Navigating Healthcare: A Guide to Modern Medicine and Wellness

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Common Triggers for Sciatica and What to do About Them

Causes of SciaticaThere are several causes of sciatica, which is identified as a painful condition which occurs from soreness or pain that travels from your lumbar or lower spine, to your buttock and all the way down your leg.  Sciatica only affects one side of your body, but that one side might as well be both sides for all the pain you will experience.  Sciatic pain does not discriminate where it chooses to wreak havoc – it might be a tolerable ache, or an excruciating pain.  There are ways to try to thwart sciatica and stop it in its tracks, but many times, other medical issues are the underlying cause of the sciatic problems, thus, the malady is not strictly your own doing.  For example, although sciatica is believed to originate from prolonged sitting, even the simple act of coughing or sneezing can cause a sciatica sufferer great discomfort.  Sometimes (but rarely), the sciatic nerve can be compressed by a tumor, or damaged by a disease such as diabetes, or, it could become pinched, usually by a herniated disc in your spine, or by an overgrowth of bone (bone spur) on your vertebrae.

While the consequences sound dire for a person that suffers from sciatica, the good news is that, for most cases, 90% of sciatica sufferers have a full recovery from a bout of sciatica without the need for surgery.

Some of the triggers for sciatica are listed below.  Remember:  if pain persists, you should contact a specialist who will evaluate you to determine the appropriate measures to get you feeling more like yourself again a spine specialist in NJ is the answer to your sciatica woes.

How to Prevent Sciatica

Prevent SciaticaThe facts are plain and simple – it is not always possible to prevent sciatica, and sadly, the condition may reoccur after the initial bout with it. What you may initially just pass off as sleeping the wrong way, or feeling uncomfortable after taking a long car trip, resulting in not knowing which way to sit due to the pain, may be sciatica.  It most cases, sciatica can be relieved in a matter of weeks.  But first, you need to pinpoint whether it is sciatica and what the heck is going on, then do consult with a spine specialist pronto, so that you can get on the road to recovery soon.

Health Benefits of Chia Seeds

Chia SeedsChances are, the mere mention of the word “chia” as in “chia seeds” will bring a giggle or two to those who fondly remember a gift called a “Chia Pet” first introduced in the early 1980s.  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chia_Pet)  The novelty of the Chia Pet or Chia Head was that you had a terracotta planter and you affixed moistened chia seeds onto it, and in a few weeks’ time, the chia seeds sprouted and made “hair”.  Chia pets are still available and enjoyed a recent resurgence with chia seeds sprouting into full beards to resemble various characters from the “Duck Dynasty” show.

Health Benefits of Fresh Asparagus

Fresh AsparagusIf you love fresh veggies, once growing season is in gear, there is no better place to go than the local vendors to load up on local produce.  One of the first vegetables available in Spring is fresh asparagus.  While this valuable veggie is available year-round, Spring is the peak season for taste.  Crops are harvested beginning in late February through June, with April as the prime month.

When choosing asparagus, however, pick green asparagus as it is much more beneficial than white.  It is the stalk of this veggie which packs a punch in terms of nutrients and goodness.

Health Benefits of Omega-3

Omega-3 fishWhat if you were told that eating foods rich in Omega-3 or taking supplements of Omega-3 would guarantee that you would reap the following benefits:

  • Improved cardiovascular health, including protecting the heart from mental stress;
  • Protection from Alzheimer’s Disease;
  • Protection from vision loss, including aiding in dry-eye syndrome;
  • Reduced risk of developing prostate cancer;
  • Improved memory in healthy young adults;
  • Reduced mental health problems (especially curbing behavioral problems in youngsters);
  • Reduced seizure episodes in epileptic patients;
  • Protection from post-partum depression in new mothers;
  • Reduced symptoms of allergies and asthma;
  • Reduced risk of psychosis; and
  • Increased fetal cognitive and motor development.

How to Reduce The Risk for Skin Cancer

Once the gloriously warm and sunny days of late Spring or Summer arrive, slowly we begin to show a little more skin to the rest of the world.  First, the tee-shirts and shorts get pulled out of the drawer, followed by sandals.  No one wants their skin to be the same color as Swiss cheese – we want to look healthy and vibrant.

Well, it’s wonderful to sport that sun-kissed glow, but here are a few facts that might make you re-think that coveted golden brown skin.  For example:

  • Did you know that skin cancer is the most common of all cancers and accounts for nearly half of all cancers in the United States?
  • More than 3.5 million cases of basal and squamous cell skin cancer are diagnosed in this country each year.

Take heart though, because, unlike other forms of cancer, all skin cancers are highly treatable if found early.

How to Prevent Diabetes

Prevent DiabetesThough most of us enjoy good health, we should never take it for granted.  Always there is the fear of the unknown, something catastrophic that would take our good health away and that is the scariest notion.  Like the Zika virus for instance.  Or last year’s widespread flu epidemic since the virulent virus did not match the flu serum for the 2014-2015 flu season.

But how about type 2 diabetes?  While it is not classified as an infectious or communicable disease, the incidence of adult-onset diabetes is growing at an alarming rate, even showing up in teens and children.  It is estimated that more than 29 million Americans have diabetes; unbelievably, about 8 million don’t even know they have the disease.

Healthy Eating Tips for Summer

Healthy Eating Tips for SummerFrom the Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day weekend, sometimes it is all one big food fest, isn’t it?  There are picnics and barbeques and family get-togethers galore.  Most of these events involve potluck meals, with everyone toting along a different dish.  Of course you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, so you have to try everyone’s special dish, and before long, you feel overstuffed and want to undo your clothes.

Unfortunately, some fattening picnic fare, like creamy potato or macaroni salads, not only pack on the pounds, but can be detrimental to your health, should they sit out in warm weather for too long, because then you could risk getting food poisoning.  So, to avoid getting contaminated by food spoilage in cold salads containing mayonnaise, thwart those problems and be kind to your waistline by substituting salads like three-bean, baked beans or coleslaw with a vinaigrette dressing instead.

If you are planning a day at the beach, do yourself and your loved ones a favor and follow the suggestions below on the best way to transport and keep your food at the recommended chilled temperature, plus safeguard against food poisoning once the food has been cooked and served.

Do I Need Braces?

Benefits of BracesChances are slim to none that your teeth are 100% perfect.  If you made it through the childhood years and  sports activities and managed not to chip, otherwise damage or lose a tooth or two along the way, please consider yourself lucky.  The teeth you offered the Tooth Fairy in exchange for loose change do not count – we are talking about your permanent teeth.

Regular visits to the dentist help to maintain good dental hygiene and regular check-ups by the dentist and visits to your dental hygienist will keep your teeth healthy and strong and plaque free.  You might have been lucky enough to have a stellar smile without the need of braces, but, did you know that once your pesky wisdom teeth decide to put in an appearance, that their emergence can wreak havoc with that beautiful smile?  Well more about wisdom teeth later.

The Structure of The Tooth

Healthy TeethYou may gaze into the mirror and simply see a set of pearly whites grinning back at you, but those teeth are a little more complex in their composition – more than you probably have ever thought about.

When you think of it, your teeth are challenged every day to withstand icy cold or steaming hot drinks, or to crunch down and pulverize every piece of food that you put into your mouth.  We’ve had our current teeth since we outgrew our baby teeth and got the permanent set, and, for some, old cavities or dental issues forced us to get crowns so that our old metal fillings were not so unsightly.