Category: Health & Fitness

In the United States, more than 40 percent of people over the age of eighteen have experienced pain in their mouth just in the last year. 

For those looking for the best, check out the three oral health problems you can avoid with everyday teeth care. 

Read on to learn more.

1. Tooth Decay and Cavities

An average of 30 percent of Americans has experienced an untreated cavity or tooth decay. Cavities occur when you have a bacterium called plaque form from a food build up in your teeth. 

Most cavities occur between your teeth and at the base of your teeth near your gums. A cavity creates a hole in your tooth, and left untreated can demolish your teeth through infections and tooth abscesses and may require one or more root canals. 

A root canal is a dental procedure that replaces the infected pulp in a root canal with a specialized material. It helps repair damaged blood vessels and nerves. 

You may have a cavity if you experience sensitivity when eating cold and hot foods or have a constant toothache. Be on the lookout for staining on your tooth or a hole in your tooth.

To prevent cavities and get the benefits of good oral hygiene, avoid food, liked ice cream, dried fruit, hard candy, and soda. Be sure to brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day to reduce plaque build-up. 

Remember to see your dentist once every six months for an exam and cleaning session. Consider using a toothpaste that has fluoride. Drink lots of water and use a mouthwash to boost your saliva flow.   

2. Periodontal Disease and Gingivitis

One of the most common types of oral diseases is periodontal disease and gingivitis. Usually caused by a bacterial infection, these conditions create an inflammation of the gums. 

Gingivitis and periodontal disease are one of the leading causes of tooth loss. It occurs when plaque and food get trapped in a space called the sulcus. You may be at high risk for these diseases should you experience:

• Smoking
• Chewing tobacco
• Diabetes 

If your gums are tender, swollen, red, or bleed when you floss or brush your teeth, then you may have gingivitis. It must be diagnosed by a dentist, and you may be referred to a periodontist.

Be sure to eat a balanced diet and floss your teeth daily to avoid periodontal disease.

3. Oral Cancer

Oral cancer involves oral health and overall health. It occurs in both the tissues or the throat and mouth. If you use tobacco, you are at a higher risk of oral cancer.

Be on the lookout for sores on your mouth or lips that will not heal as well as bleeding from your mouth. 

Oral Health Problems

Good oral hygiene can help you avoid many other health problems down the road. Be aware of the common oral health problems you can avoid with good oral hygiene for the best care possible.

What are you waiting for? Your teeth await!

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Trying to get your children to eat healthier is like pulling teeth. If something remotely looks like a vegetable they don’t want any part of it. Your spouse isn’t much better.

It sounds like it’s time to put your foot down and make a few changes around your house. Start with throwing out the junk and making room for whole foods and replacing your usual snacks with better options. 

Making your family healthier doesn’t stop at changing up their usual diet. Here are a few simple health tips that will put your family on the path toward wellness as painless as possible.

1. Stay Away from Sugary Drinks

Have you ever flipped a can of soda over to see how much sugar you’re taking in? It’s a lot. Sugary juices aren’t much better. 

If consumed in large quantities these drinks can lead to type 2 diabetes, liver damage, and anxiety. The best way to keep your family healthy is to put water in the house instead. 

If you can’t get your children to drink water, try infusing it with fruit first. It makes it much easier to drink.  

2. Choose Whole Foods Every Time 

If you have a huge family it’s easy to go out and buy a bunch of mini frozen pizzas and packs of ramen. The problem is that these foods don’t have much nutritional value. 

Making healthy meals can be just as easy if you take advantage of meal prep. Swap out the frozen meals with fresh fruits, veggies, and whole grains. 

3. Add Nuts and Seeds to Your Diet 

As long as you’re not allergic, nuts are a great alternative to other snack foods. They’re full of good fats and vitamins. The same can be said of seeds. 

Flaxseeds, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds all contain high levels of antioxidants, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. Something else that’s neat about seeds is that you can sneak them into your child’s diet if need be.

Try adding them in their morning cereal or putting them in yogurt. Chia seeds go great in smoothies as well. 

4. Keep Health Foods in Your Home at All Times

If your children get hungry enough, they’ll eat the healthy snack whether they like it or not. Keep junk food out of the house and replace it with better options. 

