HEALTH & WELLNESS

Are ‘vaping’ and ‘e-cigarettes’ the same, and should all these products be avoided?

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Are ‘vaping’ and ‘e-cigarettes’ the same, and should all these products be avoided?

As concerns over vaping continue to grow, researchers and public health officials are investigating the causes of more than 40 deaths and 2,000 illnesses. It’s confusing even for experts. The term “e-cigarette” refers to a battery-powered device used to inhale an aerosol that typically, but not always, contains nicotine, along with flavorings and other chemicals, but not tobacco. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognize e-cigarettes as a broad category that includes a variety of different products that operate similarly and contain similar components. So, “e-cigarettes,” “vapes,” “vape pens,” “Juul,” etc., all refer to the same class of products, with “e-cigarette” being the product itself, and “vaping” referring to use...

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS

How to help someone with depression

16.2 million adults have at least one major depressive episode in a given year. Healthline.com in June 2018 reported that persistent depressive disorder often results in deep sadness, hopelessness, low energy and indecision, and it occurs in approximately 1.5 percent of adults annually. And while more women than men suffer from at least mild depression, healthline.com estimates 16.2 million adults have at least one major depressive episode in a given year. Other forms of depression, such as seasonal and postpartum, are prevalent as well, but many people suffer from low moods particularly during the holidays, from Thanksgiving through New Year’s. Often, family members, co-workers and friends have no idea how to help someone in a depressive state. For these people, Dr. K. Luan Phan...

Apps for those seeking help with addiction

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS, TECHNOLOGY

Apps for those seeking help with addiction

The challenge called on companies, scientists, health care institutions and citizens to come up with unique ways to address the modern opioid epidemic. One idea selected was for an app developed by DynamiCare Health in Boston. On average, more than 130 people in the United States are dying daily due to opioids, according to the CDC and the state of Ohio, which embarked on the Opioid Technology Challenge two years ago. The challenge called on companies, scientists, health care institutions and citizens to come up with unique ways to address the modern opioid epidemic. One idea selected was for an app developed by DynamiCare Health in Boston. Eric Gastfriend, DynamiCare Health’s co-founder and CEO, said the app ”... includes a personal recovery coach, substance testing and incentive...

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS, TECHNOLOGY

As Abortion Access Dwindles, This App Offers Safe, Discreet Options

Obtaining medically accurate information about abortion can be difficult yet dire for pregnant people desperate for answers. Each year, 25 million unsafe abortions are performed around the world. The rate of unsafe abortions is higher where access to skilled providers and effective contraception is limited or unavailable, or where sexual education is lacking. Accessing medically accurate information about abortion can be a sensitive pursuit for people desperate for answers; it’s particularly dire if they’re pregnant without wanting to be. Decisions based on misinformation can lead to disability—and even death. Earlier this year, Hesperian, a Berkeley, California-based nonprofit that develops and publishes health information on a range of global issues, created the Safe Ab...

Strategies for handling back-to-school stress

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Strategies for handling back-to-school stress

With the start of a new academic year come increased appointments, chaotic schedules and new environments. Millions of high schoolers and college students are already back in classrooms. With the start of a new academic year come increased appointments, chaotic schedules and new environments. Helpful strategies minimize stress and frustration build-up. Real Simple’s tips include: ‒ Get enough sleep. High schoolers need a solid eight to 10 hours, according to the National Sleep Foundation. ‒ Plan ahead. A whiteboard in a prominent place, featuring a week’s worth of appointments, practices, classes, tutoring, etc., is a visual reminder. A study of 197 college freshmen published in 2017 by the National Institutes of Health determined that ”... increased stress level was significantly...

Eating bugs: Nutrition is proven but not their effects

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Eating bugs: Nutrition is proven but not their effects

Nytimes.com last September shared that the American market for edible insects exceeded $55 million in 2017 and is expected to keep climbing as more companies create nutritionally appealing products. Bugs: We squish them, spray them and shoo them. But eat them? A large percentage of the world’s population — an estimated 2 billion people, in fact — already eat insects because of nutritional content and accessibility, according to anthropology resource sapiens.org: “In Thailand, street vendors push carts stocked with trays of deep-fried grasshoppers, water bugs and other seasoned insects. In Mexico, chefs mix cream-colored ant eggs into omelets and whip up guacamole with crunchy grasshoppers. In Zambia, the Congo and other parts of Africa, locals snack on insects harvested from the wild....

What to know about EMDR therapy for PTSD

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS

What to know about EMDR therapy for PTSD

While there is medication and counseling to assist individuals who suffer from PTSD, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy is also a treatment option. Post-traumatic stress disorder is so common there is a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs center devoted to understanding it and sharing information with the public. In fact, around 8% of the population will have PTSD at some point in their lives, according to the National Center for PTSD. And while there is medication and counseling to assist individuals who suffer from PTSD, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy is also a treatment option. The American Psychological Association informs that the therapy focuses directly on the memory, “to change the way that the memory is stored in the brain, thus reduc...

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS, TECHNOLOGY

Free apps to ease anxiety

Anxiety apps offer both supplemental support for individuals undergoing professional therapy as well as self-help aid While a doctor, psychologist or mental health practitioner is the best resource for major issues, anxiety apps offer both supplemental support for individuals undergoing professional therapy as well as self-help aid for anyone desiring to lessen anxious thoughts, actions and habits. Mental Health America stressed that there are several apps available, but recommends these: ‒ ReachOutBreathe (free; iOS only): Manages anxiety via controlled breathing exercises. ‒ Self-Help for Anxiety Management (free for iOS and Android): Provides users with a symptom tracker, educational articles, relaxation techniques, coping skills and advice for managing anxiety. Plus, Social Clo...

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Can’t sleep? Here’s what to do

There are ways to minimize agitated nights of tossing and turning. For many individuals, anxious nights are commonplace. Often, life’s pressures mount mentally when physical bodies are at rest. There are ways to minimize agitated nights of tossing and turning. Psychologytoday.com’s strategies include: ‒ Write it down. A to-do list, whether necessary for work or personal life, when written down wreaks less havoc on the mind. Plus, anxiety can be heightened by simply trying to remember all that needs to be accomplished. Writing items on a piece of paper or making a list on a smartphone alleviates some mental pressure. ‒ Focus on something positive or inspirational that can be taken care of the next day or in the future; write that down as well. ‒ Pray, meditate, count blessings, remin...

Solutions to overcome FOMO (fear of missing out)

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Solutions to overcome FOMO (fear of missing out)

FOMO contributes to a person’s dissatisfaction with their own social lives FOMO is a pervasive modern anxiety perpetuated by social media. Noah Webster, in his first “American Dictionary of the English Language” published in 1828, had no reason to include the word. Yet in 2003, MySpace launched and was followed by Facebook in 2004. Thousands of people began sharing posts of daily life. Before 2004 closed, FOMO was a real word defined in the dictionary that still bears Webster’s name as “fear of not being included in something (such as an interesting or enjoyable activity) that others are experiencing.” In an April 2018 report, businessinsider.com expounded ”... FOMO contributes to a person’s dissatisfaction with their own social lives ... It triggers negative feelings like boredom an...