Health Tips

Children exposed to second-hand smoke are more at risk of nicotine dependence,reports journal Addictive Behaviors.A Canadian study,which looked at 1,800 school children aged between 10 and 12 years,found that 5 percent of children who never smoked a cigarette,but had inhaled second hand smoke on cars or their homes,reported symptoms of nicotine dependence.The children were at risk for nicotine withdrawal symptoms like depression,insomnia,irritability and concentration problems...

Here's another reason to stop smoking and limit your salt intake. You can reduce your risk of stomach reflux. The uncomfortable condition in which stomach juices flow back into the esophagus, technically known as gastroesophageal reflux(GERD), causes heartburn, if severe and untreated, reflux can increase the risk of esophageal cancer.
Researchers at karolinska Hospital in Stockholm looked at various lifestyle habits as possible causes of reflux. They found that the more years a person smoked, the greater the likelihood of reflux, reaching a 70 per cent greater risk of 20-year-plus smokers. People who regularly shake extra salt on their meals were 70 per cent more likely to develop reflux than non-salters.
Among the lifestyle habits found to fight reflux were eating more fibre and getting regular exercises. Surprisingly several beverages identified as reflux culprits in previous studies - coffee, tea and alcohol - were not found to increase the risk of reflux.

Green tea has provided its credentials a million times over,but guess what: There's still a little room or improvement. To pump up the disease-fighting potentials of this wonder drink, add a squeeze of citrus. Lemon juice protects catechins,the antioxidants that are thought to be behind the tea's anti-cancer powers,so more of the chemicals are available to your body...

CLEAN YOUR ARTERIES:

No medical test is 100% predictive. The stress test - while still a tried-and-true way to screen for heart problems - is far from foolproof, and it shouldn't be viewed as providing the final word on your risk for having a heart attack.
The typical stress test involves walking on a treadmill while an electrocardiogram machine measures the electrical activity of the heart as it contracts and relaxes. The graphical pattern of the electrocardiogram (ECG) reveals clues that blood flow through the coronary arteries supplying the heart muscle may not be providing the oxygen and the energy the muscle needs when it is working hard.
Atherosclerosis - the condition that narrows the coronary and other arteries in the body and therefore slows blood flow - is the result of plaques in the walls of the arteries. Each plaque is a swollen, fat-filled little pouch with a fibrous cap that holds the contents in.Some plaques are small and therefore don't obstruct the flow of blood very much, making it possible for some people to "pass" a stress test with no problems. However, the fibrous caps on plaques aren't always sturdy. If a fragile fibrous cap ruptures, pouring fat into the middle of the artery just above the plaque, a clot forms and blocks blood flow, potentially causing a heart attack. Plaques can rupture at any time, even a few days after someone has taken a stress test.
Doctors are still working on tests that will spot fragile, or "vulnerable" plaques and on treatments to make plaques less likely to rupture.

Your employer may be getting under your skin in more ways than one: Working for a boss whom you perceive to be unfair can make your blood pressure spike, contributing to your risks of heart attack and stroke. That's what a team of British scientists found when they took the blood pressure of 28 female health-care assistants, measuring it every 30 minutes over 12-hours periods for three days.Among women who had previously their managers as unfair, an interaction with the boss caused a large jump in blood pressure, enough to pump up the risk of coronary heart disease by 16 per cent and stroke risk by 38per cent. In the same situation, readings for women with fair bosses actually showed a slight decrease.
If your supervisor rules at whim, the researchers say, seek emotional support from your equally disgruntled colleagues(you should probably refrain, though, if your boss picks favourites).And start looking for a new job. Even if you don't actually leave, knowing you have the option may help keep your stress level - and your blood pressure- down.

Social exclusion can make one physically cold and reach out for a hot drink.Canadian psychologists asked students to recall situations when they felt socially accepted or rejected, and the room temperature on those occasions.Those who recalled having been rejected mentioned lower room temperatures than those who felt accepted.Also, students who were left out of a computerised ball game were found to be more likely to grab a cup of hot coffee than those who got to play...

