Monthly Archive for November, 2011

Depression can cause problems for your digestion

Published on November 26, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Is there a link with constipation and depression? Actually yes.

Depression is a condition that many people feel uncomfortable talking about. Then there is constipation. Hardly anyone wants to even think about that. This said, many people suffer from each of these conditions.

Constipation can be a side effect from numerous antidepressants. Also, people who are not very active tend to experience constipation. Depression can cause one to be less active since it can be hard to get out of bed or off the couch when you are down.

So it seems that your digestive health is tied to your mental health; sort of a mind-body connection.

If you are experiencing digestive problems due to antidepressants it would be wise to talk to your doctor before trying laxatives, stool softeners or some other type of medication for constipation. Some people have found that changing their diet is the answer. Eating less dairy, avoiding gluten, consuming more legumes and drinking water are some things to try.

Treating depression is a job that mostly comes from within. Sometimes the humiliation involving depression and its undesirable side effects can leave you feeling like you yourself are your on your own with this problem. But with your doctor’s help, you should be able to find an answer.

Turning your thermostat down can help you burn calories

Published on November 20, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

If you are sitting at a desk, can you actually burn more calories if your thermostat is turned down? The answer is yes. Your calorie expenditure will increase if you stay lightly dressed, but it won’t increase a lot. Dr. Wayne Askew, director of the division of nutrition at the University of Utah, says that it would be more effective to walk up and down a few flight of stairs.

One’s basal metabolic rate is raised slightly in colder climates said Askew. He also said there could be a small increase in calories that are burned when your lungs warm the cold air and your cold skin gets warm again.

When it is cold enough to cause the body to shiver, there is a more substantial increase in calories burned. Askew said that this is not a great weight-loss technique if someone has plenty of body fat making them less likely to shiver. He also said that it is very hard to do work that demands fine motor skills, like writing or using a computer when the body is shivering.

When the core body temperature gets to a dangerously low level and the shivering response is stimulated to the extreme, Askew said the energy expenditure can be as high as that from work that requires 40 to 50 percent of the person’s maximum aerobic capacity. However, if the core temperature drops too low, the shivering response stops and hypothermia can start to set in.

How to help older children to stop wetting the bed

Published on November 14, 2011 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Daytime bladder control usually occurs when children are between 2 and 4 years of age, but night-time dryness frequently happens much later. The American Academy of Pediatrics found that 15 to 30 percent of 6-year-olds and 4 percent of 12-year-olds are still wetting the bed occasionally.

There are a couple of reasons why children may still wet the bed at night. Some of these are:

  • A small bladder volume
  • Sleeping too deeply to detect the feeling of a full bladder
  • Family history of bed-wetting
  • Producing more urine

When a child is examined for bed-wetting or “nocturnal enuresis,” they usually first ask whether the child has ever developed night-time bladder control. If they have been dry at night for a six-month or more period in the past, this tells the doctor that there could be an undisclosed medical reason for this unexpected change. If the child never totally developed bladder control at night, it is called primary nocturnal enuresis.

The treatment for primary nocturnal enuresis entails reducing how much urine the child produces at night and teaching the child to awake to the feeling of a full bladder. Some basic actions would be to reduce the child’s consumption of liquids before bed, staying clear of caffeinated and carbonated drinks and waking them to urinate about an hour or two after they have been asleep.

If the child is still wetting the bed after these techniques are practiced, a bed-wetting alarm can be used. This alarm goes off when a child has urinated, waking the child up to go to the bathroom. These alarms have been highly successful when they are used on children who are at least 7 years old and have started to have some dry nights.

Also, a medication called DDAVP can be used in some cases. This medicine works by reducing urine production overnight, but it doesn’t cure bed-wetting due to some possible side effects. It is usually used for certain types of social situations like summer camp or sleepovers.

Sometimes nocturnal enuresis can be a sign of an underlying medical condition. If the child has pain with urination, lower extremity weakness, increased thirst or fever, or daytime accidents, they should be seen by a physician. More information is available about bed-wetting at www.aap.org. You may need to type “bed-wetting” in the search bar.