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The ADHD gifted – Tortured Geniuses?

May 16th, 2010
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The ADHD gifted – Tortured Geniuses?

There was the episode of Sex and the City where Carrie dates this gifted jazz musician Ray King, because she’s so taken with his nonstop creativity; as she gets to know him better though, she finds how he can’t talk to her about anything, for longer than 10 seconds without getting bored and going to play an instrument before getting bored again and impulsively painting a few strokes. He was, if you haven’t guessed, ADHD gifted. There has to be something about supreme powers of creativity and attention deficit disorder. The ADHD gifted have actually created the whole world if you would look at the All in-Star list of who has it. Among the supremely creative, there are Beethoven, Mozart, Leonardo da Vinci, and Walt Disney. Among scientists and engineers who created the civilized world, there are Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Newton, Einstein, the Wright brothers, Edison and Alexander Graham Bell. That’s not too shabby a list at all – it is enough to make you want to find a way to get ADHD yourself.

They say that about two in one hundred children are diagnosed with ADHD symptoms like having a fidgeting problem, trouble waiting one’s turn, having trouble concentrating and remembering things, and having trouble organizing. The trouble is, ADHD and giftedness may more or less have the same kinds of visible qualities in a child. What they tend to call an attention deficit problem, may actually be the effects of being an over-intelligent and creative child, impatient with his current situation. Did you know that when they say that ADHD gifted children have trouble concentrating, they actually mean that they are unable to find the interest to concentrate? Children like this can actually concentrate better than normal children; they just have trouble directing their concentration at will.

An ADHD gifted child, usually doesn’t struggle apparently with his or her problem as much as a regular ADHD child. The child may effortlessly do everything expected in school; the forgetfulness or fidgeting may just be overlooked as a result. The ADHD in a gifted child does not necessarily have to be cured; as you can probably see, the ADHD can actually push the child to work harder at his or her strengths. However, a proper enlightened teacher can often help the child develop neglected areas that the child was too impatient to think about himself. Patience is such a virtue, and having the child slowly try to develop that area, could help the child in the future.

Before you try to get your child any kind of treatment, you do need to be aware that in an ADHD gifted child the giftedness and impairment go together; you probably do not want to do anything that could suppress the gift. Contact psychologists and psychiatrists, as many different specialties as you can, before you arrive at a decision. The psychiatric and medical community is as prone to fads and trends as the rest of us. Ritalin, the drug for ADHD is being pushed like some commodity these days; you don’t want your child to get caught up in all of this. If you could get a variety of healthcare professionals agreeing that your child would benefit from medication, then alone would it be a good idea. Until then, who would want to mess a good thing, a future Mozart?

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May 14th, 2010
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Emotional stress is bad for your health! Effective ways of coping

March 19th, 2010
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Emotional stress is bad for your health! Effective ways of coping

All of us experience some degree of emotional stress on a fairly frequent basis. Our fast-paced lives and stringent schedules seem to invite stress. Never enough time, financial worries, job stress and family problems all contribute. The fact is that emotional stress wears away at your good health. It can affect your immune system response negatively, making you more vulnerable to illness. If you have certain existing medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, emotional stress isn’t going to help. Given that we’re all subject to this type of stress, at least occasionally, the name of the game is to keep the stress to a minimum. Here are a few tried and true ways to reduce stress of an emotional nature.

Your first step should be to assess your personality type. If you’re the laid-back type, you have an advantage, in that it’s easier for you to shrug off minor stresses. However, if you’re the hyper type, tending towards anxiety and nervousness, stressful situations tend to build on one another, leaving you a nervous wreck in very short order, while also significantly affecting your health. In either case, once you’ve made this self assessment, you can better judge how many of these stress reducing ideas you’ll need to pursue to get on a better footing with life.

It’s a good idea to keep a log where you record situations that bring on emotional stress. This helps you identify your personal ‘triggers’. A small notebook is all you need. Just a brief description is all you need to later recall the entire event. For example, ‘forgot to pay the phone bill’ or ‘conflict with Mary at work’ should suffice. You’ll find that when you make a note, over time you’ll start to see patterns which reveal characteristics of your own behavior which may consistently lead to stressing out. You may find that, due to procrastinating, you’re frequently late accomplishing tasks that exacerbate your stress.

