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Patient Info on Common Diseases

How Acne Impacts One’s Mental Health

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When you have blemishes or acne, it can be very frustrating. It’s not supposed to, but, yes, it is. Perhaps because they appeared at a bad time, or because there are too many that came at the same time, or maybe because you feel like you’re just too imperfect to still have acne at this time and age. Whatever your reason, the truth is that acne definitely affects our emotions, thoughts, and ultimately our physical and mental health – the impact is skin-deep. Continue reading 



5 Ways To Take Good Care of Your Health

Caring for your health, both physical and mental, must always be your number one priority. Take note that failure to do this can have adverse effects on your part. As such, it is crucial to follow the necessary tips and tricks that will help you live a healthier and fit lifestyle. Keep in mind that you have to start today so that you will not have a hard time adjusting to all the things that you have to do to accomplish your goal of becoming fit and healthy.

 

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In this article, we are going to provide you with the list of top strategies that you must do if you want to become healthier than ever. Remember that the focus is not only concerning your physical condition but also to your mental state. Kendra Kubala, PsyD said “A simple but often overlooked question to ask is: “Would you like to stop engaging in this behavior?” It means that you must work hard to continue improving these two aspects of health. Here are some of the tips and tricks to remember:

 

Listen To Your Body

 

As much as possible, do not ignore everything that you feel in your body. Whenever you think that something is wrong, make sure to take the necessary steps to clarify what it is. Do not just sit in the corner and wait for your health to deteriorate. Remember that the secret to having a healthier body is to avoid exhausting yourself. Whenever you start to notice that you are always tired or sleepy, then look at it as an indication that you have to rest. Avoid depriving yourself of the break it needs, especially in stressful situations. Karen Mallin, PsyD says “The link between skin and stress is becoming better understood in the medical community. Psychodermatology is a field that addresses the impact of an individual’s emotion as it relates to the skin.”

 

Eat Right At All Times

 

Being fit does not mean skipping on essential meals of the day. What you need to remember at this point is the significance of knowing the right foods for you. Keep in mind that it is still possible to eat many times a day as long as you know your food intake. Never make the mistake of choosing food items that are high in cholesterol, fat, and sugar. The best option for you is to read the food labels before buying the items or eating them. In so doing, you can help your body become fitter and healthier.

 

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Get Enough Sleep

 

Did you know that severe lack of sleep can affect both your physical and mental health? If you have insufficient sleep every night, then it would be difficult for you to get on with the entire day. You will experience challenges in staying awake and focus for days because your mind would wander to someplace else. At the same time, it can also prevent you from becoming productive since a big part of your body wants to hibernate. As such, be sure to get enough sleep every night. Follow a strict bedtime schedule and avoid bringing gadgets in your bed so that you can sleep earlier.

 

Be With The Right People

 

Another significant thing that you must take note of is the value of finding the right people in your life. You always have to remind yourself that there is no need to beg anyone for love and affection. You deserve to be with the people who will respect and accept you for who you are. Remember that being with toxic individuals can only increase anxiety and stress in your life. If this situation continues to happen for a long time, then there is a good chance that you will suffer from it until you develop other mental health problems or physical illnesses. Be happy. Take note that Margaret Wehrenberg, PsyD says “Sadness over loss is not depression. Grief must be experienced, not stifled or medicated. The misconception is that grieving should be brief, not too obvious, and quickly dispensed with.”

 

Make Exercise A Part Of Your Routine

 

The last tip or strategy to keep in mind is to exercise regularly. It does not mean that you have to go to the gym every single day. Take note that it is still possible to be physically active when you are just at home. You can always try home exercises that you can download from smartphone apps or watch via online video channels. All you need to do is to allocate at least thirty minutes of your time to be active. Once exercise or physical activities become part of your daily routine, your body will start to crave for sweat. Eventually, you will end up having the desired weight, which is perfect for your age and height.

 

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Being healthy is not just about joining the latest trends in the health and fitness industry. It is more about who you want to become and how you want others to see you. Keep going!

 

 

 



Family Issues That Cause Mental Illness

It’s understandable that a lot of us are carrying tons of issues with our family that we want to get rid of our chest. However, the process of confronting these vital individuals is a bit complicated, especially when they assume that you are trying to overreact only to grab their attention. Some would accuse you of trying to get too emotional only for recognition. A family member might say that you’re too crazy for having wrong and ridiculous thoughts. With that said, they don’t understand the struggle of wanting someone to be there in times of sorrow and pain.

