Smoking is a bad habit that is very difficult to give up. It is not only dangerous to the smoker, himself, but to the people around him as well. Once a person becomes addicted, it becomes difficult for him to stop smoking. However, despite all the reminders regarding the bad effects of smoking to health, a lot of people are still drawn into the aroma of cigarette smoking.

People should not have started to smoke. Because as you all know, once you have become dependent on nicotine, it would be very difficult for you to eliminate it from your system. Advertisements have constantly reminded people that cigarette smoking is dangerous to health, yet it is as if they have not heard a single reminder. Well, people who do not admit that they are addicted to smoking have a really big problem.

Smokers who are trying to stop smoking can attest to the difficulty of the process of quitting. Determination and will power are needed in order for one to reach his goal of being a non-smoker.

Most people would say that a gradual cutting down of the cigarette smoking is a good method for quitting. Small steps are taken, one at a time to ensure that the process is going in the direction that is more beneficial to the smoker who plans on quitting.

Preparation Necessary to Stop Smoking

Preparation is necessary when you feel like stopping. Reflect on your reasons for smoking, and take note of when you usually smoke and how you typically go about it. You may want to deviate from your usual smoking habits, and try things that you son not usually do when smoking. For instance, you may want to try new things as a replacement for smoking, like when you are urged to smoke, you may just chew a gum or munch on healthy snacks. Or, if you really want to smoke, you may do so but not with the hand that you usually use when smoking. If you are used to holding the cigarette with your right hand, you may try your left hand instead. You need to learn these things so that you can make a good plan that you can follow as you cut down the sticks you smoke.

The Beginning of the Actual Renouncement

Get rid of all the things that may remind you of smoking. You may want to keep your ash trays way from your view, or you may also, for the time being, avoid people who smoke. This way, you are not constantly reminded of your tendencies to smoke. Think of ways activities that can keep your mind off the idea of smoking. Give yourself a reward when you have not smoked for the whole day, this way your act of not smoking will be reinforced. You may also want to visit your dentist so that you can get your teeth cleaned from all the nicotine that may have stained them.

Living a Smoke-free Life

There may be times when you feel irritated or depressed; these may just be the withdrawal symptoms. You should learn to avoid smoking despite these symptoms. It may be difficult at first but as time passes by, you would realize that it gets easier and better. Think of all the benefits that you may have if you stop smoking – financially, physically and socially.

Nowadays, more and more experts agree that taking vitamins and mineral supplements in liquid form can be quite effective in achieving optimum health. This is because in this form, the body can absorb the nutrients it needs easily. For this reason alone why may companies decided to come with health drinks in liquid form such as those in juices while others come up with powder form which should be consumed along with liquid. And also for this reason why more and more people who are having trouble to get better sleep are hooked into these drinks.

Experts agree that people, these days, are very lucky because there is a continuous research and science experiment that aim to provide healthier and better tasting health drinks. In fact, health drinks come with variations of fruits, vegetables, enzyme grains, nuts, seeds, and other herbs to make them more appetizing and also contain ingredients that can help people get better sleep.

Other benefits of health drinks

These days, health drinks are reported to react differently to people who are using them. These also react depending on the purpose of the person using it. Experts say that the health drinks available in the market today can be categorized depending on the need of the consumers. There are those that are made to just deliver essential mineral and vitamins in the body. And, there are also those that are aimed towards increasing energy levels or increasing the muscle reaction to certain activities.

No matter which one you choose, rest assured that you can benefit from it once used in moderation. Aside from delivering essential vitamins and minerals and increasing energy that help a person get better sleep, the following are other benefits of health drinks:

– It satisfies the hunger and gives a sense of fullness. In a fast-paced, busy environment people are living in today, it is a must to have a source of energy at all times. One of the reasons why more and more people are into health drinks is to make up for the lost vitamins and minerals when they need to skip meal due to busy schedule.

– It improves overall health. Since most health drinks are packed with vitamins and minerals, it can help you fight off common diseases by consuming it regularly.

– It helps enhance mental stability. The nutrients in most health drinks are aimed to produce oxygen that keeps the blood vessels clear. Once a person takes in these nutrients regularly, it can help them have greater focus in the things that they do either at work or at home.