Certainly, there are occasions when emotional stress is warranted, such as worrying over a child’s illness. The problem with this type of stress is that it has a ’snowball’ effect when you allow every little thing to pile up in one indistinguishable mass of worry and you soon find yourself overwhelmed. Your log can help to sort out the issues over which you have control. Procrastination, for example, can lead to many unnecessary hassles. In this case, by making a calendar of events you need to attend to before a problem arises can go a long way to reducing emotional stress.

On the other hand, your log may simply reveal that, due to an anxious and nervous disposition, minor stresses form the majority of your entries. In this case, it’s most often helpful to focus on getting rid of some of that nervous energy. Some people just have ‘energy to burn’, quite literally. Implement a program of regular exercise. A brisk walk in the fresh air twice daily works wonders for staving off bouts of emotional stress. Some people find that rigorous cleaning around the house (think cleaning the oven, vacuuming, washing walls) serves to alleviate stress in two ways: you burn off excess energy and gain the satisfaction of a visibly cleaner home.

Hobbies of a less physical nature, such as reading, drawing or knitting are good techniques for reducing stress, especially if your health doesn’t permit excessively vigorous physical activities. Your object here is to allow your mind to be occupied with something you enjoy, rather than letting yourself stew over emotional issues which really aren’t significant in the long run. This method helps you take a step back, relax and put things in perspective.

Other primarily mental ‘exercises’ that prove helpful to many people include meditation and prayer, which also gets your mind out of the immediate. Giving yourself a spiritual lift has an added bonus, in that your body and mind relax. Practicing yoga is another good way to reduce emotional stress and which doesn’t put undue stress on your body, while clearing your mind, leaving you feeling refreshed and ultimately, more limber and fit.

Last, if you’re not the laid-back type, you may want to consider reducing your consumption of caffeine. While you may love coffee, the caffeine can contribute mightily to an undesirable rush of adrenalin, which only worsens your susceptibility to physical and emotional stress. Try swapping an herbal tea or a glass of juice for that third cup of coffee.

Although emotional stress is unfortunately a fact of life for most of us, you can certainly minimize it, using all of the methods outlined here. You’ll find that your emotional balance improves, as well as feeling more energetic, sleeping better and experiencing fewer illnesses. To your good health!

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March 8th, 2010
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The Infant Sling

March 1st, 2010
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The Infant Sling

Do you have a fussy baby? There are suggestions everywhere about what you can do to make your baby happier when you have no idea what is wrong with them. Many babies get colic, and there is often not much that can be done other than to wait it out in some cases, as long as there is not a serious medical problem behind it. Gas drops sometimes help, as do things like swings and vibrating chairs. Some say that wearing your baby for at least a few hours a day in an infant sling can help your baby throughout the rest of the day and night.

When babies are born, they are thrust out of the environment to which they are accustomed and the only one they have ever known. Suddenly there is no resistance for their arms and legs where they once could only move them so much. They feel less secure. Baby is use to a cocoon that holds them close and when they no longer have this, it makes sense that they feel like they are in a strange and less secure environment. This is where things like the infant sling come into play. Anything that can mimic the womb help settle baby and make them feel secure.

Swaddling is something that can work like the womb. The baby should be able to move arms and legs a little, but they should feel some resistance, just like things felt inside of the warm womb of their mother. Many fussy babies calm right down when they are swaddled. Some parents fear that swaddling restricts babies arms and legs, but that is the whole point. They won’t need this forever, but it works well to calm them for the first few months. You can swaddle them with a blanket, but you can also swaddle them with an infant sling worn by mom.

Some call having baby in an infant sling ‘baby wearing’. Not only do babies miss the restriction of the womb, they also miss the warm feeling as well as the motion of mom walking and going about her day. A baby worn in an infant sling feel those same movements and are close to the warm body of their mother. The sling often mimics the womb so well that fussy babies calm right down.

