There are various medications that are prescribed by doctors for treating depressions and some of them will be discussed in this article.

 

The Psychostimulants, in particular the SSRI or the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and the tricyclic antidepressants are the most permanent part of treatment for the depressed patients who are also terminally. These drugs are particularly useful for those with terminal illnesses since these drugs could take the place of the psychotherapies that they are usually unable to participate in due to the gravity of their illnesses. Although, the advances in medical science has brought with it newly invented antidepressants, they have not been evaluated and assessed as drugs for the terminally ill patients concurrently suffering from depression. .

 

The Psychostimulants, specifically the dextroamphetamine, methylphenidate, and pemoline, these types of medications deserve special consideration when treating depression near the end of one’s life because they are the types that would take effect quickly and immediately.  Among patients that are of limited life span, these agents, as compared to others, may provide them the best deal. Since it can reduce the distress of the patient immediately, it could also help in the reduction of distress among family members, it can further create opportunities for them to adjust more effectively with the challenges of the dying process. Usage of this kind of drug has been said to cause notable improvements in moods and energy levels within twenty four hours from starting the treatment, even for those patients who are extremely debilitated and fatigued. However, it should be remembered that psychostimulants are not to be preferred for the terminally ill patients who have long projected life spans; they are only advisable to be best among patients who have only weeks or several months to live.

For patients with severe depression and are therefore requiring prompt and immediate treatment, but are expected to survive for several months or even longer, it is recommended that the treatment should begin with pyschostimulants, then an SSRI should be added when patient begins to show therapeutic response. Gradual reduction of the dosage of the pyschostimulant and a corollary increase in the SSRI to a therapeutic level over the first and second week is needed.

 

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as fluoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline are known to be the usual first line of defenses for treating depression of those who are also terminally ill when immediate action is not that essential. Generally, and from medical observations sertraline or paroxetine are better tolerated by the depressed terminally ill patients since they have fewer active metabolites and would therefore not result in excessive accumulation and will decrease potential for toxity.

 

As for the tricyclic antidepressants, even though they are still used, they are said to be least tolerated by patients because of its sedating effects

 

 

Having gas is no fun at all. You feel bloated, and it usually passes out of your system, which can be uncomfortable, not to mention embarrassing.

 

Gas sneaks into your digestive system in one of two ways: when you swallow air or through bacteria breaking down certain foods in the large intestine.

 

When it comes to gas and foods, you will find both good news and bad news. The bad news is you cannot cut out all gas-producing foods without seriously endangering your health, while the good news is that not all foods react the same way in everybody. You may have to experiment to see what foods give you that bloated, about-to-explode feeling.

 

And here is extra good news: you can virtually take the gassiness out of some notorious gas-causing foods.

 

Here’s what you need to know. Some foods produce more gas than others while they are being digested. These foods are not completely processed until they reach your colon –where they ferment. Consider these common culprits.

 

• Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and other cruciferous vegetables
• Beans, cucumbers, turnips, garlic, and onions
• Carbonated drinks, coffee, and some fruit juices
• Bananas, nuts, raisins

 

Wheat, com, potatoes, and noodles also contain gas-causing carbohydrates.

 

These are probably the best foods to test to see if they give you problems. Once you know which foods mean trouble, avoid them when you can. Instead of missing out on the most nutritious veggies and beans, try eating them with a product called Beano, which cuts down on gas.

 

Another way to get all the nourishing benefits of beans without any gassy side effects is to follow these steps: Soak the dried beans for about four or five hours, then drain. Cover with fresh water and boil for 10 minutes. Simmer for 30 minutes. Drain and cover with more water. Simmer until the beans are tender, about one to two hours.

 

Although you can find remedies for gas after it starts, you’ll be even better off if you can prevent it from happening at all.

Normally, gas is nothing but a minor embarrassment. But if you have irritable bowel syndrome, any little pocket of gas can cause severe pain in your colon. You do not have to put up with the discomfort, though. You can help control your gas by making these simple diet and lifestyle changes:

 

Mine a different calcium. Calcium carbonate tablets, like carbonated beverages, can release carbon dioxide in your stomach. Switch to calcium citrate for a gentler – and quieter – way to get vital calcium.

 

Choose solid over airy. You may think beans are your worst enemy when it comes to gas. But here’s another culinary downfall – whipped foods. Stay away from foods with air whipped into them such as souffles, milkshakes, whipped cream, carbonated drinks, and whipped butter and yogurt. That extra air can cause big problems if you suffer from IBS.

