Category: Health

Can You Over-Clean Your Carpet?

Dirty carpets give your home a shabby look. But that’s the least of your worries when dealing with a dirty carpet.

Your carpet accumulates dust, pet hair, and grime that may cause allergies by contaminating the air in your house. Cleaning your carpet will undoubtedly rid your air of pollution and your carpet of stains.

Since carpet cleaning has numerous benefits, there couldn’t possibly be a problem with washing it often, right? Wrong. There’s such a thing as over-cleaning your carpet.

Surprising, isn’t it?

You may wash your carpet until you start breaking the fibers. How often should you wash your carpet?

Find out below.

How Often Should You Clean Your Carpets?

Typically, you may deep clean your carpet professionally every 12 to 18 months. However, several factors affect the frequency.

However, you may vacuum it once a week if you don’t have kids and only experience light traffic daily. On the contrary, a home with pets or kids requires daily cleaning. Or you may vacuum twice a week. Sometimes, you need to clean it more than twice a week.

This routine isn’t set in stone.

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Why Speech Pathologists Highly Recommend Play Therapy

Playing is an essential part of every child’s life, and we dare say an adult’s life. Play is also something that the speech pathologists from Communi Kids Speech would regard as one of the most essential treatment tools they have available to them. Playing has the perfect combination of facets. Namely, it is fun for the child and creates scenarios where their communication, language, or skills can be developed.

We are not suggesting that simply by playing a game, a child’s speech problems will miraculously disappear, as that would be too simplistic. However, playing certain types of games and games that require the child to act or behave in specific ways can create an environment where their language and communication skills can be developed.

What Is Play Therapy?

Play therapy is used in several medical fields to help treat children, and it can be especially effective in implementing speech pathology treatment. Given how much children love playing, play therapy uses that fact and tries to combine the child having fun whilst playing to help support the development of their speech,  social skills and communication, voice, and listening skills.

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Alternatives to Cataract Surgery

Are There Viable Alternatives to Cataract Surgery?

As you age, the chances are that you will suffer from cataracts on some level. Basically, cataracts occur when your eyes’ lenses become cloudy and damaged, resulting in blurred vision and deteriorated sight. In most cases, this can be corrected through cataract surgery.

However it’s worth exploring your options before you commit to surgery. And fortunately, there are a few – especially for those with early stage cataracts.

As always, the rest of this article is meant to be informational only. You should always speak with your eye doctor before committing to any of the following alternatives. It’s also worth noting that most of the options listed below are temporary, and you will have to have laser eye surgery at some point to properly restore your vision.

Temporary Vision Correction

Those with cataracts which aren’t too bad could consider using some form of temporary vision correction in the form of glasses or contact lenses. Although this won’t stop the progression of your cataracts, it could give you years of perfect vision before surgery becomes a must.

We’d highly recommend speaking to your local optometrist to see if glasses are a viable option for your needs. It’s also important to understand that you will have to upgrade your glasses from time to time as your vision continues to worsen.

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Determining-If-You-Are-Eligible-For-Dental-Implants

Determining If You Are Eligible For Dental Implants

Whilst there are many dental procedures that just about anyone can have safely, there are also some, including dental implants, that consideration of a person’s eligibility has to take into account other factors than simply whether they would benefit from the treatment. These usually relate to their physical health and some lifestyle choices, and it may be the case that these mean the person is not eligible for them.

If we focus on dental implants there are 5 major factors where, if they apply to the patient in question, their dental consultant will advise them that it will not be recommended, mainly on health grounds, for them to have the treatment. Some are specific to the physical process with respect to fitting the implants, and others are with regards to the person’s overall wellbeing. Let us look at these 5 eligibility issues in some detail.

Smoking

Ok, we are not going to bang the drum about you stopping smoking for your health, however, the fact remains that smoking can compromise your eligibility for dental implants. Specifically, cigarette smoke blocks saliva glands, and with saliva playing a huge role in killing bacteria in your mouth, if there is less of it, the risk of infection increases.

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How to Notice Drug Use in the Workplace – and How to Act

How to Notice Drug Use in the Workplace – and How to Act

Whether your workplace is large or small, you may be surprised at how many people within are directly or indirectly affected by drug use. If you suspect that someone at work may need to attend a drug rehab facility, then it’s time to act – and fast. Drug use in the workplace doesn’t just affect the user.

Signs of Workplace Drug Use

No one ever wants to accuse their colleague of drug use, but identifying a problem can ensure they are able to get help. So, look out for some of the many signs that someone you know may be using

You may have noticed a dramatic or sudden change in their mood or behaviour. This, alongside changed job performance and decreased attendance, can most certainly set off alarm bells

Those suffering from alcohol or drug abuse may also be neglecting personal hygiene – even turning up in clothing they wore the day before – and looking disheveled. If challenged about their behaviour, you may note they become highly defensive.

These signs alone aren’t enough to accuse someone of drug use, but they can lay the foundation for further research.

