What follows are 10 on-the-spot techniques you can use anytime and almost anywhere to decrease the tension in your life.

Breathing Deeply

Feeling stressed evokes tense, shallow breathing, while calm is associated with relaxed breathing, says Michael Lee, author of Turn Stress into Bliss and founder of Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy in Bristol, Vermont. So to turn tension into relaxation, he says, change the way you breathe.

Try this: Let out a big sigh, dropping your chest, and exhaling through gently pursed lips. Now imagine your low belly, or center, as a deep, powerful place. Feel your breath coming and going as your mind stays focused there. Inhale, feeling your entire belly, sides and lower back expand. Exhale, sighing again as you drop your chest, and feeling your belly, back and sides contract. Repeat 10 times, relaxing more fully each time.

Looking Around You

“Mindfulness is the here-and-now approach to living that makes daily life richer and more meaningful,” says Claire Michaels Wheeler, MD, PhD, author of 10 Simple Solutions to Stress. It’s approaching life like a child, without passing judgment on what occurs. Staying in the present-tense can help promote relaxation and provide a buffer against anxiety and depression.

Practice it by focusing on your immediate surroundings. If you’re outdoors, enjoy the shape and colors of flowers, hear a bird’s call or consider a tree. In the mall, look at the details of a dress in the window, examine a piece of jewelry and focus on how it’s made, or window-shop for furniture, checking out every detail of pattern and style. As long as you can keep your mind focused on something in the present, stress will take a back seat.

Meditation

Any repetitive action can be a source of meditation, states Herbert Benson, MD, author of The Relaxation Response and director emeritus, Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. This includes walking, swimming, painting, knitting or any other activity that helps you keep your attention focused on the present moment.

When you catch yourself thinking about your job, your relationship or your lifelong to-do list, experts say to simply let the thought escape, and bring your mind back to the repetition of the activity. Try it for just 5 to 10 minutes a day and watch stress levels drop.

Picturing Yourself Relaxed

Is your mind too chatty to meditate? Try creating a peaceful visualization, or “dreamscape.” To start, visualize anything that keeps your thoughts away from current tensions. It could be a favorite vacation spot, a fantasy island, that penthouse in New York City — or something “touchable,” like the feel of your favorite silk robe or cozy sweater.

The idea is to take your mind off your stress, and replace it with an image that evokes a sense of calm. The more realistic your daydream — in terms of colors, sights, sounds; even touch and feel — the more relaxation you’ll experience.

Drinking Hot Tea

If you drink a lot of coffee, consider going green. Coffee raises levels of the notorious stress hormone, cortisol, while green tea offers health and beauty, says Nicholas Perricone, MD, author of 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health, and Longevity.

Chamomile tea is a traditional favorite for calming the mind and reducing stress. And black tea may be a stress-fighter, too, researchers from University College London report. Participants who drank regular black tea displayed lower levels of cortisol, and reported feeling calmer during six weeks of stressful situations than those who drank a placebo with the same amount of caffeine.

Showing Love

Induce the relaxation response by cuddling your pet, giving an unexpected hug to a friend or family member, snuggling with your spouse, or talking to a friend about the good things in your lives, says psychologist Deborah Rozman, PhD, co-author of Transforming Stress. When you do, you’ll be reducing your stress levels.

Why? Experts say social interaction helps your brain think better, encouraging you to see new solutions to situations that once seemed impossible, she says.

Taking a Time-Out

Adults need time-outs, too. So when you sense your temper is about to erupt, Jeff Brantley, MD, author of Five Good Minutes In the Evening, suggests finding a quiet place to sit or lie down and put the stressful situation on hold. Take a few deep breaths and concentrate on releasing tension and calming your heartbeat. Quiet your mind and remember: Time is always on your side, so relax. The stress can wait.

Trying a Musical Detour

Music can calm the heartbeat and soothe the soul, the experts say. So, when the going gets rough, take a musical stress detour by aligning your heartbeat with the slow tempo of a relaxing song. And you might want to make that a classical tune. Research shows that listening to 30 minutes of classical music may produce calming effects equivalent to taking 10 mg of Valium.