Put fruit, packs of nuts, and seeds out on the counter. If they are out in plain sight, your children and spouse will grab them and start munching without thinking about it too much. 

5. Get a Full Night’s Rest 

You and your family should be getting your full 8 hours each night. Without it, you won’t be able to focus on your daily duties. It also ruins your appetite and affects your mood. 

The more tired you are, the more vulnerable you are to stress. Poor sleep schedules are also linked to obesity.

If you still feel like you don’t have any energy even after getting a good night’s rest, try to toss and wash kratom. It can increase your energy levels and improve your mood. 

6. Use Smaller Plates 

If all else fails, you can use psychology to get your family to eat better. Part of keeping a healthy diet is portion control. If you serve their meals on a large plate, they will clear it all before getting full.

It’s strange but they will be equally as full if you give them a small plate. To the human brain, a plate of food is a plate of food. 

7. Drink More Water 

Other than keeping you hydrated, water has a ton of health benefits. One of them is weight loss and diet management. Drinking water throughout your day can increase your metabolism.  

The best time to drink water is right before mealtime. It takes up room in your stomach and makes you feel fuller so you eat less. 

8. Plant a Garden 

A healthy diet has to be coupled with exercise in order to be effective. Gardening is a great outdoor activity for the entire family. 

It gets you all outside, it involves heavy amounts of movement, and it promotes healthy eating. Your children will want to eat the veggies that they help grow after all.  

9. Schedule Family Playtime

Even if you only go on a family walk for ten minutes, that’s better than not getting any outdoor time at all. Take your children to a park to play after school or set up a play area in the driveway. 

With the daily hustle and bustle of life, it is hard to make room in everyone’s schedules for play but it’s important that you try to get the entire family involved. 

10. Be a Role Model 

Your children won’t catch on to the idea of healthy eating and fitness if you and your spouse aren’t serious about it. You’ve got to be the positive role models. 

Create a screen time limit for yourself, get active, eat healthier, and go to bed on time. When your children can see you doing these things and see that you’re having fun with it, they’ll be encouraged to follow your example. 

Simple Health Tips for You and Your Family to Live By 

Are you trying to get your family to be healthier? It can be a struggle if they tend to cringe at the sight of a veggie. The first step is making healthy foods the only option. 

From there you can use the rest of these simple health tips to get them to change their diet and work towards fitness. 

Are you looking for more ways to promote health and wellness for your family? Check out our blog daily for more articles like this one. 

Did you know that around 240 million people are dependent on alcohol and more than 15 million people use injection drugs? If you have recently been dealing with drug addiction and you have noticed that it has taken a toll on your skin and you don’t know what to do, you are in the right place. 

We are going to share a few tips below to help you heal damaged skin during drug addiction recovery. 

Drink Plenty of Water

Many times drug abuse and addiction lead to dry skin. Going through any type of drug addiction recovery or medical detox will also lead to dealing with skin dryness. The reason is that the body is depleted from natural moisture. 

Drinking plenty of water will help restore the skin to its normal moisture levels. If you are not a huge water drinker you can squeeze some fresh lemon slices in your water to help with the taste, or you can drink fresh papaya or strawberry juice. Natural fruit juices that are high in Vitamin C will help restore your skin moisture.

Staying hydrated will plump up any wrinkles and give you a smoother appearance. 

Hygiene

When you are working on restoring your skin after drug addiction you want to maintain proper hygiene to make sure you do not have dirt or sweat buildup. Many times when someone is abusing drugs they neglect their bodies which in turn impacts the skin negatively. 

Taking a shower at least twice per day and applying fresh oils or moisturizers will help keep the skin clear. Do not forget to change clothing and wear clean clothes every day.

Rest Up

Getting enough rest will help rejuvenate the skin because it will enhance the circulation of collagen and increase the production of it as well. 

Drug addictions lead to sleep deprivation which leads to saggy and dry skin. It’s important to sleep for at least 6 to 8 hours every night in order to help repair your skin after dealing with sleep loss. 

Nutrition

Addicts put a lot of strain on their liver with consistent drug or alcohol abuse. This leads to reduced digestion and absorption of necessary nutrients in your body. This lack of absorption ends up leading to vitamin deficiency which affects the skin. 

