SALT: Use it to Stop Migraine Instantly

When you have a migraine, you feel that pulsating pain, which often stays on one side of the head. It is not only painful, but it can affect your performance, especially if you’re working.

Oftentimes, you cannot concentrate and you feel nauseous, therefore limiting any kind of physical activity. Migraines are more common in women than in men. In fact, studies show that women get three times more migraines than men. Nevertheless, 30 million people in the United States have experienced terrible migraines in their lives.

Related Post: The biggest difference between The 4 Week Diet and other less successful weight loss systems.

For many people, they turn to pharmacies and buy their pain killers to relieve themselves from the throbbing headache. While these medications do work, they are generally slow acting. Others have side effects that you probably don’t want to deal with, particularly if you still have work to do. But here’s good news: now, you can get rid of the pain and the nausea with this super simple technique.

You don’t want your migraine to stop you from doing any activity and even ruin your mood. Thankfully, here’s a very easy solution that you can try. Just go to your kitchen and find salt. Yes, salt can help you get rid of that terrible pain in just a few seconds. So, how do you do this? You only need three things:

• Salt
• Water
• Lemonade or lime juice

With the three ingredients ready, the whole process is simple:

1. Take a glass of water.
2. Add the lemon juice or the lime juice.
3. Add the salt.

Important Notes:

This technique is quite effective and many people have attested as to how quick the response is. What’s more, salt is safe to use in general. When you choose this migraine relief method over medications, it helps to know the following:

• Not all salt are equal. There are many salt options, including table salt, kosher, and sea salt. However, for this method, the most ideal here is Himalayan pink salt. This type of salt is effective in curing migraines because it aids in hydrating you by providing the body with electrolytes.

• Lemons go hand in hand with salt. Drinking this elixir can help cure headaches and migraines. You can also rub the lemon or the lime across your forehead to get instant relief.

Make sure that the liquid you drink has so much more concentration of salt than the lime or lemon juice. Soon enough, you’ll find yourself feeling better without that agonizing pain in your head.

Source: https://www.stethnews.com

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Match Day‬, ‪medicine‬, ‪Student‬, ‪Residency‬, ‪National Resident Matching Program‬‬-Health And Beauty

Modern cells phones may have stolen a bit of suspense from National Match Day, when fourth-year medical students around the United States learn the hospitals where they'll go for residency training. 

On Friday, some Penn State College of Medicine students had to sit with their envelopes for as long as a half-hour before they could finally open them and learn the news they've awaited for months if not longer. Some could be seen holding their envelopes against brightly lit cell phone screens. Based on the reaction of at least one, it worked. 

Yet plenty of drama remained and, at the end of a countdown, the new doctors eagerly opened their envelopes, with the room soon filled with shouts and squeals. Then the banquet room at a hotel outside Harrisburg was filled with young doctors exchanging hugs with classmates and the many moms, dads, grandparents and others who attended. 


All told, 136 students of the Derry Township-based medical school learned their residency destination. Residencies, which typically last from three to five or more years depending on the specialty, are a period of intense hospital-based training doctors must go through before they can work on their own. 

"It was my first choice," said Morgann Loaec, who learned she'll do a residency in pediatrics at the renowned Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The 26-year-old Downingtown, Pa. native said she wanted to go to CHOP for its reputation, but also because it's near her family and fiancee.

Charlie Lin of northern California said he was "absolutely" pleased to learn he'll do his internal medicine residency at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, part of the famed Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Lin, 25, said he felt his prospects were good, although "I'm a person who never takes anything for granted." 

But while it was hard to detect, there was bound to be disappointment too, given that medical students all over the country were competing for limited spots, meaning many had to settle for something less than their favorite choice or choices.

And one member of the class didn't get selected for a match, according to a spokeswoman. 

All told, the fourth-year medical school class numbered 145, with a few not involved in the match event for reasons such as going to work for the military. About 30 percent will work at hospitals in Pennsylvania, and 24 of them will do their residencies at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.
 
