cause excess mucus secretions, this causes swelling of the nasal cavity and breathing can be difficult when your child lies down. It can be so bad that he or she may gasp for breath, cough or awaken in the middle of the night unable to breathe properly. If disturbed sleep does occur from allergies, it can result in sleep apnea.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Saturday February 21, 2009

Diet and Nutrition for Children

As parents, we know how important it is for our children to eat healthy and receive all the vitamins and nutrients for a healthy body. Many of us also know about the Food Guide Pyramid, but you may not know that children do not use the same food pyramid as adults. Children should eat foods according to the food pyramid designed for children.
The food pyramid emphasizes food from the five major food groups, which your child needs for good health. Such items as fats, oil, and sweets should not be used as much as foods that promote good health. Yes, your child between the age of 2 to 6 will love sweets but this should not be a replacement for healthy food and should not be given all the time.
Obesity is a major problem in the US in young children and this problem begins with you. You have to control what your child eats and ensure they are eating well-balanced and healthy foods and not overdoing it on junk food
To begin with, your child should eat 3 well-balanced meals and 2 nutritious snacks every day. Let's start at the top of the pyramid with the Fats, Oils and Sweets. When it comes to this category, you should not allow your child to eat more than 30% of their diet from this group. The type of fat your child is consuming is very important. Saturated fasts include foods like meats, dairy products, coconut, palm and palm kernel oil, raise cholesterol more than unsaturated fats, which are found in olive, peanut, and canola oils, or polyunsaturated fats in safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean and cottonseed oils. They should only receive 10% of their daily calories from saturated fat
Everyone believes that children need lots of milk for their growing bodies however, they only need 2 servings from the milk group per day after age 2 until they turn 6. The amount of milk should be between 16-24 ounces per day. Other items in this group include 1 cup of yogurt and 2 ounces of cheese as a serving.
Within the meat group, your child should receive 2 servings per day. This can include 2 to 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, fish, or poultry, or

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Friday February 20, 2009

Growing Pains and your Child

When it comes to growing pains, your child's doctor is not going to be much help, since they cannot find a medical reason for children to have growing pains. There is no proof that growing bones can cause pain in your child's legs, however, there are too many children between the ages of 3 to 16 that complain of leg pain for it to be ignored.
Growing pains does occur in around 25 percent to 40 percent of all children. It is most often seen between the ages of 3 to 5 and then again between 8 to 12 years of age. However, this is not carved in granite. Any child can have growing pains prior to a growth spurt.
These leg pains are normally stronger after your child is physically active and your doctor advise you to give him something for the pain such as Tylenol or Motrin and that may be the extent of his advice.
The pain that your child can experience with growing pains will more than likely be in the front of their thighs, in their calves or behind their knees. The joints do not hurt. Leg pains are usually felt more at night or evening just about bedtime. The pain is not felt every day and the intensity varies from one child to the next. Some children have severe pain at night that does wake them from sleep, while others do not. Pains brought on from growing like other illnesses can affect each child differently as to the exact location of the pain and the intensity.
If you notice that the joints are swollen or red then you must visit a doctor, there are not physical signs of growing pains. Growing pains does not have any type of distinguishing symptoms other than pain in the legs. Your child will not run a fever or hurt any place else besides the ones mentioned above. If you notice other symptoms such as fever, or red and swollen joints, then this could be something more serious and you should take your child to the doctor for an evaluation.
Some of the best ways to help your child when growing pains occur is to massage the area, have them stand up and stretch, use a heating pad, another home remedy is to use a moist towel warmed in the microwave. You can also give Motrin or Tylenol for severe pain that is keeping your child from sleeping.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Thursday February 19, 2009

Common Infections and Children

Children are venerable to all kinds of infections since they enjoy sharing and being close to others. Infections such as the common cold can be annoying problem and often hard to overcome once they have a cold.
A cold is a contagious viral infection of the upper respiratory tract and is also the most common infectious disease in the US. On average children catch up to eight colds per year and this is the number one children miss days of school and visit the doctor.
The majority of infections are caught in the same way that a cold is, your child breathes in or touches an object that has the viruses on it. The rhinovirus is the leading cause of colds and over 100 of these can attack the lining of your child's nose and throat. When this occurs, it triggers a reaction to their immune system, which can cause your child's throat to hurt, have a headache and make it hard for them to breathe through their nose.
There are many old wives tales that tell you that you can catch a cold or an infection when your child play outdoors on cold days without wearing a coat, sitting in a draft, or even going outside with wet hair. None of these are true. When the air they breathe is dry or there are other irritants in the air such as allergens, it lowers your child's resistance to infection thus catching a cold. Allergens can be things such as cigarette smoke, ragweed, and even pets.
There is no real way in which you can stop from catching a cold or airborne virus, mainly because there is no vaccine for the common cold. However, there are a few preventive measures you and your child can do to help prevent them.
The first way of course is the hardest thing for your child to do and that is to stay away from others that have a cold. The particles of a virus can travel through the air up to 12 feet and anything a person touches that has a cold also has the virus on it. Therefore, this one is probably the hardest one to use for prevention of infection
Other ways to avoid infections include washing your hands, cover their nose and mouth when they cough or sneeze, do not use the same towel to dry their hands as someone with a cold, and do not eat or drink after anyone with a cold.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Wednesday February 18, 2009

