Healthy Computing

Position When in Front Of Computer

2008-04-15T05:10:00.001-07:00

If you want your health, you must sit like in the picture.

Ergonomic Keyboard, Do you need this?

2008-03-28T23:16:00.001-07:00

The Design of computer keyboard never change in many years. It has base follower compared to a ergonomic keyboard. And why you need am ergonomic one? It expensive. Just think before buy it. I have use old model keyboard for two years without have any problem.

LCD vs CRT

2008-03-21T22:33:00.000-07:00

CRT monitor is still famous choice for many people. The price is so cheap compared to LCD Monitor. And people don't have reason to change to LCD, for now. But, LCD have many advantages than CRT. It need less power, average LCD monitor consume below 100 watt. The weight is low and more importantly is, it better for your eyes. CRT cause radiation which make your eyes tired, yes LCD also do that but with very-very little effect. So, when buy monitor, choose LCD!

Use Software that monitor your mouse movement

2008-03-19T06:03:00.000-07:00

Do you surprised? This time I wrote this article only for you. Please read it, OK?

Usually people don't knew that they have moved their mouse so far as football field! I suggest you software like workrave to monitor your computer movement mouse and keyboard.

Eye Care

2008-03-18T06:01:00.000-07:00

Again, this article was written by mary rose. Please Enjoy it.

The eyes are the window to your soul and therefore need special care and attention especially so, with increasing pollution and levels of dust and grime. While we tend to look after our skin and hair and other parts of the body, we tend to relegate eye care to the background. There are several simple and easy solutions to all problems related to eye care from relaxation to dark circles and crow's feet. The following tips provide you complete treatment for your eyes.

All you need to do is to set aside few minutes everyday for eye care. It will benefit you in the long run. You can then possess healthy and beautiful eyes devoid of crow's feet and dark circles around the eyes.

The first and foremost in eye care is the diet. Make sure that your intake includes plenty of fruits and vegetables specially the yellow ones like carrots, mangoes, papaya etc. All these are rich in beta carotene which helps to have healthy eyes. Spinach is also good for the health of your eyes.

Rest is vital in the eye care routine. It will not only refresh the eyes but also improve their efficiency. Therefore take adequate rest. Regular exercise is mandatory to improve blood circulation. It will supply enough oxygen for the perfect functioning of the eyes.Simple everyday eye exercise like closing your eyes gently for 30 seconds to relax them in between your work, rotating your eyes often to relax muscles and moving your eyeballs from extreme left corner to the right corner is good for maintaining healthy eyes. To prevent blurred vision follow this simple exercise. Hold a pencil at arm's length and slowly bring it towards your nose, keeping eyes focused at all times

The skin around the eyes is very thin and full of blood vessels, which makes it sensitive to changes in the body especially those related to retention and distribution of water. In most cases puffiness in and around the eyes is often noticed upon waking up in the morning. Mild puffiness is usually only a temporary cosmetic concern. However if puffiness is severe or persistent and accompanied by swelling of the face or other parts, it may indicate other conditions like thyroid or kidney diseases and calls for immediate medical attention. Even though puffiness is accumulation of excess fluid, when the body gets dehydrated, it stores water as a defense mechanism, which contributes to further puffiness. Therefore, drinking adequate water is an important part of eye care. Drink at least a liter of water to avoid any kind of puffiness in the eyes. Drinking lots of water helps to flush out waste from the body.

Avoid excessive rubbing of your eyes as the irritation caused due to rubbing or touching will only cause more puffiness. Instead just blink your eyelids. Blinking is a good massage and exercise to the eyes.Milk is a good and safe natural cleanser. Clean your eyes using a clean cotton ball dipped in milk. Rose water drops gives a good glow to your eyes. Castor oil application is good for your eye lashes and eye brows. It keeps them dense and dark.

Protect your eyes from sunrays during the peak daytime by wearing sunglasses. The usual home remedies like cold water compress, cucumber slices, tea bags, application of egg whites and grated potatoes under the eyes for about 10 minutes are effective. It helps to avoid under eye wrinkles and dark circles around the eyes.

Even if you have no complaints it's important to see a doctor and have a routine eye check up. The above eye care tips will ensure that your pair of eyes remains healthy and beautiful for a very long time.

Daily Health Tips

2008-03-17T05:57:00.000-07:00

Mary Rose wrote about tips for daily health. I hope you like his article.

As you wake up sit up slowly. Do not use your hands. Straighten your legs and lean forward. You then feel a gentle stretch in your back and hamstrings. Hold; then using your abs, lower yourself flat. Rest and repeat a couple of times. This exercise strengthens the core.

This is a daily health tip which you can practice as you make your morning cup of coffee or tea. Stand sideways. Put one hand on your kitchen counter. Lift the outside leg straight out in front of you, keeping it extended. With your upper body straight, hold for a few seconds and move it to the side. Hold and extend it behind you. Repeat 5 to 10 times with each legs. This exercise tones up your outer thighs, hip flexors and quadriceps.

Use slim milk for your coffee and tea preparation. Opt for whole grain preparations and cereals rather than instant food. Have a protein heavy meal earlier in the day as you may eat less as the day progresses. Hard boiled egg is a good choice as it makes you feel full and you will not feel tempted to snack before lunch.

