Category: Health x Body

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Health x Body Wellbeing

Funding For Chronic Fatigue Research Has Doubled, But Do You Know The Signs Of The Syndrome?

Imagine telling someone you have a disease only for them to roll their eyes or tell you that you’re imaging things. Welcome to the life of the hundreds of thousands of American women living with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Officially dubbed myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is one of those diseases that’s long befuddled the medical community. There’s no known cause, and doctors can’t just run a blood test that confirms you have CFS. Even the symptoms—from fatigue that makes day-to-day activities difficult to muscle aches, headaches, and joint pain—are often associated with other diseases, making chronic fatigue that much harder to diagnose.
Even more frustrating if you have ME? The internet is rife with articles that further the myth that CFS is all in a patient’s head rather than a very real and very serious illness.
Currently 1 million Americans have been diagnosed with CFS, and women lead the pack in terms of diagnoses—we’re two to four times more likely to have ME.

So why the debate?

Although the term has only recently made its way into the mainstream, the medical community has been seeing chronic fatigue crop up in patients for decades. In the 1800s and even into the 1900s, it was often written off as a “nervous exhaustion.” Female patients, in particular, were pooh-poohed as the weaker sex and their symptoms considered signs of weakness.
Sexism (and skepticism) about the condition is hardly a thing of the past. It’s only been in recent years that scientists have made serious headway in ME studies, enough to begin to quiet the detractors who call the disease psychosomatic.
That myth that was blown wide open by doctors in Australia in early 2017 when researchers at Griffith University’s National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases found a dysfunctional cell receptor in the immune system they say is to blame for ME. Another win for people with this condition came in March 2017, when researchers at Stanford University published their own study that showed the immune cells of ME sufferers don’t recover as well as those of healthy individuals.
With the National Institutes of Health doubling funding for ME research in 2017, the debate over whether the disease is real seems to be finally rounding the bend into “believe them” territory.

What does ME do?

Of course, if you have ME, there is no question the disease is real.
Sufferers experience a drastic decline in their ability to do activities that were normal before the illness. And when they do try to exert the same sort of energy they exerted pre-ME—taking on tasks as simple as going to the mall—they’re often hit by post-exertional malaise (PEM), a crashing of the body that can keep them housebound for days or even weeks.
The official symptoms to look for, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, include:

  • Feeling extremely exhausted for more than 24 hours after physical or mental exercise
  • Not feeling refreshed after sleeping or having trouble sleeping
  • Having a hard time concentrating or problems with attention and memory
  • Feeling dizzy or faint when sitting up or standing (due to a drop in blood pressure)
  • Muscle pain or aches
  • Pain or aches in joints without swelling or redness
  • Headaches of a new type, pattern, or strength
  • Tender lymph nodes in the neck or under the arm
  • Sore throat that is constant or goes away and comes back often

Why women?

Although men can and do suffer from chronic fatigue, ME diagnoses in women are far more common than they are in men. And women with ME tend to have more severe symptoms than men with the disease. A woman’s risk of having both chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia concurrently is nearly double that of a man. Issues such as widespread pain, muscle spasms, dizziness, sexual dysfunction, Raynaud’s phenomenon, morning stiffness, and drug and metal allergies are all less likely to show up in men with the disease than they are in women.
But like the still-elusive cause for the condition, the reason that it’s more prevalent in women remains a mystery. Unfortunately, gender studies researchers say women are often blamed for bringing the condition on themselves as they’re blamed for being both too high strung and too weak.

What can you do?

Only a medical professional can diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome. Typically fatigue symptoms must have begun at least six months prior to diagnosis, and a patient will have to have at least four other symptoms from the list to get a diagnosis. Because the symptoms also crop up with other diseases, the diagnosis process may take time, as doctors have to rule out other diseases and conditions.
If your physician determines you do have ME, be aware there is no cure, but there are medicines that can be used to alleviate many of the symptoms.

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Health x Body Wellbeing

4 Signs Of Hormone Imbalance And What To Do About Them

Your hormone balance is an interconnected web that affects your whole body. Everything from genetics, stress levels, to diet can play a role in your unique hormone balance. Because hormones are interconnected, if one hormone is out of whack, it can affect your whole body in different ways. Feeling sluggish, run down, or somehow off? Find out what you need to know about hormone imbalance.

1. Low Libido

Having a low sex drive should be taken seriously whether you are sexually active or not. And if you are partnered up, it affects both of you. If you have a pretty good idea of your regular sex drive, a lowered libido will be noticeable—and hormone imbalance could be to blame.
The hormones at play are dopamine, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, serotonin, and prolactin. But libido isn’t all about hormones, it’s also a mental process that can be affected by stress.
Focusing on stress relief to increase libido is a healthy place to start. Try our favorite stress-relief techniques and see what a huge difference it can make.

2. Changes in Mood or Depression

Mental health is a complicated and deeply personal issue. If you notice you’re feeling down more often, it could be due to mental stress affecting a multitude of hormones.
To balance things back out, it’s important to focus on self-care. Practicing yoga may be able to reduce the impact of stress. Plus, it’s great exercise that releases endorphins that lift your mood. You can also try incorporating more ginseng in your diet and lowering your sugar intake.