Although many health drinks are available in the market today, not all of these can give you the nutrients that you need. Before you buy or consume a health drink, try to ask your doctor first which are the ones he or she can recommend that would best suit your needs. If you prefer to buy on your own, make sure that these do not contain ingredients that can be harmful to you such as phosphoric acid, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and sweeteners, artificial dyes and coloring, processed vitamins, and modified food starches.

Make sure that the health drink that you are about to consume is not liquefied or pasteurized, have live enzymes from chlorophyll to aid better absorption. It should also has natural antioxidants that can help combat free radicals and are made whole food ingredients to be safe and will not cause any problems for you get better sleep.

For a person to learn overcoming fear of flying, he or she must understand what causes that fear being up in the air. This is very important for him or her to know what are the best possible ways to adjust to these fears. Experts say that fear of flying is a “learned fear”. It is something that causes people-even those who were once confident travelers-to stop from taking flights via plane to go to places. This phobia is caused by so many factors which hinders people to being up in the air again.

Studies show that the major reason why people developed fear of flying is their own personal experiences when flying. These bad experiences are the ones that register in their mind whenever they go aboard, thus, causing them to be uncomfortable when they are aboard. The bad experiences when flying may include prolonged turbulence caused by a bad weather. It can also be some mechanical problems that have caused the plane to have an emergency landing. Or it can be a terrifying experience such as a near-death encounter while flying.

Another reason why many people develop fear of flying is what the experts call “stress contamination.” Here, the person who already has high levels of stress develops an anxiety episode, which makes it harder for that person to overcome that fear. At first, some people do not immediately this fear but it develops when they experience more bad encounters during their next flights.

A news coverage of an air disaster is also another reason why people who are already afraid of flying are having a hard time overcoming that fear. Experts say that it is only common for people to develop fear of flying since it may lead to their death once an accident happens. To some people, they take this possibility into greater a length-that is why they tend to develop fear of flying even if the flight is safe. And this fear only doubles when they see how tragic it is to die during a plane crash or an accident.

The best way

Although people have valid reasons to be afraid of flying, not riding planes should not be the option. This is because the person mainly allows his or her imagination to get the best or better of him or her. So, if you want to overcome that fear, try these strategies to find out which may work for you.

Know in yourself what it is really that you are afraid of when flying. It is the thought of you being up in the skies? Or is it the feeling that you are contained in a place where you cannot get out when you want to? Or is it the fear of pressure when you are aboard? Whatever it is, you should know which specifically scares you so you will find a way to adjust to it. If it the thought that you are thousands of feet from the ground, think that it’s like riding a car where you are also suspended from the land in a specific time frame. If you are afraid that you are secluded, request if you can be seated near the emergency exit so you are the first person to eject when an accident happens. If you are afraid of the pressure, think that the cabin is pressurized so you won’t be able to feel “pain” of take off.

Today, with modern technology and continuous advancement in research, overcoming fear of flying could be fast and easy. All one needs to do is to gather enough willpower to face his or her fear and the willingness to overcome that fear no matter what it takes.

Options for aviophobia treatment

Once the final diagnosis has been made by the psychologist, the person who has aviophobia can now start with treatments depending in the severity of the phobia. Nowadays, the most common treatment options available in overcoming fear of flying include drug therapy, natural remedies, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), relaxation techniques and airline-affiliated programs. Each of these offer different concepts and processes so it’s up to the person which one could be suitable to his or her needs.

1. The drug therapy. This is the mildest form of treatment available for people who are starting in overcoming their fear. Once diagnosis is made by the psychologist or psychiatrist, the most common drug prescription that they give include benzodiazepines and other relaxant drugs which are proven to control the symptoms of the phobia for a certain period of time. Although some can be bought over the counter, always remember to check with your health provider which drugs may help you overcome that fear while in flight. Their approval and prescription is very important because these will ensure that the problem will not get more complicated.

2. Several herbal and natural remedies. If you want to go the natural way, there are certain natural remedies that can be made or taken at home to help you control anxiety attacks during flights. These herbs include St John’s Wort, Scullcap, Passiflora incarnate, and Valerian are recommended because these are believed to help calm the person’s nerves while aboard. Because these contain properties that help people to relax, many are trying this treatment option. But since herbal or natural remedies don’t necessarily have clinical approval, it is best to test first the effects of these herbs before you finally go aboard.