Your diet will play an important role when you are recovering. Take notes of what you eat and make sure to increase your Vitamin A, B1, B3, and B6 intake. Add more milk, beans, fish, and leafy greens to your diet. 

Adding minerals like zinc and magnesium will also nourish your skin and help bring it back to life. Because you are going through recovery, adding more fiber and decreasing your sugar intake will help eliminate toxins as well as get rid of extra yeast in your body.

Herbs

Something else that will help alleviate your skin issues are different herbs. You can use calendula to help soothe any redness and irritation in the skin. Calendula has anti-inflammatory properties that help the skin. It also has natural antimicrobial properties that help clear up breakouts. 

Another helpful herb is milk thistle to help support the liver which is responsible for filtering toxins out of the body. If you are dealing with unsightly skin conditions then, milk thistle will increase liver health, in turn, ceasing the flow of toxins in the skin’s surface.

Lavender is another herb that naturally calms the body. Every organ in the body is put through stress when going through addictions and this includes the skin. Lavender essential oils can help alleviate the tension. You can either add it to a diffuser and use it as aromatherapy or apply it to the skin but make sure to dilute it with coconut oil or something similar to avoid a skin rash or reaction.

Dandelion is a great herb to detoxify the body and to use as a blood tonic. It purifies the blood of toxins and allows blood filled with nutrients to flow to the skin’s surface. This gives the skin the opportunity to heal. 

If you are dealing with any acne or breakouts you can use witch hazel to soothe your skin. Aloe vera gel will help your skin if it is flaky and dry. 

Antibacterial Products

Sometimes drug addicts deal with blisters, sores, and skin infections. If these are not treated they tend to get worst instead of going away on their own. The best way to help manage this is through hygiene and anti-itch medications. 

Use soothing skin ointments and antihistamines to help reduce the sensation to scratch and pick at any scabs. If you have any rashes that are infected use warm water and antibacterial soaps to clean them and then apply ointments with antibacterial properties to help the infection go away.

If you notice that your infections are not getting any better after consistent clearing and treating, then make sure to see a doctor. A doctor might prescribe antibiotics to help your body fight the infection. The last thing you want to deal with is an infection in the bloodstream.

Ready to Heal Your Damaged Skin?

Now that you know more about how to help your damaged skin after recovering from drug addiction you can start taking action to help your skin. The skin is the largest organ in your body that you can actually see and touch, therefore you want to show it some love. 

Did you learn something new and helpful today? Please come back soon to never miss our latest. 

Until the disaster in Flint, Michigan, most people living in the United States were operating under the false presumption that all tap water in the United States is safe to drink. Data proves otherwise.

A study found that there were more than 80,000 violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act reported in 2015. More than 77 million Americans were served with this contaminated drinking water.

It’s essential to be diligent about your water quality and purchase alternative water solutions if you need them. 

If you keep asking yourself, “Should I drink tap water?” and don’t know where to start, this is the article for you. Read on to learn about some of the most common warning signs of contaminated water.

1. Rotten Egg Smell: Hydrogen Sulfide

Does your water smell like rotten eggs? If so, there could be a presence of hydrogen sulfide in your tap water. 

Hydrogen Sulfide is a gas that can occur naturally in groundwater. While in most instances, your water is still safe to drink, there is a chance that the smell of rotten eggs can mean you have dangerous water contamination. 

Drinking water that contains hydrogen sulfide can cause health problems like dehydration and diarrhea. 

When it comes to your drinking water, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. What can you do if your tap water isn’t fit for consumption?

• Purchase bottled water for a temporary fix. Bottled water is better than tap water. But, it is more acidic than is preferred for your body, and plastic bottles can release carcinogenic materials. 

• Drink filtered water. While this is a decent solution because it removes harmful elements from the water, it’s still not the best solution. Filters don’t add anything beneficial to your water, and they don’t make the water alkaline, which is the best for your health.

• Purchase a product that can create ionized alkaline water with negative pral. Although these products can appear expensive, studies have shown that they’re the most cost-effective solution in the long run. You also get the added health benefits of consuming water that’s rich in minerals, and safe for consumption. 

2.  Should I Drink Tap Water That is Cloudy?

Tap water can appear cloudy for a couple of different reasons, some are safe, and some are not.