Every time you apply brake while driving, squeeze your derriere, holding it for 10 seconds. You will develop buns of steel.

Snack smart by grabbing an apple. It is packed with fiber and water. So the stomach will feel full and save you a few calories which you would otherwise gain by snacking on cookies.

Whenever you converse over the phone, stand up and pace around. Walk up to a colleague who is seated farthest from you and deliver the daily messages. Take the stairs whenever possible. Carry some weight when you go on grocery shopping or running errands.

Sit in your chair with your back straight and your feet on the floor, squeeze knees together and gently bring them toward your chest. Do it a couple of times. It will strengthen your abdominals.

Start with a clear soup for lunch or dinner. You fill feel fuller and subsequently eat less. After dinner, while still sitting at the table, extend your leg out; slowly bend it up and down. Squeeze and hold in the up position for at least 5 seconds. Repeat with the other leg. It sculpts the quadriceps.

Finally, before you tuck in, lie on your back on the floor with your legs up on the edge of the bed or chair. Slowly bend your knees, lifting your hips off the floor. Hold for five seconds, relax and repeat for a few times. It firms up hamstrings and core.

The above daily health tips will help you burn the calories throughout the day. You may not even realize it until you find yourself stronger, healthier, sharper, leaner, more energetic and feeling years younger in mind, body and spirit

Summary-For Health

2008-03-15T05:05:00.000-07:00

Health information that can be trusted is based on scientifically controlled studies that yield consistent results over time.

Health fatalism occurs when people disregard health information because they believe that new findings will be contradictory.

Epidemiological studies are population studies that observe habits and behaviors of a large number of people.

A study is considered reliable if its findings can be confirmed in repeated studies conducted over the course of many years.

Scientifically controlled studies involve experimental and control groups, use randomly selected participants, and are double blind.

Signs and symptoms that warrant immediate medical attention are signs of internal bleeding, abdominal pain associated with nausea, a stiff neck accompanied by fever, and serious first aid emergencies and injuries.

People can help to ensure proper and safe care while in a hospital by checking on the hospital's accreditation status, deciding on accomodations before admission, knowing their rights as a patient, discussing treatments and procedures with their physician, asking questions, and staying active.

Good health care means establishing a doctor patient relationship while in good health.

The doctor who manages the general care of patients and directs patients to specialized services is the primary-care physician.

When telling a physician about a problem, you can enhance good communication by presenting the most important problem first, being as specific as possible, being familiar with your family medical history, knowing the names of medicines you are taking, and asking questions.

The three major components of a physical examination are medical history, hands-on examination, and diagnostic laboratory tests.

A medical history is the most important part of the physical examination, especially during the initial visit to a doctor.

A selective health examination involves the use of specific tests for specific problems. A periodic exam involves the use of tests and procedures after a complete medical history and a discussion of individual/personal lifestyle factors and risk factors.

Defensive medicine is the practice of prescribing tests and procedures for the purpose of protecting doctors from medical-malpractice lawsuits.

The eight diseases for which adults need to maintain immunization are influenza, pneumonia, hepatitis B, measles, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, and chicken pox.

The three basic options for paying for health care include private, fee-for-service insurance; prepaid group insurance; and government insurance.

America's Children Are Dying To Lose Weight

2008-03-14T04:58:00.000-07:00

I have some nice article wrote by Foster W. Cline And Lisa Greene. They explain the current situation of America's children, many of them have anorexia.

Wasting away, Katie died weighing only 58 pounds. And she was sixteen. That just doesn't seem possible to me when I look at my seven-year-old daughter who weighs in at about 55 pounds. Anorexia is a medical enigma. Although there is little concrete evidence of what actually causes anorexia, most experts agree that there are several contributing risk factors. We believe that awareness of these risk factors can reduce the odds that they will be triggered so we are hopeful that this information will save lives. If you're a parent or a teacher, you need to read on…

Word has it around town that Katie had been told by a high school teacher that "she needed to go on a diet." So she did. Certainly this one comment didn't cause this young lady to spin out of control with dieting but it might have been the straw that broke the camel's back. Negative comments about body type and size from authority figures, teachers, coaches and parents, can have a big impact on an adolescent child's self-esteem and are implicated as possible triggers in studies on anorexia. Never underestimate the power of the spoken word to heal… or kill…

Eating disorders (bulimia and anorexia) have historically been considered a girl problem but the pendulum is swinging. Anorexia is being diagnosed more frequently in boys, too. Young boys are becoming more body image conscious than in previous generations. Case in point: my nine-year-old son has come home from school upset on several occasions because kids have called him fat. He is far from fat; in fact, he has cystic fibrosis so we are grateful for any extra padding he has and work very hard to keep his weight as high as possible. His diet is exactly the opposite of what everyone else is eating, filled with high fat, high calorie foods. Jacob understands the importance of complying with his dietary requirements but it can be hard for him to go against the norm.

With the emphasis on childhood obesity and diabetes, children are thankfully becoming more aware of the necessity of good nutrition and weight control. But I wonder if there is a price to be paid by children who are predisposed to eating disorders. With the media, parents, doctors, schools and peers emphasizing being thin and high achieving, it will be unfortunate if the numbers of children diagnosed with anorexia accelerates.

