Stress can be a killer – quite literally. It is well documented that stress is a direct contributor to deaths caused by cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Equally undesirable conditions caused by stress include skin rashes, obesity, substance abuse, sleep problems, fatigue and depression. That is why it is essential to find easy and effective ways to deal with stress. You can:

1. Acknowledge that a certain amount of stress can improve your performance
Harness and use stress to push yourself a little bit harder when it counts most. Based on the body’s natural “fight or flight” response, that burst of energy will enhance your performance at the right moment.

2. Avoid the super-stressed
Protect yourself by recognizing stress in others and limiting your contact with them. Some people thrive on stress and cannot function without it. They live from drama to drama and crisis to crisis.

3. Model the stress experts
Do you know anyone who copes with stress very effectively? When people around you are losing their heads, who do you know that always keeps calm? What is this person doing differently? What is his/her attitude? How does he/she communicate? Notice coping strategies that might work for you too and then implement them.

4. Take a few deep breaths
You can trick your body into relaxing by taking several slow deep breaths. Breathe in slowly for a count of 7 then breathe out for a count of 11. Repeat the 7-11 breathing until your heart rate slows down, your sweaty palms dry and you start to feel more in control.

5. Stop worrying
“If this happens, then that might happen and then everything will be lost!” Most of these catastrophes will never happen, so why waste all that energy and time worrying needlessly? If possible, figure out what can you do to prevent it and then get on with your life.

6. Identify your triggers
Presentations, heavy traffic, interviews, meetings, giving or receiving feedback, tight deadlines… Make a list of your stress trigger points. Be specific. Is it only presentations to a certain audience that get you worked up? Does one project cause more stress than another? Chose and use a suitable coping strategy to avoid getting worked up.

7. Take care of yourself
Lack of sleep, poor diet, smoking, too much alcohol and caffeine and not enough exercise wreaks havoc on our body and your mind. Looking after yourself is often ignored as a stress management technique.

Knowing what causes you to feel stressed is one of the best ways to deal with stress. It allows you to take action to reduce your stress levels. Do you need to learn some new skills? Do you need extra resources? Do you need to switch to decaf?

The ability to make an informed choice about the different ways to deal with stress is essential. Increase your knowledge by reading up about the subject and about ways to manage stress so that you can choose a technique that works for you. If the task feels to daunting to face on your own, get help from an experienced stress consultant. If you are worried that stress is affecting your health, see your doctor immediately.

Don’t allow stress to ruin your health and your life.

Dr Margarethe de Clermont is the author of a popular e-book about easy and effective ways to deal with stress, the FREE report “How does Stress affect your health?” and runs a successful online stress management consultancy. More at http://www.Relax-and-Rejuvenate.com/waystodealwithstress.html

Reducing your stress levels is good for your health. Stress is linked to top causes of death such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.

Here are several stress relief tips that can help you cope:

1.Being grateful is a great start. We have so much to be thankful for. Thank the taxi driver for bringing you home safely, thank the cook for a wonderful dinner and thank the window cleaner.
2.Strong supportive relationships are essential for effective stress management. Accept people as they are, avoid constant arguments, and let go of of resentments.
3.Watching the news is stressful, so limit your exposure. Some people just can’t start their day without their daily dose of current news. Most of the news we hear or read about is bad news. Starting the day with an overdose of bad news is not the most sensible thing to do.
4.A religious connection can also reduce stress. Belonging to a religious group with its familiar rituals, sacraments, chanting, prayers and meditations foster inner peace.
5.Time is valuable and too important to waste. Time management involves scheduling, setting goals, planning, creating lists of things-to-do and prioritizing. These basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the finer points of each skill that can provide you with extra resources to manage stress.
6.Resuscitate your sense of humour. One of the best stress relief tips is to smile often and even laugh heartily everyday. Heard a good joke? Tell your friends or family about it. As they say “Laughter is the best medicine”.
7.Express your feelings, friendship and passion to people around you. Try not to pent up anger and frustration, it is bad for your health. Instead find ways of expressing yourself without causing injury or hurt to anyone.
8.Working hard and achieving your goals brings tremendous personal satisfaction. Recognition of our accomplishments by ourselves and other people is necessary for all of us.
9.Learning new skills can be an enjoyable exercise. Try and learn something new everyday. Learning allows us to expand and broaden our horizons.
10.Run, jog, walk…put your body through its paces. Get some fresh air. Breathe deeply. Eat healthily and avoid smoking and too much alcohol and caffeine.