One thing that most if not all have in common is that, when they begin their residencies in July, the'll embark on the portion of their medical career that's often remembered as the hardest. In a practice that has come under criticism over the years, the doctors in training routinely work extremely long shifts, often broken up by sleep breaks that don't even allow enough time to leave the hospital.

Source: http://www.pennlive.com

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Insomnia | What to Do When You Can't Sleep

Do you struggle to get to sleep no matter how tired you are? Or do you wake up in the middle of the night and lie awake for hours, anxiously watching the clock? If so, you’re in good company. Insomnia is a very common problem that takes a toll on your energy, mood, and ability to function during the day. Chronic insomnia can even contribute to serious health problems. But you don’t have to resign yourself to sleepless nights. By addressing the underlying causes and making simple changes to your daily habits and sleep environment—you can put a stop to the frustration of insomnia and finally get a good night’s sleep.

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep at night, resulting in unrefreshing or non-restorative sleep. Because different people need different amounts of sleep, insomnia is defined by the quality of your sleep and how you feel after sleeping—not the number of hours you sleep or how quickly you doze off. Even if you’re spending eight hours a night in bed, if you feel drowsy and fatigued during the day, you may be experiencing insomnia.

Although insomnia is the most common sleep complaint, it is not a single sleep disorder. It’s more accurate to think of insomnia as a symptom of another problem. The problem causing the insomnia differs from person to person. It could be something as simple as drinking too much caffeine during the day or a more complex issue like an underlying medical condition or feeling overloaded with responsibilities.

The good news is that most cases of insomnia can be cured with changes you can make on your own—without relying on sleep specialists or turning to prescription or over-the-counter sleeping pills.
 

Related: Insomnia is a vicious cycle

Symptoms of insomnia:

Insomnia is a vicious cycle

• Difficulty falling asleep despite being tired
• Waking up frequently during the night
• Trouble getting back to sleep when awakened
• Unrefreshing sleep
• Relying on sleeping pills or alcohol to fall asleep
• Waking up too early in the morning
• Daytime drowsiness, fatigue, or irritability
• Difficulty concentrating during the day

Causes of insomnia: Figuring out why you can't sleep

In order to properly treat and cure your insomnia, you need to become a sleep detective. Emotional issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression cause half of all insomnia cases. But your daytime habits, sleep routine, and physical health may also play a role. Try to identify all possible causes of your insomnia. Once you figure out the root cause, you can tailor treatment accordingly.

• Are you under a lot of stress?
• Are you depressed? Do you feel emotionally flat or hopeless?
• Do you struggle with chronic feelings of anxiety or worry?
• Have you recently gone through a traumatic experience?
• Are you taking any medications that might be affecting your sleep?
• Do you have any health problems that may be interfering with sleep?
• Is your sleep environment quiet and comfortable?
• Do you try to go to bed and get up around the same time every day?

Common psychological and medical causes of insomnia

Sometimes, insomnia only lasts a few days and goes away on its own, especially when the insomnia is tied to an obvious temporary cause, such as stress over an upcoming presentation, a painful breakup, or jet lag. Other times, insomnia is stubbornly persistent. Chronic insomnia is usually tied to an underlying mental or physical issue.

Anxiety, stress, and depression are some of the most common causes of chronic insomnia. Having difficulty sleeping can also make anxiety, stress, and depression symptoms worse. Other common emotional and psychological causes include anger, worry, grief, bipolar disorder, and trauma. Treating these underlying problems is essential to resolving your insomnia. 

Medical problems or illness. Many medical conditions and diseases can contribute to insomnia, including asthma, allergies, Parkinson’s disease, hyperthyroidism, acid reflux, kidney disease, and cancer. Chronic pain is also a common cause of insomnia. 

 

Related: Major Insomnia Health Risks

Not Sleeping Well? There May Be a Medical Cause

Medications. Many prescription drugs can interfere with sleep, including antidepressants, stimulants for ADHD, corticosteroids, thyroid hormone, high blood pressure medications, and some contraceptives. Common over-the-counter culprits include cold and flu medications that contain alcohol, pain relievers that contain caffeine (Midol, Excedrin), diuretics, and slimming pills.
Sleep disorders. Insomnia is itself a sleep disorder, but it can also be a symptom of other sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and circadian rhythm disturbances tied to jet lag or late-night shift work.