Taking an Attitude Break

Thirty seconds is enough time to shift your heart’s rhythm from stressed to relaxed, Rozman says. The way to do that: Engage your heart and your mind in positive thinking. Start by envisioning anything that triggers a positive feeling — a vision of your child or spouse, the image of your pet, that great piece of jewelry you’re saving up to buy — whatever it is, conjuring up the thought will help slow breathing, relax tense muscles and put a smile on your face. Rozman says that creating a positive emotional attitude can also calm and steady your heart rhythm, contributing to feelings of relaxation and peace.

REFERENCE: Jenny Stamos Kovacs (2010) Blissing Out: 10 Relaxation Techniques To Reduce Stress On-the-Spot Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/features/blissing-out-10-relaxation-techniques-reduce-stress-spot?ecd=wnl_cbp_072910

What are sleep cycles?

Humans have anywhere from four to six “sleep cycles” each night. Every cycle is composed of five stages, from very light sleep (stage 1) to very deep sleep (stage 4) and then the rapid eye movement stage, during which you are more likely to dream.

Waking up from a deep stage 3 or stage 4 sleep can be quite difficult. This is why being awakened from a nap can be so disorienting. It is also why waking up too early in the morning can mean a dreadful start to your day. “Most people hit their deepest sleep between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.,” says sleep expert Michael Breus, PhD, D, ABSM, “so it’s very hard to wake up during that time.”

So How Much Sleep Do I Need?

If you can avoid waking that early, the next step is to determine at what time you should go to sleep in order to get a good night’s rest. Sleep cycles last, on average, about 90 minutes. “That means you need about 7.5 hours of sleep each night,” Breus says, “and if you count backwards from when you have to wake up, you can figure out what time you need to go to sleep in order to wake more easily.”

Of course, there are some people who require six hours of sleep a night, while others need nine. To complicate matters further, sleep cycles range from 90 minutes to two hours. That’s where the “art” part of easy awakenings comes in. “Most people haven’t been told what time to go to bed since they were children,” Breus says. “So they have to listen to their body’s own rhythms to figure it out.”

Tips for Waking Up

• Set your alarm for the latest possible moment. This way you are not tempted to go back to sleep.
• Lose the snooze button. Hitting snooze may let you get a few minutes of extra sleep each time, “but you’re getting crappy sleep,” Breus says. “You just feel worse.”
• Sit up and swing your legs over the side of the bed.
• Breathe deeply three or four times to orient yourself to the real world.
• Exercise first thing in the morning to energize your mind and body and boost your fitness. But don’t choose exercise over getting the sleep you need.

REFERENCE: Susan Davis (2010) How to Wake Up More Easily Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/trouble-waking-up?ecd=wnl_slw_081210

Between 60% and 80% of the American population goes through some form of lower back pain during their life. This is the second most common reason why people pay a visit to their doctor. But as weakening as back pain can be, most cases of it are manageable, and people oftentimes notice improvement within a few weeks.

A crucial point in that improvement is getting an appropriate amount of rest. However, there are many people who suffer from back pain that are unable to get the rest they need because they’re not able to get relief for their pain when they attempt to sleep.

What Exactly Is Nighttime Back Pain?

Most people who suffer from back pain are capable of adjusting the way they sleep to get relief from the pain they experience during the day. But with nighttime back pain (also known as nocturnal back pain) the pain does not stop when a person lies down, no matter how much they may toss and turn. For some, the pain actually becomes worse. And for others, the pain doesn’t even begin until they lie down.

A person can go through a whole day with little to no pain. But at night that same person may find it nearly impossible to get a full nights rest. In a study published in the journal Spine in 2005 the researchers noted that 44% of people treated at a back pain clinic in the UK complained of pain at night. And 42% of those people said the pain was present every night.

Some people in this study who suffered from nocturnal pain reported waking up as often as six times each night, with the average being 2.5 times a night.

What Are Its Causes?

The main cause of nighttime back pain isn’t always clear. Amidst other things, back pain can be caused by any of the following:

• Spine movement problems or other mechanical issues, the most common usually being disc degeneration.
• Injuries like fractures, sprains or more severe injuries such as a fall or a car accident.
• Certain diseases and conditions, such as scoliosis or spinal stenosis. Conditions such as endometriosis, kidney stones, pregnancy and various forms of arthritis can also lead to back pain.