3. The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT. Experts say that one of the most effective methods for helping people overcoming their fear of flying is the process called “desensitization.” This is an educated approach to overcoming fear in flying because the process involves making the person face the fear “face to face”. How? The moderators introduce the patient to his or her fear and then, slowly, the idea of flying will be re-introduced. Other components of the method also include conversations on it, field visits such as the airport, and soon, you will be accompanied to take a real flight. During the sessions, the patient will be taught various relaxation methods as well as techniques so they can cope with the phobia and eventually eliminate it form their system.

4. Various relaxation techniques. Since anxiety is the main culprit for fear of flying, people who are experiencing this are advised to various techniques that would help them relax such as meditation and deep breathing as well as muscle relaxation. People who are afraid to fly are advised to practice these techniques at home so once they have mastered it, they can try using these relaxation methods when they finally able to take a flight. Learning these techniques are important because it will help the person reduce his or her anxiety, relieve the tension brought by the fear, and enable that person to take off his or her mind into untoward things and accidents.

You must have heard that cigarette smoking is definitely not good for health. This does not make any distinctions in its ill effects; it is dangerous both to women’s and men’s health. However, you should know that smoking may have more harmful effects on a woman’s health than on a man. A woman is capable of bearing a child in her womb. Because of this she is considered as an icon for nurturing; however, if with unhealthy habits, a woman may also unknowingly inflict damage to the child in her womb. Therefore, if smoking should be stopped by any gender in particular, then there is a greater need for women to stop smoking.

A woman may be inflicted with several illnesses if she becomes addicted to nicotine. If she is unable to live a healthy lifestyle, and if she is unable to eliminate smoking from her daily routine, she may end up having vaginal bleeding, heart attacks, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. Studies even show that women who smoke are more prone to having lung cancer as compared to those who do not smoke.

Furthermore, when females become addicted to nicotine, it is more difficult for them to eliminate such substance from their system as opposed to males. Because of this, they have to put on extra effort just to prevent themselves from being addicted; but if they are already dependent on the substance, they should ask for help and supplements designed to release them from such addiction.

Perhaps you are wondering how to get out of such addiction. If this is the case, then you should know that your first step to a non-smoking life is to know all the possible effects that may harm you. In doing so, you would have a better understanding of the consequences of your acts and thus, it will be easier for you to avoid such path again. Maybe, you would realize that you do not need to be around people who smoke because you may be influenced to smoke again; or you may refrain from going to shops that sell cigarettes. As long as you have baby steps to get out from your habit, then you are on the right track.

If these acts are not helpful enough, you may also ask your doctor for assistance. Several drugs may be prescribed to you to help you with the addiction, some of them may be found online and some are just within your neighborhood pharmacies. Just make sure that you have consulted your doctor before buying these medicines and that the medicines that you would take are FDA approved. This is to certify that these drugs will not worsen your condition and that they are really designed to help you with your nicotine problem.

Cigarette smoking should definitely be avoided for your own health. If you are a woman, you should have realized by now that you have more things to take into consideration than men who smoke. You are a woman, and you should be the life-giver. You cannot give a life that is not healthy, thus you should keep yourself healthy as well. Thus, since smoking is not healthy, you should not smoke; but if you already are, you may want to consider to stop smoking.

Those who spend more time with their works tend to suffer from stress more than the other. The mental and emotional burden that is often attributed to the demands of work can affect our productivity and efficiency with our task that would often lead us to troubles than not. This is one reason why it is very important for workaholics to undertake stress management to avoid compromising their career.

You don’t have to be in a special place to apply stress management. In fact, you can do it anytime and anywhere if you feel like it. You can do it while at your work desk, in the comfort room, or even out in the lobby. The idea here is to control your mind to relax so that you can continue fresh with your task — emotionally, physically, and mentally. Here are some tips that will surely help you out.

Tip # 1: Understand The Cause Of Your Stress

You will never be able to get rid of stress if you don’t know what’s causing it. The first stress management tip you might want to apply is to determine what stressed you out. If it is the project you are working on, your boss, or with your work mates then take some time to determine what about them that gave you stress. Feel free to list them down if you want to keep track of it.