The difficulty lies in knowing which children are predisposed to eating disorders. As our society addresses the obesity issue, are we unknowingly putting some children at risk for eating disorders? How can we address the very real, very troublesome problems associated with the alarmingly increasing body mass index of our young children without triggering other children's potential for becoming anorexic?

This is a problem every parent of every child should consider. Research shows that about 6% of young people suffer from an eating disorder and this figure is thought to be low. The next time you are at a school assembly, look around. There are likely to be at least 10 kids there who have an eating disorder. One of them may even be your own. It is thought that the "anorexic mentality" is in place long before there is physical evidence of the disease. Has your thirteen -year-old been on a diet lately? Stats say that there is an 80% likelihood that she has been. Dieting at a young age puts children at risk for anorexia.

The cause of an eating disorder in any one child is unclear because multiple factors appear to play a role. Genetic factors, family interaction patterns, and the individual's own character and personality have all been implicated. But to summarize the problem in a single sentence, it appears that the illness is a response to coping with stress in genetically predisposed children who are filled with denial about their feelings and weight. There! Quick, short, concise, and anything but simple. This single sentence has many implications for parents and parenting. Let's take a brief look at each of these contributing factors individually and provide parenting responses that might be helpful in combating eating disorders.

1. The Genetic Factor in Eating Disorders

Eating disorders, like many other behavioral illnesses, appear to run in families. Not only does the illness itself run in families but the predisposing temperament seems to as well. The one good thing about illnesses that run in families is the fact that children can be prepared to recognize warning factors prior to the onset of the problem. When children are forewarned, they are forearmed. This forewarning is best carried out in a heart-to-heart discussion about possible future problems. A loving parent, relative, or counselor can initiate dialogue before the child is an adolescent, in an informative, non-hand-wringing and factual manner that indicates a hopeful outlook for a healthy future.

2. Anorexia and Bulimia as a Way of Coping with Stress

Food and emotions are closely linked. Over- and under-eating change brain chemicals that affect anxiety and depression. They are both often unhappy and ineffective ways of coping with stress. An authority on anorexia recently noted that a child's inherent vulnerabilities "load the gun," and environmental stresses "pull the trigger." So, assuming inherent vulnerabilities like genetics are unchangeable, how can we avoid pulling the trigger? Is it possible that we can use parenting techniques that will reduce the odds of pulling the trigger?

We believe the answer is yes. We can easily use parenting techniques that excel at raising children who effectively learn to cope with stress in healthy ways. Such techniques include guiding children to solve their own problems rather than solving them for them, allowing children to experience the consequences of their decisions, and responding to children's mistakes with empathy and understanding rather than anger, frustration, and criticism. These are great immunizations against the use of food as a dysfunctional coping response. The experience of coping and overcoming difficulties with good problem-solving skills leads to the ability to confront feelings and issues in a healthy manner, rather than displacing them with changes in food intake. Also, the child's history of successfully coping with painful outcomes of poor choices makes denial much less likely. And, when a child's mistakes are met with empathy and understanding rather than anger and frustration, a child feels!
supported and understood rather than criticized, demeaned and alone.

3. Psychological Factors in Eating Disorders

Two personality factors have often been reported to be present in eating disorders: perfectionism and high, unrealistic expectations of self. Even when anorexic adults have achieved success, deep down they report feeling insecure and inadequate. There is a tendency to see things only in extremes without shades of gray:

"I'm good or I'm bad."
"I'm pretty or I'm ugly."
"I'm successful or a complete failure."
"I'm perfect or defective."
"I'm fat or I'm thin."

Healthy parenting techniques discourage this type of thinking. Parents: don't over-reassure your children. Over-reassurance actually validates the child's negative thinking and may lead to unhealthy "either/or" black-and-white thinking. Responding with, "Gee, honey, I see it differently, but tell me how you are no good," allows for less manipulation, more acceptance of responsibility, and a child's far more accurate self-examination. Using encouragement rather than praise is also an important parenting technique to increase children's self-awareness. Encouragement gives them experience in viewing themselves, their responses, and their creations realistically, rather than simply trying to please an authority figure. With this simple tool, parents can easily help children learn how to feel good from the inside out rather than looking for approval and self-worth from authority figures.

4. The Role of the Family

There are a number of family factors that are thought to play a role in eating disorders. As we look at some of these interaction factors, it is safe to say that while healthy parenting patterns certainly will not cause or aggravate the problem, they may not be able to alleviate the problem either. Loving, effective parents are known to have had children suffering depression, suicide, and eating disorders. Also, this discussion on parenting styles should not be used as a source of parental guilt but instead provide motivation for change if change is needed. Parents do the best they can, under the circumstances they experience, to raise their children with the love they are able to show. The problem in examining family patterns lies with the fact that all sorts of dysfunctional patterns have been reported. These form a long list:

- Smothering and over-protective families
- Controlling and critical parents
- A chronic feeling of being abandoned and misunderstood
- Having parents or a family that overemphasize appearance and achievement
- Having rigid parents who don't model good conflict resolution skills

The effect of unintentional, yet unhealthy, parental responses cannot be ignored. Again, good parenting techniques do not guarantee success, but at least they are unlikely to contribute to the problem. So rather than focusing on what is speculatively wrong, it is more effective to focus on doing what is right by using healthy parenting skills rather than the unhealthy ones that contribute to dysfunctional family patterns. Whether or not an eating disorder is present, or may be present in the future, it will never hurt for parents to show healthy responses and good parenting techniques.