Someone who experiences one of these problems could or could not have back pain and nocturnal back pain. Many of the participants with nighttime pain in the back pain clinic study suffered from disc degeneration.

Sometimes the cause of back pain may not be determined.

Is This a Sign of Something More Serious?

Guidelines for uncovering serious spinal health issue list a number of “red flags.” A red flag can be a symptom or condition that lets a doctor know of the possibility of a serious problem. Nocturnal back pain is one of those signs.

Nighttime back pain can be a sign of spinal tumors. It may be a primary tumor (one that originates in the spine,) or it may be a metastatic tumor (one that is a result of cancer that started somewhere else in the body and then spread to the spine.)

Nocturnal back pain is also a symptom of spinal bone infection and a condition called ankylosing spondylitis (AS,) a condition that damages the spine and can cause it to fuse in a fixed and immobile position.

It’s important to keep in mind that even though nighttime back pain is a usual symptom of these conditions its presence doesn’t necessarily mean you have one of them. In fact, it’s uncommon that a person has nocturnal back pain caused by an infection, tumor, or AS. In the study in the UK, for example, no critical spinal disease was found in any of the subjects who had nighttime back pain. In a different study, only 0.66% of patients being examined for lower back pain in a primary care setting were found to have cancer.

Other “red flags” can include:

• Fever
• Spots warm to the touch
• Back pain that spreads down one or both legs
• New problems with bowel or bladder control
• History of cancer
• History of trauma
• History of a suppressed immune system
• Pain or throbbing in your abdomen
• Unexplained weight loss

Any of these red flags associated with back pain, particularly if there is more than one or if you have a history of cancer, is another reason to get in touch with your doctor for further evaluation. It’s also important to contact the doctor if your back pain is the result of a recent injury.

REFERENCE: (2010) Night Back Pain: Causes and Treatment Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/nightime-back-pain?ecd=wnl_fit_070210

While most of us have heard that its best to go easy on the salt, a recent study has muddled the issue somewhat.

In this study, released in the American Journal of Medicine in March of 2006, people who claimed to eat limited amounts of salt were 37% more likely to perish from cardiovascular disease than people who ate more salt. The researchers came to the conclusion that their discoveries raise questions, and that more studies are needed.

Experts, however, explain that it is important to remember that this is only one study, compared to dozens of others that have found significant health benefits to avoiding a high-sodium diet.

New research has shown that a diet high in sodium could have a negative impact on the levels of vitamin D in our bodies, a vitamin considered to be important to many facets of overall health.

Older women who experienced sodium-caused high blood pressure were found to hold lower concentrations of a certain marker of vitamin D than women with regular blood pressure, says Myrtle Thierry-Palmer, PhD, a biochemistry professor at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.

Evidence has also been found showing that a high-sodium intake augments loss of calcium in the urine – which directly affects bone density. Too much salt could also contribute to the development of kidney stones.

Research has also shown a link between a high-sodium intake and high blood pressure in some people considered to be “salt sensitive.” High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. this is important information for the one in three American adults who suffer from high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association (AHA.)

Studies have demonstrated that reducing your salt intake can lower blood pressure in people with and without high blood pressure, according to a statement from the AHA.

People tend to turn more sensitive to sodium as they get older. In the same vein, their blood pressure is more prone to dropping when they cut back on salt in their later years.

Further, sodium could augment the risk for stroke even past its effect on blood pressure, according to research disclosed at the 2005 American Stroke Association International Conference.

The proclivity towards stroke was higher in people who consumed a higher amount of sodium, regardless of their blood pressure, reported researchers. The results also demonstrated that people who took in more than 4,000 milligrams of sodium a day almost doubled their risk of stroke compared with those getting 2,400 milligrams or less.

Are you sensitive to salt?

The reason sodium-sensitive people’s blood pressure reacts strongly to salt intake is because of sodium’s effect on blood volume. When you consume more salt, your blood pressure rises; and when you eat less salt, your blood pressure decreases.