3. Fatigue

Needing a cup of [linkbuilder id=”3696″ text=”coffee in the morning”] may feel pretty standard. But if you’re so fatigued that you are having a hard time getting out of bed or you can’t do as much during the day, something is off. Having an underactive thyroid may be your cause of fatigue. An imbalance in your estrogen and progesterone levels could also be a cause.
Try increasing your intake of Ashwagandha, an adaptogenic herb that has been proven to affect the thyroid and progesterone levels. This can help to level things out without that third cup of coffee.

4. Changes in Hair Health

Having a long, lush, healthy mop of hair isn’t just style goals, it can also be an indicator of hormonal health. Keep in mind your hair grows out from the root, so if you’re seeing dull ends it may just mean that you’re due for a trim. If your hair growth slows, your roots are becoming brittle, or you’re experiencing more hair loss than usual (keep in mind, some hair shedding every day is normal) your hormones may be imbalanced. The major hormones at play are androgens (such as testosterone) or the problem could be related to a thyroid imbalance.
Safely increasing testosterone levels can help with female hair loss. You can boost testosterone with high-intensity workouts. Plus, you get those feel-good endorphins going on! You can also try a daily scalp massage to relax and promote thicker hair.

When You Should See a Doctor

Having hormone imbalance isn’t something to ignore. If you notice a very sudden change (as in overnight) or if making different lifestyle choices does not fix a more gradual issue, it is important to see a doctor. Every one of the above symptoms could be an indicator of a more serious health problem that should be treated with the help of a doctor.
Hormone-related disorders include many different thyroid diseases, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), adrenal disorders, and more.
Getting your hormones back in balance can be the key to feeling (and looking) great. A few simple steps to relieve stress, improve your diet, and build an exercise routine can make a big difference in your hormone balance.

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Health x Body Wellbeing

Have Persistent HPV? Here's What You Need To Know

Back in 2004, when my doctor told me I should get a new vaccine that protected against human papillomavirus (HPV), I didn’t take it seriously. Let’s just say that I, much like Liz Lemon, was a late bloomer, so I didn’t think I needed the vaccine.
Fast forward to 2017, when I found out I had a persistent strain of HPV and needed to have a colposcopy to examine some suspicious cervical cells.
Even though my doctor reassured me that I most likely did not have cervical cancer, I had a meltdown anyway. I immediately called my husband and told him that if I died, he was not allowed to remarry the hot nanny he’d inevitably hire to help raise our son.
I maybe—okay definitely—overreacted.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease, and almost all sexually active adults will contract HPV at some point in their life.
Most adults with healthy immune systems are able to clear the infection naturally; they may never even know they had HPV in the first place.
For a few lucky individuals like me, though, HPV infection doesn’t go away on its own.
If you’ve been diagnosed with persistent HPV, don’t freak out. By taking a few preventive measures, you can manage your HPV infection and make sure the “C” word never even has a chance to develop.
“The best way to protect your health (and your cervix) is to maintain your routine GYN care,” says Jaime Knopman, MD, co-founder of Truly, MD and director of fertility preservation at CCRM NY. “Don’t become a stranger to your gynecologist! Surveillance, in the form of Pap smears, colposcopy, and biopsies, at regular intervals can detect cervical abnormalities.”

The Dreaded “C” Word: Colposcopy

If you had an abnormal Pap test, your doctor will probably recommend a colposcopy to investigate the cells in question. If you’ve never had a colposcopy before, you’re in for a real treat.
Just kidding.
Because I’ve had persistent HPV for a couple of years, I’ve been lucky enough to have several colposcopies. You can expect discomfort similar to that felt during a Pap test, as the doctor will have to insert a speculum to see the cervix better.
During the exam, your doctor looks through a magnifying lens at your cervix to detect any abnormal cells that may need to be biopsied. Having your gynecologist nose-deep in your lady parts isn’t fun, but colposcopies are critical to early detection of precancerous cervical cells and cancer prevention.
If your doctor sees suspicious cells, they may take a cervical biopsy. It sounds scary, but you probably won’t even notice the biopsy being taken. Sometimes you’ll feel a little pinch (kind of like the pinch you feel when getting a vaccine) as the biopsied cells are removed.

The Other “C” Word

If your biopsy results are positive, don’t freak out. I repeat: Do not freak out. Positive biopsy results after a colposcopy do not mean you have cancer.
“Unlike other cancers, cervical cancer moves slow—very very slow!” Knopman says. “In fact it can take 10 years for a cervical dysplasia to become a cervical cancer.”
Most likely, a positive biopsy will show that you have cervical dysplasia, which, say it with me, is not cancer. Cervical dysplasia just means abnormal cells were found on the cervix; it is categorized in three stages: CIN I, II, or III.
With CIN I, your doctor will usually recommend a watch-and-wait approach with no immediate treatment because dysplasia will often clear up on its own. For CIN II or III, the abnormal cells are considered precancerous but are not cancer (I can’t stress this enough) and will probably require treatment.
Fortunately, treatment for CIN II or III is pretty simple. Most likely you’ll undergo a cryotherapy procedure, where liquid nitrogen is used to blast the cells off the cervix, or a loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), in which a small electrical loop of wire is used to remove abnormal cells.
Both are easily done in your OB-GYN’s office, so no need for a hospital visit! You might experience some period-like cramping and spotting, but nothing that a couple of ibuprofen can’t handle.
The moral of this story, Knopman says, is not meant to scare women with persistent HPV. Her advice?
“Keep going and getting checked out! If we can catch things early we can prevent them from being serious.”