Mumps and What you can Do

Mumps is another disease that is caused by a virus. Mumps most often spread through the saliva and can infect several parts of your child's body especially the parotid salivary glands. These are the glands that are located close to the back of the cheek in the area that is between the ear and the jaw. These glands will swell and become painful.
Symptoms of mumps normally begin with a high fever of up to 103 degrees Fahrenheit or 39.4 degrees Celsius. Along with a fever, your child will complain of a headache and will not have a desire to eat. You will notice swelling in the glands along the jaw line. If you have ever seen a squirrel or hamster with food in their cheeks then you have an idea of what your child will resemble. The glands will continue to swell and become more painful to the touch for up to three days. The pain will increase when your little one chews, talks, swallows or drinks acidic juices such as orange juice.
Both glands normally swell with one first and then within a few days the other one will begin to swell. In some rare cases, mumps will also affect other salivary glands such as under the jaw, tongue, and even down into the front of the chest.
Mumps do not necessarily stay in the salivary glands and have been known to travel to the brain and other organs. Meningitis and encephalitis are both complications of mumps. Symptoms of meningitis and encephalitis normally begin in the first week with high fever, headache, nausea, stiff neck, vomiting, convulsions, and drowsines
If an adolescent or an adult male comes down with mumps, it can result in the development of orchitis. Orchitis is an inflammation of the testicles. This normally occurs about seven to ten days the glands under the jaw begin to swell and one testicle will become swollen and painful. The symptoms for orchitis besides ones that can be seen include high fever, headache, shaking chills, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. The swelling and pain usually goes away within 3 to 7 days as the fever leaves. In most cases, only one testicle is involved, in severe cases both testicles have been affected.
In females, mumps can also affect the ovaries, which can cause tenderness and pain the abdomen.
Not every child or person that comes down with mumps have severe symptoms. Doctors have speculated that one in three persons may have the infection without any symptoms.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Tuesday February 17, 2009

Medical Care and Children

All of know that our children need to visit the doctor for regular checkups and when running a fever, but many parents do not know what to do in an emergency type situation.
Every year in the US, fourteen million children will be injured and have to seek medical attention. Would you believe that every day 24,000 children under the age of 15 need emergency medical care?
This is a staggering amount of injuries and for children between the ages of 5 to 14 this is a life threatening number, as injuries are to blame for more than three times as many lives as the second leading cause of death. Injuries are the number one cause of death and with that type of lead over the second cause of death parents need to know what to do.
The best thing for a parent to do in case of an accident is to call 9-1-1 first before moving the child. In some cases, moving the child can be very dangerous and even life threatening.
During the summer months, your children are out playing and are at risk of having all kinds of accidents from bike wrecks, firework injuries, burns, near drowning, cuts, and broken bones. There is no way to avoid injuries, you can teach your children to be safe but accidents happen. You may not be sure if the injury is bad enough to warrant calling for emergency help unless you see quite a bit of blood, or if your child is unconscious and this may lead to serious problems if you are not sure.
Some of the signs to look for to let you know you should call for help is if your child is acting withdrawn and less alert, if he or she is acting different than normal, if they are having problems breathing, if the skin or lips begin to look blue or purple, body jerking, knocked out teeth, severe or constant pain anywhere on the body, a severe headache or vomiting after hitting their head, and unresponsive.
You can also help in keeping your children safe by placing all kinds of fireworks, firearms, and harmful chemicals out of their reach. This also includes such items as gasoline for the lawn mower, matches, cigarette lighters, sharp kitchen knives, candles, and other items that could cause harm to a young child.
For outside play, ensure they wear helmets while riding bikes and skateboards. Teach them to ride safely and to watch for cars. Prevention is of course the better way to go, however, when an accident does occur, stay calm and call for help.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Monday February 16, 2009

Understanding Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity begins in the home. Many parents today want to lay blame on television, McDonalds and game systems for their children being overweight and many to the point of obesity. However, you cannot blame the television, a fast food restaurant, or Sony for your child being overweight. The only person you can really blame is yourself.
You must learn what can be done to prevent obesity and start making changes in the way you eat at home and the amount of time you and your children sit on the couch.
What type of eating environment do you have at home? Do you allow your child to sit in front of the television or his game system with a big bag of potato chips and a 2-liter bottle of soda? If so, then you are watching your child develop unhealthy eating habits that can cause obesity.
How many times do you take your child to fast food restaurants? Your kids cannot drive themselves to McDonalds and order a Big Mac. If you have the desire to have a healthy child, then you must first show them how to eat healthy by eating healthy yourself. Plan healthy meals only allow food, snacks, and drinks at the table, not in front of TV or in their rooms. If you confine the areas, they can eat to the dining room table or kitchen table the desire to snack on junk food will be pretty much eliminated since they cannot munch out while watching cartoons. If you allow foods other areas of the house, then be specific about what types of food they eat in front of the TV.
As examples
Chocolate is a no no, it can stain the couch and carpet
Ice cream is a no no, it can also stain
Potato chips is a no no, they crumble and make a mess on the furniture and floor
No drinks except water in carpeted areas
Types of food they can enjoy
Carrots will not stain or leave a mess
Yogurt
Apples
Bananas
Peanuts
See what I mean, if they are not allowed to eat certain foods in front of the TV or while playing games they will soon be eating healthier snacks or at least not eating junk food.
This will only work, if you and your spouse do not eat in front of the TV except for the items you place on the Okay foods for TV watching.
Only eat at fast food restaurants once or twice per month. If you have to work outside the home and you do not have time to prepare healthy meals. Cook more than one meal on your day off and freeze it. Then you will not have to order pizza or run out to McDonalds.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Sunday February 15, 2009