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Botox for Depression

Botox for Depression

For a number of years, Botox has been useful as a treatment option for muscle-related conditions. It can help with excess sweating, incontinence, muscle spasms, and migraines. Botox is also helpful in achieving that smooth visage. However, have you ever thought that it could prove suitable for reducing your chance of depression?

What is Depression?

Depression is a mental health disorder. It causes you to have a low mood and affects your interest in activities. As a result, it can significantly impair your daily life. There are many biological, social, and psychological causes of depression, which makes finding a “cure” or “treatment” quite challenging.

Those who suffer from depression may find they have problems with their sleep – too much or not enough, concentration issues, changes in their appetite and energy levels, and altered behaviour. Around three million Australians suffer from anxiety and depression in a single year, and around half will have a mental health condition at some point in their life.

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Dealing With Harassment

Seven Tips for Dealing With Harassment

In Australia, workplace equality laws mean that everyone has the right to be able to work in peace without worrying about discrimination, harassment or any other form of workplace bullying. Unfortunately, though, these problems do still occur.

We regularly get asked about the best ways to deal with harassment in the workplace. Because of this, we’ve put together the following list of our top seven tips for dealing with all forms of workplace bullying and discrimination to ensure your mental and physical health doesn’t suffer unnecessarily.

  1. Address the Problem Directly

The first thing you should always do if you’re suffering workplace harassment or bullying is to tackle the problem head-on. Start by speaking with the person or people who are perpetrating the bullying. If they still won’t stop, consider taking your concerns to your employer or HR manager.

  1. Record Any Incidents that Occur

If you don’t manage to stop the harassment by speaking with the people responsible, you should start collecting evidence. Consider keeping a record of exactly what they’ve done, how it affected you and what actions you took to try and stop it.

At the same time, consider speaking with your coworkers to see if they’re willing to back your claims up. If it’s your supervisor harassing you, it’s especially important to work with your coworkers, because the chances are that you’re not the only one who is suffering.

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Spotting the Early Signs of Gum Disease

Spotting the Early Signs of Gum Disease

If it has been some time since you’ve visited your dentist, and you feel that something is not quite right, then it might be time to do so. Periodontal disease, or gum disease, is a genuine risk for those who aren’t taking the best care of their oral health.

Do you think you might have early signs of gum disease? The following information may be of assistance. You can then book in with your local dentist and see how they can help.

What is Gum Disease?

Gum disease, which your dentist may refer to as periodontal disease, is an infection within the tissue that keeps your teeth firmly in place. Typically, inadequate flossing and brushing habits can be to blame, as you’re not getting rid of the sticky bacteria film that sits on your teeth

Failure to remove this film can result in it hardening. You may then notice that your gums are sore and bleeding, or you have problems chewing – or even tooth loss.

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Gum Disease

How Do I Know I Have Gum Disease?

Gum disease is one of the leading causes of tooth loss in adults. It seems these figures ring true, as at least three million Australians are missing teeth – with many due to gum disease. Aside from needing to seek out dental help from your dentist so you can get to grips with your oral health, there are other ways to tell whether you have gum disease – or are likely to get it.

Plaque and Gingivitis

Gingivitis is an early stage of gum disease and causes gum tissue inflammation. The beauty experts at Artistic Beauty say, if you have a lot of plaque around your teeth and gumline, then you are in the beginning stages of gum disease. Fortunately, if you see your dentist for professional dental services such as cleaning, brush, and floss regularly, and see your dentist twice-yearly, you may be able to reverse those beginning stages.

Tissue and Bone Loss

If you don’t act fast once plaque and gingivitis take hold, your gingivitis then turns into advanced gum disease – periodontitis. At this stage, your dentist may use such procedures as scaling and deep cleaning and plaque removal beneath your gumline. Periodontitis affects your gums, but it has severe consequences for your bone too. Any bone loss from periodontitis may require a dental specialist’s help.

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Skin pH Levels

Everything You Need to Know About Skin pH Levels

When you see ads for organic skin care and standard skin care products on TV, you may think all that talk about skin pH levels is just that – talk. Surely, it’s some kind of marketing ploy, or way in which to make one product stand out over another. The truth is, talking about your skin’s pH levels is more important than you think – and it’s not a tactic to get you to buy one product or another. We asked the experts at fridakahloskincare.com and here’s what you need to know.

What are Skin pH Levels All About?

Most likely, you would never have heard the term pH used as its full name of ‘potential of hydrogen’. This term means that there is a certain concentration level of hydrogen ions in a substance. There is also a scale to measure the levels, with zero being the most acidic, and 14 being the most alkaline. Your skin is at its best when it sits in the middle between acidic and alkaline at around 4.8 to 6.

What Happens if My Skin pH Levels are Too High?

If your skin’s pH levels are too high, with high being around 7-14, then your skin becomes dry, sensitive, and irritated. It may even look inflamed, with some enzymes actively destroying your collagen levels due to too much alkaline. If you use high pH products, you are vulnerable to skin issues such as acne, eczema, Athlete’s foot, and more. If your skin’s pH levels are consistently high, then your skin can age faster as well.