5. Societal Influences

Finally, there are possible societal factors that influence eating disorders. Big drinks and big burgers have enticed the population into a diabetic frenzy. While most of the population is downright overweight, the females that populate the media (those who model prettiness and good looks) are generally thin to the point of appearing anorexic themselves. Talk about image confusion! On the male side of the equation, we have the same issue with buff men cavorting playfully with thin, pretty women.

With so much emphasis in our culture on athletic performance and good looks, it is not too surprising that some predisposed children take things too far. And, although on the surface it seems reasonable enough to blame society for the self-destructive choices of an individual, this is ultimately self-defeating when dealing with individual situations. Blaming society or others simply removes individual responsibility and accountability and actually increases the likelihood of the negative behavior.

In conclusion, when all is said and done, nobody, at this point, can say with any certainty the exact cause of an eating disorder in any one particular child. But we can say with absolute certainty that all the speculation, studies, reports, and conjecture do not implicate the healthy family interaction patterns taught by Love and Logic. It would appear the personality of the anorexic person is not that of children who have grown up in a home advocating honest acceptance of personal responsibility and where children are:

- Lovingly supported by parents who view mistakes as learning experiences,
- Allowed to make choices and share control,
- And encouraged to cope with the stresses of life in healthy ways.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure particularly where eating disorders are concerned. At this time, there is no cure for anorexia. And America's children are dying to lose weight.

Contact Lens Types

2008-03-13T04:42:00.000-07:00

This page was wrote by Bruce Macnaughton. He had useful information of contact lens. Here is his article. Soft contact lenses have been released in many different formats since they were first developed in the 1960s.

Soft contact lenses were originally designed to be worn for 12 to 18 months and removed nightly. These contact lenses are now called “conventional soft contact lenses”. They are usually prescribed as a specialty lens and are generally used when frequent replacement or disposable contact lenses are not available. They have the disadvantage of being more expensive and tend to accumulate surface deposits. This mode of lens wear requires more diligence with cleaning and care.

Disposable contact lenses were first released commercially in the 1980s. The first disposable lens was the Johnson and Johnson Acuvue contact lens, which was a 2 week disposable contact lens. It was a soft hydrogel lens and was primarily worn on a daily basis. The original Acuvue contact lens has only recently been discontinued. It was designed to be replaced after 2 weeks of daily wear.

Soft disposable silicon hydrogel contact lenses were first available in the 1990s. The first silicon hydrogel lenses offered were the B&L PureVision and Ciba Focus night & Day lens. Both these lenses are approved for one month extended wear. Silicon hydrogel contact lenses have the advantage of greater oxygen permeability than the original hydrogel contact lenses. Approximately 98% of patients are able to wear this type of contact lens. There is however, a slightly increased chance of developing microbial keratitis or corneal ulcer with this mode of wear. Some studies place the risk at one in five hundred per wearing year.

The next generation of silicon hydrogel soft disposable contact lenses saw the release of Ciba Optix O2 and Johnson and Johnson Acuvue Oasys. These lenses have an improved surface treatment, which leads to improved hydration and increased comfort.

More recently daily disposable soft hydrogel contact lenses have become increasingly popular. These lenses, such as J&J 1-day Acuvue Moist and CibaVision Focus Dailies have the advantage of being more hydrophilic and retaining moisture during the day.

Focus Dailies contact lenses contain AquaRelease to improve hydration and are replaced daily, leading to increased comfort from a cleaner lens. Daily replacement lenses also have the advantage of lower complication rates due to the lenses developing less surface deposits and lower infection rates. Obviously a contact lens case is superfluous with this mode of lens wear. Contact lens cases have been found to be a major source of microbes that can cause eye infections.

Contact lenses are now also available to buy online, meaning a faster, cheaper and more convenient alternative in purchasing your lenses. Contact lens wearers should still maintain a responsible attitude to lens wear, and have their eyes checked regularly by their eyecare practitioner. They should also check their own eyes daily for eye infections, by following the “Look OK, See OK, Feel OK” regime. Each morning after inserting the lenses they should check each eye look white, then check the vision in each eye separately, and then blink once or twice and ensure there is no discomfort. If there is any change, they should remove the lenses immediately and consult their eye care practitioner.

The Causes of Depression and How to Treat It

2008-03-12T00:30:00.000-07:00

Depression is one of the most serious medical and psychological problems. It is caused by different factors from physical to emotional to intellectual and spiritual aspects of being; and it could also result to various circumstances like suicide and mental abnormalities.

Causes of Depression

Teens and young professionals are the age brackets most susceptible to depression. With teenagers it is usually caused by personality and identity crises. As they search for the meaning of life and the purpose of their actions, they are sometimes caught into too many questions they all try to seek answer for at the same time. Many of these circumstances tangle especially when they encounter philosophical issues that shake their beliefs and stands.

Still other teenagers especially those victims of physical abuse and brokenness in the family suffer from depression. These situations appear to them like there are no other options and no other way out than to be with them, lock inside their rooms and encourage depression to eat them out.