Some researchers have estimated that about 25% of the American population with regular blood pressure is sensitive to sodium, while almost 50% of people with high blood pressure appear to be sodium-sensitive. The black population has shown a greater tendency to salt sensitivity than the white population, adds Thierry-Palmer.

5 steps to lowering your salt intake

Avoid processed foods

The Food Standards Agency of the UK estimates that about 75% of sodium intake comes from processed food. Some food companies have developed products with lower sodium, so make sure to check the sodium amounts listed on food labels. Eating mostly natural, whole foods will aid in keeping your sodium levels down, since only small amounts of sodium manifest naturally in foods.

Decrease your condiment consumption

Make sure to apply dressing to your sandwiches and burgers yourself. This way you can not only be in control of the quantity of condiments used, but you can also select those that are lower in calories, sodium, and fat.

Be wary of dressings and sauces

You may think that a bit of dressing or sauce won’t add that much more sodium to your meal. Think again. Take a look at some of the dressing offered at a popular fast food restaurant:
Creamy Southwest Dressing (71-gram serving): 1,060 milligrams sodium
Bacon Ranch Dressing (71-gram serving): 810 milligrams sodium
Asian Sesame Dressing (71-gram serving): 780 milligrams sodium

Use condiment alternatives

Buy a battery-operated pepper grinder and your favorite kind of salt-free herb and spice blend. Then keep them prominently displayed on your kitchen table to aid you in breaking the habit of adding salt to your food.

Pass up on fast food

Having a meal at a fast-food chain might be cheap and quick, but you pay the price in calories, fat and sodium. Most fast-food items are big on sodium, so opt for a home cooked meal instead.

REFERENCE: Elaine MaGee (2010) 5 Easy Ways to Cut Back on Salt Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/5-easy-ways-to-cut-back-on-salt

Men who suffer from erectile dysfunction normally develop heart-related symptoms within 2 to 3 years. They are also at risk of going through a cardiac event like a heart attack or stroke within 3 to 5 years, the study shows.

Graham Jackson, MD, a cardiologist at London Bridge Hospital in London states that erectile dysfunction can be an early sign of coronary disease which is asymptomatic, so it may predict a cardiac even in the next two to five years. “Erectile dysfunction may be associated with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and all the other risk factors for a coronary event [that] may not have been detected, but erectile dysfunction gives us a chance to find risk factors and treat before they become a major problem.”

Erectile dysfunction and heart disease can both be caused by atherosclerosis, an accumulation of plaque in the arteries, which can limit blood flow to both organs.

In fact, erectile dysfunction will result in heart disease in close to two-thirds of men. The new study shows that this connection is more pronounced in otherwise healthy men between the ages of 40 and 69 than in older men.

Otherwise healthy men and men with type 2 diabetes who develop erectile dysfunction often show early signs of heart disease, like decreased blood flow to the heart and deposits of calcium in their heart arteries. This condition can also be a sign of more severe heart disease and left ventricular dysfunction, a condition in which the heart’s main pumping chamber is lacking in strength.

“By treating erectile dysfunction, we can save a love life, but we can also use erectile dysfunction as a means of saving a life,” Jackson says. “Just because the penis is heading in the wrong direction does not mean the heart has to follow.”

Srinivas Lyengar, MD, a clinical attending cardiologist at Bradenton Cardiology Center in Bradenton, Fla., is in agreement with Jackson. He states that if you suffer from erectile dysfunction you have an increased risk of death from a cardiovascular source than someone who does not suffer from this condition.

The bottom line? “A 40-year-old man with erectile dysfunction should get a cardiovascular workup,” Lyengar states.

If this is not done, erectile dysfunction becomes a lost opportunity for preventing heart attacks and strokes. Lyengar goes on to say that doctors who diagnose and treat erectile dysfunction should also asses a man’s risk factors for heart disease, including high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes.

REFERENCE: Denise Mann (2010) ED a Red Flag for Heart Attack, Strokes. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/erectile-dysfunction/news/20100521/ed-a-red-flag-for-heart-attack-strokes?ecd=wnl_hrt_060110

Researchers looked at the records of over one thousand patients referred to a skin cancer unit at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. They found more cases of left-side skin cancers than right-side skin cancers for both genders, even though the effect was higher for men.