Everyone needs to develop skills to manage the pressures and other demands that are made of them on a daily basis. If there is a significant impact on your personal well-being and/or work performance then it is time to reassess and improve your personal stress management strategy.

One of the easiest ways to arm yourself with up-to-date information and advice from stress management experts is to read books and articles about it. You will learn more about stress and its effects, how to identify and take control of it for yourself. You can then compile a list of stress relief tips that work for you.

You can also consult a stress relief expert in person or on the phone and these days you can even consult them online. If you are at all uncertain about your symptoms and suspect that your health may be suffering, see your doctor immediately.

At the end of the day it all depends on how well you understand yourself and how well you equip yourself to handle stressful situations.

Dr Margarethe de Clermont is the author of a popular e-book about easy and effective ways to deal with stress, the FREE report “How does Stress affect your health?” and runs a successful online stress management consultancy. More at http://www.Relax-and-Rejuvenate.com/waystodealwithstress.html

When someone sneezes into their hands and immediately offers to shake our own, most of us wince at the thought of accepting. It is more than merely revolting. That is one of many ways in which infectious diseases spread. Below, we’ll examine several other ways in which germs are transmitted. Sometimes they’re transferred from one person to another; other times, even a harmless-looking insect can be the culprit. By reviewing the list below, you can become more cautious of your environment and avoid infections along the way.

#1 – From Another Person

Colds, flus, and other viruses are typically passed along from another individual. At times, direct contact triggers the transfer (for example, while kissing, touching, or engaging in sexual activity). Other times, the bacteria can become airborne. A cough or sneeze can send millions of bacteria into the air. If you’re within a closed space like a coffee shop, those bacteria may potentially land in your drink; once you take a sip, you can become infected.

#2 – From An Animal

Even though you might adore your dog or cat, they can transmit an infectious disease to you. If germs exist in their bodies, a scratch or bite can easily transfer them. Also, keep in mind that animals’ waste matter can be another source of possible infection.

#3 – From Droplets Or Particles

When a person coughs or sneezes, the air is filled with germ-carrying droplets and particles. Both can contain infection-causing organisms such as those which lead to a cold. Droplets can travel for a few feet in the air before their weight carries them downward. If they enter your mouth or eyes, you can manifest symptoms quickly.

Particles are much smaller than droplets. Once expelled from an infected person, they can hang suspended in the air. Their weight is not sufficient to carry them downward. If you breathe them in, you can become infected and show signs similar to those of the original “owner” of the particles.

#4 – From Insects

A number of insects can also carry the germs that cause infectious diseases. For example, mosquitoes can carry the malaria virus and infect people through a bite. In some cases, direct exposure to the germs is not enough to infect a person. Instead, the biology of the insect is required by the organisms before they can infect another.

Avoid Catching Infectious Diseases

Your first line of defense is to wash your hands frequently. That alone can prevent the spread of bacteria. You should also avoid sharing items on which you place your mouth (for example, cups or toothbrushes). Unfortunately, there is little you can in public places to protect yourself from others’ sneezes and coughs other than holding your breath, closing your eyes, and running outside. That said, by simply being aware regarding how bacteria and germs are transmitted, you’ll be less vulnerable to infectious diseases in the future.

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Our bodies can usually adapt to occasional and short term stress, especially if we get proper exercise and take care of ourselves.
On the other hand, ongoing stress can have far reaching effects on our health and well being.It is estimated that at least 80% of health problems are stress related.

