TV addiction doesn’t get as much flak as phone or gaming addiction or gambling because most people consider the television a necessity as much as a refrigerator or a cooking stove. But TV addiction afflicts people of all ages and it influences that way we think about various topics and how we deal with other people without even acknowledging it. Is it possible to live without watching your favorite drama?

Keep a daily log of how many hours you spend watching TV. This is the best way to determine how much time you spend in front of a television. Until confronted with the evidence, most people with addiction will not acknowledge that they have a problem.

This will also allow you to find a pattern and perhaps determine the triggers. List down all the shows you’ve been following then group them into categories based on genre. Tally the hours you spend on each show daily then total the number of hours you spend on them weekly.

Find the triggers. Addictions don’t suddenly appear without a reason. There is always a cause and several triggers. This could be anything from chronic pain, another form of addiction, stress, and other factors. Some people are predisposed to addictive behaviors, but this is not set in stone. If you keep a daily log, you should also include a list of other activities you did that day and your general mood.

Cut down the number of shows you watch daily. The first step to tackling the problem is to slowly wean yourself from television. Determine other ways for you to access television shows such as cable subscriptions, streaming, etc. Start by eliminating some of these then picking only a few shows that you like most. By eliminating the easy ways to watch TV shows, you can make them less accessible.

Find substitutes or other activities. You will definitely suffer from withdrawal symptoms, but you can take your mind off of it by keeping yourself busy. Surely you have other interests besides TV shows. Perhaps it is time to pick up on that old hobby you neglected or find a new activity such as working out, reading, walking your dog, etc.

Set a timer and follow your schedule. To avoid idle hours when you are most vulnerable to giving in to temptation, you should fill your day with other activities besides school or work. These activities should help you relax and de-stress.

If you can follow this schedule, you can reward yourself later by watching an episode or two of your favorite show. But remember, you also need to limit how much time you spend watching TV. You can change this target weekly until you achieve your goal.

Think about the benefits. TV shows should just be for fun and learning, but your life shouldn’t revolve around them. It’s not like you will get a reward be religiously following everything on TV. There is so much in life to enjoy so why waste your hours sitting there watching other people live their lives.

A headache can be a symptom of an illness or it could be an effect of medication and injury, that is why not all headaches will go away just by taking an over-the-counter pain reliever. Being able to recognize the differences in headaches mean that you either get a proper medication and rest or survive through a pain-filled unproductive day at work.

These are the types of headaches you need to remember.

Tension Headache

This is often triggered by stress regardless of age of current health condition. While the pain usually goes away after a while, it isn’t a crippling, throbbing pain that will get in the way of work. There might be some sensitivity in some areas of the body such as the shoulders, neck, forehead, and scalp. If, however, you experience this regularly, you need to schedule an appointment with your doctor in Singapore.

Migraine

Migraineurs have different symptoms but they commonly experience intense pain that pulses or throbs inside the head. During an attack, they can be sensitive to light and sound or they could also experience symptoms before an attack happens. Most of the time over-the-counter medication does not help with the pain, that is why migraineurs are advised to seek help from a doctor to identify triggers and reduce attacks.

Hypnic Headache

This is the type of headache that usually happens while the person is asleep. It can also be mistaken for a migraine or cluster headache but the throbbing pain on both sides of the head is a lot milder.

Cluster Headache

This is the worst type of headache you can get because the pain feels like it’s burning or piercing especially on one side of the face or behind one or both eyes. It might be mistaken for a migraine, but it also includes swelling or redness on the areas that are affected, as well as nasal congestion.

Caffeine Headache

This is becoming more common nowadays because of coffee addiction and may be a sign of one of the following: withdrawal, overdose, over-consumption, allergy, and sensitivity to caffeine.

Sinus/Allergy Headache

The headache is the result of the pressure in the sinus area, especially if it is congested. It can also be a symptom of an infection resulting from the congestion. Most people who experience this have sinusitis or seasonal allergies, that is why the goal of the treatment is to reduce the mucus buildup, avoid allergens, and to treat infections with antibiotics.

Hypertension Headache

This should be considered an emergency especially if you have been diagnosed with a heart disease. Symptoms may seem harmless, but an elevated blood pressure should not be ignored. Symptoms include chest pain, difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeat, vision problems, and confusion or fatigue.

Rebound Headache

This is a side effect of the overuse of medications and is usually the result of relying too much on painkillers for headaches. For people who need medication for migraines, they are advised to avoid codeine, to use preventive medications, and to take painkillers not more than twice a week.

