Archive for July, 2008
Simple Ways to Get Relief From Headaches
July 29th, 2008 | 
Author: This article provides important information about headache relief including very simple things you can do to help with your headaches. So be sure to read through to the end of this article so you will not miss any of this valuable information.
Different treatments for different headaches
The only thing you want is headache relief when you’re feeling headache pain. And you’ll need to use a different method for headache relief depending on the type of headache you have. Naturally, some headaches can be cured just through rest and destressing. On the other hand, there are others that require more serious interventions.
Let’s take a look at some tried and true methods for headache relief.
Idea number one: Apply warm compresses to the place where you have headache pain. You can do this with hot water bottles, a warm washcloth, or any other type of hot compress. It’s important to make sure that you use moist heat and not dry heat. This can help relieve muscle tension, loosen your sinuses, and, thus, bring headache relief.
A hot shower? Yes, a hot shower
A hot shower may be just what you need for headache relief. if you’re suffering from sinus headaches The steam will provide relief by helping loosen your sinuses. You can also get some relief from eating spicy foods that will make your nose run. You can also help thin the mucus by using a decongestant. An expectorant can also help to thin the mucus that’s causing the pressure and provide you with relief.
Massage can relieve some headaches caused by stress and muscle tension. Have a professional rub your shoulders, head and back to get quick relief. You may also want to try yoga or a stretch and relaxation routine to stretch your muscles. This can help to prevent muscle tension from causing your pain. This way, you can have headache relief before you even get a headache.
Try a nap
Sometimes the best cure for headache pain is sleep. If you’re head is aching because you’re stressed or tired, you may just need go to bed for the night or take a nap. Sleep lets your body relax and help[s repair your cells. You’ll awake more refreshed and may find that your headache pain is gone.
Your bed may be another solution for headache relief. Just make sure your mattress has plenty of support and that you have good pillows to support your head and neck. For many people, headache pain can be causes by a poor night of sleep on an unsupportive mattress You might find relief simply by getting a good night’s sleep.
Your while day can be ruined by headache pain, but there are some simple steps that can help you to find headache relief and go about your day with energy.
Finding relief from chronic headaches
Chronic headaches can be devastating. I know because I have suffered from them since I was a teenager. And the sad fact is, in many cases, you cannot cure chronic headaches. However, you can learn to manage them.
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What Causes Panic Attacks in Children?
Children, whose emotional make-up has yet to become stable, are also subject to panic attacks. In many places these are also called anxiety attacks. Some people also consider these a normal, healthy emotion which is in response to certain stimuli. However, when these become more frequent than normal and also more intense, this can signal that the child has panic disorders. But what triggers these attacks?
Separation and school phobia
Sometimes, children develop certain phobias when they reach a certain age. One of the most common is a phobia of going to school. Experts have not been able to pinpoint the exact reason for this condition. Some children even become excessively afraid and aggressive when faced with the prospect of going off to school.
A child feigns sickness and looks for every excuse for not going to school. There is a definite co-relation between school phobia and separation anxiety. This is because children are hit with the insecurity of leaving the secure environment of their home.
Stress-related anxiety
One of the most common causes of panic attacks in children is stress. Stress is linked to anxiety attacks and may be because of heavy responsibilities at home and in school. This also includes unfinished tasks, physical and psychological abuse, a school bully, environment that is unfit for the child’s age, violence, etc.
Lifestyle Change
This is very common when parents move. Most children develop a sense of security from their closeness to familiar friends and surroundings. When this abruptly changes, we can expect the child to have some apprehension and this may induce a panic attack.
Other reasons
There are many instances when panic attacks occur for no apparent reason. This can be during the day even in the security of one’s home or with friends. At other times it may happen when the child is asleep.
Experts feel that this occurs when the child recalls something traumatic. This could be the death of a loved one or an impending move. These may trigger anxiety and lead to a panic attack.