If you get a baby or infant sling, read the directions thoroughly, or watch the DVD that comes with the sling so you can carry your baby in it safely. Take time a few hours each day, even if baby is not fussy, to wear your baby with you as you go about your normal activities. You should also wear them when they are having a fussy period too. Just wearing them a few hours a day can make them feel secure for the rest of the day, and you may see less colic and a better sleeping baby. The infant sling makes it possible for mom to get more done, can also be worn by dad, and allows anyone caring for baby to have hands free when they need them.

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Be sure your girl’s shoes fit right: poorly fitted shoes cause medical problems down the road!

February 23rd, 2010
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Be sure your girl’s shoes fit right: poorly fitted shoes cause medical problems down the road!

As every parent knows, keeping kids in clothing and shoes takes a big bite out of your total budget. With clothes, you can save by using hand-me-downs and shopping the consignment, thrift and discount stores. However, when it comes to your girl’s shoes, you’ve got to be a bit more careful. Whereas boy’s shoes tend to be plain ? and shaped like the child’s foot ? girl’s shoes, especially the dressy styles, come with pointy toes, which begin to narrow at the base of the big toe. Poorly fitting shoes can cause a lot of problems for those quickly growing bones, which can show up years later in bunions, hammertoes and other painful and needless bone deformations, which may require surgery to correct. Here we’ve got some guidelines on how to be sure your girl doesn’t end up with bone problems by the time she’s in her teens.

Before you ever begin to check out shoe styles, ask the shoe salesperson to use a shoe fitting device (all shoe stores have one) to determine the correct width and length of your child’s foot. Doing this step before starting to make selections helps avoid a disappointed child who finds the ‘perfect’ shoe, her heart’s desire, only to discover it’s not available in her size. After her feet have been measured, ask the salesperson to show you several styles of the type of girl’s shoes you need, be it tennies, boots or dress shoes. If the shoes will be worn with socks, have your girl wear, or bring a pair of socks suited to the shoe. The socks will make a considerable difference in the fit of the shoe!

Always try on both shops before testing for a good fit. It’s common for people to have one foot to be just a tad larger than the other, usually averaging about a ? inch difference between the two. You want to go with the shoe size that fits the larger foot.

Shopping for girl’s shoes can be a little more difficult than with boys. Perhaps girls are just born with fashion in their genes and shoe manufacturers know that. Girl’s shoes come with an array of decorations and ‘features’ not found on boy’s shoes, such as fashion straps, bows, little heels and those pointy toes, making the selection process more exciting ? and longer.

Be prepared to be firm on certain ‘features’, such as pumps and pointy toes. Explain that those pointy toes squish those rapidly growing bones ? and that they’re quite uncomfortable when worn for even a couple of hours. As for pump, while they may look cute, they can also contribute to a misaligned spine. As proof, offer a reminder of old Aunt May and her long standing back pain. ?You don’t want that sort of condition at your age, do you!? The only viable case for the pointed toe or short pump might be when the shoes will rarely be worn for limited periods of time. Just a couple of hours in such a shoe will probably change your child’s mind on the merits of this type of girl’s shoes. When trying on the shoes, have your girl stand up straight. Feel the width across the ball of the foot to be sure it’s not too tight. Now have the child walk several feet away, so you can observe the heel portion. Her heel should not come up as she walks ? this type of fit results in painful blisters. If the shoe fits well in every other way, you still have two alternatives: ask if the store carries inserts for the heel, or if that shoe comes in a narrower heel size.

Following these guidelines, you and your girl can both be happy. If you can’t find a pair of girl’s shoes that fit ? and passes the fashion test, be willing to go to another shoe store. Establishing the shoe shopping rules, right up front, makes subsequent shoe shopping easier. Remember, you’ll be doing this again in about three months!

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What To Do For Itchy Skin

February 21st, 2010
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What To Do For Itchy Skin

What you can do when you have itchy skin depends greatly on where that skin is located. You may think that skin is skin so what works in one area will work anywhere, but that is not always the case. If you have dry skin, dry scalp, and itchy feet, you may have to have three different remedies for these problems. If you have dry skin in general, you may find that one good lotion takes care of all of your problems, but that is rarely going to be the case. Think about your itch and you will know how to take care of it, and if not, someone online certainly will.