Identifying habits that cause insomnia and disrupt sleep

While treating underlying physical and mental issues is a good first step, it may not be enough to cure your insomnia. You also need to look at your daily habits. Some of the things you’re doing to cope with insomnia may actually be making the problem worse.
For example, maybe you’re using sleeping pills or alcohol to fall asleep, which disrupts sleep even more over the long-term. Or maybe you drink excessive amounts of coffee during the day, making it harder to fall asleep later. Other daytime habits that can negatively impact your ability to sleep at night include having an irregular sleep schedule, napping, eating sugary foods or heavy meals too close to bedtime, and not getting enough exercise or exercising too late in the day. 

Not only can poor daytime habits contribute to insomnia, but a poor night's sleep can make these habits harder to correct, creating a vicious cycle of unrefreshing sleep:

Oftentimes, changing the habits that are reinforcing sleeplessness is enough to overcome the insomnia altogether. It may take a few days for your body to get used to the change, but once you do, you will sleep better.

 

If you're having trouble identifying insomnia-inducing habits 

Some habits are so ingrained that you may overlook them as a possible contributor to your insomnia. Maybe your Starbucks habit affects your sleep more than you realize. Or maybe you’ve never made the connection between that late-night glass of wine and your sleep difficulties. Keeping a sleep diary is a helpful way to pinpoint habits and behaviors contributing to your insomnia. 

Fighting insomnia with a better sleep environment and routine

Two powerful weapons in the fight against insomnia are a quiet, comfortable sleep environment and a relaxing bedtime routine. Both can make a big difference in improving the quality of your sleep.

Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and cool. 

Noise, light, and a bedroom that’s too hot or cold, or an uncomfortable mattress or pillow can all interfere with sleep. Try using a sound machine or earplugs to mask outside noise, an open window or fan to keep the room cool, and blackout curtains or an eye mask to block out light. Experiment with different levels of mattress firmness, foam toppers, and pillows that provide the support you need to sleep comfortably.

 

Related:  Do you struggle to get to sleep no matter how tired you are?

Stick to a regular sleep schedule. 

Support your biological clock by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, including weekends. Get up at your usual time in the morning even if you’re tired. This will help you get back in a regular sleep rhythm.

Turn off all screens at least an hour before bed. 

Electronic screens emit a blue light that disrupts your body’s production of melatonin and combats sleepiness. So instead of watching TV or spending time on your phone, tablet, or computer, choose another relaxing activity, such as reading a book or listening to soft music.

Avoid stimulating activity and stressful situations before bedtime. 

This includes checking messages on social media, big discussions or arguments with your spouse or family, or catching up on work. Postpone these things until the morning.

Avoid naps. 

Napping during the day can make it more difficult to sleep at night. If you feel like you have to take a nap, limit it to 30 minutes before 3 p.m.

Neutralizing anxiety that keeps you from falling or staying asleep

The more trouble you have with sleep, the more it starts to invade your thoughts. You may dread going to sleep because you just know that you’re going to toss and turn for hours or be up at 2 a.m. again. Or maybe you’re worried because you have a big day tomorrow, and if you don’t get a solid 8 hours, you’re sure you’ll blow it. But agonizing and expecting sleep difficulties only makes insomnia worse. Worrying about getting to sleep or how tired you’re going to be floods your body with adrenaline, and before you know it, you’re wide-awake.

Learning to associate your bed with sleeping, not sleeplessness

If sleep worries are getting in the way of your ability to unwind at night, the following strategies may help. The goal is to train your body to associate the bed with sleep and nothing else—especially not frustration and anxiety.

Use the bedroom only for sleeping and sex. 

Don’t work, watch TV, or use your computer in bed or the bedroom. The goal is to associate the bedroom with sleep alone, so that your brain and body get a strong signal that it’s time to nod off when you get into bed.

Move bedroom clocks out of view. 