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Health x Body Wellbeing

How To Fall Asleep Fast (And Stay That Way)

Yajun GiaOh Sunday night, how troublesome you can be. For almost 40 percent of Americans, the last night of the weekend is the one we spend tossing and turning, wondering how to fall asleep.
And when you take a close look at insomnia and other sleep disorder statistics from the American Sleep Association, things don’t exactly look better the rest of the week. Hundreds of thousands of us fall in bed every night and beg our brains to just shut up and let us sleep already.

What’s going on?

When it comes time to go to bed, most of us would love to fall asleep the minute our heads hit the pillow. The faster it happens, the faster we can head into dreamland, right?
The good news is we really can fall asleep fast, according to Steven Woltering, PhD, director and founder of the Neurobiological Lab for Learning and Development at Texas A&M University. Woltering and his colleagues have studied sleep onset latency (SOL), the amount of time that it takes the body to transition from being fully awake to sleeping soundly.
In a survey of 2,000 healthy, typically developing people, Woltering says the average time people self-reported falling asleep was less than 2 minutes. When Woltering’s graduate student Yajun Jia added more controls to measure the sleep conditions (aka not going by self reports), the number was higher but still below about 8 minutes. Women tended to have a longer SOL than men, even if they transitioned to sleep quickly.

Yet a third of us struggle to fall asleep at night, putting the number of Americans with insomnia—the diagnosis for trouble falling asleep and/or staying asleep—in the millions, and forcing 5 percent of women to turn to sleep medications to help them catch a break at bedtime. So what’s going on?
First, a bit of good news: Doctors don’t consider you to be a “problem sleeper” if you’re not falling asleep within 8 minutes. In fact, trouble falling asleep is not considered a “pathological problem” until it’s happening on a regular basis, according to David White, chief medical officer of Philips Sleep and Respiratory Care. You need to lie in bed for 30 minutes (or more) more than three times a week for a month for a doctor to make an insomnia diagnosis, White says.
An insomnia diagnosis can be short term or chronic, meaning some people will struggle with sleep for just a few weeks or as little as three months, whereas others can face bedtime battles for longer. The reasons this is happening—and the speed with which you can (or can’t) kick insomnia—are as individual as people themselves.
“The more we learn about what goes on in our brain when we fall asleep, the more we realize that sleep does not depend on a single mechanism,” Woltering tells HealthyWay. “There are a number of brain nuclei, biochemicals, and endocrine systems involved, and they all interact. What this tells us is that sleep has evolved as a very important function. I think having such a complex and widespread network is helpful in terms of having some safeguards: If something goes amiss with one system another can take over to compensate so we can still sleep.”
One of the biggest factors in whether we fall asleep quickly is a brain chemical called adenosine. Adenosine builds up when you’re awake, and the longer you’re awake, the more you tend to have.
“The more adenosine you have in your system, the more pressure you will feel to go to sleep! It’s like an internal clock,” Woltering says.
Unfortunately caffeine, certain medications, stress, and other factors can block our adenosine receptors, keeping us awake longer.
So, is it possible to fall asleep faster and actually stay that way? The experts say yes! Here’s how to alter your space, your body, and your mind to make it easier to fall asleep fast—and stay asleep.

  • Space


    If you get the minimum seven hours of sleep a night that adults are supposed to get, each year you’ll spend some 2,500 hours in bed (or wherever you zonk out). But if your bedroom isn’t primed for sleep, you’re probably going to spend a whole lot of that time trying to convince your brain to quiet down so you can catch some ZZZs.
    Lighting: The body depends on periods of light and dark to adjust our circadian rhythms, the internal clock that tells us when we should be asleep and when we should be awake. But too much light in your bedroom will throw that out of whack, White says. A bedroom should be as dark as possible, with the addition of room-darkening curtains and other means to block out distracting light that could trigger the brain to stay awake.
    One of the biggest offenders is blue light, aka the light that’s emitted by a smartphone or tablet screen, White says. “It’s innately alerting,” he warns. “It makes you wake up!”
    Clocks: Most of us depend on an alarm clock to wake us up in the morning, but if your clock has numbers that are visible from your bed, you need to turn it around…or remove it from the room entirely, says Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, author of the book From Fatigued to Fantastic!
    Clocks in the room can heighten our insomnia anxiety. Our brains are trying to wind down and fall asleep fast, but we’re watching the time slip by, and the stress hormone cortisol is rising in the brain…which keeps us awake. Dump the clock, and you don’t know how long it’s taking you to fall asleep. That in and of itself can make the transition from wide awake to dreaming go faster.
    Temperature: Growing up, we learned that the average body temperature is 98.6 degrees, and that’s a sign of health. What you might not have learned is that your body temperature fluctuates during the day, and it tends to drop at night. That’s because body temperature and sleep are directly linked.
    As researchers Kazue Okamoto-Mizuno and Koh Mizuno explained in a sleep and thermoregulation study published in 2012 in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology, “heat exposure increases wakefulness and decreases slow wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep.” Meanwhile, the researchers found, the relationship between your sleep–wake rhythm and the circadian rhythm of your body’s core temperature is important for maintaining sleep.
    In other words: If your room is too hot, you’re not going to fall asleep quickly (or maybe at all!) The optimal temperature for a room—according to the science—is between about 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit if you’re wearing pajamas and using a sheet. If you sleep in the buff and skip out on any sort of covering (no sheet, no blankets), the researchers say you can dial up the temperature to as high as 89 degrees.
    Sounds: Some people need strict silence to fall asleep, while others struggle if it’s too quiet. If you’re the former, a white noise machine may help block out distracting street sounds, White says.
    If you’re in the latter camp, playing relaxing music (think Johann Sebastian Bach, not Justin Bieber) has scientifically backed benefits. According to a 2008 study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing, listening to classical music can reduce sympathetic nervous system activity and decrease anxiety, blood pressure, heart, and respiratory rate. In turn, those help soothe the body off to dreamland.
    Scents: Aromatherapy may not be a fast fix, but it could be the answer to the question of how to fall asleep without medication.
    Teitelbaum says there are benefits to relaxing essential oils in the bedroom. Although much is anecdotal, at least one study has shown lavender, in particular, has a soporific effect. It might be worth a spritz of the pillow…at least! And yes, you should stop rolling your eyes at the friend who is always blathering on about their diffuser and essential oils on Facebook now.