Itchy skin on the top of your head is called dandruff, but you may not see flakes even if you have problems in this area. You may just have the itch. You can not put lotion in your hair, obviously, unless you like the really greasy, stringy, look. Even then, lotion that works well on dry arms or legs is not going to do anything for the itchy skin on the top of your head. Get a good dandruff shampoo and use as often as you need. Some need it every day and some need it only once a week.

If you have itchy skin on your feet, it could be that they are dry, but it could also be that you have athletes foot itch. You do not have to be athletic to get this, but you do have to be exposed to it to get it on your feet in some cases. What you want to do about it depends on the severity of the itchy skin on your feet. If you have problems between your toes and your skin seems to be cracking and feels like it is burning, you want a remedy just for athletes feet. Some are over the counter and some are prescription. When caught early, you can use something from the drug store. If your feet are in bad shape, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.

Itchy skin on your torso and extremities may just be dry skin. There are many great lotions out there that can take care of this for you. Put your lotion on right after you shower before you dry off with a towel to make sure that lotion pulls that moisture into your skin. It may seem like you are just smearing it around, but this is the best way to get the most moisture into your itchy skin. If you find your skin is smoother but still irritated, look for lotions with minimal perfumes and additives. You may be sensitive to those things and there are several good lotions for that problem too.

When you have tried many different lotions for your itchy skin and nothing seems to help, and you notice that you have some red and scaly skin patches, you may have a more serious skin condition that needs medical attention. It won’t hurt you too much, but you will suffer with the itch and irritation if you do not get help. At times, sun exposure can help with this, along with some prescription lotions and medications. Not all itchy skin is the same, and what works for someone else may not work for you. Identify the problem and try different products until you find the one that works the best for you.

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When you want to ask medical questions, don’t be shy! How to prepare for your next doctor’s appointment

February 21st, 2010
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When you want to ask medical questions, don’t be shy! How to prepare for your next doctor’s appointment

Long gone are the days when your family physician would make a house call at any hour of the day or night to attend to your illness. Today, if you’re five minutes late for a scheduled appointment, you may not be seen that day! Doctors seem to have more patients than can be seen in a day. At any rate, you know that you’re not likely to get more than a few precious minutes of your doctor’s personal attention. You’d better come prepared. When you’ve got an upcoming scheduled appointment, you certainly can’t be shy. Ask medical questions that will give you a comprehensive picture that addresses all of your concerns.

Begin at least a few days prior to your appointment, compiling a list of points you need answered to set your mind at ease. Ever since I was a child, when it took four nurses to hold me down to administer a shot, I’ve always feared the doctor’s office. To this day, I feel anxious and fearful the minute I see all those white coats and get stuck in the doctor’s examining room, sterile smelling and full of various instruments. My blood pressure takes an immediate hike. I’ve finally learned that in order to ask medical questions and get my money’s worth, I must invest some time in making a list, lest I forget that one important detail. It’s worth the trouble.

I begin by researching online. Let’s say that you have arthritis. While there are tens of millions of other people afflicted with this same condition, doctors see dozens of cases every day. However, you are the one suffering the condition. When you ask medical questions of your doctor concerning particular areas of your body that are causing you problems, you want specific answers that pertain to you. You don’t want to be handed a ‘cheat sheet’ of generalized information. To avoid this unintentional dusting off, do your research.

A good place for you to start is a Google search, such as ‘ask medical questions arthritis’. You’ll get hundreds of thousands of results, mainly from the conventional medical professionals. Click through to see what answers you can find. If cold weather makes your hands hurt terribly, see what you can find out about possible causes and treatments. Print this information out and highlight portions you don’t understand so you can ask medical questions of your doctor to throw some light on the problem at your appointment.

Now do a search on ‘arthritis nutrition’. See what you can find out about foods and nutrients that might help. Explore ‘alternative healing arthritis’. Perhaps acupuncture or herbs can provide some relief. Print out everything you find, highlighting points for clarification by your doctor.

An even better solution is to email this information to your doctor several days ahead of your appointment. Make a list of what you’d like to query your doctor on during your appointment.

When you ask medical questions that are specific and to the point, both you and your doctor save time. Don’t be shy, it’s your health!