Lactose Intolerance

To understand what lactose intolerance are you must first know what lactose is. Lactose is a type of natural sugar that is found in cow's milk and milk products, it is also added to some processed foods, some medications, baby formulas, and candie
In a child or person that is, lactose intolerant does not digest the lactose properly. It remains in the intestines applying osmotic effects. This pressure pulls fluids and salts into the stomach, which moves very quickly to the large intestines. This causes an amplified level of fluids and salts in the colon and this helps the bacteria to ferment the lactose into hydrogen, hydrogen sulphide, carbon dioxide, and short-chain fatty acids. Hydrogen is one of the gases that are associated with bloating. Hydrogen is very small and it can break out through the walls of the intestine and find its way into the bloodstream, which is then expelled into the lung
The fermentation that occurs in the colon can lead to the symptoms that lead to lactose intolerance. The common symptoms are cramping, abdominal bloating, pain and flatulence. Some people also have diarrhea, nausea, rumbling, gaseousness, and in many cases especially children vomiting.
What the doctor will look for before making the decision that your child is lactose intolerant include abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, borborygmi, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, weight loss and malnutrition. If your child is an infant, your doctor can give you a list of baby formulas that are especially designed for babies that are lactose intolerant. Children can still enjoying drinking milk by adding Lactase Enzyme or by drinking soymilk.
The major problem with infants is that they can become malnutrition if they are not consuming enough formula. However, when an infant is lactose intolerant he or she will not normally eat as much and may be prone to vomiting or spitting up what they do eat.
If your child has lactose intolerance then the symptoms will begin within 15 minutes to an hour after consuming milk products.
Not every person that is lactose intolerant has the same degree of symptoms and many times lactose intolerance is often confused with an allergy to milk. The best way to learn if your child has lactose intolerance it would be best to compare the symptoms between a milk allergy and lactose intolerance to see which symptoms are more prevalent with your child. You should also discuss all of your concerns with your child's doctor.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Saturday February 14, 2009

Measles and your Child

Measles is also called rubeola and is a very contagious respiratory infection that is caused from a virus. Today it is not as common as it once was because we now have a measles vaccine, however, the cases of measles has risen over the last couple of years. The reason is that parents are not getting the measles vaccine for their pre-school children.
Symptoms of measles include a full body rash but the first symptoms that are noticed are a hacking cough, a runny nose, high fever, and watery red eyes. Pretty much the same symptoms you would notice with the flu. Some children have more measles on their body than other children and some even have them in their ears and mouth.
The rash looks like a red or reddish brown blotchy rash. They normally begin on the face and spread to the neck, then to the body and all the way to the feet.
Measles can be transmitted by a person that already has them by a simple cough or sneeze. Anyone that breathes in the same air after a cough or sneeze can catch measles.
The best way to protect your child against measles is by getting them vaccinated, however, this does not mean they will not get measles but the chances are slimmer and if they do it will be a mild case.
The measles vaccine is normally given at 12 to 15 months of age and again at age 4 to 6 years of age prior to entering public school. However, there are some children that should not receive the vaccine and they include children with active tuberculosis, lymphoma, leukemia, or any child that has a suppressed immune system.
Since measles is a virus, there is not much you can do to make it go away, it will run its course and then be gone. However, there are a few things you can do to make your child more comfortable.
You should watch your child and check them for fever. In some cases, measles can lead to other health problems such as bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchiolitis, conjunctivitis, croup, encephalitis, and myocarditis. Measles also lowers your child's resistance against ear infection
For fever, you can give your child Tylenol or Motrin as directed. For itching, you can give them tepid oatmeal baths. You child should drink plenty of clear fluids such as fruit juice, water, and tea. They should rest and not return to school for 7 to 10 or until the fever and rash are completely gone.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Friday February 13, 2009

Can Air Conditioners Make You Fat?

During the hot summer months as soon as we return home from work the first thing we do is turn on the air conditioner. Yes it helps to keep us cool and comfortable, but seldom do we actually think that it can have effects that are harmful to us. But as recent research shows, air conditioners can actually make us fat.
The most modern of technologies like air conditioning and heating make us live in a thermoneutral zone. What this means is that we get used to living at a temperature where there is no need for our body to regulate its temperature. It is only when our body's temperature is below or above this thermoneutral zone that it works to attain that level. In the process it needs energy and as a result it has to burn calories supplied by our body.
In fact David Allison, the director of Clinical Nutrition Research Center at the University of Alabama in Birmingham holds that the air conditioner might be one of the several factors that are behind the obesity problem that has reached almost epidemic proportions in America.
He actually enlists a number of factors that can be contributing to this obesity explosion besides fast food and lack of exercise. These include lack of sleep, certain medications and even things like quitting smoking as it can increase snacking when the individual becomes desperate for a comfort food.
It is suggested that the use of air conditioners should be restricted as much as possible. Since most, if not all modern offices come with air conditioners these days, it wouldn't be possible for a working individual to avoid the effects of air conditioning all day. But at least when he is home, he can limit the use of the air conditioner. He can fix a certain time in the day, only when he will allow himself the comforts of the air conditioner. The rest of the time he has to do with a ceiling fan.
There are also skeptics who can't quite buy this theory. Their argument is that, people all over the world are living in different climactic conditions and they still are thin. So air conditioning shouldn't play a role. The skeptics also seem to have a point. So the whole topic needs further research.
At the end of the day, good eating habits and regular exercise are the best way to stay clear of obesity.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Thursday February 12, 2009