  • Body

    Prepping your room will only get you so far when it comes to cutting your sleep onset latency. Your body has to be ready too.
    Cut back on caffeine and alcohol: The stimulating effects of caffeine help wake up the more than half of Americans who suck down at least one cup of coffee every day. But caffeine’s effect on the adenosine receptors can make falling asleep fast impossible, especially if you’re drinking coffee or soda after 4 p.m., Woltering says.
    Alcohol, on the other hand, may well allow you to fall asleep or even help you to fall asleep. The trouble comes later in the night, when your body tries to transition into REM sleep.
    “Alcohol actually suppresses REM (rapid eye movement) sleep,” Woltering explains. “We still have a lot to learn about sleep and alcohol. What is fascinating is that researchers are beginning to link chronic alcohol intake with the development of psychopathology. Our brains crave dream sleep and if they don’t get it, pressure starts to build up in our brains to have more of it. Now, it may be—and this is speculative—that some of the delirium that you see with chronic alcoholism may be explained by the brain starting to dream while we’re still ‘awake.’ REM sleep is bleeding through in our waking lives!”
    Unfortunately, the way alcohol affects REM sleep can mean you fall asleep easily at first, but after your body awakens during REM sleep, you can’t fall back to sleep.
    Plan your exercise wisely: Remember when you were a kid, and you were absolutely wiped out at the end of a long day of running around with your friends? Most of us spend a whole lot of time sitting on our rear ends and not a lot of time tiring our bodies out. Increasing the amount of exercise you get to at least 150 minutes per week has been linked to improved sleep quality.
    But White is quick to advise that patients sneak in their workouts early in the day if possible. Working out before bedtime may tire out your muscles, but stimulating activity that raises your heart rate can actually keep you up.
    Get comfy: If you’re a dedicated morning shower person, it might be time for a change. Night showers (or baths) have been shown to help us get to sleep faster, because they lower the body temperature, which works in conjunction with a cooler bedroom to signal to the body that it’s time to dream.

    But don’t get too cool! The same scientists who found overheating could keep us up found that being too cool could have the same effect. One quick fix that’s backed by science? Throw on a pair of socks to keep your tootsies from getting too cold. If you sleep with a partner, they’ll appreciate not being woken up by a cold foot to the leg!
    Another piece of getting comfy is considering your food choices. Large meals shortly before bedtime can weigh heavy in the gut and keep you awake, White says, so it’s wise to get dinner over with well before you plan to hit the sack. If you’re absolutely starving, stick with something small (and non-caffeinated).
    Get help: Even if you’re trying to avoid medication to help you sleep, your doctor can advise you on whether you should try melatonin (a natural supplement that mimics the body’s own sleep hormones), check to see if any medications you’re currently taking could be keeping you awake, and test you for health issues that might make it harder to fall asleep.

  • Mind

    The leading cause of insomnia, at least among women, is anxiety. White calls it ruminating—while other people fall off to sleep, the issues they’re facing in their day-to-day life keep them tossing and turning.
    Get help: This type of insomnia is what White calls “psychophysiological insomnia.” Once the mental health concern is addressed, the insomnia should go away. Seeking help via a therapist is one means to make a difference.
    Meditate: If you don’t feel like your problems have reached the level of speaking to a physician, 15 to 20 minutes per day of meditation has been linked to better sleep. As Light Watkins, meditation teacher and author of the book Bliss More: How to Succeed in Meditation Without Really Trying, tells HealthyWay, “The time you spend meditating will get refunded back to you in time you’re not wishing you were sleeping deeper.”

    Set up a routine: Kids aren’t the only ones whose minds wind down when they follow through the same steps each evening.
    “Parents have long known that creating a sleep routine, such as a bedtime story, eases children into sleep,” Teitelbaum says. “Adults are no different. Setting up a relaxing bedtime routine, such as reading a book, or having a hot Epsom salt bath with a glass of wine, trains us to fall easily into sleep. Don’t expect to go from high stress right into sleep, any more than you would expect a child to do so!”
    Trick yourself: If all else fails, a little reverse psychology may be the key to how you fall asleep fast and stay that way. Studies have found that trying to force ourselves to stay awake instead of trying to go to sleep can have a paradoxical effect. Essentially, our sleep onset latency speeds up because we’re telling ourselves not to fall asleep.