“We tend to see more skin cancer on the left side of the face,” says Scott Fosko, MD, chairman of dermatology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and co-author of the study. “The cumulative effect of being exposed to the sun builds up over many years.”

Fosko goes on to say that people should apply sunscreens that protect against UVA and UVB rays every day to minimize the risk of skin cancer. Taking a few minutes to read a product’s label can allow people to assure that the sunscreen prevents against both.

A press release from a Saint Louis University regarding the study states that carpooling mothers and people who commute daily should pay heed to this, not just professional drivers.
Sunscreens protect against premature wrinkling and aging as well, Fosko says. He also suggests the use of protective clothing whenever possible, as well as tinting car windows and using UV filters on the glass to aid in minimizing harmful UV rays.

“Professional drivers learn to wear proper safety equipment, be it gloves, steel-toed boots or safety glasses when appropriate,” Fosko says in the news release. “Sunscreen should be added to the list. An ounce of sunscreen applied as prevention on the road can be worth a lot of time and expense parked in a doctor’s office later on.”

The study found that there were many more cases of skin cancers formed on the left side of the body than on the right in men, especially on the exposed parts of the head and neck. However, there was no remarkable difference measured in women. This higher rate of skin cancer found on the left side in men as opposed to women might be explained by men’s propensity for sitting on the driver’s side of the car, the researchers say.

They also point out that side windows of cars are made from non-laminated clear glass, which blocks UVB but allows 63% of UVA rays to pass through.

REFERENCE: Bill Hendrick (2010) Sun Exposure While Driving Linked To Cancer Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/melanoma-skin-cancer/news/20100514/sun-exposure-while-driving-linked-to-cancer?ecd=wnl_day_051710

People who suffer from spring allergies know the drill quite well: itchy, watery eyes, blocked ears, and a plugged up nose that can put a damper on even the best of spring days.

“A lot of times you don’t sleep well at night,” says Giselle Mosnaim, MD, professor of allergy and immunology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. “And if you don’t sleep well at night, you can be tired and irritable the next day.”

About 10 to 30 percent of adults and as many as 40 percent of children suffer from Allergic Rhinitis. People who suffer from a type of allergic rhinitis called hay fever are specifically sensitive to molds and pollen that spread through the air during the different seasons.

If you are allergic to pollen, don’t fret. Experts agree that your allergies are more than treatable. Try these tips:

Be aware of the pollen count

Before taking any medications, check to see if changes to your environment can help your symptoms. As an example, schedule your outdoor activities to when the pollen count is at its lowest. Check your local weather report, most times it will include a pollen count.

During spring, tress will pollinate throughout the day. In the summer the pollen count is at its highest in the late afternoon and early evening, while in the fall the peak times are in the late mornings or early afternoons. The pollinating seasons can also last longer in warmer climates.

If for some reason you are not able to avoid being outdoors during peak pollen times try putting on a mask while mowing the lawn or doing yard work, recommends Rohit Katial, MD, program director of allergy and immunology at National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, CO. Once you are back indoors, try putting on new clothes if you are feeling any allergy symptoms.

Filter the Air

Try closing the windows of your home and car to keep the pollen out. Use your A/C to cleanse the air. If you have a ceiling fan, keep it off during the worst of the season, since the fan will draw in the pollen-rich air from outside.

Define your pet’s living space

Have a pet? Make them an indoor or outdoor pet – one or the other. If your pet is coming in and out of the house all day they can often track pollen indoors.

Rinse out your nose

Nasal salt water, sold over the counter, may also aid in decreasing allergy symptoms. According to Katial, a nasal rinse “washes out stuff that’s deposited there and opens it up.”

Take an Antihistamine

If after changing your lifestyle you still experience the same allergy symptoms, consider a second-generation oral antihistamine, like Claritin or Zyrtec, both sold over the counter. These medications, if taken once per day, can generally work longer and have fewer side effects than first-generation antihistamines.
If you are not able to attain relief from allergy symptoms on your own, it might be time to see a physician. A specialized allergist possesses the best training and knowledge of each of your treatment options, including prescription medications.