Planting a Tulip Field or Tulip Garden: Next Spring Can be Heaven on Earth

If you enjoy tulips and building a tulip garden that will make your spring morning fresh and delightful, consider these tips for successful tulip planting. One of the most important aspects of building a tulip garden involves using the correct soil, and cultivating the ground for proper growth.
In order to find out what the latest tulip planting trends are you may want to attend various tulip festivals which usually happen in spring of the year. One of the most popular of those festivals is the Tulip Time Festival in Holland, Michigan. You can also view miles and miles of tulips when you visit the state of Washington and tour the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Photos of tulips from these festivals are available online, and you can sign up to hear more about these particular events. You will also want to consult tulip planting experts for further help on how to create your money making tulip operation.
These helpful tulip garden design tips can help you create flower beds as attractive one of your favorite well-known flower gardens. You have quite a few different types of tulips to choose from to plant in your garden. If you design your tulip garden carefully enough you can use it as a promotional tool to attract buyers of tulips and act as if you have your own tulip festival in your backyard.
Tulips are much different from perennials in terms of planting. Tulips prefer a sandy-based soil that is well-drained. Tulip bulbs will not grow well in solid saturated with water that is extremely wet. Additional tips for planting tulips to build a healthy garden are included in this article.
In order to establish proper drainage in your tulip garden, plant tulip bulbs on slightly raised ground. This will shunt excess water away from the bulbs and prevent rotting. You may also consider designing a system that drains excess water from the tulip bed. If you wish to build a flat-bedded tulip garden, make sure to add a peat moss along or compost mixture to the soil, and mix together with the ground soil thoroughly. If the soil in your garden is not sandy enough for tulip bulbs, consider adding some sand and mixing it well with the soil.
Check with your local garden supply dealer for exact details about the proper proportion of sand to the soil in your area.
When planting tulips bulbs, make sure to plant the pointed end up. The best time to plant is when the ground is 60 degrees or colder. The prime planting time for tulips is after November first, so that the bulbs will incubate properly and develop a solid root structure, which is what they need. Then, in early to late spring, depending upon which species of tulips you plant, tulips will sprout and blossom in order to grow to their maximum length.
Another way to make sure your tulips remain cool during the winter months is to plant them in a lightly shaded area, but making sure you plant them in areas that will provide the tulips with enough light for growth. Make sure that you insert the bulbs far enough into the ground. Usually they are planted approximately 6 inches below ground although jumbo tulips can be buried as deep as 9 inches.
If you live in a warmer climate you will have to chill them in a cooler below 60 degrees for the same length of time that you would if you were going to plant them right away. If it has not rained in your area before you plant your flower beds you will want to make sure that water them until the soil is moist.
You can use similar techniques to attract customers to your tulip shop as you would if you had any other business. One of the most useful tools of attracting customers is to have a professional-looking appearance with samples of your items for sale displayed. This is true no matter what kind of business you run, and is true for creating an atmosphere which will encourage customers to purchase fresh tulips from you. It takes planting the right garden design and choosing the right tulips to make this happen.
One of the most popular types of tulips is the numerous varieties of single tulips. Examples of different-colored single tulips include the bold red Kingsblood tulip, which appears to represent both royalty and victory. You can also find other varieties of red tulips to plant in your garden of which the brightness of the red helps define any garden. These are called the Red Parade or the Hollandia tulip. Another popular color for tulip planting would be the white tulip, which would be ideal for a wedding ceremony. One example of a single-blooming white tulip is called the Maureen Tulip. You can also find single tulip flowers which are purple, magenta, orange, and royal purple. These types of tulips are known to be very pleasing to most customers' eyes, and are sold in many professional flower shops.
You can also build an attractive garden using double-blooming varieties of tulips such as the Peach Melba, Cool Crystal, or Royal Acres tulip. Along with that, you can plant those that have fringed edges on the petals, or ones that have long curly petals (parrot style tulips). When you plant your garden you can craft it any way you like, but if you want to sell your tulips, you will want to arrange your garden design in a way that will make customers want to buy from you.
Some useful garden planting tips are to make sure that you plant flowers that will bloom at same or similar times. Not only that, but you will want to place them in organized formations. One of the most popular tulip garden design patterns is to plant square or rectangle patches that contain several rows of evenly-rowed tulips of the same color. Other tulip gardens are designed in a way in which small clusters of tulips of different colors and types will grow and bloom together. In order for these gardens to grow properly you will want to make sure to plant them only a few inches apart.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Wednesday February 11, 2009

Financial Management For Freelancers

If you are just going into freelancing then perhaps one of your biggest questions (unless you are already a financial management expert) is how you should handle the financial aspects of your freelance busines
Perhaps one of the first things you should consider is getting someone to help you with the bookkeeping and accounting aspects of your business. You may want to get someone you know to help you with this or if you do not know anyone who has the necessary expertise then you can use the same freelance jobs boards you use to get a freelance bookkeeper or accountant.
Start by collecting all your invoices for any purchases you make. As you go into freelancing you will discover that there are many items that you would not have normally worried about in the past but that you can now claim from tax as business-related expenses so keep all invoices you receive.
You should also keep a book where you write down everything you buy, all money expended and all money received. Speak to your bookkeeper about what books you should be keeping and how you should go about filling them in but before you speak to them start now by just writing down every cent that leaves or comes into your hand
The next aspect is to budget your expenses as far as possible. Although freelancers often find it hard to determine exactly how much money they are going to be receiving on a monthly basis try to budget each amount that comes in so that you know where your money is going.
Another thing you will probably want to do is to set yourself financial goals. How much do you want to make this month? Next month? Six months time? In a year? Write down these goals and then see how you can go about improving your income to meet these financial goals. Also work out how much you want to save and how much you are going to be spending.
If you have not already registered as an independent agent for tax purposes you will also want to do this as soon as possible. You should speak to your accountant about this and ask him what is required and how you should go about doing this if you do not already know. It is important that this is done within the first three months of starting your freelancing busines
In conclusion then, to manage your finances effectively as a freelancer you should begin by finding yourself a reliable bookkeeper or accountant, collect all your invoices and write down all money that comes into or goes out of your hands. Register for tax as early as possible (within the first three months) and set yourself financial goals that you would like to reach to help you manage your money more effectively.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Tuesday February 10, 2009

Is There Anyone More Talented Than Bette Midler?

