Category: health

Health Benefits of Custom Orthotics Insoles

Michelle

Health Benefits of Custom Orthotics Insoles

 

If you have been using over-the-counter shoe inserts expecting to get some relief from your heel pain, you are most likely to end up disappointed with its results. This is not your fault, it’s because of a misconception.

Many people think that it is okay to use any standard shoe insert to treat your foot problems and pain. However, this is false as there’s nothing called an “average foot” and there’s no one-size solution for foot pain.

Different people have different feet shapes, sizes, and structures and if you suffer from foot conditions like plantar fasciitis or flat feet, your podiatrist will most likely suggest custom orthotics insoles to treat the condition.

 

What are Custom Orthotics?

Custom orthotics are customized shoe inserts ordered by medical professionals after examining your feet, pronation, gait and after analyzing the pain and discomfort you are going through.

You know you need customized orthotics if the bottom of your shoes is not worn evenly across the toe and heel region. People with a normal gait undergo even wear-and-tear of their shoes.

They are made from much more durable material than the OTC inserts, and thus provide pain relief for years and not months. It is only after using these customized orthotics will you realize the following health benefits it offers.

 

Custom Foot Orthotics Insoles

 

1. They are especially helpful for athletes, those athletes who have recurring foot problems. It reduces foot stress and fatigue while increasing agility. It also helps in high impact sports involving lots of running and jumping by working as shock absorbers and thus reducing the stress on the joints and muscles.

2. Custom orthotics balances the feet and provides for improved shock absorption so that the shock impact is reduced drastically before reaching your limbs and starting joint pain.

3. Customized orthotics can help correct your posture and alignment by supporting the arch. This in turn minimizes the stress and discomfort of your improper gait.

4. Orthotics are especially helpful for people who have to spend a lot of time on their feet as part of their job. They help by maintaining correct weight distribution so that there is no untoward stress on only heels or arch while standing.

5. Orthotic shoe inserts also helpful for the obese who find it difficult standing for long periods if they do not get the support of the shoe inserts.

6. Balanced and properly supported feet mean a reduced chance of suffering from an ankle or foot injury, back pain, and even knee or hip pain.

7. Flat feet orthotics help by gradually shifting the shape of the arch and thus treats flat feet to improve your walk and gait. There is also orthotics which proves helpful for those with unusually high arches by reducing the stress and discomfort of the high arches.

8. Helps relieve any foot pain, stress, and fatigue caused by ankle problems by taking pressure of foot calluses and bunions. It provides support to arches to relieve arch pain and reduce muscle stress and fatigue.

9. Customized orthotic shoe inserts help improve your poor balance which was caused by improper lower limb alignment. The inserts help by supporting your arch and cradling your heel so that your pronation is gradually improved.

10. Custom orthotics are much more comfortable than the standard inserts you find in shoe stores. This is because custom orthotic insoles are manufactured as per your individual body’s biomechanical needs. So a runner with foot pain may be prescribed a particular treatment while those with broken bones or inflamed ligaments will be prescribed some other orthotic treatment.

11. Orthotics help improve skeleton alignment by gradually changing the angles of joints to provide pain relief.

12. The shoe inserts help reduce extremity rotation caused by overpronation. It also reduces the velocity at which joints move through its ranges.

13. Orthotics are not only helpful at providing relief from foot pain, but also helps those suffering from back pain, hips or knee pain, and people suffering from arthritis-related pain. Orthotics also help treat foot pain triggered by health issues like diabetes.

So you can see that there are many health benefits associated with using customized orthotics. The trick lies at consulting the right podiatrist who has the knowledge and experience to prescribe the right feet orthotics based on your individual needs and requirements.

 

 

 

 

Nail Care Essentials – Maintaining Strong Healthy Nails

Michelle

Having a good nail care go far beyond just manicures and nail polish. It’s not only important to have a regular and thorough nail-care routine to remove harmful germs and bacteria, nail care is also an important part of personal grooming. Some care and attention is definitely needed to maintain the health of the nail. There are many factors that can affect the health of your nails.

Common Nail Problems

When there is abnormal nail change, it is generally not due to your diet unless you are suffering from severe malnutrition. Sometimes nail problems indicate a nutritional imbalance.