Anxiously watching the minutes tick by when you can’t sleep—knowing that you’re going to be exhausted when the alarm goes off—is a surefire recipe for insomnia. You can use an alarm, but make sure you can’t see the time when you’re in bed. 

Get out of bed when you can't sleep. 

Don’t try to force yourself to sleep. Tossing and turning only amps up the anxiety. Get up, leave the bedroom, and do something relaxing, such as reading, drinking a cup of herbal tea, or taking a bath. When you’re sleepy, go back to bed. 

What to do when insomnia keeps you up in the middle of the night

Many people with insomnia are able to fall asleep at bedtime, but then wake up in the middle of the night. They then struggle to get back to sleep, often lying awake for hours. If this describes you, the following tips may help.

Stay out of your head. 

Hard as it may be, try not to stress over your inability to fall back to sleep, because that stress only encourages your body to stay awake. To stay out of your head, focus on the feelings in your body or practice breathing exercises. Take a breath in, then breathe out slowly while saying or thinking the word, “Ahhh.” Take another breath and repeat.

Make relaxation your goal, not sleep. 

If you find it hard to fall back to sleep, try a relaxation technique such as visualization, progressive muscle relaxation, or meditation, which can be done without even getting out of bed. Even though it’s not a replacement for sleep, relaxation can still help rejuvenate your mind and body.

Promote relaxation by rubbing your ears or rolling your eyes. 

Rubbing the Shen Men acupressure point at the top of the ear can promote calmness and relaxation. Another simple way to promote sleep is to close your eyes and slowly roll them upwards a few times. 

Do a quiet, non-stimulating activity. 

If you’ve been awake for more than 20 minutes, get out of bed and do a quiet, non-stimulating activity, such as reading a book. Keep the lights dim and avoid screens so as not to cue your body that it’s time to wake up. 

Postpone worrying and brainstorming. 

If you wake during the night feeling anxious about something, make a brief note of it on paper and postpone worrying about it until the next day when it will be easier to resolve. Similarly, if a great idea is keeping you awake, make a note of it on paper and fall back to sleep knowing you'll be much more productive after a good night's rest.

Using insomnia supplements and medication wisely

When you’re tossing and turning at night, it can be tempting to turn to sleep aids for relief. But before you do, here’s what you need to know.

Dietary supplements for insomnia

There are many dietary and herbal supplements marketed for their sleep-promoting effects. Although they may be described as “natural,” be aware that sleep remedies can still have side effects and interfere with other medications or vitamins you’re taking. For more information, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

 
While scientific evidence is still being gathered for alternative sleep remedies, you might find that some of them work wonderfully for you. The two supplements with the most evidence supporting their effectiveness for insomnia are melatonin and valerian.

•           Melatonin. 

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that your body produces at night. Melatonin helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin is also available as an over-the-counter supplement. While melatonin doesn’t work for everyone, it may be an effective insomnia treatment for you—especially if you’re an extreme “night owl” with a natural tendency to go to bed and get up much later than others.

•           Valerian. 

Valerian is an herb with mild sedative effects that may help you sleep better. However, the quality of valerian supplements varies widely.

When to see a doctor about insomnia

If you’ve tried a variety of self-help techniques without success, schedule an appointment with a sleep specialist, especially if insomnia is taking a heavy toll on your mood and health. Provide the doctor with as much supporting information as possible, including information from your sleep diary.
 

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5 Insomnia Cures to Implement Now

5 Steps to Start Sleeping Better! 

1. Change Your Diet

Step number one in overcoming sleep deprivation is to change your diet; surprisingly for a lot of people, their diets are keeping them from falling asleep. Before you go to bed, you need to really drop your carbohydrate consumption. If you’re consuming too many sugars and carbs, your body is burning through those and getting warm, which prevents you from comfortably going to to sleep. That means you must lower your sugar, grain and overall carbohydrate intake before bed.

For long-lasting insomnia cures, it’s also key to get some healthy fats in your system to help you fall asleep soon after your head hits the pillow. For example, both benefit-rich avocado and organic yogurt (without sugar) can work extremely well here, as those foods are high in magnesium and potassium. Many people aren’t aware that they suffer from low potassium or have signs of a magnesium deficiency, as both are crucial nutrients you need to help relax the body and help you fall asleep at night. 

