Ways to manage and avoid rheumatoid arthritis
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Ways to manage and avoid rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common health condition that leads to pain, swelling, loss of function, and joint stiffness. While the exact cause of RA is not known, healthcare experts say that factors like the environment, genes, and hormones influence the condition. Some people experience the disease for a short period, while others experience chronic symptoms. In either case, it is always good to learn a few ways to manage and avoid rheumatoid arthritis. Regular exercise Gentle exercises regularly will help strengthen the muscles around the joints. Speak to your doctor about the exercises suitable for your condition. Starting with a simple walk and then moving on to biking will also benefit your muscles. Learning relaxation techniques Other than exercise, involving yourself in relaxation activities can also help improve rheumatoid arthritis. Guided imagery, muscle relaxation, yoga, and guided imagery are a few relaxation methods to help soothe the pain. Practicing  Tai chi The method is preferred to relieve stress in a person’s life. Studies have further revealed that Tai chi helps improve mood and quality of life in people with rheumatoid arthritis. The method combines gentle exercises, stretching, and deep breathing. Be sure to learn from a professional instructor, and avoid any movements that may increase your pain.
5 unhealthy habits to avoid before bedtime
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5 unhealthy habits to avoid before bedtime

Many people use high-quality mattresses from well-known brands like Tempur-Pedic, Saatva, Sleep Number, Serta, and Essentia. But that may not ensure a good night’s sleep. That’s probably because they have a few unhealthy pre-bedtime routines that not only prevent quality sleep but also adversely affect their physical health, mood, and social life. Here, we’ve listed five habits one must steer clear of before bedtime for a restful sleep on a comfy mattress: Late-evening exercise Regular exercise helps us stay fit, but indulging in this activity an hour before going to bed can be problematic. Heightened heart rate and a boost in energy levels may prevent you from falling asleep. According to studies, the best time to exercise is three to four hours before bedtime. A rise in body temperature during a workout followed by its natural drop will help you fall asleep for the required amount of time. Studies also suggest taking a hot bath before bed to increase blood flow and decrease your core temperature when you need to sleep. Screen time You might enjoy watching something on your phone, laptop, or TV before bed. Sadly, the screens of these devices emit blue light that can be bad for your eyes.
4 vitamins essential for good eye health
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4 vitamins essential for good eye health

For a 20/20 vision, one must fulfill their daily requirement of vitamins. This becomes even more important as one ages and is at an increased risk of developing vision-related issues. Poor vision can also be brought on by excessive exposure to screens and poor hygiene and food choices. Certain eye issues can be corrected using eyeglasses or contact lenses, however, to maintain good eye health, proper vitamin intake through food or supplements is required. Vitamin A Vitamin A is one of the basic nutritional requirements for good eye health. Rhodopsin found in sources of vitamin A helps one maintain clear corneas and a strong low-light vision. As it is commonly found in most foods, vitamin A deficiency is a rare occurrence today. However, if left untreated, it can gradually lead to xerophthalmia—an eye disease. Vegetable sources like sweet potatoes, apples, carrots, and pumpkins are great for eye health and can be added in different forms to meals and salads. Animal sources of vitamin A include eggs, poultry, and seafood. Vitamin B Research suggests that several vitamins belonging to the B-complex family are great for eye health. These vitamins are crucial for the prevention of age-related macular degeneration or AMD. Patients with this condition may experience issues like a blurred vision as it causes the retina to deteriorate.
Food items to avoid to battle bronchitis
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Food items to avoid to battle bronchitis

Bronchial tubes are the passageway that carries air to the lungs. Coughing is how the body gets rid of harmful things in the lungs. However, excessive coughing can lead to a severe condition called chronic bronchitis, where the bronchial tube can become irritated, and inflammation can last longer. It can be of two types – acute and chronic. Chronic bronchitis is more contagious than acute, however, therapy and lifestyle changes can reduce symptoms. Therapy Health specialists mostly recommend prescriptions for bronchitis. However, chronic bronchitis can cause severe damage to the lungs and can lead to lower blood oxygen levels. In such instances, a therapist will inform you about an oxygen prattle machine; they also suggest specialized recovery programs for protection during extreme cases. Meanwhile, therapists would also recommend revising the nutritional regime to cope with the symptoms. Nutritional regime A good meal plan is always related to a healthy lifestyle. Changes in lifestyle and food habits will lessen the symptoms. A disease is not severe when it is acute. In today’s world, one has to take precautions to fight such conditions. This is why one has to avoid certain foods to prevent triggering the condition or throat pain. Sodium Avoid salty food items because sodium can increase the chances of high blood pressure.
8 foods to avoid for managing Crohn’s
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8 foods to avoid for managing Crohn’s