Sometimes you go to get a glass of water, and it appears cloudy, but then it quickly clears up. In this instance, the cloudiness in the water is most likely being caused by air bubbles in the water. After the air rises to the top of the water, it clears up. 

Cloudy water that’s caused by air bubbles is totally harmless and perfectly fine to drink.

However, sometimes the appearance of cloudiness in your water means there are pathogens or chemicals in the water. Tap water that is safe to drink shouldn’t appear cloudy or foamy, except in the instance that the cloudiness clears up quickly. 

If your water looks cloudy when you run it, and doesn’t clear up quickly, you should not drink it. 

3. Yellow Water Color

If you turn on your water and it comes out yellow, that could mean numerous different things. Unfortunately, most of them aren’t good. Yellow coloring in your water could mean it contains chromium-6, which is a dangerous chemical that causes cancer. 

A yellow coloring in tap water could also be a sign of a buildup of lead, copper, manganese, or iron.

4. Chlorine: Does Your Tap Water Smell Like a Swimming Pool?

If you go to take a sip of your tap water and it smells like a swimming pool, that could mean it contains chlorine. Believe it or not, it’s a common practice for public water treatment facilities to add chlorine to public water to kill bacteria.

Even though adding a small amount of chlorine is common, consuming high levels of chlorine could lead to health issues.

5. Hard Water

One of the warning signs to look out for in your tap water is if you have hard water. Some of the warning signs to look for include the following:

• Your hands feel slimy, even after washing them with soap and water.

• Large amounts of soap scum keep showing up on your sinks and tubs.

• Mineral residue is left behind on dishes.

• Soap doesn’t seem to lather.

If you have hard water, it doesn’t mean that your water is contaminated, sometimes it just means that there is too much calcium or magnesium, which isn’t harmful to your health.

However, hard water could also be an indicator that you have lead, aluminum, or manganese in your water. 

6. Fishy Smell

If your tap water smells fishy, that could indicate that there is an excess of barium in the water. When barium exists in your drinking water beyond the levels recommended by the EPA, it can cause a variety of health problems, including high blood pressure, and kidney, heart, and liver damage. 

Another chemical that causes water to take on a fishy smell is cadmium. Cadmium can often find its way into water pipes through industrial waste and is the chemical found in lead and copper ore. When you are exposed to high levels of cadmium in your drinking water it can cause liver and bone damage. 

7. Metallic Taste

When you drink your water and get a funky metallic taste in your mouth, that’s a sign of copper or iron in your water. Rusty pipes are the culprit behind this metallic taste. When pipes rust, they can release metals like lead, copper, and iron into the water supply.

It was this metallic taste that gave the residents of Flint, Michigan a warning that there was lead present in their water.

That being said, a metallic taste can also just mean your water has a low pH, so it doesn’t always signify contamination. 

Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones From Contaminated Water

After reading this post, hopefully you will no longer be asking yourself, “Should I drink tap water?” Stay aware and regularly look for the warning signs of possible water contamination. When in doubt, it’s better safe than sorry. 

If you’re looking for more information about keeping you and your family healthy, we’ve got you covered. Check out our blog regularly for more posts about living a healthy and safe life. 

Are aches and pains getting you down? Maybe you’re recovering from a sports injury instead. Either way, there is a range of physiotherapy treatments available to help you get back on your feet.

Get into the game stronger than ever! With over 200,000 physiotherapists employed across the US, you can find the relief you need to live stronger, healthier, and happier. Are you curious about how physiotherapy can help you?

Keep reading to discover the nine top benefits of adding a physiotherapist to your medical team. By discovering the benefits of physiotherapy, you can make a positive change for your body, one treatment at a time.

Keep reading to learn more!

1. Keep Pain at Bay

One of the main benefits of physiotherapy is its ability to relieve pain.

Chronic pain can impact your mood and range of mobility. In fact, you might find it difficult to complete work, which could leave you out of a job. Many athletes who experience chronic pain get benched to avoid a major injury, too.

If you’re unsure what’s causing your chronic pain, a physiotherapist can help.

First, your physiotherapist will help you develop a physical therapy routine. You can use the exercises they teach you to improve mobility throughout your soft tissue and joints. After regular treatments, you’ll start restoring muscle function.

