Disease Prevention Articles

Obesity and Your Heart Health Risk

In the News:  Heart Awareness Month

It's a well-known fact that being overweight increases your chance of being at risk of a number of chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.  But research shows that even a small amount of weight loss can lessen your risk of falling victim to these deadly diseases.

Research also shows that, unfortunately, eating just 100 more calories a day than you should, can cause your body weight to be in the obese category and not just the overweight category.

To determine whether or not you are overweight or obese, use a BMI Calculator.  A BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight; a BMI between 30 and 39.9 is considered obese.

If your BMI is greater than 25 and you are older than 30 years old, you should strongly consider losing weight to reduce your risk of heart disease and other life-threatening conditions.

In recognition of American Heart Month here are some important statistics regarding heart health:

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.
• In 2010, an estimated 785,000 Americans had a coronary attack.
• The average age for a first heart attack for men is 66 years.
• Many cases of heart disease can be prevented. Learn more at cdc.gov.

Osteoporosis Warning Signs Ways you can tell if you are on your way to this dreaded disease

Osteoporosis is one of the most common ailments of adults over the age of 50 and it is definitely a problem that people do not want to live with.  Weak bones lead to fractures and many other scary problems that could leave you disabled.

Before turning into full-blown osteoporosis, osteopenia : the process of thinning bones - precedes the ailment.  There are some warning signs to look for to determine if your bones are in fact thinning.

Here are some warning signs for osteoporosis:

• Warning Sign #1 - You've had more than one fracture in the past two years or a fracture that seemed pretty severe considering the circumstances.
• Warning Sign #2 : You are naturally a small or thin person.
• Warning Sign #3 : You have an autoimmune condition that causes you to take prednisone or another corticosteroid.

• Warning Sign #4 : You are a smoker and have been throughout your adult life.
• Warning Sign #5 : You drink more than two alcoholic beverages a day.
• Warning Sign #6 : You do not drink milk or you have a lactose intolerance that prevents you from drinking milk.
• Warning Sign #7 : You have an eating disorder.
• Warning Sign #8 : You are an Asian or Caucasian female over the age of 50.
• Warning Sign #9 : You have a family member who had osteoporosis before the age of 50 or before menopause.

How to Help Someone Kick that Smoking Habit

Renowned American writer and novelist Fletcher Knebbel was once quoted humorously saying that smoking is the leading cause of statistics. Humor or not, Knebbel's quote seems to have some truth on it. According to the United State's Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every five deaths in the US is caused by the adverse effects of smoking.

Smoking is also said to increase the risk against coronary heart diseases, stroke, lung cancer, chronic bronchitis and emphysema among others.  Hence everyone or at least most of us know how harmful smoking is but the said thing is that nothing is being done.

Higher taxes or the so-called sin taxes are being levied against cigarettes and related products like liquors, as a way to persuade people to quit their smoking vices : but does that really work?

Additional taxes, fines and the long-term health effects of cigarette smoking are often not enough to make people quit their smoking habits. But there is still hope. There are a number of ways on how you can persuade a relative, a friend or even yourself to quit smoking.

Below are some tried and tested method in persuading others to stop smoking.

Listen

They say listening is a skill and it certainly is an important one especially when persuading someone to quit smoking. Ask the smoker what makes it difficult for him to quit smoking. Be sympathetic and don't criticize or scold him.

Figure out if you can address those issues : if you can, work from there.

Present the short-term effects, instead of the long-term

The biggest mistake in persuading people against smoking is that smokers are presented with the long-term effects. What anti-smokers need to do is to show how smoking affects a person in the near future : how smoking can adversely impact him in the short term.

Consider electronic cigarettes

The use of technology is also pivotal in convincing smokers to quit. The emergence of electronic cigarettes has helped smokers wanting to quit their addictive habit. Electronic cigarettes do not have nicotine and simply stimulates the act of tobacco smoking.

There are various types of electronic cigarettes nowadays so you won't run out of choices. While electronic cigarettes may not be as cheap as a pack of cigarettes, you will find that it is more affordable in the long term.

Find a sport or a hobby

Of course another way of convincing smokers to quit is through introducing sports like basketball, tennis badminton or volleyball. On the contrary, if the person you are convincing to quit is not sporty, you can propose hobbies like photography or mountain trekking. Once they're involved into sports or they're engaged into a particular hobby, the tendency to smoke will decrease drastically.

Be a good role model

Being a role model is another way : and perhaps, the most effective way of persuading others against smoking. To put it short and simple, how can you persuade others to stop smoking if you yourself is a smoker?

Healthy Tips to Stop Smoking Naturally

Do you smoke? You probably know about the consequences of cigarette smoking. Cigarette smoking is responsible for nearly one out of every five deaths in America. It is a major cause of diseases such as heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and chronic obstructive lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Maybe you are also aware of all these but you still have a problem: you simply can't stop smoking.

We cannot blame you. Cigarette smoking is an addictive habit. Whenever you smoke a cigarette, nicotine is absorbed by your body through the blood and it enters your brain. Upon reaching the brain, there is a stimulant effect in the body brought about by a rush of adrenaline. Your heart rate and breathing increases along with your blood pressure. You feel more awake and you forget hunger.

The problem with nicotine is that it is an addictive chemical. Nicotine has the ability to activate reward pathways in the brain. This means that when you smoke a cigarette, you feel pleasure. This is due to the fact that nicotine increases the secretion of a chemical in the brain called dopamine, causing pleasurable sensations. When you don't smoke, you feel bad and you experience withdrawal symptoms. This is what makes cigarette smoking a habit which is difficult to break.

So, how do you stop smoking in a healthier way? Here are some tips:

Face Your Cravings

You should learn the art of self-control. If you experience cravings, tell yourself to wait for 10 minutes before you give in. During that time you should be able to distract yourself. Delaying your cravings can actually drive your cravings away.

You should also avoid triggers. Cravings may surface out when you go with the same smoking crowd or when you go to certain places. You must avoid those places or those friends of yours. Also avoid parties and bars while you are on the process of quitting smoking.

Exercise

Getting physical very often can actually help ease cravings for smoke. You can walk, jog or play sports. You may also try relaxation techniques such as yoga. Whenever you crave for tobacco, try to practice relaxation techniques to drive away your cravings and distract you.

Get support

You can ask support from your family members and loved ones. Tell them to constantly remind you to quit smoking. Listen to the advices of these loved ones and lean on them for support whenever you feel weak. You can also join support groups for smoking cessation.

Get Replacements

Smoking alternatives such as nicotine gums or e-cigarettes can help reduce your cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Your doctor should be able to help you with these. Your doctor may also give you some medications to help you quit smoking.

Help Yourself

You hold the key towards your rehabilitation. You should constantly remind yourself of why you would like to stop smoking. Think of how smoking can kill you. Think of the cancers and lung diseases you may get if you continue to smoke. Think about the things you would like to do when you grow old and tell yourself that you cannot enjoy these things if you continue to smoke and shorten your life. You may write down your thoughts on a journal or a blog. You can say out loud what you have written to strengthen yourself. Remind yourself constantly and you will not fail.