Source: wikimedia.org

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Social Anxiety Disorder – The Things You Need To Know

Have you ever found yourself in a situation that you don’t do anything but all of a sudden you feel the pressure of anxiety? You feel like your heart is raising so fast, your mind starts to black out, and you experience uneasiness in your chest and stomach. And the more you fight it, the more badly it gets. So from there, you start thinking about stuff because you don’t want other people to notice you being anxious. You struggle in remaining cool. Your anxiety gets triggered due to the negative limiting beliefs. It reads social situations as something that either puts you off-guard or in an alert mode.

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According to Christina Furnival, LPCC, “When we are anxious our bodies and brains can enter ‘fight or flight’ mode, leaving us to feel on edge with a small frustration-tolerance window.”

Fight-Flight-Freeze Response

When you see the anxiety in the situation you are in, especially in front of a lot of people, you begin to filter a possible danger. There’s a hyper-alert that’s going on in your brain because you think that at any moment, something terrible might happen. Things like embarrassing yourself, worries about other people’s criticisms, and different unavoidable scenarios that put you in a state where you can no longer function. All of these social anxiety signs are the result of the brain’s activated survival response called the fight-flight-freeze response. It pumps the adrenaline through your veins, it rushes blood away from your head, your throat tightens up, and it upsets your digestive system out to your outer limbs.

Source: cresca.fr

Technically, when fight-flight-freeze response gets activated, it puts your whole over-all function in survival mode. It makes you choose between hiding and running from the dangers of what your mind interprets. So when anxiety seems to be the problem you are trying to get rid of, it’s entirely not the real issue, or at least not the only thing that you need to worry about. The real underlying problem is the unsafe environment and social situations that your subconscious inputs in your head. And because it sees danger everywhere, you automatically respond with anxiety symptoms.

John R. Montopoli, LMFT, LPCC says “Be gentle with yourself. Remember the famous saying, “it’s progress, not perfection.” Keeping with these skills will help reduce brooding and post-event rumination.”

Anxiety In Social Situations

Since social anxiety is the result of the mind’s firing-up from danger, the effort in focusing alone on removing it won’t work at all. Therefore, the only action you can do is deal with what activates the fight-flight-freeze response. There’s a need to put the subconscious mind in focus of diversion. It needs to think differently and believe that there’s no danger in social situations. Because when the mind believes that you are safe in any social setting, there’s going to be no trace of anxiety symptoms.

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The mind reacts through these limiting beliefs that activate the fight-flight-freeze response which mainly brings anxiety. So to be able to change that perception of harmful elements in your head, there must be neutralization of the limiting beliefs. By thinking that you are unique, you accept yourself, that you are more than good enough, and people can like you, you’ll genuinely attract the positive thoughts. And once you finally neutralize the compilation of your negative limiting beliefs, the subconscious mind sees you safe from the social environment.

Make sure to be around the right people. According to Marni Goldberg, LPC, “However, again, being around people who care about you is a valuable source of support.”

 



Breathe In, Breathe Out: Asthma Awareness

What is asthma?

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Asthma is a lung condition where the bronchial muscles contract, blocking the air and making it difficult to breathe. Various factors can trigger an asthma attack such as allergens, infections, pollution, trauma or fatigue. Asthma can be of two types: intrinsic and extrinsic.

Intrinsic asthma is a type of asthma which doesn’t have an identifiable cause of attack while extrinsic is the opposite. The triggering factor is known. Some asthma attacks are abrupt while some can last for several days. They often start after a few minutes of being exposed to a triggering agent.

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A Deeper Understanding Of Hives (Urticaria & Angioedema)

Hives are outbreaks of itchy red wheals that are elevated smoothly on the skin with usually blanched centers. It can induce itchiness, a burning feeling, or a stinging sensation on the affected surface. They appear anywhere in the body in different shapes, sizes, and numbers and are very irritating. Its causes are too plenty, which makes diagnosis hard. Currently, an estimated 20% of the human population will experience it in their lifetime at some point.

Source: mountsinai.org

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Osteoporosis: Build Stronger Bones

Imagine a jellyfish floating around the sea. That’s how we would look like without our bones. An adult body is composed of 206 bones which provide frame and support. Bones work with our muscles to make us move. They serve as protection to our vital organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, and the brain. Without them, the inside of our body will be vulnerable to trauma.

 

source: thehealthsite.com

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What Are The Women-Related Diseases That Can Also Affect Men?

 

 

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If you’re fond of viewing different video clips online, you’ll see that more content producers show men trying stuff that only women can do, biologically speaking or not. That includes putting makeup on, stimulating pregnancy, wearing high heels, taking contraceptive pills, etc. In the end, they tend to express how lucky they are to be born without such worries.

While there’s nothing offensive in that statement, there are still women-related diseases that can also affect men. Read on to know more about them.

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Breast Cancer

As unbelievable as it seems, guys are not exempted from acquiring breast cancer. The reason is that men, like women, have breast tissues where lumps can develop. They are just more abundant in the latter, so the cases involving the former are quite rare.