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Health x Body Wellbeing

Here Are 4 Ways Moving Your Body Can Improve Your Mental Health

If Sasha Brown-Worsham skips a workout, her mood plummets. “I snap and lash out,” the Maplewood, New Jersey, yoga teacher admits. “I get depressed and agitated and angry.” Her solution? Head into a yoga studio to take on a challenging asana or lace up for a run around her neighborhood.
“When I am moving, I feel alive!” she says.
Fitting time in your schedule to move with the level of commitment Brown-Worsham does isn’t always easy. The average American woman is working long hours of both paid and unpaid labor.
Some days you probably find yourself thinking “After a grocery run and grabbing coffee with Rachel, how am I really going to fit in a workout?”
But then again, if you’re thinking “I could really use a mood boost right now,” you’re not alone in that camp either. American women are more likely than American men to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression, and we make up more than half of all mental illness diagnoses in this country.
Whether you’re just feeling a little down in the dumps or you’re living with and learning to manage a diagnosed mental illness, there’s solid science out there that shows incorporating just a little movement into your day can make a big difference. Heck, it can even prevent someone who’s struggling from falling into depression (according to the scientists, anyway).
If you’re feeling the urge to get on your feet but you don’t think you’ll have time to make it to kickboxing class this week, here are some mood-boosting options that might fit the bill.

1. Dance around your kitchen.

If you can’t make it to the gym, bring the gym to you. Telling Alexa to play something sassy and moving your hips while you stir that tomato sauce won’t just burn some of the calories you’ve consumed throughout the day.
Dance movement therapy is actually prescribed by practitioners these days to help people cope with depression. Bonus to doing it in your own kitchen: You really can dance like no one is watching.

2. Take a walk.

A walk around the neighborhood may not help you work up a sweat like you would at CrossFit. But when you’ve got just 45 minutes between the end of the work day and your best friend’s kid’s soccer game, do you really want to show up smelling like the gym?
According to one Australian study, as little as 30 minutes in nature every week can decrease your depression risk by 7 percent, and it drops your blood pressure too. Lace up your sneakers and start smelling the roses.

3. Unfurl your yoga mat.

If you’re looking for a quick mood boost, a little quiet meditation and movement may be all you need. The effects of yoga on anxiety have gotten the thumbs up from researchers, and Brown-Worsham confirms that you don’t need to go in the studio to reap the benefits.
She’s known to head out on the back porch for a quick yoga session when she feels the need. If you don’t have time for a full yoga class, pull up a quick YouTube class (Yoga With Adriene has 10-minute options) and bliss out.

4. Turn a coffee date into a workout date.

When former Facebook executive Randi Zuckerberg said women have a choice of work, sleep, family or fitness, and they can only pick three, the world erupted. The general response? Randi, you are speaking our language!
So if you’re waffling between the much-needed mood boost that comes from coffee with your bestie or the equally needed pick-me-up of a workout, you might just want to marry the two. It turns out the only thing better for your mood than a workout is a workout with a friend.

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Gag When You Smell Strong Perfumes? Turns Out There's A Scientific Explanation For Your Reaction

If you react strongly to certain perfumes, you’re not alone. Perfumes are, after all, designed to elicit a strong reaction. Ideally, that’s a positive reaction, but some people can’t help but run out of the room gagging when exposed to certain scents.
HealthyWay
And while your coworkers might tell you to “just get used to it,” you might not have that option. Researchers have been studying the science behind our reactions to olfactory irritants (offensive odors), and they’ve come to some fairly surprising conclusions.

First things first: Offensive odors don’t affect the same part of your nose as other scents.

In a study first published in the Journal of Neurophysiology, scientists discovered that certain smells activate olfactory cells located toward the front of the nose. These cells are sensitive to specific chemicals (for instance, ammonia) that might be dangerous.
HealthyWay
Those cells send an electrical signal to other cells, eventually relaying sensory information to the trigeminal nerve, which controls the gag reflex. The victim—er, the affected person—might also feel burning or itching sensations.
Your body typically reserves that reaction for potentially dangerous substances, but some of those substances are present in perfumes. Other fragrances can smell like ammonia, for instance, which might stimulate an adverse reaction. Perfumes and fragrances contain dozens of natural and artificial ingredients, some of which are allergens and irritants, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

If you hate certain odors, it might be because your brain has trouble processing them.

Psychology researcher Linus Andersson of Umea University performed a study in 2012 to determine why some smells offended certain people more than they bother others. Anderson found that some people are chemically intolerant to certain scents, and that those unfortunate individuals don’t adjust to unpleasant odors over time.
HealthyWay
“The hypersensitive individuals felt that the smell was getting stronger even though its concentration had not changed,” Anderson said. “Their brain activity images also differed from those in the [more tolerant] group.”
By monitoring his study participants with EEGs and fMRIs, Anderson found differences in how some brains responded to odors. For chemically intolerant people, brain activity didn’t change over time—they simply didn’t adjust.
HealthyWay
“These individuals also have a different pattern in the blood flow in their brains, compared with those who perceive that a smell diminishes,” Anderson said. “A similar change can be found in patients with pain disorders, for example.”

In other words, if you simply can’t stand certain smells, your physical makeup may prevent you from getting used to them.

Anderson also found that people are more likely to have smell intolerances if they react strongly to other irritants, for instance capsaicin, the active component of chili peppers. Both the capsaicin and offensive odors trigger a physical reaction in sensitive individuals that doesn’t subside until the irritant is gone.
HealthyWay
Unfortunately, that might mean that when your co-worker comes into the office doused in Dior, you’ll find yourself gagging throughout the day. All you can do is try to avoid the odor, breathe through your mouth, and take an antihistamine if you experience itching or burning sensations.
Oh, and maybe hold a scarf over your face until your coworker gets the picture.