Crohn’s, an inflammatory bowel disease, causes tissue swelling in the digestive tract. Common consequences are abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, and weight loss. Although some foods warn your intestine, flaring up the disease. Thus, a Crohn’s-balanced meal is essential. It is highly significant to promote the healing of the intestine during Crohn’s. Avoiding the following products will reduce many gastrointestinal symptoms. Therefore, here is the list of food items you need to avoid for Crohn’s. Dairy products Research studies show that Crohn’s patients tend to be intolerant to lactose intake. It follows that lactose digestion does not take place. This could result in cramping or bloating as symptoms. Therefore, it is better to avoid sugar in milk, and also steer clear of any dairy products (cheese, butter, curd). Spicy food Spicy foods are a trigger for worsening Crohn’s disease. Foods that are wholesome in spices can cause more pain for you than relief. There are certain spices that tend to irritate the intestinal lining. So it is better to look for alternatives like mild herbs or juices for flavors. Greasy or fried foods Fried foods lead to cramping and loose stools in people with Crohn’s. The fat from such foods is not entirely absorbed in intestinal linings.
Foods to avoid when diagnosed with hyperkalemia
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Foods to avoid when diagnosed with hyperkalemia

Hyperkalemia is a health condition when the blood has a high potassium level. Potassium in your blood handles functioning muscle, nerve cells and maintains fluid balance. In normal conditions, the blood potassium level is 3.6 to 5.2 mill moles per liter (mmol/L). If the potassium level is 6.0 mmol/L or above, it can be potentially harmful for the body and needs immediate treatment. To treat hyperkalemia, your doctor will provide you with treatment options and might also recommend a low-potassium meal plan. Changes in meal routine can help you maintain the blood potassium level. However, some food items can raise these levels, leaving you to avoid them.  A low potassium meal plan is the main solution to control hyperkalemia. However, that does not mean you have to avoid high-potassium foods. You may eat foods that react with your body and raise your potassium level. Moreover, you must avoid potassium intake and limit it to 2000 milligrams per day. Your doctor can help you plan a food regime to maintain potassium levels.  You can find potassium in food items like fruits, dairy, snacks, vegetables, and drinks. You cannot completely avoid them. That is why you need to avoid or limit some food items as mentioned below.
5 skincare mistakes to avoid making
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5 skincare mistakes to avoid making

While some signs of aging, such as sagging skin and wrinkles, are unavoidable, there are several symptoms that can be avoided if you take certain steps. Often, people don’t even know that standard skin care practices could do more damage than good. Ensure you’re not hastening the effects of aging or increasing your risk of developing skin diseases by avoiding these five common mistakes people make while trying to take care of their skin. 5 common skincare mistakes Don’t have less water Although applying a moisturizer might aid the skin’s ability to retain water, drinking enough water is the most critical thing you can do for your skin’s health. Drinking adequate water levels in the day helps the skin look healthy and rids the body of pollutants. The key to good health is a stable fluid level. If you live in dry weather, ensure to drink more water. A daily water intake of 3 to 4 liters is essential for maintaining healthy, youthful skin. Don’t exfoliate too much or too little The dead cells of the skin contribute to an aging appearance, but luckily, these can be removed with an exfoliating scrub. Despite this, it’s essential to realize that too much exfoliation might be harmful.
Keep away from these foods for managing multiple sclerosis
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Keep away from these foods for managing multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a medical condition. The immune system attacks the body’s Central Nervous System (CNS). The myelin sheath covering the nerve cells comes under this attack. The condition affects the communication between the brain and body parts. It thus results in fatigue, pain, and vision problems. On the digestive front, bowel problems and loss of bladder control also happen. This article lists foods to avoid to reduce multiple sclerosis symptoms flare up. MS is a slow and progressive disease. It disrupts the flow of information from the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Though there is no treatment for MS, taking care of a nutritional regime can help manage the flare-ups. Common foods to avoid and better MS management Unfortunately, there is no cure for MS yet. Its only management includes changes in lifestyle, medications, and targeted treatment. These methods help in overcoming common discomforts. Maintaining a balanced and healthy nutritional regime is a crucial element in this regard. Here are the common foods that you must avoid for better health. Saturated and trans fat Ensure a strict no-no to saturated animal fats. Cooking in saturated fats can increase cholesterol levels. In turn, it causes inflammation. High levels of cholesterol increase the risk of heart attacks and stroke.
6 foods to avoid for managing multiple sclerosis
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6 foods to avoid for managing multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s central nervous system. The myelin sheath covering the nerve cells is typically attacked, and the communication between the brain and body parts gets affected. This can result in symptoms like fatigue, pain, vision problems, bowel movement issues, and loss of bladder control. While the disease has no permanent cure, it can be managed through treatment and changes in eating habits. Foods with saturated and trans fats Multiple sclerosis patients are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular problems brought on by poor management of cholesterol levels. So, people with the condition should avoid saturated animal fats and trans fats, as cooking in unhealthy fats can increase cholesterol levels. High cholesterol levels increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes and can also cause inflammation. Saturated fats can sneak into one’s meals when food is cooked in coconut oil, palm oil, dairy fats, and meat fats. Additionally, one should avoid baked goods like cakes and cookies as these contain trans fats, which can trigger inflammation of blood vessels. Avoiding these fats can help one reduce the risk of developing severe cardiovascular problems. Excessive salt Increased sodium levels in the system trigger many relapse cases of MS.
Foods to avoid while diagnosed with schizophrenia
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Foods to avoid while diagnosed with schizophrenia