Brittle nails can be due to iron deficiency or nutritional deficiencies or the result of age or too much or too little moisture. Spoon-shaped or upturned nails can be also be due to iron deficiency or as a result of repeated trauma.

common-nail-problems-nail-splitting-image

When you clip the nail too short or wear ill-fitting shoes, it can lead to an ingrown toenail. If you have white spots on the nails, it can be due to a deficiency in zinc.  Good sources of zinc will include shellfish, meat, nuts, whole grain and root vegetables.

Ridging of the nails can be due to eczema, psoriasis or other skin problems but the most common reason is due to aging.  Nail injury and rheumatoid arthritis can also cause vertical ridges.

Toenail and fingernail fungal infections can cause inflammation around the nail (paronychia) as well as nail lifting problem. The nail may turn thick, crumbly and yellowed. You might see white or black,  powdery discoloration of the nail plate’s surface. Fungal nail infections account for nearly one-half of all nail problems. It may occur at any age but is more common in older individuals. Diabetic patients are more likely to develop a fungal nail infection.

Nail lifting may also occur with other skin conditions like eczema (including hand dermatitis), psoriasis, and lichen planus and other underlying medical problems, including thyroid disease, pregnancy, and rarely some forms of cancer. Other possible causes of nail lifting are injury to the nails, use of nail cosmetics, and aggressive manicures.

Consult a doctor if your nail lifting becomes bothersome. Your doctor will evaluate the condition and may perform tests for infection and prescribe antibacterial or anti-fungal treatment if fungal infection is present.

 

nail-lifting-problem-image

 

Fungal infections of the nails are common among the older individuals, associated with athlete’s foot. Bacteria nail infection will usually lead to inflammation of the region of the finger or toe from which the nail plate originates. Such inflammation may be short term or it could be may a long-term problem or one that is chronic – keeps coming back.

Your doctor is most likely to prescribe a topical steroid or anti-fungal medication and/or an oral anti-fungal medicine or antibiotics. You can also consume a supplementary of zinc for a period of six months to help improve the condition.

 

The Importance of Nail Care

Many people pay close attention to how their hair look but do not care much for their nails while there are some who understand the importance of caring for their nails as they know that nails are an important part of our body and are our handy helper. Our nails not only help us do things like scratching an annoying itch or picking up coins from the ground but they also protect the fingers and toes.

Therefore it is important to take good care of your nails. Here are some simple and easy tips to get your nails in good shape:

Keep them short and clean, trim them in the shape of the tip of your finger and cut your toenails straight across.

 


After washing your hands and feet, dry them well. Change your socks daily. Apply moisturizer lotion on your fingernail when your hands feel dry. And more importantly, eat healthy balanced diet to maintain good nutrition, take selected supplements to keep your nails strong and healthy.

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Let Stress Hurt Your Health & Beauty

Michelle

Chronic Stress Symptoms & Health Impact

More than half the Singapore adult population claims to be suffering from stress to some level. It is no longer just the high flying executives that are suffering from stress, but the unemployed, the exhausted working mothers, and the students as well.

 

stress in singapore
Singapore kid is stressed about homework

student-feeling-stress-image

 

There is evidence linking chronic stress to our overall well being and health, linking stress to certain diseases. These stress related diseases include high blood pressure, headaches, facial pain, neck pain, stomach ulcers, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, infections, anorexia nervosa, menstrual period problems (PMS) and the list goes on.

 

 

The most common symptoms of stress include:

  • disturbed sleep and early morning waking
  • insomnia
  • panic attacks
  • migraines and headaches
  • loss of appetite
  • compulsive eating
  • excessive smoking
  • fatigue
  • irrational thoughts
  • easily irritated, uncontrolled emotions
  • frequent illnesses
  • irrational thoughts

The 1st warning for some of us could be a bout of flu or the onset of headaches. Alternatively our digestive system or our energy levels could be affected. As time goes by, our immune system dyfunction and some of us develop migraine headaches, others get recurrent flush, irritable bowel symptom, depression, chronic fatigue or panic attacks. Some minority will simply have a fatal heart attack or develop a serious medical condition. Studies have shown that people who bottle up their emotions are more likely to die early and in particular to have heart attacks.

