Acne And Stress

Stress - Since your skin in your largest organ, how you live can sure influence how healthy your skin is. And stress, not necessarily "bad" stress, but rather certain external and internal stressors, factor into this health equation. So let's take a look at how to handle these stressors with regards to acne prevention.

 External Stressors- A goal of acne prevention would be to keep your skin pores clear from clogging and becoming infected and irritated, resulting in blemishes and inflammation. So you need to take a look at your external environment throughout the day for factors that could trigger skin pore clogging. Here are some examples of what to look for: grease, oils and sun, like being around open fryers in kitchen areas, or around machine oil and grease in workshops or factories, or out in the sun all day on a construction jobsite. Too much oil, grease or sun on the skin can clog pores and trigger acne and other skin irritations.

 Minimize contact by wearing long sleeves and other protective wear and gear and discussing further options with your dermatologist or healthcare provider. With regards to being out in the sun, note that a small amount of sun each day can be fine and healthy. However, extended periods can trigger the sebaceous glands to create more oil as your skin dries out. At the same time, the dried out skin needs to be cast off or shed at a faster rate than normal. The resulting extra oils and dead skin make a wonderful environment for pore clogging. So here, too, use protective clothing for outdoor activities and apply sunscreen; oil-free products are best for acne-prone people, and those with a minimum protection of SPF 15 and both UVA and UVB protection.

Internal Stressors - Internal stressors like anxiety, fear, low self-esteem, depression and a variety of other internalized emotions, can trigger chemical reactions inside your body that can result in acne flare-ups and other skin irritations. What happens is that these emotions can set your adrenal glands to work creating more cortisol, the substance that in turn causes your sebaceous glands to produce increased amounts of sebum oil, excessive amounts of which can be blocked in pores. Same old story: extra oil + extra dead skin cells = blocked pores, triggering acne flare-ups. With internal stressors, though, the results are usually "inflamed papules" or small, solid inflammations (or skin elevations that do not contain pus), instead of whiteheads or blackheads.

To combat internal stressors and prevent acne problems, here are some suggestions. Get plenty of rest and sleep a recommended average of eight hours per night. Try to maintain regular hours each day, regardless of which shift your work. Some say to focus on reducing SWAT: reduce your stress, worry, anxiety and tension, so journal a little each day mentioning any "SWAT" stressors you've felt. And focus on those that may seem overwhelming or to be taking too long to "end," seeking help from others or other resources as needed for stress management. Check with your dietician or healthcare provider to establish and follow a regular well-balanced dietary and exercise plan of action to keep your body healthy on the inside and outside. Keep a check list of "Things that Calm You" handy for stressful times, like reading a book, resting, listening to music, taking a walk, going out for an ice cream cone, etc.

Do you have arthritis?

Do you have arthritis? If so you are not alone. 66,000,000 people do almost 1 in 3 adults.

 Arthritis is second only to heart disease as a cause of work disability. Besides limiting daily activities arthritis can cause many lifestyle problems. You may assume there's nothing you can do that will help. Don't believe that.

 There are steps including supplements and lifestyle changes you can make to significantly improve your life. Your doctor may ask a few of these questions:

 • Where is your pain
 • When does it hurt
 • How long have you had it
 • Any swelling or redness
 • Family history of arthritis

He may wish to perform a movement test and have some x-rays taken. Inflammation from your arthritis is a significant source of pain.

 Your physician may recommend OTC medicines or a prescription. You should be aware of alternatives such as natural supplements and physical exercise. Nettle Leaf Extract This supplement appears to suppress TNF-alpha and IL-1-beta. Nettle leaf may inhibit inflammatory cascade in rheumatoid arthritis. Also joint protection is assisted with nettle leaf. MSM: Msm contain Sulfur and anti-inflammatory properties Glucosamine Sulfate/Chondroitin: Reduces joint pain and may substantially rebuild cartilage.

 This may take a while to see results. Fish Oil: DHA, EPA and Omega 3 found in quality fish oil. Reduces painful inflammation and may promote joint lubrication. Look for a high quality, low mercury supplements like Carlson's fish oils. Flax seed is another practical choice. Try high quality multivitamins such as Purity's Perfect Multi Super Greens. Vitamin E: Use a natural product like Vitamin E-8 daily. Cherries: Recent research has shown that tart cherries contain powerful antioxidants that may help relieve the pain of arthritis and gout and also protect the body against cardiovascular disease and inhibit cancer tumors. There is also a cherry capsule that is very good named Fruit Advantage.

Exercise: Exercise is important not only for arthritis but your overall health. Weight Control: Even modest weight loss will bring healthy results. Start slow if you need to, and then try to reach your target weight. Stress: Ah Stress. This one unnecessarily causes us so many health concerns. It practically seems to be the source of most health problems. There are many options to help deal with excess stress. Exercise is one of these. Even if you begin by walking to the corner and back, then around the block pretty soon you will be walking a mile or more.