Bette Midler was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on December 1st, 1945. Her ancestry is Jewish and Italian. She was named after Bette Davis, though Midler doesn't pronounce the second "e" in her name like with Davis. She is the third of four children.
For college she attended the University of Hawaii where she majored in drama. To pursue acting, Midler dropped out of college before graduating. In 1966 she landed her first movie role in the film Hawaii. It wasn't a major role as her part was simply as an extra, but it greatly encouraged her interest in becoming a professional actor. To that end, she moved to New York City to pursue roles on Broadway.
Her efforts were soon rewarded with a role in the legendary Broadway musical, Fiddler on the Roof. She played Tzeitel, the oldest daughter, which was a pretty significant role for someone just breaking into professional acting. While working on Fiddler on the Roof, Midler's sister Judy was killed by a taxi while visiting her. Midler performed in Fiddler on the Roof until 1969.
In 1970 she got a gig in a gay bathhouse. There she met Barry Manilow. Manilow played the piano at the bathhouse and the two become good friends. Manilow produced her first album, The Divine Miss M, which was released in 1972. The album won rave revues and has since sold millions of copies. In 1973, The Divine Miss M garnered Midler a Grammy for Best New Artist.
Midler won a Tony Award in 1974 for her involvement in a Broadway play titled Clams on the Half Shell Revue. In 1978 she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starring role in the movie, The Rose, in which she played a drug-addled rock star loosely based on Janis Joplin.
In 1989, Midler again achieved music success with her hit single "Wind Beneath My Wings" which earned her a Grammy for Record of the Year. She returned to music success again in 1989 with the song "From a Distance" which also was awarded a Grammy.
In 1992, Midler was awarded an Emmy for a performance on The Tonight Show hosted by Johnny Carson. Bette Midler is one of America's most talented celebrities. She's found success in film, theater, television, and music. Few popular artists can match her range of abilities. There aren't many people who can say they've won a Tony, Grammy, and an Emmy.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Monday February 09, 2009

Why Air Hockey Is So Much Fun

Air hockey is one of my favorite things to do. I swear it helped make me who I am today. (No snide remarks, please.) In all seriousness, it really did provide a way for me to become more sociable. I made quite a few friends over the air hockey table. When I was a child I wasn't all that competitive or especially athletic for that matter. I wasn't a dork, and I always had at least a few friends, but I was never one of the popular kids, either.
Things stayed the same through high school and into college. It wasn't until after I turned 21 and started hitting the bars, that things began to change. I'd played air hockey before I turned 21, but I didn't get into it until I started frequenting a bar that had a table in the back. While most college bars feature darts, pool, and foosball, this place had an air hockey table. I was never all that good at pool, plus it requires a lot of space. It's pretty easy to fit an air hockey table into almost any bar. My favorite bar had a table and I quickly became almost consumed by it.
Air hockey is a simple game. You're just trying to get the puck into your opponent's goal, which is a slot at the end of the table. The game gets its name because the playing surface is perforated and air is forced through the holes causing the puck to glide effortless. The object you use to push and block the puck is called a mallet. Usually they're made of plastic but there are ones made of wood and metal. Air hockey is a fast-paced, fun game that anyone can play.
The game really helped me open up because, as I said, I wasn't all that good at pool, and darts wasn't really my game, either. But get me at an air hockey table, and I'm unbeatable! There's nothing like enjoying a couple beers and battling it out with someone. Because I enjoyed it so much I was willing to play anybody, and if there were no opponents at hand I'd just go up to someone at the bar and ask them if they wanted to play. Yep, some of these people were women. I was never good at just going up to girls I don't know and talking to them, but the game gave me a way to start the conversation. A girl would much rather hear, "Would you like to play some air hockey?" instead of, "Hey baby, come here often?"
I made lots of friends over the games and met a bunch of girls. I left that college bar behind some years ago but I never lost that love for the game. I recently purchased my own table, and I can't express how happy I am with it. If you're thinking about getting one, just figure out what you want to spend and go from there. Tables are available for every budget. It's a great wholesome game that anyone can play.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Sunday February 08, 2009

A Look A The Exciting Life Of The Incomparable Carmen Electra

Carmen Electra entered the world on April 20, 1972, in Sharonville, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati. Her name at birth was Tara Leigh Patrick. Her father is of Irish descent, and her mom is part German and part Cherokee. She graduated from Princeton High School in 1990. Interestingly enough, she went to the same high school as Nick Lachey, Jessica Simpson's ex-husband and former member of the boy band 98 Degrees.
To pursue her dreams of being a singer, she moved to California after graduating. She held various jobs and landed miscellaneous gigs. Her big break occurred when she was discovered by legendary recording artist Prince. Prince is credited with giving Tara Leigh Patrick a new name, Carmen Electra. In 1993 he produced her debut album, Carmen Electra.
A successful singing career didn't appear to be in the cards for Carmen Electra so she moved on. Her next big break, perhaps the biggest of them all, was her pictorial in the May 1996 issue of Playboy magazine. The spread launched her to success by catching the eyes of important people in the entertainment industry.
MTV hired her in 1997 to replace previous "It" girl and fellow Playboy Playmate, Jenny McCarthy, on the popular dating gameshow Singled Out. She then went to work in a different MTV show, Loveline, which was a sex advice show geared towards teens and college-aged people.
Also in 1997 she landed her next big role which was in one of the most widely watched shows in television history, Baywatch. Once again she was replacing a fellow Playmate. This time she was taking over for the insanely popular Pamela Anderson. Baywatch turned Carmen Electra into an international star.
1997 was a busy year for Electra as it also marked her film debut in the B-movie, An American Vampire Story. She followed it up in same year with a role in Good Burger.
In 1998 Electra again boosted her star power by marrying All Star professional basketball player and notorious badboy Dennis Rodman. The marriage didn't last long, ending in 1998, but it made her all the more interesting to celebrity watchers everywhere.
In 2003 Electra married Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro. MTV once again played an important part in Electra's life during this period by producing the show Til Death Do Us Part Carmen and Dave, a reality show documenting the months leading up to and following their wedding. The celebrity machine was in full swing and the papparazzi followed Electra everywhere.
In July of 2006, Electra announced that she was divorcing Navarro an papers were filed in August. Carmen Electra is one of the most popular celebrities in Hollywood today. Not only does she sing, dance, act, and look beautiful, she uses her celebrity to fund several charities.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Saturday February 07, 2009