Tip # 2: Learn To Relax Your Mind

Relaxation is a very useful stress management technique. Having a clear and focused mind can help in dealing with problems even before they blow up on your faces. You can relax by doing light meditation, breathing exercise, or simply get out for a breath of fresh air. Try to stop thinking about the cause for a few minutes to clear your head.

Keep in mind that there are different ways to help you relax. You can do yoga or a deep meditation exercise during your break. If you don’t know where to start, then you can buy self-help books that detail the steps to help you get started. If you have a ready access to the Internet, feel free to look for relaxation tips online and apply it at your leisure.

Tip # 3: Indulge In After-Work Pampering

If you have some free time off from work then you might want to take advantage of this by pampering yourself in the local spa. You don’t have to undergo a complete full-body pampering treatment just to help you relax. A simple massage or aromatherapy session will do. Keep in mind that a massage can be a relaxation technique for both the mind and the body so having one during your free time will help you relax enough to face the burden of work with a fresh mind.

Make This A Daily Habit

Integrate your stress management techniques with your daily lifestyle if you want to be good at it for your self-improvement project. Doing it just because you got stressed with work is not a good way to practice stress management. You need to keep practicing your chosen method or technique until you can do it instantaneously. Learn to relax every single time when you’re at work and you will surely see that no amount of bickering with your boss or noise from your workmates will stress you out.

Despite all the safety measures and precautions conducted by the airline officers and owners, there are still a growing number of people who are having a hard time in overcoming fear of flying. Experts say that this fear may stem from the person’s bad experience during one of his or her flights. Studies show that many that have developed fear of flying are the ones who are used to travel via plane before. This is because of the frequency, it is inevitable for them to experience an bad occurrence at some point. These bad experiences may include prolonged or heavy turbulence that is caused by natural phenomenon such as bad weather or an aborted flight wherein the airplane needs to take an emergency landing that is usually caused by mechanical failures.

Another reason for this fear is the person is exposed too much on media coverage on various tragic accidents in the air which instill a fear for his or her life. Studies show that people who have witnessed an extensive coverage of an aerial accident are prone to having aviophobia sooner or later.

Starting to overcome the fear

If you are one of those who have developed this fear and you would want to overcome it, here are simple step-by-step procedures that you can follow:

FIRST STEP: Conduct a thorough research. Indeed, knowledge is power. If you are aware about the basics of flight and air travel, your mind can tell you how to control your fear. Aviophobia stem from over anxiety about tragic air accidents. It is also a result of a misunderstanding and lack of enough knowledge on flights and the technicalities of the aircraft itself. If you are able to educate yourself on these things, it will be easier for you to understand and realize that some of your fears on flying could be far-fetched.

SECOND STEP: Clear your mind before and during the flight. Fear of flying is a phobia caused by untoward incidents that might happen in the air. Experts say that this fear is all in the mind of the person. So, if the person tries to clear his or her mind from things that might happen, he or she might be able to overcome the fear in no time. To clear your mind off negative thoughts, you can try practicing relaxation techniques before and during the flight such as breathing that is controlled, rejection of negative thinking by making a conscious effort, and indulging into distractions such as reading, listening to music or watching airline movies.

THIRD STEP: Learn about “desensitization.” Experts say that this process is usually conducted during a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) wherein the person who has developed fear in flying is slowly exposed to the conditions of flying until he or she is able to face the fears and learn to overcome them.

FOURTH STEP: Seek professional help. Some people have deep-rooted aviophobia that is why they are having a hard time overcoming fear of flying. If you think that your phobia on flying has reached bigger proportions and it already affects your life in general, it is best to consult a professional to check on you. This professional can either be a psychologist or a psychiatrist who can check your emotional and even your mental health if needed. The doctor will recommend some treatment options such as drug therapy. If you have a mild condition, he or she will teach you relaxation techniques that you can administer at home in managing and controlling your anxiety attacks.

Patients of multiple sclerosis are not only bothered by symptoms related with sensory, motor and cognitive functions, they also suffer from dysfunctions of the bladder and bowel functions, problems with coordination as well as balance, impairments of the eyes, and sexual dysfunctions. Below are the more detailed symptoms relating to these problems. Each symptom is placed under a specific category with accompanying brief descriptions.