When you conceptualize mental health, disorders might be the first and foremost thing that comes to your mind. Some severe mental health disorders are hallucinations, extreme anger, fear, or despair. Proper diagnosis can cure most such conditions to a great extent. However, in cases like schizophrenia, one should not be missing anything to remain at the top of your mental state. Hence, it is advised to follow certain nutritional habits to keep schizophrenia at bay. Symptoms Schizophrenia is a chronic and disabling mental illness that an unhealthy diet can cause. An individual with this condition experiences certain symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, flat affect, lack of motivation, and more. These symptoms can be made worse due to an unhealthy lifestyle. Remedies Research suggests that changing food habits can reduce the impact of symptoms. Some foods can control the symptoms while others can worsen them. Besides an adequate support system, proper recovery therapy is important. A healthy lifestyle and essential food items stay at the top of the healing game. Take a look at food items that tend to worsen schizophrenia symptoms, Foods to avoid Eating certain foods can negatively impact schizophrenia. Unhealthy nutritional habits stated above can worsen its symptoms. Therefore, if diagnosed with the condition, one must avoid these food items.

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Important things to know about kidney and liver-related diseases
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Important things to know about kidney and liver-related diseases

The kidney and liver are two important organs in your body. You must keep them healthy to maintain a happy and safe life. However, you should also be aware of some important facts about the liver and kidney-related diseases so that you can visit your doctor before any health-related issue becomes more serious. Kidney and liver diseases and stages Chronic kidney disease is a medical condition that affects your kidneys. However, it progresses in five different stages and usually does not affect both the kidneys at once. Before learning about the stages of this illness, you need to first understand what Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) is. The age, gender, race, and serum creatinine are taken into account to calculate a person’s GFR, which determines the stage of chronic kidney disease. The serum creatinine is a type of waste product, which comes from the body’s muscle activity. As the condition of your kidney worsens, it filters less and less creatinine. The GFR calculation uses this to determine the kidney condition. Stage 1 : GFR > 90 ml/min Stage 2 : GFR = 60-89 ml/min Stage 3A : GFR = 45-59 ml/min Stage 3B : GFR = 30-44 ml/min Stage 4 :
Oral health issues and their diagnosis and prevention
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Oral health issues and their diagnosis and prevention

Oral health indicates overall health, so regular oral hygiene is important to prevent cavities, bad breath, gum diseases, and other mouth and teeth issues. Also, oral health is important at every stage of life, and it should not be taken lightly as oral diseases can also spread to the rest of the body. Let’s take a look at the basics of oral health issues and how to prevent them. Common oral health problems Oral health problems can affect people at different stages of lives: Infants A routine to help children maintain oral hygiene. When a child starts getting their first teeth, parents should wipe their gums with a clean, moist washcloth. Gradually, they can change this washcloth to a toothbrush for kids. Also, a child must be taken for their first dental visit within 6 months of the first tooth erupting, which should be not later than a kid’s first birthday. Additionally, parents should always stop children from sucking their thumbs as it can affect their tooth alignment. Also, never let them sleep with a bottle in their mouth as this can cause tooth decay. Children and teenagers Many who have crooked teeth start showing signs between the ages of 6 and 12.
Essential factors of mental health issues
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Essential factors of mental health issues

