What's the early sign of dementia? - Healthbiztips

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What's the early sign of dementia? - Healthbiztips

9:40 AM

What's the early sign of dementia?

While dementia is incurable, catching it at it's early stage can buy a patient some time to start treatment that can  slow down the progression of the disease.

What's the early sign of dementia? - Healthbiztips
photo credit: @plushdesignstudio Plush Design Studio @unsplash

@healthbiztips by Arlene Gentallan


Failure to identify common scent is an early sign of dementia.

As we age, out sense of smell normally declines, but patients who are at the early stage of dementia experience a profound loss of the ability to smell even before the onset of cognitive impairment.

The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease marked by memory loss, language impairment. cognitive decline, and learning disability which worsens over time.

People who experience a profound decline in their sense of smell have been shown by various studies to have higher chance of developing dementia.

It's a recognized early sign of dementia proven by scientific studies. It's a valuable piece of information because a patient can already show sign of smell impairment several years up to decades before the onset of cognitive and memory decline.

Often, dementia is  diagnosed when it's already too late, when severe neurological damage has been done that results to a significant physical and mental retardation.

In itself, olfactory deterioration can reflect a covert serious neurological deterioration.

Doing a "smell test" is simple and inexpensive. However, even when a person's difficulty in detecting common scent can potentially point to dementia, it is not a definitive diagnostic tool so it is imperative not to "self-daignose", but  to consult a healthcare provider.

Are you stress shopping? - Healthbiztips

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Are you stress shopping? - Healthbiztips

11:19 AM

Are you stress shopping?

Have you ever bought something you don't really need just so it will improve your mood? If so, then you are doing retail therapy. 

However, retail therapy is not a legitimate therapy. While stress shopping does improve the mood of a person, it is not constructive and can backfire.

Are you stress shopping? - Healthbiztips
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@healthbiztips by Arlene Gentallan

Stress shopping is a lot more common than you think. When we are under stress, we become vulnerable. Chances are, you may have unconsciously done it yourself.

You may have found yourself buying a treat like sweets or a new shoes at the end of a long busy week or during times when you are feeling down. It's usually a harmless source of euphoria.

Stress shopping is not all that bad considering that the positive effect it has over a person's mood is real. However, when finances gets depleted, it's a serious problem.

Women, especially teenagers, are more prone than men to engage in retail therapy. Studies shows that women tend to buy clothes when they are stress shopping, as opposed to men who tend to buy food.

Of course food and clothing are basic commodities, but when purchases becomes too many, too much, and unreasonable, it doesn't take long to realize that there is an underlying psychological problem.

One can find herself buying material stuffs or food just so it will improve her mood during highly stressful periods in her life. It is worth noting that stress shopping is usually as short lived shopping compulsion lasting only for the duration of the stressful event.

However, when purchasing unnecessary stuffs becomes a long-standing problem or has lead to addiction, then it can can be a sign of compulsive buying disorder  in which the individual looses control over her purchases.

Buying something out of compulsion can have severe percussion to the financial resources of a person which can potentially be a cause of further harm to the person's emotional and mental well-being. Compulsive buying disorder is a mental disorder that can be treated so it is crucial to seek psychological treatment.

When finances becomes depleted and debt starts to pile high, it can aggravate stress, lead to depression.

7 Hydrotherapy Benefits - Healthbiztips

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7 Hydrotherapy Benefits - Healthbiztips

6:37 AM

7 Hydrotherapy Benefits

Hydrotherapy is an alternative treatment that utilizes water to treat various health problems such as body pain and limitations of movement. This technique is proven safe and effective.

7 Hydrotherapy Benefits - Healthbiztips
photo credit: @erdaest Erda Estremera @unsplash 

@healthbiztips by Arlene Gentallan

The use of water to heal bodily afflictions is an age-old knowledge that dates back to the ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman.

Hydrotherapy is also called "water cure".

Hydrotherapy usually involves the use of warm water with temperature range of 33 to 36 ºC, which can be combined with various form of exercises that can be individualized to meet the health needs of a person.