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BodyCombat Group Exercise

Benefits of taking a BodyCombat Group Exercise Class

No matter which form of exercise you take part in – be it a solo activity or a group fitness session, you will find there is a range of benefits. However, there is now a group fitness class available that may have all the advantages you’ve been looking for – above and beyond what regular fitness classes and solo sessions can offer. Find out below how BodyCombat could be the best team fitness option for you.

Burn Calories

One chocolate muffin can have over 430 calories in it. To burn off that same number of calories, you may need to go for a four-hour stroll. No one has time to exercise for half the working day, which makes it essential to find group fitness classes and exercise options that help you to burn as many calories as possible. BodyCombat is one such option. Offering high-energy martial arts-style workouts, you can burn as much as 740 calories in a 30, 45, or 55-minute session.

Get Fit

If you work up a sweat just walking up the front steps to your house, then it’s clear to see your fitness has fallen by the wayside. BodyCombat can most certainly help you to get that back. These classes are challenging in their intensity levels, while helping you to work on your legs, arms, shoulders, back, and core. You develop empowerment, speed, coordination, and agility, which all equate to an incredible level of fitness.

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Wisdom Teeth

Why Do We Have Wisdom Teeth?

If you’ve ever visited the dentist because of wisdom teeth pain, you will no doubt be asking yourself why it is we have them. Why, if in most cases you need to get them removed, do they grow and cause a significant amount of pain? Many people will be all too familiar with wisdom teeth laying dormant for years, only to emerge and create nothing but pain, discomfort, and inflammation. They serve no purpose, so why are they there?

There is a prevailing theory amongst anthropologists and the dentist workforce that wisdom teeth only exist because of our ancestors’ early diet. Before we began to consume softer foods and started to use knives and forks, we had to rely on our teeth to grind, crunch, and break foliage, berries, nuts, and other natural ingredients.

We now live in a more convenient age, and wisdom teeth are now redundant. In fact, you can almost call wisdom teeth a vestigial organ – something you no longer need in your body because of modern conveniences and technological advancements.

Why Do Wisdom Teeth Take So Long to Appear?

Between age 17 and 25, most people will find themselves calling their dentist for wisdom tooth extraction. This time of your life tends to be the most common for wisdom teeth to erupt through the surface – even if they’ve been growing under your gum line for some time. The reason for them appearing so late is that, like most teeth, they grow on a timeline.

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Arm Liposuction

What to Expect with Arm Liposuction

When it comes to arm liposuction the procedure is a little more invasive than some other kinds because there are two arms to be done, not just one site.  And because your arms move around a lot more than your torso, you need to take extra care of them after the surgery. Even though the cuts made for this procedure are tiny, they are still cuts and so need to be attended to carefully.

It is not only a matter of healing the cuts either. Remember that a lot of fatty cells have been removed through those tiny cuts. This removal will cause some blood loss and there is likely to be leakage of fluid and blood from the cuts until they heal.  This is a good thing because the fluid and blood are now waste products and need to be removed. Those cuts can’t be stitched up; if they are, the waste will be kept  trapped under the skin.

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Drug Rehab

Drug Rehab Options

Often, people get on drugs with the intention of just trying them out, but before they know it they are addicted and their life becomes a chaotic mess. If you are thinking of going to drug rehab, there are a few different options that you can try, depending on your circumstances. It’s important to choose one that will give you the best chance of beating those drugs.

Here are a few drug rehab options.

Day clinics: this is where you go for treatment during the day, but return home for the night. These are the cheapest options because there are no accommodation costs. However, because you return home each night, it is not necessarily the best option, especially if there are other drug users living there.  Being at home can put you at risk of losing the struggle, especially when it gets to the hard stage.

Free clinics: There are some free drug rehab clinics in most state. However the waiting list is usually long so you can’t get in when you want to. And being state funded usually means they don’t have the same modern programmes for rehab. However, they are better than nothing.

Residential Clinics: Clinics that offer accommodation cost more, but are a better option for rehabilitation because you are right away from your old life where you can easily be tempted to take more drugs. Because you spend the nights at the clinic, there is less chance for you to give up during those difficult night hours when things seem at their worst. In addition, there is usually nursing staff available during the night to take care of you if you need it. (more…)

Importance of Staying Warm

The Importance of Staying Warm

Staying warm is important for your health, especially in winter. Being too cold can cause many health problems and exacerbate your symptoms when you get a cold or flu. Your residential electrician will usually tell you the best way to keep warm is with the use of electric heating of some kind. Electricity is quick, clean, non-toxic and efficient. In addition it is widely available.

Years ago when not much heating was available, people used to get an itchy and painful condition called chilblains. It caused weeping sores on their extremities- toes, fingers, and sometimes ears – that took ages to heal. In fact, it would only heal when the warmer weather arrived. A condition called trench foot has also been noted by those who spend too much time in a cold environment.

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