How Articles Help To Generate Free Traffic To Your Website

By writing quality articles and making them available to others to place on their websites, you are opening a doorway that will allow traffic to be generated to your site. There are always people wanting to use quality content on their sites, for instance, bloggers, webmasters and E-zine publishers and by having a resource box at the end of the article you are linking your article back to your website.
Before rushing off and putting your articles out there, make sure that you are doing it right. Below are some useful tips on writing your article and where to put it once it is done for maximum exposure.
The most important things used in the structure of an article are

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Friday February 06, 2009

That Burning Feeling

Heartburn, bloating and stomach pain might sound like trivial problems but in reality they can make your life a misery. We find out how these conditions can be managed effectively.
Research has found that patients with Gastro Oesophageal Reflux (GORD), which is an extremely common condition, can have
a worse quality of life than some patients with angina, peptic ulcer disease, congestive heart failure or menopausal symptoms. The combination of symptoms, dietary restrictions and functional limitations can take a toll on overall sense of well-being. Although a number of drugs can be effective to manage the condition, a substantial proportion of patients do not respond to treatment or they may be 'partial responders' requiring increasing doses of drugs. Many of these patients also require life-long treatment which is expensive and can cause problems. Several techniques for the treatment of GORD have been tested over the past few years. However, only one of them, called the 'Stretta procedure' has withstood the test of time.
What exactly is Gastro Oesophageal Reflux?
Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is the movement of acid from the stomach back up into the food pipe (oesophagus). It may be erosive, that is it may cause inflammation or even ulceration, or else it may be a nonerosive reflux disease (NERD). In the latter case, the acid will not cause inflammation of the oesophagus but may still cause symptoms.
What are the symptoms of GERD?
The symptoms of GERD are usually those of heartburn, bloating and sometimes pain in the stomach area. Symptoms tend to occur after heavy or fatty meals and may also occur at night or on bending down.
Approximately how many people suffer from it?
Up to 10% of the world population have heartburn daily, and 44% have symptoms at least once a month.
What are the most common treatments of Gastro Oesophageal Reflux?
There is a whole spectrum of symptoms of GERD, ranging from the very mild to the severely incapacitating. Treatment depends on the severity of symptoms and may range from simple antacids to stronger agents that prevent or decrease the production.
Is the Stretta system considered as the best procedure?
The Stretta procedure is useful in patients with severe symptoms who are unable or unwilling to remain on life-long medication. It is a very safe procedure that is carried out through the mouth (enscopically) without any open surgery. Patients come in, have the procedure and are discharged within a few hours. There is a very good response rate to the Stretta and most patients are able to stop their medications completely.
How is the Stretta procedure performed?
The Stretta device is a thin tube, or catheter, with a balloon at the end. With the patient conscious but under heavy sedation, the catheter is guided through the endoscope which is placed in the oesophagus just above the stomach. There the balloon is inflated, exposing four sharp probes on the outside of the balloon. The probes then discharge high-frequency radio waves into the lower oesophageal sphincter (LES). This procedure is repeated at several levels above and below the lower end of the oesophagus. Total procedure time is approximately 45 minutes.
The Right Foods
Foods that are well known to trigger heartburn such as fats, oils, chocolate or citrus products can be less tempting when there's a supply of 'safe' ingredients in your kitchen cabinets, so if you suffer from heartburn shop wisely while at the supermarket.
Grains - Try to purchase whole grains against refined grains whenever possible.
Pasta - Be sure to prepare with a light sauce (not tomato-based or high-fat). Perk up the dish with herbs like basil and tarragon.
Beans, peas and lentils - All these items provide a good source of vegetable protein, B-vitamins, and minerals such as calcium and iron. They
are also an excellent source of fibre. Experiment with red kidney beans, black beans, white kidney beans and split peas.
Oils - Use in moderation. The darker oils (like sesame) have wonderful flavour, and a little goes a long way in adding good taste and enjoyment tc dishes.
Vinegars - These can be problem items for severe heartburn sufferers because of the acid content. However, cider vinegar and rice vinegar are often tolerated better by many people, and both add nice flavour to food.
Spices - several spices are generally irritating to the stomach lining and are especially troublesome for heartburn sufferers. These include black pepper, mint, crushed red pepper flakes, cloves, tabasco sauce, mustard seeds, chili powder, nutmeg and curry.
MORE ON THE STRETTA PROCEDURE
The Stretta Procedure is an essentially non-invasive, one-time treatment that involves no cutting or sewing and leaves no skin incisions or scars. It can be performed as an outpatient in the day ward.
Compared to laparoscopic surgery, Stretta is a much less invasive out-patient procedure.
Because Stretta is less invasive it has less sideeffects. Side effects are very rare and usually transient. These include transient fever, dysphagia, chest pain, superficial mucosal injury and anesthesia reactions.
The procedure is very safe when carried out by a trained gastroenterologist.
Patients who have difficulties taking medications or do not wish to take medications for the rest of their lives may benefit from the procedure. Patients who do not respond to stomach acid reducing medications may also benefit from the Stretta procedure.
Most studies show that the Stretta procedure is effective in 75 to 85% of cases.
The entire procedure is less than an hour long and does not require overnight hospitalisation. Most patients resume their normal activities the next day.
The Stretta procedure has been performed successfully on nearly 12,000 patients.
Studies show that 90% of patients who have received the Stretta procedure would recommend it to a friend.
More than five years of clinical studies have shown that after the Stretta procedure there is a significant improvement in quality of life with sustainable improvement of GERD symptoms along with less dependence on stomach acid reducing medications.
acid within the stomach, such as omeprazole or rabeprazole. In severe cases which do not respond or are intolerant to medical treatrnent, the Stretta procedure may be performed on the patient.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Thursday February 05, 2009