VISUAL SYMPTOMS
Eye pain, this may be due in part to a condition called Trigeminal Neuralgia, a condition that shoots up painful sensations rooting from the dysfunction of one of the Trigeminal nerves of the face. Eye pain may also be experienced during eye movements.
Blurry vision, is the decreased capacity of the eyes and their optic nerves to define the images they perceive
Diminished perception to colors, the lack of capacity to perceive bold colors
Blindness, which may be partial or full blindness
Double Vision or Diplopia, is a very common visual problem associated with multiple sclerosis which is caused by lesions incurred on the brainstem whereby the cranial nerves connecting the eyes and the brain are attached.
Jerky Eye Movements or Nystagmus, these are the involuntary and rapid eye movements typically manifested by patients of multiple sclerosis
Ocular Dysmetria, which is characterized by constant overshooting of eye movements
Lack or decreased eye coordination
Sensation of flashing lights during eye movements. This may also be the resulting response to a sudden noise
Afferent Pupillary Defect (APD), or Marcus-Gunn pupil is a condition that is characterized by the inability of the eyes to dilate properly in response to light intensities.

BALANCE AND COORDINATION SYMPTOMS
Dysdiadochokinesia, is a medical condition where the ability to perform rapid and alternating movements are affected
Dysmetria, is oftentimes related to one’s inability to calculate scale and distance.
Dystonia, is a movement disorder associated with impaired neurological functions. This is characterized by abnormal posture, repetitive movements and constant jerking and twisting during attempts to maintain a posture.
Intention tremor, is characterized by tremor occurring during voluntary movements. This is worsened during movements.
Impairment or loss of coordination, or ataxia is a condition that results from problems with processing sensory and motor inputs as well as in the production of responses to these.
Speech Ataxia (stuttering), this refers to problems involving the coordination of speech
Vestibular Ataxia, this results into nystagmus, incoordination and vertigo, which involves a host of symptoms including vomiting, dizziness and nausea. This is caused by the formation of lesions on the vestibular nuclei and the brainstem.

BLADDER-, BOWEL-, and SEXUAL-RELATED SYMPTOMS
Bladder Spasticity or muscular hypertonicity results from the continuous sending of brain signal to certain muscles, causing them to continuously contract and tighten
Constipation is a medical and a very common condition that involves the hardening of the feces, thus leading to difficult bowel movement
Detrusor-Sphincter Dyssynergia
Erectile Dysfunction, Anorgasmy and retrograde ejaculation are all sexual-related symptoms of the condition rooting from dysfunctions of impulse transference
Fecal Urgency and incontinence is the inability to control the involuntary muscles of the anus, thereby leading to uncontrolled defecation.
Frequent Micturation, simply known as frequent urination.
Frigidity or Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder is a condition that refers to the decreased capacity to maintain sexual functions and activities

OTHERS
Fatigue, for no apparent reason. MS patients typically report of unexplained over-exhaustion.
Gastroesophageal Reflux or heartburn
Sleeping disorders or inability to fall into sleep or maintain sleep
Uhthoff’s Symptom, is a condition whereby temperature rises during hot baths, exercise and other activities causing the exacerbation of other symptoms

It is, perhaps, the saddest thing if a young, innocent child is struck with a chronic condition that has no cure. This is especially painful for parents of such children. The disease progresses but there is nothing much anyone can do about it. While pediatric multiple sclerosis is relatively rare, there are still a lot of very young people who are suffering from this condition.

Introduction
Historically, MS is an adult-onset condition. Although it is very uncommon for children to develop this disease, recent statistics revealed that sufferers are increasing in numbers. According to one study in Canada, there is at least .9 incidence in every 100, 000 children. The youngest possible patient who showed initial symptoms of MS was 13 months old and the youngest diagnosis ever made was on a child aged 2 years old. In a retrospective study conducted in the United States, it was found out that 2%-5% of MS patients were diagnosed before they were 16 years old.

Incidence
Like in adult population, there seems to be a gender imbalance in childhood MS. Hence, boys are less susceptible than girls against the risk of developing the condition and the onset of the symptoms.