 

Throw out the clock. Do not rush through your meal – eat slowly and chew carefully. Not only will you swallow less air, you will also curb stress, an underlying cause of IBS.

 

Add fiber slowly. Do not forget that adding too much fiber, too fast, can produce excessive gas. If you are beefing up on fiber, make sure you do it gradually, over the space of a few weeks. And to help fiber do its job, make sure you drink enough water – at least six glasses a day.

 

Pass on the meat. If you eat a diet rich in fat, you may want to cut back. Fat triggers contractions in your colon while it is being digested. You also digest it slowly, which can make you feel painfully bloated. Eat less meat and other high-fat foods and more fruits and vegetables to keep your digestive system running smoothly.

 

Downplay dairy. If you notice milk products bring on gas, you may be lactose intolerant. This means you do not have enough lactase, an enzyme normally found in the small intestine. It’s needed to digest lactose, the sugar in milk and other dairy products. Many health professionals suggest eating yogurt with live cultures to help you digest lactose.

 

Exercise, exercise, exercise. Moving your body speeds up digestion and helps gas pass quickly through your digestive system. It can also strengthen your abdominal muscles to ease bloating.

It is usually tempting, if not simply a knee-jerk reaction, for one to respond to questions on one’s condition and emotions with the words “I’m fine” without thinking much about it. Clearly, this is a manifestation of the tendency of one to simply turn to denial when things are not as easy to handle, or are simply not unfolding as in the normal course of things. This is usually the most difficult part of dealing with depression, the acceptance stage. Without achieving acceptance, both long-lasting healing and treatment will be very hard to attain.

 

In denying your condition, you will be foreclosing the possibility of being rescued before you end up in a place where you are pushed by your very emotions to do things you would most likely regret and to do things simply detrimentally uncharacteristic of you. It can drive you away from your family, your friends, and your life and most particularly from yourself.

 

Take action, think, and learn to help yourself.

 

Particularly for older adults, highly prone to depression, before answering questions on your emotional and mental state be sure to ask yourself first if you feel the following sentiments and emotions: do I feel, nervous or empty, restless and irritable, guilty or worthless, tired and slowed down, as if no one loves or cares for you anymore, nervous or empty, as if you don’t like the thing you used to like or things you used to do, and as if life is not anymore worth living.

 

Aside from asking yourself the above-mentioned questions also look into your sleeping habits, ask yourself if you are sleeping more or less than you usual. Observe your eating habits, too, and ask yourself if you think you are consuming more or less as you used to. Finally ask yourself also if you are having persistent pains, such as stomach aches and headaches. If you should answer most or all of these questions in the affirmative, it is vital that you should see a specialist within the soonest possible time.

 

Remember that should you be diagnosed with depression, is not something that you should be ashamed of and that it is, in fact, a treatable medical illness. But, to be able to be treated successfully you should also make the necessary effort to be open and honest to your doctor so as to apprise him of the information he needs to diagnose your condition accurately and for him to be able to treat you most effectively.

 

If adolescence is a headache for parents, it is actually a more difficult struggle for the adolescents. This is a period of hormonal imbalances, confusion, insecurities, anxiety, mood swings, and uncertainty. There are times they can be rebellious, and there are moments they choose to become shy and solitary.

 

Depression is not the general rule for adolescents. In fact, most of them emerge from this experience with no scars to show for it. However, some teens buckle down under the pressure and retreat from a world full of pain and misery. That is when depression takes its hold of the child – an overwhelming feeling of neglect and gloom about himself and of the world in general. It is deeper than sadness and lasts longer than a bad mood, where your child suffers from utter lack of confidence. During this time, he may feel that he is not worthy to be in your midst or be a part of anybody’s life. He feels alone and a total failure.

 

What are the sign of depression in your kid that you should look out for?

 

Is your adolescent uncomfortable in social gatherings and would often excuse himself to seek the haven of his room?  This may signify that he thinks his company is unwanted and he would not be missed if he makes himself scarce. In group schoolwork, he would think that he is not able to contribute anything useful to the group.

 

Does your child feel that he would fail in any endeavor he would do?  This kind of attitude will hinder a resilient nature of being able to bounce back when he encounters defeats along the way.

 

Does your child often complain of headaches or dizziness? This could be his way of reaching out and assuring himself that there are still people who care about his well being. This could also be a means to escape being with other people.

 

Is your child reluctant to talk about himself? This may mean that your child feels unworthy of being listened to or is afraid of being judged by the listener.

 

Does your child often want to step into the shoes of another person? This need to be someone else may mean that he is not contented with who he is. His may be thinking that if he could be someone else, someone more intelligent or more good-looking, then people would like him more.