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4 Factors That Could Result In A False Positive Pregnancy Test

When you need to know the results of a pregnancy test, the last thing you want to worry about is accuracy.
Fortunately, home pregnancy tests have a pretty good track record. They’re 97 percent accurate, according to Parents magazine.
Surprisingly, though, the most common cause of “false positives” isn’t false at all, Lanalee Araba Sam, an OB-GYN from Fort Lauderdale, told Parents.
HealthyWay
“Some women can get a positive pregnancy test and then three days after their period is due, they have a really heavy period,” Sam said. “Really what they’ve had is an early miscarriage called a chemical pregnancy, and a lot of people call that a false positive. They don’t recognize it as a positive pregnancy test that ultimately results in miscarriage.”
The truth is, home pregnancy tests detect the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG. The body releases hCG after a fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall and a placenta begins to form.
Beyond early miscarriages, there are a few factors that can cause a truly false positive reading—some of which account for the 3 percent of tests that show inaccurate results. While they’re rare, they can be devastating (or anxiety inducing) for women and couples.
Here are a few possible causes of this infrequent event:

1. Prescriptions make a difference.

The medications you take can affect the outcome of a home pregnancy test, especially if you’re taking any kind of fertility medication. This can be particularly frustrating because couples using fertility medications are often the ones with highest hopes for conception.
HealthyWay
hCG trigger shots like Novarel, Pregnyl, Ovidrel, and Profasi cause the release of mature eggs, and if a test is taken too soon, you can get a false reading.
Other medications can cause incorrect results as well. Antianxiety, antipsychotic, anticonvulsant, and diuretic medications are known to affect the outcomes of home pregnancy tests.

2. Past Pregnancies

Sometimes an egg will become fertilized but does not attach to the uterine wall. As we mentioned earlier, this is called a “chemical pregnancy.” A woman won’t usually know she experienced a chemical pregnancy unless she takes a pregnancy test very early—for example, before a missed period.
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Chemical pregnancies account for 50 to 75 percent of all miscarriages.
Healthcare professionals suggest waiting at least one week after your expected period before taking any kind of at-home test to avoid a reading that tells more about something that happened in the past than what you should prepare for in the future.

3. Pregnancies Outside the Uterus

An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg attaches someplace other than the uterus, like a fallopian tube, the cervix, or an ovary. An embryo cannot survive anywhere outside the uterus, so ectopic pregnancies aren’t viable. However, as long as the fertilized egg is growing, your body will continue to produce hCG, which will result in a positive pregnancy test.
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An ectopic pregnancy is a serious medical emergency that can lead to severe blood loss and damage to (or even loss of) reproductive organs. Some symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy are nausea, sore breasts, light to heavy spotting or bleeding, dizziness, fainting, or pressure on your rectum.
If you think you may be experiencing an ectopic pregnancy, seek medical help immediately.

4. User Error

At-home pregnancy tests are convenient, but they aren’t flawless. It’s important to check the expiration date and follow all instructions exactly when using a test.
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It’s also important to take the test first thing in the morning. hCG is the most concentrated the first time you go to the bathroom after waking up, which will ensure more accurate test results.
Taking a test too early in your cycle or waiting too long to check the results of the test can also give you false information. If you’ve taken a test but still don’t feel confident about the results, you can go to your doctor to have a blood test performed.
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Ultimately, your doctor isn’t nearly as likely to make a mistake when it comes to whether you’re expecting.

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Health x Body Wellbeing

Things People With Diabetes Should Watch Out For During The Summer

Summer brings hot weather, cool treats, and vacation time. While most people consider summer the most relaxing time of year, this season can be difficult for those with diabetes. If you have diabetes, it’s important to know how to manage your health as the heat rises.

Know the difference.

There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 occurs when a person’s immune system attacks the cells that release insulin, leaving no naturally-occurring insulin in the body. Type 1 diabetes is typically diagnosed at a very young age and cannot be prevented.
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Type 2 occurs when the body loses its ability to respond to insulin. Over time, the body produces more and more insulin in an attempt to compensate for its ineffectiveness. Eventually the body becomes unable to respond to the insulin at all (a condition known as insulin resistance). Symptoms of type 2 diabetes don’t usually show up until adulthood, and type 2 can often be prevented or managed with lifestyle changes.
Regardless of which type of diabetes you or a loved one may have, extra challenges arise for both type 1 and type 2 patients during summer months. Fortunately, it doesn’t take too much planning ahead to stay cool and healthy while enjoying the sunny season.

Blame the heat and humidity

People with diabetes often experience complications that result in damage to their nerves and blood vessels. This damage can affect the functionality of their sweat glands, making it more difficult for the body to cool off in extreme heat.
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When the body isn’t able to properly cool itself, heat exhaustion or heat stroke become serious concerns. It’s important to manage your time outdoors wisely and always wear sunscreen and protective clothing to prevent overheating.
Dehydration is also an issue for people with diabetes. High blood sugar can increase the risk of dehydration, so drinking enough water throughout the day during when it’s hot is imperative.
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“By the time you start noticing you’re thirsty, you may already be dehydrated,” explains Lankenau Medical Center endocrinologist Dr. Dina Green. “To prevent that, start drinking water even if you’re not thirsty yet. Pour yourself a glass in the morning or right before you’re ready to go outside for the day.”

