Thursday, September 25, 2008

Treatment for Hemorrhoids: What you can do to be relieved of this condition

Having hemorrhoids could prove to be quite an ordeal. Aside from the pain and discomfort that it brings, hemorrhoids can also hinder you from living a normal life. If you find yourself in this situation, you should do something about it right away to prevent it from getting worse.

 

There are many ways to treat hemroids these days. One is by increasing the dietary fiber intake. Hemorrhoids are usually aggravated by the shearing or force exerted during bowel movements so it is best to avoid doing so. The best way to avoid shearing when answering the call of nature is to make sure that your stool is in the "ideal" form so your body could expel it naturally without extra force exerted. A soft and large stool is easily pushed out through the anal canal by the gentle pressure waves in the large intestine.

 

A hard, dry, and small stool on the other hand is quite hard to expel and that is when we need to exert extra force through the abdominal muscles. Though eating a high fiber diet may not cure the existing hemorrhoids, it can help prevent any further damage brought by a difficult bowel movement.

 

The recommended daily intake of fiber is 20-30 grams. Foods with high fiber content are vegetables, fresh and dried fruits, cereals, and grains. Supplementary fibers such as methylcellulose, psyllium, or calcium polycarbophil could also be used to increase fiber intake. Stool softeners and increase in liquid intake is also recommended.

 

Over the counter products are also available for hemorrhoid treatment. Gels, creams, and ointments are usually used by applying them thinly as a coating around the anus. These products could also be applied in the anal canal itself. When you are advised to do so, it is best to use a pile pipe that has holes on the sides and at the end. Remember to lubricate first the pile pipe with an ointment before insertion into the anal canal.

Local anesthetics are also used for hemorrhoid patients to temporarily relieve them of the pain, itching, and burning by numbing nerve endings. However, local anesthetics have a limited use to the lower anal canal and the perianal area. Moreover, some people experience allergic reactions - with itching and burning, to this product.

 

Chemicals that resemble epinephrine and are called vasoconstrictors could also be used to treat hemorrhoids. Vasoconstrictors are applied to the anus to make the blood vessels smaller and may reduce swelling. It also has a mild anesthetic effect that reduces pain and itching. There are also vasoconstrictors that can be taken orally or through injections but the one that is applied to the perianal area poses a lower risk of side effects such as nervousness, tremor, high blood pressure, sleeplessness, hyperthyroidism, and aggravation of diabetes.

Agility Training for Dogs

When you are training for agility there are a few tips that will help you and your dog succeed. We all know that some training is required for obedience as well as socialization, but agility is a specialized training that can take you and your dog further. There are some dogs, small and large, that have more ability for agile work or play. When you offer the obstacles, jobs, and other exercise they tend to be happy dogs because they are getting what their intelligence requires. Often agility training is thought to be for dog shows, police dogs, or even for guard dogs, but the truth is it can be for any dog you want to make happy and have fun.

 

The first tip for agility training is that you should work the dog on both sides of the handler. In other words you are going to make sure the dog watches you from both sides and that in one segment you practice with the dog on your left and then switch this can give them the mental capacity to be able to move with more fluidity. For example when you are working with examples you don't want the dog to understand where the owner is in relation to the obstacle. Instead they need to be shown the owner can be anywhere.

 

Often times your dog is going to be very excited during training. This can work against you in some cases. You want to make sure they follow your lead and you need to make sure they stay at the same pace. You want to make sure the dog can handle the obstacles and the course, but don't let them push you through the work and don't push them. Some dogs need more time to grasp concepts. Patience will always win out over irritation when you have commands and agility they need to perform and understand.

 

Motivating your dog is very important as well. Some dogs need more motivation. There are several ways to provide motivation. You can change out the obstacles and the course for a highly intelligent dog that gets bored, you can provide treats for a job well done, or you can offer toys to get them going.

 

Consistency in agility training is needed. Some dogs lack the confidence to perform, but they tend to do so for their owner. The more work you provide and the more you are affectionate and caring when they complete a task right the more they can feel proud and begin to improve. Dogs can be very sensitive and they pick up on disappointment. Always try to help your dog feel the best.