Clinical Features
The onset of pediatric multiple sclerosis is somewhat similar with the adult patients. This is characterized by demyelination of the “white matter” of the CNS as well as episodes of neurological dysfunctions.

Symptoms
Symptoms of MS are categorized into the following: cognitive dysfunctions, motor impairments, sensory symptoms, sexual functions deficit, problems with balance and coordination and bladder and bowel problems. Having said that, the common symptoms of MS include fatigue, numbness, paresthesias, troubled thinking, weakness of the extremities, spasticity or rigidity of the limbs, bladder impairment, speech impairment, tremors, pain and burning pain, seizures, depression, and Paroxysmal symptoms. These symptoms may or may not manifest in all patients and may come in varying severity.

Unfortunately, these symptoms inhibit children sufferers from performing well in normal situations. They fare worst in academics due to some cognitive dysfunctions.

Diagnosis
No specific guideline for diagnosing MS in children is available. Thus, neurologists utilize the parameters used among older patients such as RMI, analysis of brain fluids and out ruling of other possible conditions. Most neurologists, pediatricians and physicians rely on ruling out other conditions as the primary diagnostic tool. Once all other diseases that produce the same symptoms are ruled out, diagnosis may be given. On some occasions when there is a somewhat unclear manifestation of the symptoms or the presentation of characteristics being looked for is somewhat suggestive of just the “possibility” of the condition being present, the physician may opt to wait for further developments.

Treatment
Due to the similarity of symptoms and lack of sufficient technologies to treat and cure MS, treatments for children patients are somewhat identical with methods used among the older patients. On top of the conventional treatment methods, there are four types of injectable medications which help in modifying the condition. These drugs are typically used on a regular basis.

Recovery
Remission or recovery in children, however, is reported as being well. This is partially because they have an attitude that does not worry much about their disease and in their lives, unlike adult sufferers. Also, they tend to have carefree dispositions that are not totally affected by the relapse of symptoms as well as the progression of the condition.

Stress doesn’t only affect the mind; it can also have some adverse effect on your body if left unchecked. Even if we are mentally capable of doing all our tasks, there is a possibility that our body is not fit enough to cope with the burden you are subjecting it to. If you push it to the limit, then you will surely feel a breakdown that might disable you permanently.

We can never deny the fact that all of us have our limits. Like our minds, our body can only take so much until it falls apart. It is a common fact that we can do anything if we set our minds into it, but we need to realize that our body should be able to cope with what we want it to do.

Your Body And Stress

Stress affects us different depending on the state of our body. The most common ailment attributed to mental stress is headache or migraine, or even dizziness from time to time. We would also feel some minor cramps, aches and pains on our back, shoulder, or in different parts of our body when under the grip of stress.

There is also a possibility that stress can affect our body chemistry as well. Too much brain activity can lead to nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, or even constipation. There were even reports that stress is attributed to a bout of ulcer when a hyperactive body produced too much acid that can abrade the linings of your organs.

There is a chance that a person might need to go to the hospital or undergo a series of medication to remedy the problem. But if you don’t take the initiative to nip stress at the bud, then you will sure to experience the same thing all over again.

Stress And Your Behavior

A person under the grip of stress tends to act rash and outside their normal behavior. Depending on the level of stress a person is subjected to, they might have trouble sleeping or might affect their sleeping time altogether. You might no longer want to sleep in the evening since you tend to think more of your problems when you lie down in bed during the quiet of the night. Unconsciously, our bodies would slowly get sleepy during the day and remain active at night.

Stress can also affect the emotional state of the person. They will either go into depression and self-pity; or give in to their rage by venting it out on everyone they see. There were even cases that stress can drive a person berserk or permanently affect their state of mind if not properly addressed.

Stress Management 101 – Coping With Your Problems

The mind is where stress starts so it is up to you to take the necessary steps to teach your mind how to cope with your problems when they crop up. Determining the source of your stress is the first step to getting rid of it.

It is essential that a person undergoes stress management to help them relax even when they are swamped with problems. You can delve into your favorite hobby to divert your mind to help it relax. Watching movies and listening to your favorite songs is also a good idea on getting your stress level under control.