Other things you may consider are Yoga, Meditation, Music and a new hobby. There is a rather unique procedure I came across a while back called Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT for short. This works on the principles of Acupressure and Acupuncture.

Wait! Don't let that intimidate you. Even though EFT is a remarkable tool it is actually easy to grasp. I personally have seen significant results. You won't have to poke yourself at all. It just basically requires limited number of words and some tapping on certain key points.

So don't give up. There are many options for you to vastly improve your health.

Don’t Worry Be Happy!

Being stressed is not part of a healthy lifestyle. Not only is stress damaging to us physically, it can also cause us to eat more and exercise less. Stress can be a huge obstacle that gets in the way of our healthy lifestyle goals. What can you do to effectively manage your stress? The following six steps will help you to make changes to have less stress and more happiness in your life.

1. Be aware of what stresses you and how you react to stress. Learn to understand what situations; events, circumstances and people cause you to feel negative stress. Think about what message your brain is telling you about why you feel stressed. Notice the physical reactions you have, a racing heart, and shortness of breath, tight muscles or feeling angry and upset.

 2. Think about the changes you can make. Is there a way you can set up a structure to reduce or eliminate the stress by being more organised or managing you time better. Can you avoid or eliminate any of the things that cause you negative stress? Can you reduce your exposure to stress by taking a break away from the situation?

3. Better manage your emotional reaction to stress. Different things cause different people stress. You may find public speaking extremely stressful but others thrive on this type of challenge. Having too many deadlines may leave you tearing your hair out but may make someone else feel completely organised and less stressed. We feel stressed because of how we personally perceive the situation. Are you stressed because you view things are critical or urgent when that may not be the case? Are you feeling pressure because you are a perfectionist? Try and be more moderate in your view and put the situation into perspective. Get someone else’s perspective on the situation and compare with your own. Are you being over dramatic?

 4. Better manage your physical reaction to stress. Learn relaxation and deep breathing techniques that will slow down your racing heart, improve your breathing and relax those tense muscles. Learn to smile and laugh more. It’s hard to be angry and stressed while you’re laughing.

5. Look after your emotional needs. Don’t live up to other expectations, as these will not be in alignment with your own needs and values. Hang around upbuilding and supportive friends or co-workers. Find someone to share your concerns with. Also learn to ask for and accept help.

 6. Look after your physical health. Being in good physical shape in itself reduces stress. Be physically active everyday. Eat well, don’t smoke or drink excessively. Get enough sleep and regularly take time out to do things you enjoy. This week look at what is causing you stress and then work at applying the appropriate steps in this article. Be realistic and make changes slowly. Above all, don’t worry be happy!

Don’t Let a Headache Keep You Down

Millions of people visit their doctor for relief from common headaches. In fact, this is possibly the most prevalent reason for people to see their doctors. Headaches come in a variety of types, intensity, and duration. Some are hormonally driven for women in relationship to their monthly cycles. Other types of headache pain may stem from sinus problems, medication use, or even food allergies. Stress, caffeine, and alcohol consumption may trigger head pain. Your head may ache on one or both sides, at the crown, or even around the neck and shoulder areas.

 There is no single source of headache pain, and they may even occur in clusters and form migraine patterns, including blurred vision, odd scents, and dizziness. So what can a person do for a bad headache? The best thing is to prevent one, if possible. Start by keeping a small diary of when your headaches come, the circumstances surrounding them, and how long they last. Take note also of the things that make them seem better or worse, along with any treatment you use that is successful. Some headaches are illness-borne and thus cannot be avoided, but many are due to lifestyle issues that can be successfully managed. For example, if your diary suggests that you often get a headache after eating Chinese food, you might be sensitive to MSG, a common ingredient found in Chinese dishes that sometimes causes headaches or other disturbances in certain individuals. Or, if you experience a headache upon arising certain times of the year, especially when sleeping with the windows open, you may have a sinus-related condition that will benefit from closed windows or medication.

 If stress is causing headaches, learn what your triggers are and take steps to avoid them. It may be that dealing with an argumentative coworker often brings on one of your spells. Take steps to avoid that person or play down the conflict. When the opportunity comes up, ask for a transfer to another department. Take similar steps to offset stressful situations in your life that can be downplayed in ways like this. Your doctor may be able to recommend lifestyle changes that may reduce the frequency or intensity of your discomfort. For example, daily exercise may improve circulation and reduce stress, thereby helping to prevent headache pain. Eating healthier foods that contain few preservatives is another common recommendation that seems to help a lot of people.

Keeping a journal and writing about negative events several times a week keeps you from bottling them up where they can play havoc with your nerve impulses and possibly contribute to the development of headaches. When you take a proactive stance in identifying headache sources and learning how to head them off, you will soon feel better and experience fewer symptoms. Ask your doctor for more information on preventing or reducing headache pain.