Chemotherapy is one of the methods for treatment of cancer, often recommended alongside other treatments such as radiation therapy and surgery. If you have a loved one recommended to undergo chemotherapy, you need to know why it is done, what is it for, and what are its possible effects.

How does chemotherapy work?

The goal of chemotherapy is to disrupt the division and formation of cancer cells, but because healthy cells can be affected, it must be able to minimize the damage through chemotherapy protocols. These protocols are tailored depending on the type of cancer, a method which has been improved throughout the years.

For this to work, there is a medication or a combination of medication that treats cancer. The medication attacks the growing cancer cells which are about to split into two new cells. Other medications also damage only part of the cell that controls it division while other disrupt the chemical processes for cell division.

What is it recommended for?

Chemotherapy may be needed to shrink the tumor before radiation therapy or surgery, after surgery or radiation therapy to kill remaining cancer cells, or if the cancer comes back. The combination of the drugs, the doses, and how long the treatment is will be decided by the doctors by considering the type of cancer, how fat the cancer has spread, tumor size, tumor location, your age, other existing conditions, and how it might affect other functions.

How are doses determined?

The medication given are usually stronger than other medication, but if not given enough or given too much the effect might not be positive. To avoid side effects, doctors compute the dose based on the body weight of the patient or on the body surface area.

Children and the elderly will have different doses than the adults, but sensitivity to certain medications are also considered. The dose may also differ if the person is taking other medications, is overweight, is malnourished, is undergoing another cancer treatment, and has low blood cell count.

What is chemotherapy cycle?

The treatment is given at regular intervals. This is called the therapy cycle which mean that several doses may be given for a few days and then no medication for days or weeks so that the body has enough time to recover from the damage or side effects.

What are the methods of chemotherapy?

In chemotherapy, certain medications are given to target specific cell cycle phases. Alkalyting agents are non-specific but are active during the resting phase; plant alkaloids attack during the division of the cells; antitumor antibiotics attack during multiple phases; antimetabolites incorporate into the cell to stop division; topoisomerase inhibitors stop the topoisomerase enzymes; and antineoplastic which can be retinoids, antimicrotubule, etc.

What are the risks or side effects?

Common side effects of chemotherapy include fatigue, headaches, muscle pain, stomach pain, nerve damage, mouth or throat sores, diarrhea or constipation, loss of appetite, hair loss, vomiting and nausea, blood disorders, difficulty concentrating, and fertility issues.

Breastfeeding has a lot of benefits for both the mother and the infant, because breast milk is healthy for the well-being of the body and the mind. It’s also a great method for mothers to maintain a healthy weight and even for preventing another pregnancy.

If this is your first experience with breastfeeding, however, you meet a lot of challenges such as keeping a healthy diet to produce enough milk for the baby. Here is an overview of the diet that a lactating mom should follow.

No Need for Special Diet

Some women wonder if they need to go on a special diet when breastfeeding, but the answer is that there is no need to follow any diet fad to produce better milk. You can still continue to enjoy the same food you enjoyed before you got pregnant, but there are some food you need to stay away from if they cause allergies or an upset stomach.

You will know if the baby is allergic or intolerant to the food you eat if he/she exhibits the following: diarrhea, vomiting, rashes, hives, dry skin, eczema, wheezing, coughing, and production of green-colored stools with blood or mucus.

Stay Hydrated Always

Although the amount of water you take in will not affect your breast milk production, getting dehydrated will be bad for you. Don’t wait until you feel thirsty before replenishing your fluids. You should also limit your intake of alcoholic drinks, artificially-sweetened beverages with added sugars, and caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee.

Alcohol and caffeine when taken in moderation will not be bad for your baby, so limit your coffee or tea to two cups a day and your alcohol to one glass or less.

You Might Need Supplements

If you stick to a vegan diet, your baby might not get enough vitamin B12, which can lead to a lot of developmental problems. While vitamin B12 supplements might be an option, you might want to switch to a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet for the duration of your breastfeeding experience, because you will be feeding not just yourself but your baby as well.

Medications, Alcohol, and Smoking

If you are taking medications or will be required to take medications, don’t forget to inform your doctor in Singapore if you are breastfeeding. Some medications are safe for the baby, but others can have nasty side-effects.

Mothers are also advised to stay away from alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, tobacco, and dangerous drugs when having a baby. If you have problems with any of these, ask for advise from your doctor on how to minimize or to quit your addiction.