Osteoporosis

The products that promote bone health for aged folks often depict females alone. That is an absolute misrepresentation, however, because the senior males can have osteoporosis too.

In truth, the bone density in men can deplete rapidly once they go beyond the 50s. It’s just that the usual signs that women notice are not too obvious when it comes to the opposite sex.

Lupus

Lupus causes the swelling of glands, eyes, joints, and legs. As an autoimmune disease, scientists are yet to figure out what makes people obtain such an illness. It can also be difficult to find a lot of information regarding men who have this disease since 90% of the diagnosed patients belong to the female population.

Yeast Infection

Fungal infection is another disorder that males can get but is normally just linked to women. Honestly speaking, the microscopic yeast strains that may already be inside or outside the body may germinate in moist regions. Meaning, the inner part of the mouth and the foreskin. The risk increases if you’re either a diabetic or popping antibiotics a lot.

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Thyroid Diseases

An illness involving the thyroid glands occurs when your system generates too much (hyperthyroidism) or too little (hypothyroidism) of metabolism-regulating hormones. Weight gain, lack of sleep, and mood swings are the common symptoms of hypothyroidism, while hyperthyroidism causes weight and energy losses.

Bladder Infections

Urinary tract infection (UTI) and diverse bladder-related diseases are typically associated with females. Regardless of that, males have a tendency to acquire any of them as well due to possible prostate or kidney issues. The infection becomes evident once it’s painful to urinate, there’s blood mixed with the urine, and there’s fever.

Male Menopause

The problem may not be familiar to you, yet know that middle-aged men may experience the symptoms of menopause too. Doctors blame it on the decline of testosterone levels that males go through as they age.

Eating Disorder

Women are predominantly connected to eating disorders because of body image, but men may also suffer from it. The list can comprise the gay, the obese, and the athletic – different types of males who often feel the need to conform to beauty standards. Few are diagnosed, though, as not everyone can admit that they have this issue.



What Stress Does To Underlying Diseases

Change, according to sayings of old, is the only constant thing on the planet.

Simply put, it is your body’s natural reaction to any danger or pressure. The cause may be different each time, yet stress can still take a toll on your well-being. Now, it appears like something else is vying for the same recognition. “Dealing with distress is difficult. By its very nature, distress is great pain, acute suffering, and extreme misfortune,” said Casey Radle, LPC. In fact, there are studies linking it to a broad range of illnesses.

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How Stress Aggravates Ailments

Stress is technically a psychological strain that affects anyone. Since it occurs in mind, though, many may not accept that it can make your current health condition worse. But stress is very much capable of doing so because it slows down your system from acting against inflammations. Hence, by the time the antibodies come into force, the pathogens already began spreading.

What Stress Does To Diseases

Being aware of the illnesses that life pressure may inflict on you allows you to tread on stressful waters with caution. Below are some of them.

Jeremy Savage, MA, LPC said “Mindfulness is a helpful skill to learn because it lets you observe these “uncomfortable thoughts, feelings and physical sensations without judgment.”

Exacerbate Diabetes

When you’re stressed out, you tend to deal with the negative feelings

Cause Asthma

Children rarely have demanding activities to worry about, so they should ideally be safe from stress. As it turns out, however, the mother can pass it on to them during pregnancy. The stakes of acquiring asthma from birth, therefore, increases.

Worsen Alzheimer’s Disease

The lesions that appear in the brain of an Alzheimer’s patient may grow in size or number with stress at play. While nothing’s set in stones, it’s essential to reduce the sources of the latter to thwart speeding up the degeneration.

Source: https://www.livestrong.com/

Promote Obesity

of cortisol becomes unbalanced. Thus, you may detect that your pants or dresses no longer fit your body.

Intensify Insomnia

Sleep deprivation comes to light when you accept more tasks than you can manage. When your mind should be resting, various ideas may run rampant even with your eyes closed. If you don’t do something about it, the problem can lead to insomnia.

Cause Ulcer

This gastrointestinal problem is known to affect the lining of several internal organs, including esophagus, stomach, and intestines. Scientists link stress to it since you either consume unhealthy meals or not eat at all; hence, the bad bacteria can take over your gut.

Source: https://www.onhealth.com/

Bring About Coronary Diseases

An increase in the cortisol generation may also influence heart attacks from taking place after a while. Too much of this hormone can encourage the white blood cells to stick to the blood vessels. The action creates plaque, which will then stop the regular blood flow to and from the pumping muscle.

 

To eliminate the chances of acquiring or elevating the symptoms of a disease, stay away from activities or people that cause your stress. Elizabeth York, M.Ed, LPC, LMFT says “An understanding of the basics of stress management may help.”

 




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