 

Sadly adolescence is not the only time in our lives when we are vulnerable for depression. Open your eyes to these signs. Once you noticed that your child is struggling with depression, comfort him and gradually guide him out of this battle. Often, assuring words of love and a little encouragement will take you a long way in helping your child.

 

Know the bits and pieces of drinking and hangover, so you would think twice and be prepared the next time you gulp that alcohol shot.

 

Picture this: A beer party of the couch potato club last night. You are one of its most steadfast members, and nothing beats the food, the alcohol, and of course, the wrestling matches on the tube. Could you guess who would hate it the morning after?

 

You! Yes, that club in the head euphemized as hangover. Unfortunately for you, no remedy has been found out yet. You could, of course, prevent it by not drinking at all, but who would enjoy that? So, the key is knowledge – acquainting yourself with facts about it. Well, that is close enough to countering it, at any rate.

 

So, here are the basics that you need to know:

 

• Hangover is caused by alcohol and even the breakdown products of it. Remember, too, that effects of alcohol toxicity occur even after the blood alcohol level has plunged to zero.

 

• Individual proneness to hangover differs. Of course, it matters what and how the drink is, but your drinking past is a must-know. Processing ability of alcohol is a factor, and if you are gifted with this, chances are, even the slightest headache is nonexistent.

 

• How about the amount of booze? Most drinks have the same alcohol amount. But others, specifically red wine and brandy, contain amounts of methanol that the body breaks down slowly. Indeed, the latter set of drinks makes you more susceptible to hangover.

 

• It is a myth, on the other hand, that coffee and other stimulants would save you from the perils of hangover. They only keep you more awake since alcohol is sleep-inducing.

 

• Fortunately for you, though, fatty foods may aid in slowing the rate of alcohol absorption. But since alcohol stimulates urination – medically known as diuretic effect – drinking water is still a must to avoid dehydration and still wake up the next morning.

 

Now that you have more knowledge about hangover, you can be armed the next time your couch potato club members invite you over drinks and wrestling matches in front of the TV!

Is hangover your worst nightmare? Wake up with clear vision and mind by curing that hangover from last night’s good time.

 

Cure that hangover in no time!

 

Hangovers are nasty. One who has experienced one would attest on how bad it is. Hangovers are actually caused by remaining alcohol in the bloodstream. Alcohol is actually a toxin, hence the nasty aftermath of drinking.

 

Here are some things one can do to prevent or minimize that dreaded hangover:

 

1. Drink some water before you retire for the night. Water dilutes the alcohol and by-products of detoxification. Make sure you down at least one to two glasses of water before you sleep in order to lessen the chances of getting a hangover. Besides, drinking more water would also counteract alcohol’s diuretic effect.

 

2. Look at your drink’s color. A simple rule should guide you in determining if your drink would cause a hangover. The darker the drink, the more likely you’d experience a hangover. So pass on dark-colored drinks like brandy and scotch and stick to vodka or gin if you must drink.

 

3. Take some coffee. Coffee has caffeine, which dilates the blood vessels in the brain, and helps lessen the hangover’s headache. Have your black coffee in the morning and see your headaches lessen.

 

4. Have breakfast. Eating breakfast, more especially eggs, could help one in lessening the hangover’s nasty feeling. Eggs contain cysteine, a protein that helps in breaking down alcohol’s by-products. Better don’t miss breakfast and indulge on eggs.

 

5. Eat your bananas. Surprisingly, bananas also help in lessening hangovers. Hence, pair your eggs with bananas and coffee to make your power breakfast help you feel better.

 

6. Take pain relievers in case of really uncomfortable headaches. It is best to cure headaches with pain relievers once they get really nasty. However, natural is always best. If the above-mentioned tips do not work, and one must need to get up and going, take that headache tablet.

 

Most importantly, prevention is the best solution. It is not bad to drink, but as the old adage says, too much of everything is bad. You know yourself better than anyone else. If you know your tolerance on alcoholic drinks is low, you should avoid pushing your limit. Otherwise, you will be waking with a loss of memory, throbbing headache, and an upset stomach.

 

So, before you take another shot, ask yourself, do I want another hangover?

Each person experiences a vague, obnoxious diffuse sense of apprehension, often accompanied by headache, palpitation, sweating, stomach discomfort, chest tightness, and even irritability. This is called anxiety, an alerting reaction to an unknown and internal threat. Serving as a warning sign for an external or internal threat, it aids a person for survival thus, preventing one from pain, damage to organs, punishment/sanctions, and frustrating situations like separation from relatives and loved ones, and decline in social status. This brings about the necessary action to avoid or diminish the possible outcomes. Therefore, anxiety helps a person from damage and further dangers.