 

You also want to watch that you don't over train. Overtraining when a dog experiences issues with an obstacle can make them avoid the course, get discouraged or provide less enthusiasm. It is best to work a course and work on problems at a good pace, but also to realize when the dog needs a break from something they don't get right away.

 

When you are working with agility training it is important to remember that a dog will only remember the training as long as you continue to work with them. It is not a good idea to provide just one day a week with agility training. You should supply two or three sessions a week that are short. You don't want to over work the dog either. It can be both stressful and become boring.

 

For agility training you will find that it is not necessary for all dogs or proper care, but for those dogs who love to play, and have jobs agility training can keep them happier and more fit.

 

Ashley Peach works for the website dog accessories from where he sells Dog Training Equipment.

Coke Art

Coke Art is a blog by RockAndRoll Agency about Coca-Cola art from then & now, brand news, collectibles & information for Coca-Cola lovers & fanatics. The "Coca-Cola Art" is not only a Coke memorabilia archive, but also a blog about pop culture and the up-to-date art & communication by the biggest brand in the world. For the Coca-Cola collectors and fans of vintage art, there's a large collection of early Coke advertising material. These retro images are an important slice of Coke history, while up-to-date visuals show how relevant Coca-Cola still is after all these years.

 

In recent years, Coca-Cola is using its global resources to drive a multi-cultural, multi-media platform in countries all around the world. Their fully integrated campaigns consist of packaging graphics, point of sale materials, radio & television, outdoor advertising, print executions and viral marketing. On the "Coca-Cola Art" blog, you can find a selection of can and bottle designs, limited editions, POS, billboards, wall paintings, posters and flyers, copywriting, radio, cinema and television commercials, web design, magazines ads, … Enjoy!

 

RockAndRoll Agency is a full-cycle communication agency offering marketing services, strategic development and art direction. RockAndRoll Agency was founded in 2003 by Jean-Philippe Noterman and Wouter De Coster. Jean-Philippe studied philosophy/anthropology, Wouter has a background as fashion designer. Before starting RockAndRoll Agency, they worked already together for 5 years in the publishing and communication business. RockAndRoll Agency has worked for clients as various as The Coca-Cola Group, Nokia, Levi's, Tommy Hilfiger, Procter&Gamble, Schott NY, Motorola...

 

RockAndRoll Agency is dedicated to the production of visual identity design, graphic animation and websites. As art buyers and curators, RockAndRoll Agency is always looking for artists with strong ideas and an individual voice.

How Alcohol Affects Vital Organs

The brain appears to be the organ most sensitive to alcohol abuse with a potential risk of both short and long-term brain damage. Researchers report that brain damage is not only extremely common in alcoholics, but also occurs in moderate, social drinkers. They suggest mild brain damage is so common that it affects the performance of many (among others) police, politicians and bureaucrats.

 

Further evidence that even moderate drinking damages the brain comes from recent (2004) studies at Johns Hopkins University. The researchers found that middle aged and elderly moderate drinkers have measurably smaller brains compared to nondrinkers.

 

The eye is another organ affected by alcohol. Using ophthalmoscopes to study conjunctival capillaries of the human eye, Melvin Knisely and his coworkers back in the 1960s first observed evidence of blood thickening at blood-alcohol concentrations as low as 0.025 per cent (after one drink). The researchers suggested blood thickening, even in social drinkers, may be sufficient to block fine blood pathways in the brain and cause brain damage.

 

Alcohol's inhibition of brain activity also affects vision. At a blood-alcohol concentration of around 0.08 per cent, the eyes' ability to focus is disturbed to such an extent that depth vision is impeded and double vision may occur. There is also evidence higher blood alcohol levels may be risk factors in night blindness and cataracts. The ear is also affected by alcohol. An estimated one in 10 Australians have impaired hearing. In Australia there are almost 10,000 workers compensation cases for industrial deafness every year. Alcohol may have played a significant role in many of these cases.

