PAINFUL PERIODS (DYSMENORRHOEA)-2

Many young women, and some older ones, get a lot of pain when their period starts. This pain (called dysmenorrhoea) comes from the muscles in the uterus contracting (tightening). This is sometimes called 'cramps'.

v  If the pain is not too bad, simple things like a hot water bottle on your tummy, some exercise, and perhaps medicine for pain (such as paracetamol or ibuprofen) could help.

v  If you are having a lot of pain, see a doctor, because there are some safe medicines which can make a lot of difference.

v  It will be useful to mark when your periods are coming on a calendar, because some of the medicines work best if they are taken just before the period pain starts.

v  Sometimes the doctor will recommend that you start taking a contraceptive pill (The Pill), but there are other treatments which can help a lot too.

v  Painful periods are a common reason why young women need to take time off school or work, but almost always there is a treatment which can reduce the pain a lot so that you don’t have to take that time off.

v  Recent research shows that young women who smoke are more at risk of having premenstrual tension and heavy painful periods. The symptoms increased with the number of cigarettes smoked.

When your periods stop!

For normal periods to occur, many parts of your body need to be working well, including your ovaries, uterus, pituitary gland (part of the brain) and hypothalamus (another part of your brain). There are lots of (rare) ways for something to go wrong, but the three common causes for periods to stop are:

• getting pregnant (this only happens if you have sex)
• losing too much weight
• exercising too much.

What is menstruation?

Menstruation (men-STRAY-shuhn) is a woman's monthly bleeding. When you menstruate, your body sheds the lining of the uterus (womb). Menstrual blood flows from the uterus through the small opening in the cervix and passes out of the body through the vagina Most menstrual periods last from 3 to 5 days.

What is the menstrual cycle?

When periods (menstruations) come regularly, this is called the menstrual cycle. Having regular menstrual cycles is a sign that important parts of your body are working normally. The menstrual cycle provides important body chemicals, called hormones, to keep you healthy. It also prepares your body for pregnancy each month. A cycle is counted from the first day of 1 period to the first day of the next period. The average menstrual cycle is 28 days long. Cycles can range anywhere from 21 to 35 days in adults and from 21 to 45 days in young teens.

The rise and fall of levels of hormones during the month control the menstrual cycle.

What happens during the menstrual cycle?

In the first half of the cycle, levels of estrogen (the “female hormone”) start to rise. Estrogen plays an important role in keeping you healthy, especially by helping you to build strong bones and to help keep them strong as you get older. Estrogen also makes the lining of the uterus (womb) grow and thicken. This lining of the womb is a place that will nourish the embryo if a pregnancy occurs. At the same time the lining of the womb is growing, an egg, or ovum, in one of the ovaries starts to mature. At about day 14 of an average 28-day cycle, the egg leaves the ovary. This is called ovulation.

After the egg has left the ovary, it travels through the fallopian tube to the uterus. Hormone levels rise and help prepare the uterine lining for pregnancy. A woman is most likely to get pregnant during the 3 days before or on the day of ovulation. Keep in mind, women with cycles that are shorter or longer than average may ovulate before or after day 14.

A woman becomes pregnant if the egg is fertilized by a man’s sperm cell and attaches to the uterine wall. If the egg is not fertilized, it will break apart. Then, hormone levels drop, and the thickened lining of the uterus is shed during the menstrual period.

How To Treat Malaria

Malaria is a serious disease that causes a high fever. You can get it from a bite by an infected mosquito.

Malaria is caused by a bite from a mosquito infected with parasites. In very rare cases, people can get malaria if they come into contact with infected blood. A developing fetus may get the disease from its mother. You cannot get malaria just by being near a person who has the disease.

Most malaria infections cause symptoms like the flu, such as a high fever, chills, and muscle pain. Symptoms tend to come and go in cycles. Some types of malaria may cause more serious problems, such as damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys, or brain. These types can be deadly.

Your doctor will order a blood test to check for the malaria parasite in your blood.

Medicines usually can treat the illness. But some malaria parasites may survive because they are in your liver or they are resistant to the medicine.

Get medical help right away if you have been in an area where malaria is present, were exposed to mosquitoes, and get symptoms that are like the flu. These include a high fever, chills, and muscle pain.

