Health and Fitness BlogIts all about health and fitness.

1. How to perform CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an essential skill every adult should know. Even if you’ve taken a CPR class in the past, you should refresh your skills every few years to stay sharp in the event that an emergency arises. You can review the procedure online, but simply knowing the proper steps of CPR isn’t sufficient to manage spontaneous emergencies. Get yourself tested and certified. The training is relatively inexpensive and quick to complete.

2. The Heimlich Maneuver

First, determine whether the person’s choking. If he or she can talk or cough, don’t take action yet. If the person can’t say anything or cough, announce that you’re going to do the Heimlich Maneuver – you’re there to help. Next, get behind the person and wrap your arms around his or her waist. Roll your hand into a fist with your thumb facing in, hold the fist with your other hand and thrust upwards in five quick bursts. Continue until you have expelled the foreign body.

3. Learn to recognize the signs of a stroke

Strokes can present in anyone at any age. Signs include: difficulty seeing, confusion or cloudiness of thought, weakness or numbness – particularly down one side of the body, sudden acute headache, difficulty balancing or walking in a straight line, and spasms of the muscles in the face. Not all signs present in every stroke. If you suspect a stroke, get medical help ASAP.

4. Learn to recognize signs of poisoning

Symptoms depend on the type and amount of chemical ingested and can range from mild to severe. Mild symptoms include: diminished appetite, headaches, irritation of the eyes (e.g. tearing), sweating, strange breath, and nausea. More severe symptoms can include: confusion, coughing, erratic pulse, shortness of breath, convulsions, lack of muscle coordination, twitching, seizure, spiking fever, and loss of consciousness.

5. Learn to recognize and handle an epileptic seizure

Initial symptoms may include seeing “auras” in the field of vision, numbness, loss or alteration of ability to see or smell, nausea, and panic. Advanced symptoms may include: tongue biting, drooling, facial twitching, a sense of being “out of it,” and difficulty communicating. The seizure victim should be kept clear of any objects or situations that could cause injury. Once the seizure has passed, the victim should be taken for medical evaluation. Remember, not all seizures present the same symptoms, so even if you experience/observe minimal symptoms, you should still seek help.

6. Learn how to swim strongly

First, you need to get comfortable in the water. Practice holding your breath underwater for brief stints of time (5-10 seconds). There are several different strokes to learn, including the backstroke, the butterfly, the crawl stroke, and the breast stroke. Get lessons from a qualified instructor and focus on technique over speed. Aim for smooth actions, and spend time practicing at your local pool. You should also strengthen your body in preparation by doing exercises for your core, your legs, your back, and your chest/arms.

7. How to look for food in the wild

Whether you are out camping, lost at sea, or abandoned on the side of the road in a desert in an unfamiliar country, you need to know basic principles about how to find edible food in the natural world. The untrained forager’s first instinct is to assume that berries and fruits are generally edible. However, many delicious-looking berries and leaves are filled with toxins that can cause serious illnesses and even death. Cultivate a rudimentary understanding of the naturally edible foods in your local environment. For instance, if you live in New England, learn to recognize at least a few naturally occurring edible berries and plants in your area. You should also be able to fish and hunt with rudimentary tools — particularly if you live far from a major shopping center.

8. How to create a shelter in the wild

If you’re caught out in increment weather while hiking, canoeing or exploring the wilderness, you need to be able to protect yourself from the elements and from natural predators. Learn to construct a rudimentary shelter using items like big stones, overhanging trees, roots, or branches. Brush-up on the skills you learned in the Boy Scout or Girl Scouts — such as how to tie ropes, how to start fires using flint, and how to signal to other parties that you are lost.

9. Develop an evacuation plan

In the event of a nuclear holocaust, natural disaster, or other unexpected event that requires you and your family to flee at short notice, you need to have a roadmap in place to keep safe. Drill your family for quick evacuations. Although this may seem silly and over reactive, specialists recommend that families practice fire drills and escape strategies regularly. You should also keep a map of nearby shelters and a schematic of your home’s blueprints nearby, so you can turn off gas, water, and power if need be.

10. Become a good communicator under pressure

When disaster strikes, the natural human reaction is to panic. But keeping a cool head is essential to solving practical problems at hand. It can be difficult to hone this skill, particularly if you aren’t thrust into dangerous situations on a regular basis. But you can get better. Learn stress reduction techniques. Improve your public speaking skills. Focus on your breathing. Develop an emergency “knowledge-base,” so that you know how to react in various key situations. The more prepared and confident you are, the better you will intuitively communicate with those around you.

Ned Hakam is the owner of CPR AED Course.com. They offer online CPR certification and first aid courses for just $19.95. Visit us today for more information.