 

What We Can Do To Manage Stress Better

There is plenty of medical evidence to support the fact that persistent stress can affect us both physically and mentally. Many of us have the ability to cope with near tragedy or disaster, and it is not until it is over that we feel it is safe to “fall apart”.

Here are tips to help you cope and manage your stress better:

  • Get some counselling to help you sort out the stressful situations you are facing
  • If you are suffering from panic attacks, consult doctor to prescribe a low dose of beta-blockers to help you cope with anxiety symptoms.
  • Do a physical medical examination and tests to check your iron levels, thyroid function, and check for early diabetes or underlying infection.
  • Set aside some sacred time for yourself, time to think and time to switch off from your responsibilities.
  • Open up and share with your family how you really feel, and ask for their support while you get yourself sorted out

 

family-support

  • If it is work-related stress, discuss with your colleagues how you can make changes
  • Learn not to take on too much and learn to say “NO” to others when you feel you are already fully committed.
  • Prioritise your responsibilities and see if you can off-load and delegate some of the less important tasks to others
  • Watch an entertaining film or read a good book
  • Laugh occasionally as laughter is a great medicine
  • Make time each day to simply relax for about 15 minutes, with no interruptions. Simply switch off your phone, cut off any possible distractions and just let yourself relax
  • Most importantly, set aside time each week to exercise.

 

There are a variety of ways to control your chronic stress and is important you implement some of the above methods to prevent the harmful effect stress has on your health and beauty.

 

Fighting Colds & Flu

Michelle

COLDS AND FLU : PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

There is a respiratory  tract  condition that occurs so frequently that is been called as the COMMON COLD. Most of us are familiar with its runny nose, sore throat, headache, fever, sneezing, and general sick feeling.

Slightly less common is influenza or the flu. It is often quite difficult to differentiate this illness from a common cold. However it differs in its abrupt onset, shorter duration and more severe fever, muscle aches, chills and fatigue.

 

Simple and Easy Tips To Help You Prevent a Cold or Flu

  • Avoid exposure to infected individuals.
  • Don’t strain your brain. Mental fatigue, emotional distress, and physical exhaustion will invite colds and the flu.
  • Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables

fresh-fruits-vegetables

  • Get enough rest and sleep. Eight hours sleep is the average that most of us will need. Sleeping enough is more important than what most of us think we need to stay healthy.
  • A daily dose of essential fatty acids
  • When the air become dry, use a humidifier

What To Eat & Do When You Have a Cold or Flu

  • Stay away from caffeine such as coffee, black tea, chocolate, cocoa
  • Refrain from taking alcohol
  • Reduce sugar, all forms of sugar whether is brown sugar or white sugar or maple syrup or even honey. You can have some when you are better but not when you are sick
  • If you must drink fruit juices, dilute them half with water. Contrary to what most of us have been told, orange juice do not cure a cold, but actually will make it worse.
  • Eat only when you are hungry. Listen to your body.
  • Drink plenty of fluids like water, herbal tea, fresh vegetable juice
  • Consume plenty of vitamin C rich foods such as tomatores, broccoli, green peppers and kiwi.
  • Supplement with at least 1000mg vitamin C tablet every few hours.
  • Avoid iron when you are ill.
  • Take naps and sleep longer at night too as your body need the rest to heal.

resting

  • Cut down on physical exhaustion. Only exercise if you feel up to it. This is not a time to train for a marathon       .
  • Practice being lazy. Keep your work load to a minimum level, if possible. Delegate any extra tasks out so you can take it easy. If you can, take medical leave and stay home to rest.
  • If you are coughing or having dry throat, vaporize your air by adding few drops of eucalyptus oil, a glob of Vicks or any other chest rub containing eucalyptus. Not only will the warm steam help to ease you but the smell of eucalyptus will aid your breathing.

What To Lookout When You Have Cold or Flu

  • Extreme breathing problems, chest pain and wheezing
  • Sudden or unrelenting diarrhea or vomiting
  • Extremely painful headache
  • Stiff neck, especially if you feel pain upon bending
  • Dark looking urine or very light colored stools
  • Yellow eyes or skin
  • If your illness last more than a week without any noticeable improvement
  • If you have the above symptoms, you need to consult your doctor immediately.

 

Hope this article has helped you in gaining a better understanding of common cold or flu and how best to manage it when it does strike you.  Feel free to share this with your loved ones and like this article.