This alternative medicine is used to treat various health problems involving body pain and movement limitation like in the case of back pain, shoulder pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatic disease, and cerebral palsy. It's usually available in a hospital's physiotherapy department.

Hydrotherapy have several benefits to the body.


1. Pain relief
Chronic pain is a limitation that's a huge setback on people suffering from it. Instead of conventional pain relieve medication, the use of water to treat pain offers a natural and drug-free alternative to alleviate pain.


2. Less pressure on joints and back

Being in water relieves pressure on weight-bearing joints and reduces compression on the back bone which helps relieve joint pain and back pain. Since pain a great hindrance when performing physical activity, hydrotherapy can encourage a person to initiate physical movement.


3. Improves circulation

Being submerged in warm water dilates blood vessels which improves blood circulation. Hydrotherapy soothes the body, diminish muscle tension and body aches.


4. Builds muscle strength

In hydrotherapy, the use of water as a resistance to train against helps a person build muscle strength. Individuals with joint problems may find exercising in warm water more bearable than exercising on land.


5. Improves mobility

With the health benefit of alleviating pain, inflammation, and soreness, a person's range of motion can be enhanced by engaging in exercises customized for them. Through time, as they repeatedly engage in physical activity, range of motion of joints can be enhanced.


6. Improves balance

Individuals with movement limitations who find it difficult to do physical activity on land can benefit greatly from hydrotherapy because exerting effort in water is easier and less painful. This method is an effective and proven treatment to yield balance and movement coordination.


7. Reduces stress and anxiety

It can be really tough to deal with health problems when they're accompanied by stress. Hydrotherapy is beneficial to both the physical and mental well-being of an individual. It soothes and calms the nerves.

Paper vs. Tablet: Which is better for writing? - Healthbiztips

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Paper vs. Tablet: Which is better for writing? - Healthbiztips

1:50 AM

Paper vs. Tablet: Which is better for writing?

If you are given a choice to write on a piece paper or a tablet computer, which one will you choose?

Research reveals several interesting things.

Paper vs. Tablet: Which is better for writing? - Healthbiztips
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@healthbiztips by Arlene Gentallan

The Faster contender

If you'd like to write faster, a tablet will give you more advantage over a paper. This is because tablet offers a smooth surface to work on which enables you to write with ease.

A smooth surface has less friction.

This only shows that tools we use to write has a great impact on our writing speed.


The Performance

Children's handwriting look better (neat and legible) when they write on a paper compared to table. On the contrary, adults tend to have better handwriting quality when they compose their words on a tablet.

The difference in handwriting performance lies in their writing skills. Graphomotor skill or the coordinated cognitive and muscle movement which enables a person to write fluidly is not yet fully developed in children.

Upon reaching 14 years of age, one can usually write automatically or without consciously thinking about every words they have to transcribe.

In conclusion, it is wiser to let children write on paper to develop the quality of their handwriting.


Resources:

Gerth, Sabrina et al. “Is Handwriting Performance Affected by the Writing Surface? Comparing Preschoolers', Second Graders', and Adults' Writing Performance on a Tablet vs. Paper.” Frontiers in psychology vol. 7 1308. 12 Sep. 2016, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01308

Soothing Balm - Human Nature Review - Healthbiztips

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Soothing Balm - Human Nature Review - Healthbiztips

10:41 AM

Soothing Balm - Human Nature - Eucalyptus & Bergamot Review

The best thing I like about Human Nature's Soothing Balm is it's all natural. Awesome! It doesn't contain harmful chemicals like paraben and petrolatum.

Soothing Balm - Human Nature Review - Healthbiztips

@healthbiztips by Arlene Gentallan

The packaging clearly indicates that it's "100% no harmful chemicals: No synthetic fragrances, petrolem-derived ingredients, parabens, mineral oil, or other toxic substances.

This soothing balm by Human nature contains eucalyptus, bergamot, and peppermint. All of these 3 stuffs provide relief for anxiety and stress.

I tend to keep soothing balm with me especially when I'm traveling because it's a very good first aid for dizziness, headache, itch, nausea, and body pain.