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Sensitive Skin Acne Treatment

February 19th, 2010
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Sensitive Skin Acne Treatment

Not everyone has the same skin type. This is something you should know about face and body care. After all, if you are using the wrong topical treatments on your skin, you could actually be creating more problems. Take acne breakouts for instance. Depending on your skin type, your face will require different products to deal with whiteheads, blackheads, blemishes and cystic acne. Just to give you an idea, the most common skin types are normal, combination, dry, oily/problematic, and sensitive. If you’re not sure what exactly sensitive means, it basically refers to how delicate your epidermis is and how easily it reacts to strong ingredients. If you have a sensitive complexion, you’ll know it, because most skin care products will irritate your complexion in some way or another. Fortunately there are sensitive skin acne treatment solutions out there to choose from these days.

If you are certain you have sensitive skin, then it is time to proceed on with searching for the right sensitive skin acne treatment or daily cleanser to aid with your grooming regimen. If you aren’t sure, go ahead and consult a licensed dermatologist. Now, finding the right sensitive skin acne treatment or hydrating moisturizer is not near as difficult in this day and age as it was. At this point your biggest decision will be what brand name to choose. To give you an idea, there are brands like Lancome, Clinique and Aveda that all offer sensitive skin care products. It all depends on what it is you’re looking for and what you are willing to spend. While Lancome will probably cost you the most money, Aveda is a skin care and beauty line that places a great focus on all-natural plant extracts and organic components. Clinique likes to keep things simple and do not attempt to dress products up in fancy packaging. They go for more of the clean medical or professional look.

Individuals with sensitive skin types can also find sensitive skin acne treatments in local drugstores. Think along the lines of brands like Neutrogena and Clearasil. Both of these brand names offer sensitive skin acne treatment products that do not irritate, lead to redness, and over-dry the user’s complexion. If you know you are sensitive to a certain ingredient, be sure to read each container and find out if the product is infused with that component. The more you know, the better off you will be with your choice of acne treatments. A couple ingredients that you should try to avoid are Benzyl Peroxide and alcohol, which are both drying agents. These two key ingredients can certainly lead to over-drying, redness, and further breakouts for some people with sensitive skin types.

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Pictures of Lung Cancer

February 16th, 2010
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Pictures of Lung Cancer

Lung Cancer Awareness Month may have prompted you to go Google image searching for what lung cancer really looks like. Then you might have regretted it afterwards because of how gross it looks. Even through the image filter, pictures of lung cancer are not a pretty sight. Disgusting, actually, if you really must know. People at risk for getting lung cancer should look at them more often for motivation. We respond very strongly to visual stimulation?there?s a difference between imagining something and seeing it before your very eyes. It might be more effective to show people pictures of lung cancer instead of verbally warning them about the consequences of it. The funny thing is, Google images of normal lungs and you?ll mostly get medical diagrams and anatomical drawings, but Google image pictures of lung cancer and you?ll get more of lungs in the flesh, all red and damaged and inflamed. Going back to the power of visual imagery, real lung cancer pictures are probably much more effective than drawings of the disease.

Have you noticed that when you look up pictures of lung cancer, or any other disease or medical condition for that matter on the internet, you?ll get the most extreme, gruesome and graphic representations of it ever? Look up something as small as a pimple and you?ll get pictures of pimples the size of golf balls. Look up pictures of spider bites and you?ll see flesh ripping and rotting away, seriously. It?s like Ripley?s Believe It Or Not. You rarely see cases as extreme as this in real life. The same sort of thing happens when you read up on medical conditions in general. They?ll tell you the worst possible thing that could happen, any of the possible complications of a condition going awry. Death is a commonly listed symptom of many a disease: ?such and such can lead to this and that, and that, and in some cases even death.? And for anything, they?ll always tell you to go to the hospital: ?some ways to alleviate (some disease) is this and that, but it?s best to consult a doctor,? ?consult your physician if symptoms get worse or persist.? It?s like a medical conspiracy, trying to scare people into seeking medical attention.

The internet enables mass communication, which also gives it the potential to enable mass hysteria. Take everything you see or read with a grain of salt, but at the same time make sure that you?re okay because these things really do happen, you know.

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