Riding in traffic can give you more than a headache - it can bring on a heart attack,according to a German study in the New England Journal of Medicine.The researchers interviewed 691 heart attack survivors and found that being in traffic - whether in a car or bus or on a bicycle - tripled the risk during the following hour.The increased risk was greatest in women,those over 60,and those with hypertension,diabetes, or pre-existing heart disease.it's well known that air pollution,notably that produced by cars and trucks,can trigger a heart attack.The stress of driving or commuting may also play a role....so people be cool while in traffic...

When eyes are "bloodshot" the small vessels on the surface of the eyeballs are dilated and visible.Lack of sleep,alcohol consumption the night before,overuse of contact lenses,or an allergy are among the possible causes.Bloodshot eyes during the day can be caused by some irritant,eyestrain,excessive rubbing,or anything that tends to dry your eyes(high heat,low humidity,or insufficient tear production).Most commonly, if the cause is external and temporary,bloodshot eyes improve by themselves.
A few tips that may help

• Wash your face eyelids with cold water
• Use a cold compress
  
• Over-the-counter eye drops(which usually contain a decongestant to constrict blood vessels)and eye washes may help,too.(But overuse of some eye drops can actually increase redness.And eye cups can be a source of infection,so use only the disposable kind.)

If it doesn't take a red chilli to set your mouth on fire,you may want to check in with your dentist- and maybe a psychologist,Burning-mouth syndrome affects many people and is marked by (surprise!) a burning sensation in the gums,palate,and lips.Many sufferers are misdiagnosed,says Andres pinto,D.M.D.,in a new "field guide"to the disorder.If you have unexplained symptoms,some possibilities to consider include anemia,vitamin deficiency,acid-reflux disease,diabetes,and a yeast infection of the mouth.Check your stress level,too;anxiety-driven habits like tooth grinding or repetitively thrusting your tongue against the roof of your mouth may figure into as many as seven out of 10 cases..

THE MARTIAL PLAN Here s a workout for your body and mind:
A study in the journal Sleep found that people with moderate sleep complaints who did six months of a slow-motion version of Tai Chi called Chih - a meditative sequence of 19 movements - felt less tired during the day and could concentrate more, compared with people who received only health education over the same period. It's unclear whether the benefits stemmed most from mental or physical effects, but the Tai Chi participants also got the benefit of the burning 272 calories an hour.
Tai Chi incorporates components of relaxation and exercise, both of which may improve sleep.

In a stable marriage, research shows, there are five times as many positive communications as negative ones. Want to get your relationship on the good side of that ration? Here's what happy couples do:

• Show interest in each other's thoughts and feelings
• Share their joy, letting each other know when they are excited or delighted
• Show affection - touching each other, saying or doing something thoughtful
• accept and respect each other's feelings, even when they don't agree
• listen without being defensive
• express appreciation and display pride in one another
• demonstrate empathy, using words and facial expressions to show they're trying to understand
• prove they care by checking in, calling to ask how things are going
• joke around - gently teasing, playing, having fun

The Promise: Reduced bloating and swelling in the face, neck, and scalp.This treatment, consisting mostly of massage with a rich moisturising cream, supposedly stimulates the lymphatic system(which regulates the body's fluid balance), flushing away toxins. It also aims to stimulate the face's 55 underlying muscles, defining and firming the eye area, mouth, and chin. A series of 30 facials is recommended for the look of a face-lift.
Is it worth it? The hour-long session can make a difference. Cheeks will look rosier and more flushed, the creases around the mouth less obvious, and the bags beneath the eye diminished. More than anything, the process can be soothing, without torturous pore extraction.
What dermatologists say: Some people are more likely than others to retain fluid in their faces. If you often look bloated or you have pronounced bags under your eyes, this kind of massage can help, but it's temporary solution.
You'll need regular treatments to see continued results.