Air Conditioners: What the Sales Person Says and What Actually Is Important

Although air conditioners have been around from the early years of the last century, the industry has been witnessing a tremendous growth in the past few years. This sudden interest among customers have led to new products being developed and marketed by all the brands big or small. This flood of new models has made it difficult for many customers to choose the right unit for their need
The problem is further complicated by different sales persons promoting their products in different ways. There are those who claim that air conditioners can replace your need for dehumidifiers. It is a fact that air conditioners do control the humidity of the air. But it is equally true that air conditioners can in no way be compared to dehumidifiers. The primary task of an air conditioner is to regulate the temperature of an enclosed space, be it a room or an entire building. That it dehumidifies is an additional benefit. But it is not a replacement for a dehumidifier.
First of all, the freestanding air conditioner is the easiest to install. In fact there is hardly anything to install. You only have to plug it in and it is ready to start working. But with window air conditioners, and more so with central air conditioners, you need to go through a lot of installation work. This does not only mean that you have to put up with a considerable amount of hassle, but you also got to spend a significant sum of money to get the units installed. There are no such costs with a freestanding air conditioner.
Then there are those who claim that air conditioner can be a good replacement for an air purifier. Again such claims are highly exaggerated. Of course most air conditioners do come with a filter but the kind of filtration an air conditioner provides is in no way comparable to the filtration provided by an air purifier with a HEPA filter. So if someone has severe allergic or asthma problems, installing an air condition would not be good enough.
What however is important about air conditioners is hardly stressed on by the average sales person. They would seldom talk about the energy efficiency of the air conditioner though that is an important deciding factor. The energy efficiency of your air conditioner would decide how much your running costs you will need to bear. And since by choosing the proper air conditioner you can save up to 40% of your electricity bills, the efficiency of your air conditioner is very important.
The other thing that is important is the capacity of air conditioner you need. The capacity you will need in your unit would depend on the room you want to install it in. all you got to know is the floor area of the room and quoting that figure would help the air conditioner contractor to guide you on what capacity of air conditioner you need.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Wednesday February 04, 2009

Are Air Conditioners Good Dehumidifiers?

Although the air conditioner is here almost for a century, the market for the device, especially the domestic market, is seeing a surge that it had never seen before. This can be attributed to various reasons. While some claim that more people these days have more disposable income which allows them to invest on these devices, there are others who believe that global warming and increased temperatures all over have pushed the sales for air conditioners upward
Whatever may be the reason, the fact is that sales have increased and those who are in the business of selling air conditioners are trying to make the most of this opportunity. This would make them claim things which are not completely true. They can even claim that air conditioners come with features, which upon investigation might prove to be completely false. So guard against what you are being told. It is your duty to be mindful. If you are duped, much of the blame rests with you.
Many air conditioner sales person would claim that their air conditioner dehumidify the air. Let us examine how much truth is there in their claim. It is a fact that air conditioners do actually dehumidify the air to a certain extent. The evaporator coil inside the air conditioner which is a below the dewpoint can actually condense the water vapor from the air that is being processed. So when the processed air is released into the room it is devoid of the water vapor that was there in earlier.
But this is by no way the primary function of the air conditioner. Its job is to maintain a temperature. That it dehumidifies is a bonus. But since dehumidifying is not its job, the amount of dehumidification it actually achieves is also limited. This can vary from anything between 40% to 60%.
If you are really keen on dehumidifying the air of your room then you must invest on a dehumidifier itself, a device dedicated to this job. The results you will achieve are much better.
So while buying an air conditioner, keep in mind why you are buying it. It is not for dehumidifying. If however, you feel that your conditioner does enough of dehumidifying and you are happy with what the air conditioner achieves then it is good for you. but never ever buy an air conditioner with the misconception that it will double-up as the dehumidifier.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Tuesday February 03, 2009

Unearth Your Right Livelihood: Ten Laws for Finding Work that You Love

Who doesn't want to wake up in the morning looking forward to their job with a positive outlook, knowing that coming back the next day is something they optimistically anticipate? However, this is not the reality for most of us. Most of us dread going to work and dread even more going back the next day. Why is this? We spend fully one third of our lives at work. Shouldn't we put more effort into finding a career path that we can enjoy, feel challenged by, and allows us to grow?
Each of us is an individual blend of unique gifts, talents, and passions. Combined together, the expression of this unique blend should offer us a career path that is perfect for our individuality. However, it isn't always easy to understand how our skills combine, nor is it easy to identify job descriptions that embody our skills. This can take a lot of work to determine how to channel our skills into an optimal career direction. Thus, we end up working in careers that our parents picked for us--or that we stumbled into--rather than what we may have chosen for ourselves through conscious intention and self-awarenes
Finding our right livelihood is a matter of pairing our interests with skills we have acquired while doing something we have a passion for in a way that generates us income. Our work should first and foremost be viewed as a vehicle of self-expression something we do to express our individuality and not something we do just to derive an income. Wouldn't it be wonderful to look forward to going to work, knowing that each and every day for the rest of our life our work allowed us to thrive? By combining our vocation with our values and interests we just may find our right livelihood!
To assist in discovering one's right livelihood the following ten points are guidelines to provoke inspiration and offer a sort of check and balance for analyzing where a person's current career path may align with their skills and innate abilitie
The Ten Laws for a Happy Career
1. The innate purpose of work is self-expression and the more of yourself that you can express the happier you will be with your career.
2. The ideal work is found where your interests intersect with your skills and talent
3. Work should be an expression of your values and belief
4. Your ideal work is not an employment decision but a lifelong calling that you pursue because you are drawn to it like a magnet.
5. Your work should be a form of service for the greater good of humankind. Somehow it should improve the lives of your fellow citizens on this planet.
6. The more your career is in line with your purpose, the higher will be your level of satisfaction.
7. The key to finding your ideal career is remembering and understanding what you were first drawn to in life.
8. Finding your special path in life requires that you believe that there is one.
9. When you make the decision to pursue your purpose in life, you will find that the universe helps you along the way.
10. If you find passion is lacking in your life, then it may be because you are not actualizing your purpose in life. When you are pursuing your purpose, you will find passion in life.
Take some time and ponder the ten points. You may even want to take some time and journal on each and ask how they fit with your current employment. Perhaps you'll feel inspired, or maybe you will determine that you may benefit from some soul searching. If the latter is the case, you might consider taking some self-awareness courses to help you identify your passions and interests. There are many excellent career resources--like books, tapes, and seminars--that can assist in guiding you through processes that are designed to unearth your right livelihood, and deep inner calling.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Monday February 02, 2009