2. Reduce Stress

The second step you need to do to overcome insomnia is to naturally reduce anxiety and stress. For most people, along with diet, this is a major culprit for keeping you up at night — your mind starts racing with ceaseless thinking and you’re seemingly unable to shut your brain off.

There are several reasons for that. Perhaps you watched TV and that visual stimulus, especially the blue light, up until the point that you went to bed. This doesn’t just include the TV screen; it also includes your computer, your iPad or your smartphone, which too often reside next to people’s beds. That blue light actually tells your pineal gland in your brain that it needs to keep running, so it messes with your circadian rhythms and cortisol levels and keeps you from falling asleep at night when you were looking at that bright blue light in the computer screens and TV screens.

Therefore, I recommend that for about 30 minutes at least, ideally an hour, before bed, you need to shut off all electronics, and you need to start reading something that helps you relax or start journaling. The simplest step can be reading a novel, a devotional, your Bible, or just something that helps you relax and wind down at least 30 minutes before bed.

For journaling, you can get out a notebook and start writing things down; you can even look at your schedule for the next day and write that down. If you have something that’s really stressing you out and keeping you from sleeping at night, I recommend you start writing down those things that stress you out. Work on addressing those the best you can, and then start scheduling things into the week that you love to do. It is so important.

If you’ve had a great day and been happy all day, it actually creates certain hormones in your body known as endorphins that help you fall asleep at night. Exercise is one of the most natural ways to create endorphins, so consider exercise my Rx for a good night’s sleep, especially for children and teenagers who have trouble sleeping. Add it to your growing list of insomnia cures. 

3. Take Quality Supplements

Step number three is to take quality supplements, especially a magnesium supplement, to cure insomnia without drugs. Taking a magnesium supplement, about 400 to 500 milligrams a night before bed, can help you naturally reduce stress and really improve sleep. I recommend a high-quality magnesium chelate or magnesium citrate before bed.

In addition, supplements like melatonin can help, or valerian root, but I don’t recommend doing those on a long-term basis. Now, if you have jet lag, or you’re not able to sleep just for a day or two, taking melatonin on occasion, about three grams, is fine. But you just want to do a small amount of melatonin on occasion, not on a regular basis, for it can be habit-forming.

4. Use Essential Oils

The next step to truly help you improve your sleep is using essential oils, especially lavender essential oil and chamomile essential oil. Chamomile, whether in tea, tincture or essential oil form, is one of the best medicinal herbs for fighting stress and promoting relaxation, according to research from Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine and Pharmacognosy Review. Inhaling chamomile vapors  is often recommended as a natural remedy for anxiety and general depression, which is one reason why chamomile oil is a popular ingredient in many candles, aromatherapy products and bath-soaking treatments.

With lavender oil, you can diffuse that by your bed at night or just take a few drops of lavender oil and rub it on your neck. The benefits of lavender oil include having certain aromatic compounds that help relax your body. Also, you can take a warm bath with lavender oil and Epsom salts, which work because they have magnesium.
If you’re going to go to bed at 10 p.m. or 10:30 p.m., do a detox bath by starting the process at around 9 p.m. Take about 20 drops of lavender oil, rub it all on your body and get into a warm/hot bath with Epsom salts, and relax there for about 20 to 30 minutes. When you get out, go and read a book for 30 minutes in bed and then fall asleep there at night.

5. Change Your Lifestyle

Last but not least, you probably need to change your lifestyle in order to find more insomnia cures. For example, I recommend a few things to do around your home to help improve your sleep. Get the temperature in your house cold, definitely below 70 degrees — oftentimes, upper 60s to mid-60s for some people is necessary. In the winter, make sure the heat source has been turned down. A nice and cold house will help improve your sleep.

Another thing you want to do is make sure your bed is comfortable. If there is a big dip in your bed, it’s time to pick a healthier bed. Also, make sure it’s dark in your room, as getting some dark curtains can help you fall asleep at night as well. 

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