 

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent group of psychiatric cases. Women are reported to have higher prevalence compared to men and overall prevalence is noted to be lower in higher socioeconomic status.

 

Several explanations contribute on the causes of anxiety. Psychological theories like the Psychoanalytic, Behavioral and Existential theories, the Biological theories on the Nervous System and Neurotransmitters (Norepinephrine, Serotonin and Gamma Amino-Butyric Acid). Genetic studies also have contributed information on gene components that contribute in developing anxiety disorders which just supports the association of anxiety patients having at least one relative with anxiety disorder.  Based on modern brain imaging procedures such as the MRI, the Limbic System and the Cerebral Cortex are the specific sites of the Nervous System where much of the studies on anxiety were focused.

 

There are different kinds of anxiety disorders which will be discussed below.

 

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

 

GAD is can be described with chronic and excessive worrying of a broad spectrum of activities which causes considerable social impairment.  Medications for GAD are the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), Venlafaxine and Buspirone.

 

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

 

OCD is comprised of having excessive and irrational obsessions and/or compulsions which lead to impairment of social function.  Clomipramine or the SSRIs and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are the common modes of treatment.

 

Panic Disorder

 

Panic disorder is comprised of panic attacks that are unanticipated and frequent.  Agoraphobia (abnormal fear of being helpless in a state where escape may be difficult) is common in about 40 of cases.  Medications include antidepressants like SSRIs, Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), and Benzodiazepines.  CBT are also employed.

 

Social Phobia

 

Social or public performance situations trigger marked anxiety in Social Phobia, which can either be specific (like closed spaces or dark rooms) or general (like public speeches).  Main treatment involves desensitization of the person by gradual exposure to the feared stimuli.  Social Phobia can be addressed with SSRIs, benzodiazepines or beta blockers.

 

and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

 

Lastly, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is characterized by symptoms of intense fear and helplessness, after a significant life event, which last for more than a month.  Treatment includes SSRIs, buspirone and mood stabilizers like Lithium.  Support groups and CBT are also effective for these cases.

 

Since the Industrial Age, the condition which is presently called repetitive stress injury (RSI) has been recognized by the medical community. RSIs are health conditions associated with repetitive activities, or motions, which place too much stress on a person’s joint, pulling on the muscles and tendons around the joint. When such a stress occurs repeatedly, the body can not cope and does not have time to recover, resulting in irritation.

 

Common activities that may result to RSI are repetitive motions from heavy computer use, playing electronic games, texting, playing musical instruments, operating production machines, or playing sports characterized by repetitive motions like tennis.

 

Symptoms of RSI

 

Since there are incredibly varied causes of RSI, it follows that there is also a huge number of symptoms. The most common symptoms include:

 

• Pain in the muscle and joint – The pain is an indication of progressive muscle and nerve damage.
• Tenderness in the muscle or joint affected
• Throbbing or pulsating sensation in the area affected
• Numbness
• Tingling sensation especially in the arm or hand
• Stiffness in the neck
• Excessive fatigue
• Loss of sensation
• Loss of strength

 

General Causes of RSI

 

The general causes that are most likely to induce RSI are:

 

• Overuse of a specific muscle or group of muscles

• Having the same posture for a long period of time

• Working with vibrating equipment
• Working in cold temperatures
• Poor posture or bad workspace design
• Forceful activities
• Carrying heavy objects
• Direct pressure to specific area of the body
• Increased psychological stress
• High fatigue level

 

Preventing RSI

 

Based on the identified general causes of RSI, these tips when followed should help prevent the conditions that induce RSI:

• Take regular breaks when your work involves doing repetitive motions. Stand up, walk, and do simple stretching exercises.
• Vary your work activities when you can to avoid doing the same physical routine over and over.
• Observe proper posture all the time. Do not slouch. Stand erect. Sit with your back rested and feet flat on the floor.
• Use ergonomically designed furniture in the workplace and at home. Invest in chairs, tables and other facilities that promote proper posture and are conducive to work.
• Learn shortcut techniques in working with computer applications to avoid too much strain on your fingers, hands and arms.
• Use a telephone headset when talking on the telephone for a long time. Do not cradle the phone on your shoulder.
• Maintain an appropriate office temperature.
• Avoid too much fatigue and stress.

 

The potential risk of RSI may be present and are likely to stay. Be always aware about it and its adverse effects on your health. Make serious efforts to prevent it to from making a negative impact in your work life and life in general.