To young professionals, it is usually known as the quarter life crisis depression. It is the time when they feel unaccomplished in their lives. Their nostalgia of still being in school also causes them depression. They opt to become responsible to themselves and to their families but on the other hand the idea of enjoying life with their new earned freedom keeps them from doing so. Depression to them is the feeling of discontentment to what is happening in their careers and love life.

To other people, depression is caused by a loss of love one, financial and economic incapacity, emotional stress, tiredness from work and worrying among others.

Signs and Symptoms

There are various signs and symptoms of depression and it varies from one person to another. The most common of course is the persistent feeling of sadness and anxiety, hopelessness, helplessness and unworthiness.

Other signs include the loss of interest in normal daily activities. You may seem to be doing something but are not accomplishing anything. You are thinking of doing something at a certain time but just can not get yourself started. You could also have sleeping disturbances like waking up in the middle of the night with heavy feeling, inability to sleep or too much sleeping. You may also have difficulty concentrating with your supposed work and you delve too much in thinking about your problems.

Sometimes other people are not aware that changes in weight like becoming heavier and lighter is also a sign of depression. You may have the appetite in eating but what you eat is not reflected in your body in terms of your weight and complexion. Other symptoms include easy fatigue ability, irritation and restlessness, low self esteem, pessimism and thoughts of dying.

Treatments of Depression

More than a medical condition, depression is actually more of a psychological one. Treatment for depression really goes to a therapy. Taking anti-depressant medicines are good and could give a little room for change but consulting professional psychologist or guidance counselors are better.

There are also self-motivated treatments like going back to a hobby and enjoying it until a change in the mood happens. This can clear the mind and gives an opportunity for you to think logical steps you could take to move out from depression. Moreover, unloading the difficult feelings to a friend also helps.

Results of Depression

As said, untreated depression can lead to different results. The most common is suicide. This is the result of hopelessness and pessimism and according to study, men have higher rate of suicide than women. Other results include, drug dependence, alcoholism and other mental imbalances.

In societal perspective, depression result to broken families and compromised relationships with friends and other people. Not only a cause but also a result that depressed people loss their jobs and sense of responsibility.

Tips for Getting a Good Nights Sleep

2008-03-11T00:39:00.000-07:00

Sleep and rest are very important for a healthy existence. Many people that have busy lifestyles often overlook the importance of getting a good night’s sleep. In order to arrive at an atmosphere which will aid you in falling effortlessly to sleep it is suggested that you assess the
arrangement of bedroom furniture. A cluttered room with poor furniture arrangement can be devastating to ones hopes of getting a good nights rest. Anxiety prevents your mind from resting, which is an important factor for a good nights sleep. Electrical items left on standby still emit light and even a slight humming noise which all contributes to keeping you awake!

Experts also recommend a dark room for sleeping in because our bodies naturally wake up in response to light. It is more than likely that you will wake up long before the alarm clock goes off, particularly during the summer months. Nightlights and bedside lamps can trick the mind into thinking it is either time to wake up or it is not time to go to sleep!

Noise can be extremely irritating. Many people would assume earplugs are the solution to this problem however; this can be a dangerous tactic, particularly if you sleep alone, because you may not wake up should a smoke alarm go off. Double glazing is a very effective insulator of distracting noise caused by traffic, although it can be expensive. Hanging heavy curtains is a less costly solution to this problem or, alternatively, you could consider moving the bedroom to the back of the house.

Dont Use Computer too long

2008-03-10T05:14:00.001-07:00

Many people who are attached to computer related this always sit in front of monitor too long. They don't knew that this activities can cause illness. Sometimes the problem will occurs in work time. Of Course this will reduce your productivity. So use your computer wisely.