Ingredients of Human Nature's Soothing Balm:
Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, beeswax, Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, Mentha piperita (peppermint) essential oil, Mentha arvensis (corn mint) essential oil, Eucalyptus globulus (eucalyptus) essential oil, Citrus bergamia (bergamot) essential oil.

Mild

Unlike other soothing balms I've used before, this one by Human Nature doesn't have that overpowering spicy scent that hurts my eyes and nose. It has a fresh mild minty smell that I really like. 

Unlike strong scented soothing balms that I've tried before which stings my nose, this version by Human Nature is gentle and mild.

It easily melts into the skin and doesn't leave an oily mess. In fact, it doesn't feel sticky at all.

I find soothing balm a must-have product especially when I have a bad cold and clogged nose.

However, I'm not about to give up strong scented soothing balms. Most of the time, I just need a mild minty balm to sniff, but there are also instances when I prefer a really strong balm especially when my sense of smell is dampen by common cold.


Melts

Some people find it annoying that Human Nature's soothing balm turns almost liquid when the temperature is hot. For me, it's alright. It's clever and wise that this product comes in a spill-proof container.

The packaging

Human Nature's Soothing Balm comes in a transparent sturdy cylindrical plastic container that's encased by a printed paper box. It comes in a small 10g (.35 oz) and a larger 45g (1.59 oz) variation.

I think the packaging is cute, simple, and nice. It's durable so one can actually reuse it as a container for cosmetics and small stuffs, like a storage for earrings, once you consume the entire soothing balm.

Oh, have you seen the picture? They've filled the container with soothing balm all the way to the top, which I find really adorable.

Meet "The Plastic-eating Bacteria" - Healthbiztips

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Meet "The Plastic-eating Bacteria" - Healthbiztips

3:18 AM

Meet "The Plastic-eating Bacteria"

Plastic is not something most bacteria would want as a meal. But, this one right here is not your typical microbe. It's a fascinating bacteria famed for it's appetite for plastic--Ideonella sakaiensis.

Meet "The Plastic-eating Bacteria" - Healthbiztips

@healthbiztips by Arlene Gentallan

Each year, millions of tonnes of plastic find their way into the ocean. In fact, the oceans hold billions of pounds of plastics. When you reflect on these staggering numbers, you'll realize that solving Earth's plastic pollution is almost impossible. Turning on plastic-eating bacteria can revolutionize the way we dispose plastics.

Ideonella sakaiensisi 201-F6 is first discovered in Sakai, Japan in 2016. It releases enzymes which speeds up the breakdown of PET (polyethylene terephthalate), a type of plastic commonly used in water bottles. This bacteria survive using plastic as it's main energy source, and in the process, turns the harmful PET plastic into environmentally friendly by-products.

Ideonella sakaiensisi 201-F6 releases two enzymes known as  PETase and  MHETase which degrade PET plastic into environmentally-friendly by-products.

Could these germs be the solution to the massive plastic pollution that terrorize our lands and seas?

Plastic is close to Forever

Nothing lasts Forever, but plastic could be the closest thing.

Let's take a look into one of the most common disposable plastic product we commonly encounter--plastic bottles. Did you know that a plastic water bottle have an average lifespan of 450 years. Meaning to say, that person who negligently thrown away a plastic bottle on the river has just dumped Earth with a garbage that can outlive his grandchildren's generations. Multiply the number by millions of people and you get a unfathomable plastic problem.

Bacteria eating plastic Ideonella sakaiensisi can surprisingly speed up the process of degrading PET plastic into just a matter of days. PET plastic is the most common polyester plastic in the world.

The ability of bacteria to produce PETase enzyme to break down PET plastic to harness it as their energy source is believed to be a recent evolutionary feat that highlights just how extraordinary bacteria can adapt to their environment to survive and thrive.

Making things even better, scientists working on this plastic-eating bacteria have accidentally introduced a mutation which enhances the bacteria's ability of digest PET plastic.