You may be able to prevent malaria by taking medicine before, during, and after travel to an area where malaria is present. But using medicine to prevent malaria doesn't always work. This is partly due to the parasites being resistant to some medicines in some parts of the world.

HEA LTH BENEFIT OF PEPPERMINT OIL

Studies have shown peppermint oil to be fairly effective at relieving irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a collection of symptoms that includes abdominal pain and cramping, bloating, constipation and diarrhea that affects 5 to 20 percent of the population.
 Studies have shown peppermint oil to be fairly effective at relieving irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a collection of symptoms that includes abdominal pain and cramping, bloating, constipation and diarrhea that affects 5 to 20 percent of the population. One explanation is that the oil—especially the menthol—blocks calcium channels, which has the effect of relaxing the “smooth” muscles in the walls of the intestines. Recently, Alex Ford, a McMaster University researcher, concluded that instead of popular over-the counter drugs, peppermint oil should be the first line of defense against IBS.

Peppermint can temporarily allay itching caused by insect bites, eczema and other lesions, including the rash of poison ivy. Peppermint tea can be used as a mouthwash for babies with thrush (yeast in the mouth) or for reducing nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, especially for women who want to avoid stronger medications.

Tips of the day 'How to Stay Mentally Strong'

 Stay Active. Exercise helps the brain create 'feel-good' chemicals which will almost always boost your mood to an extent. Go for a walk, jog, go to the gym, or action that will get your heart pumping. 

 

Socialise. Talking to positive & happy people will soon have an affect on yourself and will rub off on you overtime.

Learn To Relax. For a short while a day, simply relax, let everything go, and look at your situation from another level. This will help you reflect on what's going on in your life. 

Sleep. A good nights sleep will make you feel better. A rested mind is a healthy mind, and a healthy mind is a happy mind!

Write your current feelings down. Writing your feelings down will give you a stronger idea of the reasons you're feeling the way you are. Some of these bad feelings can be easily fixed by you, if you can identify them.

Music. Simply play music that appeals to you, maybe something that you can relate to in some shape or form. Make sure this music is not sad and negative. Play happy songs!  

Become An Optimist. Easier said than done, but learn to notice the more positive sides of your situations. Though you might be going through a hard time, there is always something to think about or look forward to that will overcome the negative. 

A brain-healthy

A brain-healthy diet is one that reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes, encourages good blood flow to the brain, and is low in fat and cholesterol. Like the heart, the brain needs the right balance of nutrients, including protein and sugar, to function well. A brain-healthy diet is most effective when combined with physical and mental activity and social interaction.

Reduce your intake of foods high in fat and cholesterol. Studies have shown that high intake of saturated fat and cholesterol clogs the arteries. However, HDL (or “good”) cholesterol may help protect brain cells. Use mono- and polyunsaturated fats, such as olive oil, for example. Try baking or grilling food instead of frying.

Increase your intake of protective foods. Current research suggests that certain foods may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and appear to protect brain cells.

• In general, dark-skinned fruits and vegetables have the highest levels of naturally occurring antioxidant levels. Such vegetables include: kale, spinach, brussels sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli, beets, red bell pepper, onion, corn and eggplant. Fruits with high antioxidant levels include prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, plums, oranges, red grapes and cherries.
• Cold water fish contain beneficial omega-3 fatty acids: halibut, mackerel, salmon, trout and tuna.
• Some nuts can be a useful part of your diet; almonds, pecans and walnuts are a good source of vitamin E, an antioxidant.

Manage your body weight for overall good health of brain and body. A long-term study of 1,500 adults found that those who were obese in middle age were twice as likely to develop dementia in later life. Those who also had high cholesterol and high blood pressure had six times the risk of dementia. Adopt an overall food lifestyle, rather than a short-term diet, and eat in moderation.

Not enough information is available to indicate what quantities of these foods might be most beneficial for brain health. For example, it is not clear how much fruit would have to be consumed to have a detectable benefit. However, a study of elderly women showed that those who ate the most green, leafy and cruciferous vegetables in the group were one to two years younger in mental function than women who ate few of these vegetables.

Vitamins may be helpful. There is some indication that vitamins, such as vitamin E, or vitamins E and C together, vitamin B12 and folate may be important in lowering your risk of developing Alzheimer’s. A brain-healthy diet will help increase your intake of these vitamins and the trace elements necessary for the body to use them effectively