Overcoming Depression

2008-03-06T05:30:00.000-08:00

Submitted by KeithD

Is it Depression?
Depression is among the most common of mental illnesses, and it comes with all the ambiguities that accompany a psychiatric ailment. All of us are depressed at some point in our lives, but how is it different from being an ailment? How can we be sure if the blues we are suffering from is not a category of depression called, unipolar depression, manic depression or dysthymia?
People find themselves to be alone in the madding crowds of the cities, they are overworked and not loved enough, they cannot catch up with the fast pace of the materialistic world they exist in, and so the blues are more frequent and common now than ever before. This does not mean that thousands of people who are struggling to meet deadlines, or trying make ends meet in crowded cities are all patients of depression. Death is the most grave of all sufferings, and people may spend months and years trying to come out of the loss of a dear one, but that cannot be called a symptom of the disease.
Victims of depression are constantly unhappy; they look lost and lack the zest for life. They are largely pessimistic, and are devoid of a sense of purpose. They are often shrouded in the feeling of being useless and out of place, and sometimes found obsessing with the feeling of remorse. Now they find everything that once formed a part of their happiness, to be unnecessary and worthless. They exist on the fringes of the society, and do not involve in anything enjoyable including sex. The sleeping and eating patterns are affected in case of a patient of depression. It is hap-hazard and unhealthy. People may suffer from insomnia or oversleep during odd hours. People may either starve themselves or on the other hand overeat, and gain a large amount of weight. As alertness and energy is always symbolic of good health, these patients tire quickly and often complain of fatigue. They are slow and sluggish, agitated and touchy. They cannot use their brain the way they used to, and memory and concentration etc. suffers, which could even be the result of an irregular sleep pattern. On the other hand, physical ailments like stomach aches resulting from digestive problems, or headaches can also affect the patient.
Depression is not like the common cold that stays for a week and leaves, it is a serious ailment, as it disrupts your daily life. It can be persistent, and sometimes takes a long time to be identified in the patient. They sometimes mull a lot over death and can have suicidal tendencies. Suicides are not uncommon. Depression is attributed to the chemical changes in the brain, but the reasons can be manifold, like a failed long term relationship, divorce of parents, or such other domestic problems including death of a loved one. Drugs, alcohol, medicines etc. are also found to induce the disease.
Women suffer from mood swings owing to physiological changes due to premenstrual syndrome, postpartum, menopause or even birth control pills. They are twice as prone as men to the ailment. Unpredictable behavior and withdrawal attributed to adolescents though cannot be diagnosed as clinical depression; in many cases patients start showing signs of the actual ailment in their teens, or even in childhood. Depression in children is very difficult to be diagnosed.
In men the effect of depression can be devastating as they tend to deny the disease. The manifestation of the ailment in men can be different, and often physical, like anger or fatigue. Sexual dysfunctions connected with it further exasperate them. Men are ashamed, and are therefore less likely to show obvious signs of depression like crying, and they avoid verbally expressing themselves too. There is drug and alcohol abuse, and sometimes suicides in the case of men who refuse to accept grief.
The symptoms of depression need not be similar in all the patients. Symptoms may vary based on the severity, social circumstances, family medical history, habits, care provided etc. The ailment has to persist for two weeks at least to be even considered as depression. The disease affects not only the mind and mood, but body as well. You cease to be happy as your personal and professional life is affected and you cannot feel better despite making a conscious effort.

Prevent RSI by using workrave

2007-11-07T20:27:00.001-08:00

Workrave is a program that assists in the recovery and prevention of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). The program frequently alerts you to take micro-pauses, rest breaks and restricts you to your daily limit. The program runs on GNU/Linux and Microsoft Windows.

It have feature to sync with other computer in network. So all computer would have same timing for alert. Changing setting is also easy, just right-click workrave icon on system tray and select preferences.
The Exercises is given when you select exercises in menu or each time the timer is over, just follow the instructions.

2007-11-01T02:45:00.000-07:00

The full computerization of a country is impossible to avoid. Today computers are used on a production, in the offschools and flats. Children, which can’t read and write yet, already strongly use this wonder machine, playing on it for hours. The last researches showed that computers don’t make us more healthy and with the wrong use can give an irreparable harm. The sharp competition in the computer world has devided opinions about this question. Computer producers assert that computers are absolutely unharmful. At that time protection remedies producers have an other opinion. And this has forced me to make the analysis of indifferent medical establishments researches about the computer work influence on man health, with the help of Internet network. In all computer countries it is common practice that the computer operator work is one of the most intensive and tiring. For example, in Germany operator work is included in the list of the 40 most harmful for the health works and in accordance with the prescribed rules the work at the monitor should not exceed 50% of the working time. Women and children were found to be the most subjected to the computer interaction. There is an interesting information that the active brain working men least of all inclined to the harmful influence. Probably they are just carried away with the work and don’t pay attention to their health enough. But statistics is a statistics.

The last investigations conducted under the aegis of American optometrical association (which consists of 32 thousand ophthalmologists and opticians) pay attention to the obvious fact again: working at the computer is not natural for human eyesight. 70-75% of all users which routinely work at the monitor screen have problems with the eyesight. A lot of complaints come from the computer operators about sharp pain in the eyes, blearing, the common eyesight worsening.

When reading a text from the paper the human eye takes the reflected image with the falling light. Looking through the text on the screen man looks at the same source of light. We have to read, to type, to compare something more than once, when we are working at the monitor. But in result eyes have to re-form thousand times a day. It has a negative influence on the eyesight.

Man gets used to deal with the horizontally lied leaf of the paper, while the monitor screen is vertically placed. Permanent imitation of the “look into the distance” occurs. It relaxes muscle eye device. If the image on a screen is illegible and has distortion, then lens constantly searches for an optimum perception, which, as a rule, leads to overfatigue of muscle eye device.

One of the most important monitor parameters is a picture frequency. Formed on a cathode-ray tube image flickers. The more picture frequency, the larger time can be spent at the computer without the grave consequences for the health. International standards on picture frequency, for example, VESA standart, change often. Minimum recommended frequency for today is 80 Hz. Unfortunately there is a very big monitor park in Ukraine, worked with the frequencies of 60-65 Hz, that is harmful for the eyesight.

Conducted in Massachusetts medical checkups found that employees, which is working at the PC over 7 hours a day, have greater for 72% case rate asthenopia (eyes get tired easily) and inflammation than employees, which spend a less time at the computer. 2/3 patients have troubles with the eyesight focus in for years.

One of the famous firm Microsoft directors multi-millionaire Bill Gates seriously damaged his eyesight and taken difficult blood disease.