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A growing number of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) products are becoming available in the marketplace. They are frequently used by athletes, including a high percentage of body builders, to accelerate the process of increasing lean muscle mass. Various concoctions are available in capsules, sprays and injectable form, so it is quite convenient to use HGH – but is it safe and effective?
HGH has been a hot topic for discussion among bodybuilders for several years now. Many people who have experimented with HGH to build muscle have reported responding well to the formula, and this anecdotal evidence from early users made it the most sought-after supplement for bodybuilding in the current market.
The use of HGH to build muscle is still quite controversial, with contradictory studies presently causing some confusion, while ongoing research attempts to sort it all out. There are many different opinions on the issue, from a variety of reputable sources. So the first thing you should know is this: The jury is still out.
A personal choice
It is always advisable to consult your primary physician before you start using any hormone product to augment your bodybuilding regimen (or any other reason, of course). All of the variables will come into consideration at this time, including age, general health, rationale for using HGH, the workout plan and so forth. Because of the range of effects, and the incomplete state of the science, it is a very personal decision whether or not to use HGH, and it is important to continue learning about the substance even (or, especially) after you have decided to take it.
One of the better established findings, however, is that HGH can be effective in older men who try to build body muscle mass. Teenagers and pubescent boys who are involved in bodybuilding probably not require this type of supplement, unless they are diagnosed with an HGH hormone shortage in their growing period.
HGH is in all humans, and is more prevalent during childhood. Its role is to support tissue growth, including the rapid growth during puberty and early adulthood, in the human body. As we age, the production decreases, and overall levels trend downwards following their peak in the teen years. Therefore, a bodybuilder in his 30s, or older, may in fact require hormone supplements to improve the muscle mass gain from the exercise regimen.
The marketing and the facts
HGH is now used quite widely to build muscle mass. For the convenience of the users, manufacturers are making such different forms as injections, capsules and sprays, delivering a variety of products in different form and with various brand names. Companies of diverse types – from Big Pharma and the health and wellness sector to the herbal industry – have entered the market, with all kinds of different approaches. They also make all kinds of different claims.
Some firms are producing supplements that are all natural, and asserting that they are safer than chemical-based hormones. Some other companies even suggest that doing specific exercises while taking their supplements will increase the level of HGH, without resorting to “dangerous drugs.” However, synthetic compounds are not the only ones that have drawbacks – “all natural” ones do, too.
Unlike most hormones used by bodybuilders, HGH is not a steroid, but a “proteinaceous hormone” comprising a chain of 191 amino acids. It was first isolated in the late 1970s in a biological form, extracted from the pituitary glands of cadavers. Like everything extracted from dead bodies, it imposed a serious disease risk (Kreutzfeld-Jacob disease, etc.), so there was little demand for it, either legally or on the black market. Scientists succeeded in manufacturing a genetic form of HGH in the 1990s, however, which made it usable, if not immediately affordable.
Due to the availability of this safer form, a number of top-level athletes began showing an interest. With drug tests making the most effective anabolic steroids forbidden territory for pro athletes, some began using HGH. There are many anecdotal reports of it working, although the clinical trials are still being conducted and there is no consensus as yet.
Bottom line
HGH is a very mythical, mysterious and even mystical compound, and it is not well understood even by its biggest backers. Professional athletes will use it in high doses as part of an overall exercise regimen, and make obvious improvements, while most “recreational” users (who are not professional athletes) will settle for lower doses and get less dramatic results, at least in terms of lean muscle mass increase.
So the research continues. There are some human studies that appear to show positive effects, while others conclude that HGH supplementation offers little or no benefit in building muscle mass. It can be terribly expensive, for injections at any rate, while extremely effective steroids can be bought at low cost with a mouse click or a trip to the mall. Considering the downside of steroids, of course, even the mere hope of HGH working will keep professional athletes and bodybuilders interested.
Whether or not you will benefit from HGH may depend on many variables, not all of which will be clear or well defined. The best you can do is stay on top of the research, continue to ask the hard questions and keep “harm reduction” at the top of your to-do list when it comes to chemical supplements, natural or otherwise. There is exciting new research being done on natural ways to stimulate your own HGH production, so there will be plenty to read on the subject of HGH for some time to come.

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Arthritis is a joint disorder or a rheumatic disease that causes pain and inflammation where the bones meet. The most obvious symptoms include joint stiffness, tenderness, swelling, warmth, redness, and limited function of the joints.<!–more–>

There are many different forms of arthritis that can affect other parts of the body that are not necessarily connected or even involving with joints. When this happens the symptoms can include weight loss, fatigue, fever, and gland swelling. It can also affect other areas of the body a cause serious problems to the lungs, kidneys, and major organs of the heart.

Hundreds of million of men, women, and children all over the world are affected by arthritis. Studies show that 60 out of 10 of arthritis patients are women and more than half of those suffering from this disease are over the age of 65.

There are over 100 types of arthritis that have been diagnosed. The more common and well known types of arthritis include septic arthritis, gout, osteoarthritis, pseudo gout, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, ankylosing sodalities, and still’s disease.

If you believe that you are suffering from arthritis it is important that you make an appointment with your doctor so that you can be treated immediately. Your doctor might refer you to a rheumatologist - an expert in the field of medical arthritis. Seeking out treatment early in the stages of arthritis could help to prevent disability and damage that cannot be reversed.

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A heart attack will hit someone when the blood flowing to a certain part of the heart is being blocked. If the flow of blood remains blocked for too long of a period then that part of the heart will be damaged due to lack of oxygen and it can die.<!–more–>

Heart attacks and the symptoms experienced during one can vary. There are some heart attacks that are very intense and can strike a person very suddenly and with very little warning. This is one of the more obvious symptoms and makes it easy to identify that it is a heart attack.

However, most heart attacks will strike someone slowly and the patient will only feel mild pain that is hard to associate with a heart attack. People who experience these mild symptoms must look for the more obvious signs so that they get help right away.

Chest Pains - When someone is experiencing a heart attack they will usually have pains in the center of their chest that will last for a few minutes. This pain will go away and come back and will feel as if someone is squeezing too hard.

Upper Body Pains - A person might also feel pains in their arms, neck, jaw, stomach, and back.

Shortness Of Breath - This can occur even if you are not having chest pains.

More Signs - These are some of the big signs to look for. Other smaller signs include nausea, lightheadedness, and breaking out into a cold sweat.

It is important to remember these symptoms. Cal 911 if you know or even suspect that you are having a heart attack. This is the fastest way for anyone to get treatment. The sooner someone who is having a heart attack is treated the more likely they are to survive from the experience and to avoid disability.

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