As a result, your aches and pains will start to subside.

However, it’s important to keep up with regular physiotherapy treatments. Otherwise, you might find your pain was worse than before.

Ask your physiotherapist about the different treatments you can use for pain relief. They might suggest manual therapy techniques such as taping and ultrasound treatments. Joint and soft tissue mobilization along with electrical stimulation can help, too.

Your physiotherapist might also use the thumper maxi pro massager to warm up your muscles before a treatment.

With regular physiotherapy treatments, you can keep your pain away, improving your quality of life.  

2. Improve Lung and Heart Health

Not many people realize that physiotherapy can help patients who have heart or lung conditions. 

Did you experience a heart attack recently? Maybe you needed heart surgery. Either way, it’s important to strengthen your heart to make sure it functions properly.

A physiotherapist can create a cardiac rehabilitation plan designed to help. Their treatment plan will make it easier for you to perform everyday functions. 

At the same time, they’ll help you strengthen your body overall, reducing your chance of another heart attack.

Physiotherapists also help patients who have lung disease. Without help, you might find it’s difficult to breathe. A physiotherapy treatment plan can help by providing the breathing exercises you need to clear excess fluid from your lungs.

Physical therapy tools and treatments can help these patients develop the strength they need.

3. Avoid Costly Surgery

While surgery might help reduce the pain you’re currently experiencing, it can also impact your work and daily life. For some people, surgery is a costly, last resort option for treatment.

If you want to avoid surgery, consider physiotherapy instead. A physiotherapist can help you strengthen your entire body. Improving your physical health will improve blood flow, which helps your body heal.

One of the main contributors to chronic pain is inflammation. Inflammation is your body’s natural response to injury or illness. When inflammation doesn’t subside, however, it can leave you in pain. 

A chiropractor might suggest an adjustment, which can relieve inflammation and pressure throughout your body. After an adjustment, your blood will flow properly, carrying nutrients to injured areas.

As a result, your injured tissue will begin to heal, allowing you to heal naturally and avoid surgery.

4. Faster Recovery

Many people choose physical therapy for recovery after sustaining a sports injury.

Look for a physiotherapist that has a full understanding of the human body. They should also know how specific sports can have an impact on different areas. Their understanding of the musculoskeletal system can benefit your treatment.

Your physical therapist can create a customized recovery plan based on their knowledge and the sport you play.

In some cases, you’ll have to sit out the season. Use that time wisely by working with a physical therapist to improve your strength. Their exercise program can even help you avoid a sports injury in the future. 

5. Improve Your Balance

Many older patients who have a difficult time maintaining their balance can benefit from physiotherapy, too. A physiotherapist can help you use certain exercises to maintain your balance. In addition to improving your coordination, they can also teach you how to fall safely.

That way, you can avoid a falling incident that could cause a major, life-changing injury.

6. Feel Stronger and Younger

Physiotherapy can also help patients feel stronger and younger. For example, many older patients develop arthritis and osteoporosis as they age. Physiotherapy can help these patients manage their conditions.

By strengthening the body, these patients can improve their mobility. Moving around and exercising can provide an energy boost, making life easier overall.

7. Improve Your Mobility

Old age and tired bones can make it difficult for you to stand, walk around, or stretch. An injury could limit your mobility, too. Physiotherapy can help improve your range of motion and overall mobility.

Ask your physiotherapist about the exercises and stretches you can use to strengthen your body. They can even create a custom plan based on your current coordination and mobility. 

8. Manage a Condition

Physiotherapy can also help patients who are recovering from a stroke or managing diabetes. There are exercises that can improve your balance, strengthen your gait, and weaken otherwise weak areas of your body.

The right exercises can reduce your blood sugar levels, too, allowing you to keep diabetes symptoms at bay.

9. Reduce Disability Risks

Exercise and movement through physiotherapy can also reduce your risk of developing a disability. By improving your mobility and functionality, you can even reduce your chances of developing depression. You just have to get moving, first!

Stretch for Success: 9 Major Health Benefits of Going to Physiotherapy

Stop stressing and start stretching! By going to physiotherapy, you can experience these benefits and more. Improve your overall quality of life with these benefits of physiotherapy today!

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