Microplastics

As time goes by, plastics in the ocean gets degraded into microplastics (less than 5mm), but being microscopic doesn't mean these things are harmless. Microplastics hunts our seas and even deep oceans. It has become a worldwide infestation to the extent that anyone eating seafood should expect  they are also consuming microscopic plastics.

Resources:

S. Yoshida, et al. (2016). A bacterium that degrades and assimilates poly(ethylene terephthalate). Science. doi: 10.1126/science.aad6359.

Austin, Harry P et al. “Characterization and engineering of a plastic-degrading aromatic polyesterase.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America vol. 115,19 (2018): E4350-E4357. doi:10.1073/pnas.1718804115

Is Bribing Children Okay? - Healthbiztips

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Is Bribing Children Okay? - Healthbiztips

7:04 PM

Is Bribing Children Okay? - Healthbiztips

Bribing your children is the quickest way to get it all done. It's easy but costly. Sure, it can't drain your wallet dry, or could it?

Bribing sounds like a bad thing to do. Have it ever crossed your mind what this escape goat act does to a child's psychology?

Is Bribing Children Okay? - Healthbiztips
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@healthbiztips by Arlene Gentallan

Now, let me clear off misconceptions about this topic by saying that bribing a child to behave nicely or get something done is catastrophic to your child's mental development.

When parents bribe their children, they're basically telling their kids to act negatively the next time and only stop the bad behavior when they are bribed with money, a toy, or a treat. I'm telling you, you'll be amazed at how fast most children learn.


Respect and Responsibility

Come on parents, seriously, how do you expect your children to grow as a responsible and respectable adults when you're training them to receive bribes at such a young age?

You parents, how do you expect your child to respect you when you're giving them bribes. It's poor parenting. It's really bad.

I know it could be tough to deal with the screaming, crying, and temper tantrums. I understand most parents want an easy way out of this. Often, bribing has become the norm so parents fail to question this tactic.

The thing is, bribing children gives them a false sense of entitlement. Let's get real, when you grow up, having a temper tantrum is not a legitimate way to earn a living. The world doesn't owe you anything. You have to work for it!

Come on, the world has enough self-entitled people.


That's what they're supposed to do

We all have to do something because it's the task that we have to do. You know. ...do homework, finish a project, behave nicely, eat, drink, sleep.

A bribe is the thing you give a child to do something that he has to do. On the other hand, reward is the thing you give them for accomplishing something good.

It's like this, you give your child bribe just so the little brat does his homework. Another parents, who didn't bribe their child to study, treats their kids for receiving high grades at the end of the school year.

When children confuse bribe with reward, it can mess up their psychology. Oh, no! What if they confuse bribe with salary. Then, you'll get yourself a lazy unemployed employee.

Bribing a child teaches him to do something only if he receives a treat. If there's no bribe, that only means the kid don't have to do it.

It works on dogs, so could it be effective for children. The clear answer is NO! Well, a police certainly won't give a person a treat just to stop him from doing that bad thing, but most certainly he'll get himself arrested.

Some things just doesn't go by your way.

A child's brain is at it's formative years. It's at this period that they develop important traits.

Their are rules they have to go by, be it household rules or state law. Their are homeworks they have to finish. They have to learn that money don't sprout from nothing. Anyways, do you, as parents, want to earn their respect or not?


A vicious cycle

Once you bribe your child to behave or do homework, it can backfire. This can start a vicious cycle. Just hang on until your child becomes a teenager, it'll be pure terror.


What if my child is having a temper tantrum

I know it's hard not to give in especially when you're dealing with your child's rage. You have to know what to do in this situation.

When your child is having a temper tantrum, you have to stay with the child and prevent him from inflicting himself harm, until the tantrum ends. Keep away blunt objects. You have to keep yourself calm so you don't end up yelling which can aggravate the matter.

Tantrum is just your child's way of handing that extreme emotion inside of him. It's common in toddlers and preschoolers. Given time and nurture, your child will be mature enough to handle it.

You do not want your child to handle the extreme emotions inside them with a bribe.


Who says being a parent is easy? Ultimately, it's down to parents to hone their child to be responsible and respectable adults.