Often living stressful lifestyles becomes so second nature we do not even notice, until we start to wonder why we get such frequent headaches, back pain or stomach problems. We might find ourselves not sleeping as well and becoming more short fussed and irritable.These are all immediate signs of stress beginning to take its on our health.

If we do not listen to these signs that our bodies are giving us,and begin to take steps to manage our stress, it will begin to have deeper, more long term effects. Some of the common physical effects could include the following:

Weakened Immune system.
Being under ongoing stress will usually begin to weaken our immune system, making us more prone to illness and infection.

Stomach and Intestinal problems.
Issues such as irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers,or ulcerative colitis, and indigestion are often caused or made worse by stress.

Heart problems.
high blood pressure, abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia), blood clots, and hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Stress is also also linked to coronary artery disease and heart attacks.

Muscular problems.
Chronic stress can cause muscle tension and pain of the back, neck and shoulders. It can also make rheumatoid arthritis worse.

Lung problems.
Diseases such as asthma and pulmonary disease can worsen due to stress.

Ongoing stress makes it difficult for our bodies to function as well as they should. A tremendous amount of energy is used up just dealing with stress, usually leaving us fatigued and exhausted.When we become fatigued and exhausted, its more difficult to handle even normal stress and a vicious downward cycle begins.

Often stress will effect our sleep as well, causing us to go to bed exhausted yet unable to fall asleep, or get a restful sleep. Sleep deprivation can then make us more stressed and fatigued, often leading to still more poor sleep.Another vicious cycle that can take a toll on our health and well-being.

Some stress in our lives is to be expected and normal. But chronic stress, especially if its severe, can take us on a downhill slide to poor health. Yet if we observe the warning signs and take care of ourselves, with exercise and stress management techniques, we can begin to feel our health, energy and zest for life return once again.

Author: Lita Stone

http://www.SleepAudios.com

Lita Stone has been selling her relaxing guided meditations and sleep audios at her website www.SleepAudios.com A natural, uplifting and highly effective solution for insomnia, stress or anxiety.

A continually growing cyst in a woman who has been on oral contraceptives for at least several months should be investigated to rule out tumor. Because women on oral contraceptives should not ovulate, they should not develop functional cysts, therefore we’re going to be looking at other types of cysts – the endometriomas, the cystadenomas, the dermoid cysts, occasionally polycystic ovaries, and rarely the cancerous cysts.

Another thing, intrauterine devices, so things like Marina by Berlex, the old Copper Sevens, various intrauterine devices which are pieces of plastic, plastic and metal, plastic and metal secreting hormone, put into the uterus which through a complex mechanism causes no – basically causes no conception. And these are not – and I repeat are not associated with any increase in cysts, any increase in tumors. There absolutely is – it’s a non-event. Some women have a problem with intrauterine devices causing pain, and I don’t doubt that.

I’ve had to remove many of them, because the uterus contracts and it can cause pain. It doesnt have to be right in the middle, can cause a right side, left side, but it is not causing a pathologic problem, something that’s going to develop into something. I’ve noticed some of your questions here, and I think some of these are important to hit on as part of this. And one question by one of your listeners was, am I able to have children if I have ovarian cysts? Absolutely, there’s no decrease in fertility if you have a diagnosis of ovarian cysts.

The only case would be again, the endometriomas which are going to be – which is endometriosis in the wrong place if it’s associated with infertility. We can treat that, we can treat it with medication, reverse that process, and start the ovulation. The other case would be polycystic ovaries. These are not usually large cysts, but again the polycystic ovaries are associated with infertility.

Again, treatable, and in fact in cases where just diet is not going to reverse if there are certain drugs that can cause ovulation, or you can take Clomiphene, Clomid, it causes one to ovulate.

It can break that vicious cycle of not ovulating, and oftentimes it’s very effective. Pregnancy usually does occur, and in rare cases there are certain surgical procedures on the ovary, very simple, that can stop the polycystic ovary disease symptom of not having periods. So that’s reversible.

