Common But Overlooked Symptoms of Heart Problems

Not everyone with heart disease experiences chest pain. Other symptoms can instead be the warning signals that alert the sufferer to heart disease. In fact, any symptom that has the appearance of provocation by exertion, thereafter being relieved by rest, can be related to the heart. Other symptoms beyond chest pain can be the clue to a problem with the heart; this is especially true in people with such underlying risk factors as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and tobacco use.

Nausea, Indigestion, Stomach Pain, or Heartburn

There are those who experience these symptoms while having a heart attack; vomiting is even possible. These symptoms are more likely to be reported by women than by men. Of course, upset stomachs have a variety of potential causes. But with these feelings and risk of heart problems, a doctor should be informed of the circumstances.

Dizziness or Lightheadedness

Perhaps standing up too fast is the culprit or a lack of sufficient food or beverage. But a sudden feeling of unsteadiness along with shortness of breath or chest discomfort means that a doctor should be notified at once. The cause could be the blood pressure having dropped due to the heart being unable to pump properly…

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Why is it Important to Know Your Family Medical History?

Most people are aware that the risk of various diseases can be reduced by getting sufficient exercise, eating a diet that is healthy, and refraining from smoking. But fewer people are aware that one’s family history might be among the strongest of influences on the risk of one’s developing stroke, diabetes, heart disease, or cancer. While changing one’s genetic makeup is impossible, awareness of the family history can assist in the reduction of risk of the development of health problems.

Members of families share not only genes, but also lifestyles, environment, and often habits as well. Everyone recognizes shared traits as curly or straight hair, athletic ability or lack, vision, or dimples that run within families. Other traits that run in families are the risks for diseases such as asthma, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Everyone has a different family history of disease.

The key facets of a family medical history that can increase risk are more than one close relative having the disease, a disease that generally does not affect a particular gender, diseases occurring at a younger age than they generally strike, and particular combinations of diseases inside a family, such as diabetes and heart disease. Anyone’s family that has a single of these features or more might find important clues about disease risk inside the family history…

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The Spectrum: Autism Friendly Theme Parks

Every family deserves to be able to enjoy a vacation. However, this isn’t always easy to do when you have a child diagnosed with Autism. Yet there are still places where you and your family can relax and enjoy quality time together. Scattered across the U.S. are several theme parks that are Autism friendly.

One of these theme parks is Sesame Place, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 2015, Sesame Street debuted Julia, a character with Autism. As a result, Sesame Place holds the distinction of being the country’s first Certified Autism Center. The entire staff of the park is trained in how to assist those with the condition. Parents planning a visit to the amusement park can use its website’s sensory guide. This allows them to pick and choose the activities their children will participate in during their visit. Sesame Island is an area of the park where guests can use the two quiet rooms. Families are easily accommodated in these areas and noise-canceling headphones, as well as adjustable lighting, are offered for free use. Many of the park’s rides and restaurants were designed with Autistic children in mind. There is even an area where children can watch the park’s parade without fear of becoming overwhelmed.

For families that want to enjoy a water park, the Aquatica Orlando is a viable option. Though the park is not new it has been updated to accommodate guests with autism. The staff has been extensively trained in emotional and sensory awareness as well as motor skills and the need for a quiet environment. In fact, the park now has a low sensory area as well as a quiet room. The quiet room is a very private place equipped with adjustable lights…

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The Spectrum: Understanding Behavioral Therapy for Autism

Treating Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is not about finding a cure; instead, behavioral therapy for autism is designed to help children develop the social, communication and self-regulatory behaviors necessary to thrive.

Behavioral therapy is often considered to be an intervention for unruly children, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. In reality, behavior therapy is employed throughout the field of psychology to treat a wide range of conditions for people of various ages. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) are two common forms of psychotherapy used to treat mental illnesses ranging from depression and anxiety to bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder.

When Should an Autistic Child Get Therapy?

For autistic children, behavior therapy provides the guidance and structure they need to build upon their strengths and develop the type of skills required to interact and engage with the world around them. Early childhood intervention is often the best choice for autistic children as the skills they develop now can help them easily integrate into the general population at school later on.

Popular Types of Behavioral Therapy for Autism

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is one of the most common types of autism behavior therapy…

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6 Fantastic Ways To Avoid Processed Foods

Most people know that eating less processed food is good for their health. However, it can sometimes be a bit confusing to avoid processed food and add more natural foods to your diet. The following tips will make the process a little easier.

Become A Label Reader
People who look at food labels are usually interested in things like calories, fat content, and the amount of sugar in the food. However, it is worth the extra time it will take to read the ingredients on the food label. If the food you are considering contains more than five ingredients and you are unable to pronounce some of them, you may want to look into alternative options.

Eat More Whole Foods
Eating more fruits and vegetables will help replace processed food in the diet. This approach also makes the food selection process simpler. There is no need to worry as much about calorie and carb counting when your diet consists mostly of whole food choices.

Choose Local Over Processed
Many people will be surprised to learn the whole-wheat bread they purchase in grocery stores is just as processed as the white bread in these stores. Buy your bread from a local baker to assure it contains no more ingredients than is necessary to make fresh bread. Locally grown and made fresh items are likely to go through much less of a process, and are generally healthier in the long run….

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The Spectrum: Preparing for College With Autism

As a parent or guardian of a child with autism, you may have questions about preparing for college. While students with autism will face unique challenges, it is possible to thrive in a college environment with the right preparation.

The best strategy to prepare a student with autism for college is to start early. As early as the eighth grade, parents can begin training their child in the academic and social skills they will need in college. It’s also important for parents of children with autism to train their child how to be independent. Allowing your child to begin cooking their own meals or doing their own grocery shopping is a great way to start, particularly if he/she is planning to live on their own in college. You can help your child develop social skills by encouraging him/her to join clubs or groups at school or participate in extracurricular activities. Volunteering is a great way for students with autism to develop social skills and find activities that interest them; it also looks good on a college application and will give your student a leg up.

When it comes time to apply for colleges, it’s important to do some research. There are many colleges that offer autism support programs for students on the autism spectrum. These often involve comprehensive programs that can assist students with the transition to college by providing resources to help improve academic and social skills. Some colleges also offer transition support as students complete their degree and transition into independent adult life. These services may also include job placement assistance and career resources…

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Four Common Myths About Heart Disease

Heart disease is incredibly common in the United States. A third of Americans are currently living with this problem, and this number is only growing. Despite its prevalence, however, many people still have misconceptions about heart disease. Here are some of the major myths that surround this disorder.

Heart Disease is an Old Person’s Disease

Although the risk of heart disease does increase with age, it is becoming more prevalent in younger people than it has been in the past. The reasons for this increase include the epidemic of childhood obesity, type II diabetes occurring at younger ages, and the fact that more people in all age groups than ever are living sedentary lifestyles.

Heart Disease Affects Mostly Men

While it is true that the female hormone, estrogen, provides women some protection from heart disease, this benefit ends when a woman enters menopause. Heart disease is the top killer of women and men over the age of 65. After the age of 80, more women than men have heart disease — 80 percent for men and 87 percent for women.

Quitting Cigarette Smoking Will Not Affect Your Risk of Heart Disease

The lungs are incredibly elastic organs. The risks of heart disease and cancer begin diminishing very soon after a person decides to quit smoking. After just one year of not smoking, your risk for heart disease declines by half. This is true regardless of how long you have been smoking and how many packs you smoked per day…

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