 

One of the protective mechanisms provided by nature against loud sounds involves an aural reflex action (similar to squinting eyes in sudden bright light), which tenses the eardrum and stiffens the lever action of the delicate bones in the ear, thus reducing the amplification of vibrations by up to 20 dB.

 

Alcohol can impair the reflex action of the autonomic nervous system by between 5 dB and 13 dB. This means drinkers are not protected from loud noises until the noise is much louder than usual. Drinking alcohol over the lunch hour thus makes workers more vulnerable to noise-induced hearing loss.

 

Alcohol drinking mixed with prolonged loud noise exposure such as at rock concerts, nightclubs or through personal stereos may be a major factor in the apparent increasing incidence of hearing loss observed in young adults.

 

Even at relatively low levels, such as after drinking a single drink, alcohol has been found to alter almost all membrane functions of nerve cells including neurotransmitter release, the functions of specific enzymes, ion-conductance channels, calcium-binding sites and signalling across membranes.

 

It is believed part of the mechanism that allows heavy drinkers to build up a "tolerance" to alcohol is found in the response of nerve cells, increasing the proportion of saturated fatty acids in the membranes to reduce the damaging effect of alcohol on the nerve cells.

 

This functional tolerance is a prerequisite to developing physical dependence, where adaptation to alcohol by the central nervous system necessitates the presence of alcohol to maintain feedback systems controlling the balance of cell processes. The body cannot then function "normally" in the absence of alcohol and a craving for alcohol develops.

 

When alcohol is withheld, withdrawal symptoms occur, such as nausea, hallucinations, depressions, involuntary trembling and anxiety. One of the most critical withdrawal symptoms is delirium tremens, known colloquially as the DTs. DTs typically involve hallucinations, disorientation, misperceptions, very rapid heartbeat and high blood pressure. These last two symptoms highlight the fact that alcohol affects the heart.

 

When a drink of, say, whisky is consumed, the heart may beat faster and give a sensation of warmth as a result of increased blood flow to dilated blood vessels near the surface of the skin.

 

If a considerable amount of alcohol is consumed, the increased flow of blood to surface capillaries may become visible as bloodshot eyes. The short-term effects of a drink or two may also occur in what is known as "holiday heart syndrome," which manifests itself as temporary heartbeat irregularities caused by the effects of acetaldehyde in the circulatory system.

 

Habitual heavy drinking damages the heart muscle and blood vessels and leads to elevated blood pressure. It has been estimated alcohol is a causative factor in at least 50 per cent of the cases of congestive heart disease, the most common cause of death associated with alcohol abuse.

 

For RSA certificate courses and RSA training, learn the responsible service of alcohol from South Bank Institute of Technology.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Casinos That Offer Great Benefits

Online casinos have steadily become one of the most popular genres of websites on the internet. If you have ever experienced the thrill of playing in a traditional casino, then you would definitely enjoy the perks of playing in an online casino. These sites offer virtually very game that you can imagine playing. They also offer many other perks. Of course, if you have ever visited a traditional casino, you know that they offer things such as comps for food, coffee, free rooms and other benefits. Online casinos also offer many comps such as a no deposit poker bonus and free poker money.

 

Different online casinos will offer different incentives to get you to stay and play. Free poker with no deposit or free no deposit poker are very popular incentives that many online casino websites use to entice players to open accounts with them and experience the thrill of playing.

 

If you have no idea which online casinos offer these perks, then you can visit a website that lists the many casinos and the benefits or incentives that they provide. You can find this information all in one place, giving you the benefit of saving time by searching through multiple online casinos yourself.

 

Sites that provide this information offer you a great advantage by giving you all the information that you need to make your decision on where you would rather play and provides you with enough information to choose the site that offers the perks that you are specifically looking for. Whether you are an avid online casino player or are just considering it for the first time, finding the online casino site that offers you what you want is vitally important to enjoy your playing and ensure that you choose the best site for your own personal preferences.