So how hard is it to get pregnant with a cyst? It’s easy. I mean you better have a cyst or you probably are pregnant because you’re going to have to have a follicular cyst, although you might not see it.

A large cyst, some of these other cysts as we said can prevent pregnancy, but once they’re removed or taken care of, it’s not going to affect fertility, it’s not going to affect a pregnancy outcome. You can have normal periods after a cyst. The only time your periods are usually abnormal is with endometriomas or polycystic ovary disease which we’ve talked about, and can be rectified. One woman notes that she had a cyst on her left ovary and she’s 12 weeks pregnant, and wanted to know if this will affect the unborn child.

Dr Christopher Freville ponders upon the question she has given us a little bit of information. We already know from our discussion, what have we learned today, that cysts on an ovary are common. In fact they’re often necessary because the corpus luteum cyst of pregnancy is a functioning cyst necessary for the pregnancy and will not affect the unborn child at all.

If it was a cyst – and sometimes I might add that cysts show up during pregnancy that dont go away. What do we do about those? Well, we have a large cyst that shows up on exam, or shows up on ultrasound that does not go away, then it is mandatory that this woman have operative intervention, have a laparotomy.

Laparotomies do not cause an increase in miscarriages, do not cause an increase – any child birth defects. It’s just unfortunate complication unrelated to the pregnancy, but just as women are going to develop any of these cysts, women pregnant can develop any of these cysts.

When they’re found they need to be taken care of because the persistent cysts during pregnancy – during delivery could cause a problem with the delivery, and we dont want that. So as soon as you find out something during pregnancy we take care of it.

Hillary Templeton gives advice to women of all types of ovarian cysts on her website. Click here for more information on ruptured ovarian cysts http://www.ovariancystshelp.com

Once your baby is born, getting a good night’s rest may become a distant memory. Routine wake-ups during the night and early morning will likely become the norm for the foreseeable future. While the months leading up to the delivery date would seem to promise the last possible chance for you to enjoy a full night of slumber, your body has other ideas.

Pregnancy is filled with small inconveniences; one of them is that sleep becomes as elusive as your car keys when you’re in a frantic rush. There are plenty of reasons. Some are psychological (for example, concern about your baby’s well-being) while others are physical. In this article, I’ll explain some of the reasons why your body might refuse to let you sleep.

Common Problems

A lot of pregnant ladies complain that they’re unable to sleep for more than a few hours before having to get out of bed in order to pee. That’s natural. First, your body has an increased level of fluid. Second, your bladder isn’t able to hold as much due to pressure from your uterus. Ultimately, the best thing to do is to avoid drinking right before going to bed.

Another common culprit is indigestion. Remember, you’re eating for two, so there’s a tendency to eat more. The problem is that consuming a large meal and then going straight to bed can cause heartburn. If possible, try to eat smaller portions more frequently. Also, eating 3 or 4 hours before bedtime will help.

Sometimes, your mental and physical energy can build and keep you awake at night. If you don’t have an outlet through which to expend some of it, you’ll lay in bed tossing and turning. A mild exercise routine is usually helpful (consult your doctor prior to engaging in exercise). You can also take classes that are designed for pregnant women that can teach you various relaxation strategies.

Leg cramps can be a frustrating problem during pregnancy. Doctors aren’t entirely certain why they manifest; it could be a result of fatigue, pressure on the blood vessels in your legs, or even a calcium deficiency. Try massaging your calves and drinking plenty of water (though not too much before going to bed!). Also, taking a short walk each day might reduce the severity of the problem.

How To Get Some Sleep

The bad new is that your body will become more and more cumbersome as your due date approaches. As this happens, your ability to sleep naturally will be become more impaired. Consider using a maternity pillow and a pregnancy wedge. They’ve been designed specifically to provide more support and comfort when you’re lying down. Once your baby is born, you’ll wish you had gotten as much sleep as possible.

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