Many parents attempt to reassure their children so they do not have to face uncertainties. It is these uncertainties that cause panic and anxiety issues. Parents who spend more time reassuring and validating their children report that their children have fewer panic attacks. It is also recommended that parents monitor that their children read and watch. Sometimes what they read watch (including the video games they play) can cause panic attacks.
The Secret of Subliminal Messages
At first glance, many people associate the idea of the subliminal message with advertising. The advertiser has a secretive, almost brainwashing ploy to lure consumers into purchasing its products by including hidden images within its visual advertising. It appears so briefly that the consumer barely notices it, but it is registered by the brain and stored there, so that suggestively, the consumer’s thinking is influenced and they desire the product. But is this an accurate representation of the meaning of the subliminal message, or the only way in which it can be used?
A subliminal message is one that is encoded in another medium, such as visual or audio and is designed not to be registered by the conscious mind but rather affect the unconscious mind, with the power to influence thoughts, emotion, and behaviour. The word subliminal actually comes from the words ‘sub’, meaning ‘under’ and ‘limen’, meaning threshold. A subliminal message passes beneath the sensory threshold of the human mind.
Historically, subliminal messages became recognised as a threat in the 1950′s, when American market researcher James Vicary developed the term subliminal advertising, claiming that film viewers could be influenced to purchase Cola and Popcorn through images flashed on the cinema screen. It was later shown that Vicary lied about the results of the experiment – however, the practice of subliminal advertising was still banned in many countries as it fuelled conspiracy theories and fear of consumer control, despite the lack of a scientific basis.
Fifty years on however, researchers are beginning to find evidence that the brain does indeed register impressions that are not detected by the perceptual conscious mind. Research conducted at the University College London in 2006 showed that subjects who looked at an image while attending to other images, showed responsiveness in the primary visual cortex part of the brain.
So even if we are not aware of seeing anything, it is possible for the unconscious part of the brain to be affected. What are the implications of this for our broader understanding of consciousness? The recent research is important because it challenges the notion that we can only be conscious of what we focus on perceptually. What if we were able to harness this power to subtly influence our unconscious mind, which directs so many of our thoughts, behaviour patterns, and beliefs?
This is where the field of self-hypnosis emerges, with many personal development practitioners suggesting that by changing the messages given to our subconscious mind, we can redirect our thinking and modify entrenched behaviour patterns. It is an exciting realm to discover, with the potential to assist sufferers of addictions, phobias and mental illness, or even simply to give a boost to our self-confidence and reduce stress and anxiety.
Self-hypnosis employs similar techniques to meditation in slowing the brain waves to induce a state of deep relaxation. Affirmations can also be a part of self-hypnosis, providing the mind with positive messages to override negative thinking, fear, and doubt. There are many tools on the market that can help create the calm atmosphere, visualisations and affirmations needed to assist people on their self-hypnosis journey.
Is Your Thyroid Affecting Your Mood?
The thyroid is a small butterfly shaped gland and is situated just above your collarbone. It’s part of your endocrine system and takes an incredibly active role within the body to regulate overall well being. It is vitally important that the thyroid remains in a healthy condition so that it can produce the correct amount of hormones to enable optimal body function.
Hypothyroidism is a disorder that develops when the gland becomes under active and produces too little hormone for the body to function in the correct manner. The most common form of this condition is as an autoimmune disorder Known as Hashimoto’s disease and it is named after the Japanese doctor who discovered it.
An under active thyroid gland affects the whole body by causing a general slowing down of body function and this includes the mind. Depression is just one of the symptoms that are caused by hypothyroidism and it can also impair your memory and concentration levels.
It has been reported that up to twenty percent of serious depression cases may be linked to the under production of thyroid hormones. It was also found that the number of women with a mild degree of hypothyroidism, who had suffered from depression at least once during their lifetime, was nearly three times greater compared with those with normal thyroid function.
It is believed that many patients who are suffering from depression are being treated for this condition alone while the root cause, an under active thyroid gland, remains undiagnosed. This is quite a thought considering that an estimated ten percent of women around the world may be suffering from hypothyroidism to some degree.