People, which earn with the work on a computer, have the greatest part of health complaints on muscles and joints diseases. Mostly this is simply neck torpor, soulders and loins pain or legs pricking. But there can be more serious diseases. The most prevailing is carpal tunnel syndrome. In this case arm nerves are damaged with the frequent and long work at the computer. The most hard form of this syndrome is pains that deprive human efficiency.

Recovery processes rate is known to depend on a previous activity. After slowly developing tiredness, recovery goes slowly.

Since the local hand work is characterized by small quantities and carried out long enough, recovery goes slowly. Big quantity of local moves execution with the small moving activity cause slowed recovery. In that case negative changes are added, they turn into overfatigue, what is as a matter of fact forepathological arm condition.

When working at the PC barbate muscle feels load over 8,5%, and trapeziform muscle – 13,5% of maximum voluntary force of this muscles, what answering considerable load on neuromuscular system. Coupled with big arm moves quantity (they can amount to 40 thousand) with working at the keyboard, it can lead to overfatigue and occupational disease evolution. It is already registered in USA. It is not worth to do more than 10-20 thousand key presses per hour (nearly 1700 words) or 30 thousand for 4 work hours.

According to Donetsk Medical University scientists information, PC operators have early reduced efficiency and tiredness on the few hours before the work time ending. 48% inspected workers of computer centers have neurotic disorders: memory worsening, weakness, tachycardia, negative dysfunctions, inattention, neurasthenia.

Foreign experts assert, that women, which work at the monitor for 2-6 hours a day, have functional violations of central nervous system on average on 4.6 times more often, than other professions women, cardiovascular system diseases – on 2, respiratory tract – on 1.9, motor system – on 3.1 times. On 2-3 times more often they have pathology of pregnancy. Many specialists strongly recommend women, that want to become pregnant, say good-bye to a computer at least for 3 month before a conception, and after that don’t approach to it at all.

Computer radiation spectrum consists of X-rays, ultra-violet and infra-red fields of spectrum, and also wide range of electromagnetic waves other frequencies. Spetialists consider that X-rays danger now is quite small. This kind of rays are consumed with the screen glass. But we have to remember that even very small intensity of X-rays promotes air ionization. In the presence of several computers in the room ion quantity may increase. Superfluity of positive ions is considered to be unhealthy for human being.

As regards the influence of electromagnetic lower frequency (50-100 Hz) radiation on a human organism, that is formed with computers and other domestic electric appliances, here scientists and consumer rights defenders haven’t arrived at a common idea. The last years checked investigations in this area, only increased alarm and put new questions, that don’t have answers.

Conducted experiments by physicians prove that radiation of videodisplay terminals may have stimulative influence on evolution of breast new growth. In medical literature there is an information about heightened oncological disease level of professional PC users. But until now nobody hasn’t studied electromagnetic fields influence on cancerous growth formation. Truth, EU has published ISO 9241 instruction, that calls to maximum electromagnetic radiation level lowering, and instruction, which tells that working with monitor operator has to be informated about precautionary measures.

In a number of investigations was found that electromagnetic fields with frequency of 50 Hz may initialize biological shifts (even the DNA synthesis violation) in animal cell. Especially amazed the fact of unusual property of electromagnetic waves: their influence danger don’t decrease with the radiation intensity lowering at all, and some electromagnetis fields act on cells only with the small radiation intensity or at definited frequencies. For reduction of potential dangerous videoterminals’ radiation it is expediently to follow the special measures of protection from low frequency fields. Since display high voltage source line transformer allocated at the back or side part of a terminal, radiation level on a display back side panel is higher, at that, case sides don’t defend against radiation. Therefore users have to be situated farther than 1.2 meter's from the back or side surfaces of neighbor terminals. In many cases in rooms, where computer technics are situated, work employees, which have no relation to it. However radiation negative influence spreads on them to, if their work places are wrong chosen. Operators, which rest near the working computers, are behaving unwise at all. Last years observations and investigations found expedient of cactus pots placing near the computer displays. Their presence decrease harmful influence intensity of display electromagnetic radiation.

Electrostatic fields are not human recommended either. Under the influence of electrostatic field charged particles (according to their sign) are gravitated or push away with the screen surface. Air deionization happens. White mice are known to die quickly in such air kind.

Under the electrostatic field influence dust and charged particles accumulate on a face, hands, provoking to an allergy, skin dryness and withering, and various eczema sometimes. Produced facts aren’t comforting at all. It shows that today it is necessary not only to “wash your hands before eating”, but follow the information era hygiene also.

All of this shows the necessity of your own health care, of keeping the sanitary regulations. Computer work is very interesting, perspective and necessary for all civilized countries, but we need healthy and efficient people. Harmful computer influence on a man health can be greatly reduced or avoided with following the simple rules of their using. It is very important to make a right choose of a computer and auxiliary protection remedies. In some cases it is expediency to buy more expensive thing, but be calm for your health.

Source : http://library.thinkquest.org/C0123325/comput.htm

Osteoarthritis

2007-10-31T06:09:00.000-07:00

Of all the forms of arthritis, Osteoarthritis (O.A.) is, by far, the most common. It effects over 25% of Canadians and is the single most common disorder of the elderly. But to say that it is a disease of old age can be misleading, as some children have it while some lucky people in their 80's do not. Yet nearly everybody over the age of 35 has at least some trace of it; and the older you get, the greater the chances of suffering from it.