Take care of your feet.

People with diabetes have to be extra vigilant about foot care during summer months. Although it may be appealing to leave your shoes behind and take a stroll outside, this can lead to serious injury. People with diabetes might not notice serious burns or cuts on the bottoms of their feet because of poor circulation or diabetic nerve damage.
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If you decide to indulge in some barefoot time, check your feet often, or recruit a family member or friend to do so. Frequent checks will allow you to treat any cuts or burns right away.

Pack your meds.

People with diabetes should always travel with their medications and testing equipment. If you need to bring insulin on the road, make sure you have a reliable cooler. Insulin must stay cool to prevent chemical breakdown.
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Also, never be afraid to ask your doctor for travel tips specific to your medications.
“Patients with diabetes can easily travel with their equipment. If you’re going to be traveling with yours or you don’t know how to transport it, your endocrinologist can help you understand what you need and how to properly store it,” says Dr. Green.

Watch your absorption rate.

For individuals who use insulin shots, the summer may bring about a change in insulin absorption. High heat causes blood vessels to expand, allowing insulin to be absorbed faster than normal in the body. A faster absorption rate can result in a sudden drop in blood sugar.
Physical activity also causes blood vessels to expand, so it’s important to be extra conscious of your blood sugar levels during summer workouts.
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If you’ve spent time out in the sun or doing any strenuous activity, it’s best to cool off inside for 15 to 20 minutes before injecting any insulin. This will give your body a chance to regulate its temperature.
With just a little care, people with diabetes can have just as much fun in the sun as anyone else and stay safe doing it.

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Health x Body Wellbeing

You Probably Always Have Body Odor, Even If You Can't Tell You Stink

Wondering if you stink right now? Go for it. Give your pits a sniff.
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Unfortunately, simply sticking your nose in your armpit isn’t a reliable way to tell whether (or how bad) you smell.
According to a study published by the academic journal Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, humans tend to be less aware of smells the longer we’re around them.
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The phenomenon is known as “olfactory fatigue” or “olfactory habituation.” Whatever you choose to call it, the takeaway is that bad smells seem less bad and good smells seem less good the longer we’re exposed to them.

This is exactly the sort of thing that Pamela Dalton, a psychologist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, spends her days studying.

“The olfactory system is one of the world’s best difference detectors, and that’s how it was designed,” she told The Washington Post.

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Chabacano/Wikimedia Commons

One of the chief roles of the nose (in conjunction with the part of the brain that processes information coming from it) is to sense when something’s new, different, or unfamiliar. When a scent is familiar or lingers for a long time, the part of your brain that deals with smells tends to filter it out as unnecessary information.
In one study, Dalton placed air fresheners in the bedrooms of subjects for a few weeks. After just a couple of days, the participants reported that they didn’t notice the scent when they entered the room and were also less sensitive to the same scent when exposed to it in her lab.
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“What seems to happen in long-term adaptation is that the receptors that would normally respond to these smells almost turn off after being bombarded for a few weeks,” she said.
“You don’t see that in vision or hearing. You can be adapted to a sound or sight, but generally the systems recover pretty quickly. The fact that it takes two or three weeks to regain sensitivity is very unique.”

So if simply giving yourself a sniff doesn’t work, how can you know whether you stink?

As Dalton told The Washington Post, “Unfortunately, you really just have to rely on the opinion of a close friend or spouse.”
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If you don’t have someone you can trust to tell you when you smell, there is another pretty solid rule of thumb: If you’ve sweated recently, you probably stink.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost all humans’ sweat glands produce a substance that smells when it comes in contact with naturally occurring bacteria on our skin after we go through puberty.

It’s not all bad news, though.

Two studies—one from 2011 and one published this year—suggest that your natural odor might make you more attractive to potential partners. Another study that appeared in Frontiers in Psychology in 2016 indicates that your natural scent can even reveal your personality traits.
So, the goal shouldn’t be to totally eliminate body odor but to minimize it when it’s bad. Fortunately, the best way to do that is simple: Maintain good personal hygiene.

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Health x Body Wellbeing

Here Are The Answers To All Of Your Questions About Sunscreen

It’s summertime, and the livin’ might be easy, but choosing the right sunscreen is not. An informal poll of family and friends quickly showed that most people know that sunscreen helps prevent sun damage and skin cancer but are less informed about how to use sunscreen correctly.
To try to set the record straight, we’ve got the answers to all your burning (pun intended) questions about safe sunscreen use.

What is sunscreen?

Let’s start with the basics. Sunscreen is a mix of chemicals that prevents ultraviolet rays from being absorbed by our skin. Two types of ultraviolet rays cause sun damage. UVB rays cause sunburn, whereas UVA rays are mostly responsible for prematurely aging skin and exacerbating the cancer-causing effects of sunburn.
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The terms sunscreen and sunblock are often used interchangeably. Both protect against UV rays, but there is a difference between the two.
Sunblock typically contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, inorganic chemicals that literally block the sun, reflecting UV rays away from skin. Sunscreen, on the other hand, contains chemicals that absorb UV rays through chemical bonding before they can reach the skin.
Interestingly enough, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) blocked the use of the word “sunblock” in 2011, because it believed consumers were led to overestimate the protective factor of UV-blocking products. Even if your spray or lotion is labeled sunscreen, you need to look at the ingredients to determine whether your sunscreen blocks or absorbs UV rays.
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One isn’t necessarily better than the other. These days, most products contain a mix of inorganic and organic chemicals that both block and absorb UV rays for optimal protection.