There are a lot of misconceptions that people have about mental health. With the little information on mental health, people are often narrow-minded when it comes to treating mental illnesses and often this causes a big problem for those who have mental health problems. To help you understand better, we are here to provide you with the details of mental health problems, which include its stages, diagnosis, and treatment. Stages of mental health issues The following stages are generally experienced by patients: Stage 1: Preconception When the patient is in this stage, they may mostly be in denial. It is possible that they point out that something seems off but they are fully capable of going about with their usual routine. Stage 2: Contemplation At this stage, it is clear that the patient needs medical help. The symptoms have started to set in, and it has now started to affect the day-to-day routine of the patient. Stage 2: Crisis If stages 1 and 2 are dealt with in the right way, this stage can be avoided. If not, the patient may face a nervous breakdown. Stage 4: Getting Help This stage should ideally come before the crisis for the problem to be averted.
Stages, diagnosis, and prevention of multiple sclerosis
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Stages, diagnosis, and prevention of multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a disease that affects the spinal cord and the brain. Some of the common symptoms of multiple sclerosis are weakening and numbing in the body, blurring of vision, headaches, loss of hearing, speech issues, seizures, and bladder issues. The main treatment of multiple sclerosis focuses on managing symptoms of the disease. Let us take a look at the stages that the person goes through in case of multiple sclerosis. Stages of multiple sclerosis There are four stages of multiple sclerosis. These include: Clinically isolated syndrome A clinically isolated syndrome is usually the first attack of multiple sclerosis experienced by patients. It is marked by an inflamed myelin sheath. At this stage, a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) test is used to make a proper diagnosis. Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis is the most common stage. Most patients experience symptoms of this stage before the age of 30. Patients may experience episodes of symptoms. Relapse in this stage can lead to brain lesions. If patients go into remission, this phase can continue for a few weeks or even several years. Primary progressive multiple sclerosis Primary progressive multiple sclerosis usually begins in patients after they cross the age of 40.
Important things that you must know about pain management
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Important things that you must know about pain management

The techniques of pain management are devised based on the cause of pain. Pain management also depends on the severity and duration of pain. It focuses on the identification of the source of pain and selecting the best course of treatment. Let us take a closer look at some of the aspects of pain management. Types of pain The most common types of pain are: Neuropathic pain It’s a type of pain, which impacts the nervous system. In this form of pain, there is damage to the nervous system. A typical example is a diabetic neuropathy. Neuropathic pain can also include fibromyalgia, sympathetically maintained pain and irritable bowel syndrome. Nociceptive pain It is a pain that results from a bone that is broken in the body. This pain is determined by the transfer of signals from the peripheral nerves to the brain through the spinal cord. Somatic pain This pain is a type that affects the thighs and back of the patient. Every time a patient goes to the doctor with back pain, their doctor checks their medical history and conducts a physical exercise test and imaging test. After an accurate diagnosis, the pain can be adequately treated. Cancer pain Cancer or the treatment of cancer can cause this type of pain.
Understanding the essentials about menopause
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Understanding the essentials about menopause

Menopause is a stage at which the woman stops going through menstrual cycles. It is only considered menopause if you have not had your period for at least 12 months. In the US, the average age for it to occur is 51, but it can start as early as your 40s. It is a biological process that occurs naturally but, due to certain symptoms it causes, it can lead to disruptions in your daily schedule and life. Stages of menopause Menopause has three different stages, as given below. Perimenopause Before the actual menopause starts, the women’s body goes into the process of shifting from natural menstruation and ovulation cycle to permanent infertility. This stage is known as perimenopause. It generally starts in your 40s, but some women may experience it in their 30s too. The symptoms include irregular periods, sleep problems, and hot flashes. Menopause If you have not had your period in one year, then the perimenopause is over, and the actual menopause stage begins. You cannot get pregnant once you enter this stage. Postmenopause The years that follow are the postmenopause stage. The physical and emotional symptoms of menopause start to subside in most cases. You start to regain your energy levels and feel more emotionally stable.