Watch Your Diet and Calorie Intake

Ideally, a breastfeeding mom should have a recommended daily intake of 1,800 to 2,400 calories. It’s also okay to eat once every four hours to keep a normal blood sugar level, consuming one or two of the following food groups: vegetables: four to seven servings daily; fruits: three to five servings daily; dairy: two to three servings daily; whole grains: four to seven servings daily; and lean protein: two to three servings daily.

Don’t deprive yourself of your favorite treats, however, as long as you eat in moderation.

Ever wondered what those wart-like protuberances are on your skin, especially on the neck and armpits? They are known by many names, but most dermatologists in Singapore refer to them collectively as skin tags.

Causes of Skin Tags

Some of the names for skin tags include soft fibromas, filiform, acrochordons, papillomas, fibroepithelial polyps, and pedunculated. These names also describe the distinct features of some of the skin tags. They may look like warts but are not, and are made from blood vessels and collagen fibers covered by either a thin or thick layer of epidermis.

Generally, they have the same color as the person’s skin and can be as small as 1 mm in diameter, while the largest can grow as much as 5 cm in diameter. It is not yet clear what causes skin tags, but they are generally harmless.

Some factors, however, might increase a person’s chances of getting them; such as, irritation and chafing, that is why most skin tags are found where skin rubs against skin (groin, neck, and armpits); insulin resistance or the disease known as syndrome X; human papillomavirus (HPV); and elevated levels of growth factors during hormonal change or if the person suffers from gigantism. They are also more common among people who are overweight or obese or those who have type 2 diabetes.

Treatment and Removal

Other skin diseases might look like skin tags, such as viral warts, molluscum contagiosum, and seborrheic keratoses, that is why you need to consult a doctor if you want to have them removed. Skin tags are not signs of a deadly disease nor will it cause any harm to your body, but they appear nasty and disgusting to some people.

Skin tags can sometimes form clusters, making the appearance even more horrifying. Besides the aesthetic concerns, skin tags can get irritated or infected and must be removed before it can lead to a more serious medical concern. Before a skin tag can be removed, the doctor needs to examine them to determine if they are skin tags or not. Some might recommend a biopsy to rule out the possibility of cancer if the skin tag is unusually large in size.

There are various ways to remove skin tags safely; such as, surgical excision using scissors, electrosurgery or diathermy, cryotherapy or freezing, and ligation or tying a suture on the skin tag. Some people, however, prefer over-the-counter solutions to skin tags because they are more affordable, but this is generally frowned upon by medical practitioners because you need to rule out the possibility of other diseases.

Some remove the skin tags by tying them off to cut off the blood flow using a string or a dental floss. The skin tag will fall off eventually after a day when you leave the string on. There are also some approved skin tag removal devices sold at pharmacies for removing more than one skin tag at a time.

Menstrual cycles are something you have to deal with every month and that is not very comfortable at all. There are girls who are blessed enough not to encounter menstrual discomforts every month while some feel pain and other things. Lucky for you, your mother is there to teach something which she got from your grandmother and your female predecessors.

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What are the things to avoid during your menstrual cycle? Here are some:

  1. Do not shave: According to scientists, during your menstrual cycle, oestrogen levels fall dramatically. If you have low oestrogen levels, it makes physical pain hurt more because this is the time the body becomes too sensitive. If you are due for waxing or even shaving, you should move it for when your period is over. If you have an appointment with your dentist, postpone it too.

 

  1. Do not watch sad movies: You might find this foolish but you have to believe that it can play a part in menstrual discomfort. You should not be surprised that your emotions are little different when you are on your period. Your hormone levels will drip and romantic or sad movies will only make things worse. These movies can intensify your sensitivity which will make you feel more down. Instead, watch for funny movies.

 

  1. Do not be lethargic: Here in Singapore, women with periods are allowed to skip PE or gym classes because they think that it can do harm. The truth is it does not. If you are being lethargic, all the more you can think of the pain and discomfort. Experts are recommending women to do physical activities during their menstrual cycle as it helps with anxiety and cramps.

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  1. Do not consume dairy products: Dairy products are not best when you have your menstruation because they contain arachidonic acid. This acid can result to more cramping in your lower abdomen.

 

  1. Do not eat foods high in salt: Whether it is your menstrual cycle or not, experts are discouraging people to eat foods high in salt or in sodium. Remember that increased consumption of sodium can lead to bloating, cramps and fluid retention which are not helpful during your menstrual periods.

 

  1. Do not let the protection stay longer: Tampons are important during these days and some claim that you can use it for eight hours straight. No matter the case, you have to frequently change tampons every three to four hours. This will limit the discomfort plus it can prevent the development of bacteria resulting to that foul odor you know so well.

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