Are the chemicals in sunscreen dangerous?

Short answer? No, the chemicals in sunscreen have not been proven to be toxic.
Although some studies have shown that nanoparticles of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide found in sunblock could cause inflammation, and some chemicals in sunscreen could damage the endocrine system, these studies are largely inconclusive.
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Both studies used animal test subjects who ingested the chemicals directly at much higher amounts than are ordinarily used. Since sunscreen is applied topically in much lower amounts, there isn’t much evidence to support claims that sunscreen is harmful to your health. And most doctors agree that the benefits of using sunscreen vastly outweigh any associated risks.

What is SPF?

SPF, or sun protection factor, is the measure of how well sunscreen protects skin from UV rays.
If you normally get a sunburn after being out in the sun for 15 minutes, an SPF 15 sunscreen should protect you roughly 15 times as long.

So SPF 30 protects twice as long as SPF 15?

You’d think so, but the answer is no.
In reality, SPF 15 blocks about 94 percent of the sun’s UV rays. SPF 30 blocks 97 percent of UV rays, which is only about 3 percent more than SPF 15.
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No SPF can guarantee 100 percent protection from UV rays, which is why most dermatologists recommend sticking with SPF 15 or 30 and reapplying often. Anything with a much higher SPF is really just a marketing ploy.

How often should I apply sunscreen?

According to the American Academy of Dermatologists, most people only apply about 25 to 50 percent of the recommended amount of sunscreen. Yikes!
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Any skin that is not going to be covered by clothing should get a layer of sunscreen. That especially includes places we often forget, like ears, lips, and toes.
Most dermatologists recommend liberal application. If you’re using a sunscreen lotion, it should be about one ounce. Spray sunscreens are a little more difficult to measure, but try to apply until an even sheen appears on the skin. If you’re sticky and shiny after applying spray sunscreen, you’re probably doing it correctly.
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Reapply sunscreen at least every two hours—and more frequently if you’ve gotten wet or sandy or have just toweled off.

Do I only need to wear sunscreen in the summer?

NO! Sun damage can happen all year long.
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You might not be able to see the sun, but those pesky cancer-causing UV rays aren’t blocked by clouds. That’s why you should wear sunscreen every single day.

Does sunscreen expire?

Everything has an expiration date. Sunscreen, if stored properly, will last about three years.
If sunscreen is stored in hot places (like beach bags placed in full sun), it could expire much faster.
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But if you’re applying sunscreen daily like you’re supposed to, your sunscreen should never reach its expiration date.

What about kids?

Those adorable floppy hats exist for a reason! Babies who are under 6 months old should be kept out of the sun as much as possible. All other kids should have sunscreen applied any time you head outdoors.
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The same application rules apply for kids, though. Make sure to liberally apply sunscreen every two hours (probably much more often if you’re at the pool or beach). If your kid gets sandy or sweaty, towel them down before applying sunscreen to ensure good coverage.
Lotion sunscreens are often simpler to apply because it is easy to see missed spots. If you’ve got a wiggler, though, it’s ok to use spray sunscreen.

Sunscreen is all I need for sun protection, right?

Nope.
Sunscreen does offer great protection against UV rays, but it isn’t 100 percent effective. Staying in the shade is the best protection of all, but that’s just not a realistic goal, unless you’re from Island County, Washington (the least sunny place in the continental U.S.)
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Instead, the American Cancer Society recommends a handy acronym to help you remember tips for optimal sun protection:
–Slip on a shirt.
*Don’t be fooled by clothing that promotes an SPF. These clothing items actually don’t contain sunscreen. The SPF refers to the tight weave of the fabric.
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Instead, you can check your regular clothing by holding it up to the light. If you can’t see through it, then it will provide sun protection.
–Slop on the sunscreen.
–Slap on a hat.
*Even if you applied sunscreen to your ears, nose, and lips, most people forget the top of their head and the back of the neck, thinking that hair is sufficient sunblock.
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Protect your scalp by wearing a wide-brim hat that extends out past the nose for full-face coverage.
–Wrap on sunglasses
*All sunglasses are not created equal. Make sure to protect your eyes from UV damage by choosing sunglasses with a UV protection label. Remember, UV rays can pass through clouds, so even if the sun isn’t out, you should always wear sunglasses outside.
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Does sun damage really cause cancer?

Yes, sun damage caused by UV rays really can cause skin cancers, including carcinoma and melanoma.
Even if you aren’t outdoorsy, short amounts of sun exposure are enough to cause skin cancer, especially if you’ve got fair skin.
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Even if you never get a sunburn, tanning can cause melanin to build up in the skin, which is a sign of damage. Over time, this damage can lead to aging, wrinkles, and even skin cancer.
Skin cancer can also hide in unlikely places as a result of sun damage. For example, two of the sneakiest places skin cancer can develop are on the soles of your feet and under your nail beds from repeated UV exposure.

If I’ve never applied sunscreen, is it too late to start?

Definitely not! You may have spent your youth bronzing in the sun, but it’s never too late to start using sunscreen. In fact, a recent study showed that daily sunscreen use reduced signs of aging in participants regardless of their age.