This makes sense when we realize the nature of the disorder. O.A. is actually nothing more nor less than "wear and tear" of the joint surfaces. We are all familiar with that smooth, shiny cap of cartilage on the ends of chicken bones. That is a fine example of a healthy joint surface. If this bearing surface becomes roughened, cracked, dehydrated, abrasive, not so slick; when friction and wear occur with movement; that situation is O.A. This is what gives the stiffness and rigidity to the joints that limits the flexibility and decreases the ranges of motion. You then can feel the crepitis (a sound like hairs rubbed together between your fingers) caused by the roughness of the joint surfaces. And it aches!

What Happens? The fact is, our joints are so perfect at birth and so good at self maintenance that they could last a century or more. And they do in many people. Nobody has O.A. in all their joints, even though all your joints are the same age, so it can not be caused purely by aging. The problem is merely cumulative stress and mechanical trauma. As we get older we accumulate more and more abuse to our joints. Falls, auto accidents, sprains and the like are obvious culprits. Indeed, severe or repeated trauma will virtually guarantee O.A. of a joint. More insidious factors such as poor posture, chronic over work, tedious, repetitious chores and prolonged postures are also hard on our joints. Some disease processes, such as diabetes, slow down the repair processes and thus speed up joint erosion. As we age our cartilages tend to dry up and become brittle. This is especially true for those of us who do not have adequate water intake. Being over-weight puts a lot more compression on the weight-bearing joints in the spine, hips and knees and feet. Poor nutrition, (not getting the adequate building blocks into our bodies to make the repairs), will also set up our joints for a faster decline. Since most joint repair is done while we sleep, insufficient amounts of sleep, or poor sleep patterns, can also contribute to premature joint wear; as will inappropriate sleeping postures, or a poor mattress or pillow. Finally, emotional factors such as worry, grief, anger, fear and impatience can cause our muscles, especially in the neck, to tighten to the point of jamming the joints together, creating greater friction and wear.

What to do. All this O.A. is, fortunately, preventable to a large extent. Even if we are unlucky enough to have a major trauma such as an auto accident, we can still enhance the repair mechanisms in our joints and minimize the wear that aggravates the damage by following a few simple rules:

Adequate Rest: Eight hours is not a magic number. Get enough sleep at night, or combined with a nap so that you feel well rested.

Good Work Habits: Taking occasional breaks to allow your body to recover is especially important when doing unaccustomed activities. Proper lifting techniques, such as using your knees to lift instead of bending your back, can save a lot of wear and tear. Don't rush! Haste creates micro trauma to the joints, (micro trauma being little bangs and bruises, small unfelt injuries that add up over time).

Avoid Prolonged Postures: Moving parts want to move. Whether resting or working, holding a joint in any one position for very long leads to the formation of adhesions (sticky spots) which can damage that joints surface.

Proper Weight: Avoiding the extra pounds not only helps your joints stay young, but also is very good for the rest of your body especially your heart and weight bearing parts.

Reasonable Nutrition: Not necessarily becoming a health food nut, but eating a balanced diet. This should include some fresh vegetables and some fresh fruit every day. Also some foods that are high in protean. And don't forget water; five or six glasses a day will help a lot to prevent cartilage dehydration; as will avoiding excessive amounts of alcohol, caffeine, salt and sugar.

Keep In Shape: Regular, mild exercise, such as a daily walk, can keep things moving nice and smoothly.

Professional Help: Seeing your Chiropractor periodically for a check up to keep the joints mobile and mechanically well aligned is a great aid. Research has shown that these treatments can minimize the formation of O.A. as well as decreasing its pain and stiffness. While seeing your Chiropractor, ask for more details about what is best for you personally regarding work habits, exercise and nutrition in the prevention and management of Osteoarthritis.

Source : http://www.klis.com/computers+health/#Osteoarthritis

The Dangerous of RSI

2007-10-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Repetitive Strain Injuries occur from repeated physical movements doing damage to tendons, nerves, muscles, and other soft body tissues. Occupations ranging from meatpackers to musicians have characteristic RSIs that can result from the typical tasks they perform. The rise of computer use and flat, light-touch keyboards that permit high speed typing have resulted in an epidemic of injuries of the hands, arms, and shoulders. Use of pointing devices like mice and trackballs are as much a cause, if not more so. The thousands of repeated keystrokes and long periods of clutching and dragging with mice slowly accumulates damage to the body : another name for the condition is Cumulative Trauma Disorder. This can happen even more quickly as a result of typing technique and body positions that place unnecessary stress on the tendons and nerves in the hand, wrist, arms, and even the shoulders and neck. Lack of adequate rest and breaks and using excessive force almost guarantee trouble.

You may have heard the term Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in connection with these injuries, but in fact CTS is only a small and dangerous percentage of typing injuries. Tendinitis, Bursitis , Tenosynovitis / DeQuervain's Syndrome , Tendinosis , Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Trigger Finger/Thumb , Myofascial Pain Syndrome, Cubital Tunnel Syndrome, and several other related conditions may also be involved. All of these are serious and in advanced cases can cause great pain and permanent disability. In addition, patients injured by repetitive strain sometimes develop Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), discussed here and here .

(Source : http://eeshop.unl.edu/rsi.html)