How Bustiers Slim And Enhance Your Figure

The corset is beautiful garment, which is worn to mould the shape of the torso and enhance the chest, giving a beautiful shape to the body and has traditionally worn by all women. It does not have straps and can be worn as lingerie as well as party wear. A corset helps reduce the fat on the stomach and makes a person look very slim. Whereas a "bustier", is a tight fitting garment, which was traditionally worn as lingerie, by women. Bustiers do not have straps on the shoulder, similar to corsets. One has to attach the bustier to their back with strings. A bustier is similar to buying a bra you have to choose the right cup size for it to fit perfectly.
Bustiers are an excellent replacement of strapless bras as they provide very good support to the bust, so that women don't feel conscious. The bustier fits so perfectly that it supports the chest as well as the stomach. While strapless bras only support the bust, making us feel very uncomfortable. Bustiers can be worn with strapless outfits without any hesitation as you can be sure that you will be very comfortable.
There are a variety of bustiers you can choose from these days. Most of them have ribbons, lace or strings at the back of the lingerie, but now days you have the choice of the lace or strings in front, so that you can adjust as per your liking. There are so many different shapes, sizes, colors, materials and designs of bustiers available today. These days a fashionable bustier can be worn as a separate outfit as well. These bustiers have very think cloth at the cups for perfect support.
Before you buy a bustier you should be clear as to what you want. As mentioned earlier bustiers are available as lingerie, fashion apparel, sexy clothing, and so on. For instance, if you want to buy sexy lingerie you have a choice of lace, ribbons, thin material and so on, whereas, if you want to wear a bustier to a party, you have sturdy fashionable ones to choose from. So you need to first decide which occasion you want to wear your bustier to.
Bustiers are available in many kinds of material. For example, you can get a comfortable bustier in cotton or synthetic fabric, which will be perfect to wear under a strapless dress. Light material helps our skin to breathe. They can be very easily cleaned, without any restrictions. Many bustiers have elastic, which is very convenient. With elastic bustiers we don't have to worry, whether the strap or ribbon will open. It is extremely convenient and comfortable. You should be very careful while maintaining and cleaning your bustiers as they require a lot of care. Bustiers now are a must in a woman's wardrobe.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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Sunday February 01, 2009

Some Essential Products That You Need For Your Cat

There are some items which no cat owner should be without. Cats require relatively little maintenance but there are some things which are necessary to have if you want your pet to be happy, healthy, and safe, the first is food.
When your cat is still a kitten, it's important that you feed it food specifically designed for kittens. Their digestive systems aren't fully matured yet, so they can't handle adult food. As it gets older, you can switch to adult formula food, and when your cat reaches its later years you should switch to foods made specifically for elderly felines. Avoid giving your cat milk on a regular basis. While it's one of cats' most favorite treats, milk can give them urinary problems. Also, don't feed your cat exclusively with scraps and people food. Cat food is designed to provide complete nutrition, and giving your cat something else may deprive them of essential nutrients.
You're going to need food and water dishes for you cat, of course. Almost any bowl or dish will work so long as you clean them regularly. You may want to invest in a mat to place underneath the bowls to help contain spills and messes.
The litter tray is an all-important cat accessory. You can train your cat to go to the bathroom outside, and even cats accustomed to litter boxes will do this on their own, but if your cat stays indoors then you need to invest in a litter tray. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some have hoods which give your cat some privacy and protect you from having to see them going about their business. Plus, these hoods help contain odors. There are even automated litter trays which scoop the litter for you.
Cat litter is another important and necessary product for cat owners. Cat litter has come a long way in recent years. Now the most popular brands are designed to clump to make removal easier and better contain annoying odors.
A scratching post is a very good idea if you don't want your cat to tear up your davenport. Cats need to scratch in order to stretch out and keep their claws in top shape. Scratching posts are usually made from rope or carpeting. If you have a larger cat, you'll want to make sure that the scratching post is big enough. There are also pads made from corrugated cardboard infused with cat litter which no normal cat can ignore. These kinds are replaced whenever the cat totally tears them apart, which they will! They're cheap and available at pet stores and your local super center.
Toys are a good idea to keep you cat occupied. Favorite cats toys usually have catnip inside.
Flea control is important, especially if you have an outdoor cat. Collars are effective, but make sure you get one that'll break away or stretch so your cat doesn't get strangled. Sprays work, too, but these can freak out your cat. Medicines which require just a few applications to the back of the neck seem to work best. They subject your cat to very little stress and last a long time.
You'll want to get a comb or brush for you cat. Make sure the teeth on it are rounded so you don't irritate their skin. Grooming your cat will help reduce shedding and encourage a healthy coat.
Cats are a great pet and will provide years and years of happiness and joy for their owners. With just a few essential products for your cat, you'll have a friend for life.

Posted by shrivastav at 12:00 AM

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