Your physician may recommend nasal antihistamines (like Astelin and Patanase,) or an antileukotriene, a class of drugs that acts in different ways than antihistamines and steroids. So far, Singulair is the only medication in this category approved to address allergies.

Prescription eye drops are also available to alleviate red, watery eyes that are caused by allergies.

For some, one antihistamine will have better effects than another. The most important thing is to discover one that alleviates your allergy symptoms without making you sleepy or drowsy.

Seek Treatment for Severe Nasal Congestion

For people suffering from allergies whose main symptom is moderate to moderately severe nasal congestion, a physician might prescribe an intranasal steroid spray like Flonase or Nasonex. According to Andy Nish, MD, Allergist in Gainesville, GA, nasal steroids help to diminish the inflammation in the nose and make it much less sensitive to pollen.

Decongestants like pseudoephedrine (contained in Sudafed) and phenylephrine (contained in Triaminic) could also aid in nasal decongestion and sinus headache relief. Some combination drugs, like Allegra-D and Claritin-D, alleviate nasal congestion and allergy symptoms like itching or sneezing.

Before taking any medication though, make sure to consult with your physician, even for over-the-counter medicine. Certain medications can pose a risk for people who suffer from medical conditions. For example, pseudoephedrine might put people who suffer from elevated blood pressure at a higher risk for heart attacks or strokes.

Have you Considered Allergy Shots?

If you often suffer from allergy symptoms, you might want to ask about allergy shots. They can desensitize a person’s immune system to the allergy-triggering pollen. A treatment can take between three to five years, in which time the person receives gradually increasing doses of allergens.

“Immunotherapy can change your body’s response to grass and weeds, so even after you’ve completed the treatment … there should be long-lasting improvement in your symptoms,” Mosnaim says.

There are some risks tied to allergy shots, including anaphylaxis (in rare cases.) one out of every 200,000 shots has a potentially life-threatening reaction, Nish states.

“You just have to be careful that you go to someone that has a crash cart,” Mosnaim says. “That you have EpiPens [epinephrine injections available in case of an anaphylactic reaction]. That they check your dose carefully.”

REFERENCE: Joanna Broder (2010) Soothe Your Spring Allergies Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/allergies/seasonal-allergies-10/allergy-tips?ecd=wnl_day_050710

Losing sleep over pain is a fairly common occurrence, says David Neumeyer, MD, associate director of the Sleep Disorder Center at the Lahey Clinic Medical Center in Burlington, Mass.

“Pain and sleep are integrally connected,” he explains. According to him, chronic pain is quite common in the overall population and even more common in people who suffer from lack of sleep, which tends to become a vicious cycle. Pain directly affects the capacity to sleep, and lack of good sleep makes the pain appear worse than it is.

Just how these two are linked depends on the person. Is pain a consequence of, or worsened by, a sleep disorder or is pain the cause of poor sleep quality?
Charles Bae, MD, a neurologist in the Sleep Disorders Center at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, states that pain is often the primary reason for waking up many times during the night, which then causes a drop in sleep quantity and quality. On the other hand, sleep deprivation can reduce your threshold and tolerance of pain, which can in turn make existing pain seem much worse.

“If you have arthritis and roll or turn while you are sleeping, pain can wake you up,” states David S Kloth, MD, founder, medical director, and president of Connecticut Pain Care in Danbury, as well as past president of the American Society of Intervention Pain Physicians.

The first thing to do is determine whether the lack of sleep is resulting in pain or if the pain is what is causing the lack of sleep, and then you treat whichever is the cause, he says.

Pain may not be the only issue getting in the way of your sleep. Some individuals might also suffer from an underlying sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea.

Neumeyer suggests being evaluated by a sleep specialist to assure there is no underlying sleep disorder.

Once it is correctly diagnosed, sleep experts agree that good treatment can greatly aid those living with chronic pain.

Improving the quality of your sleep (and getting more of it) can improve your pain threshold so you will hurt less, says Neumeyer.

“People in pain don’t sleep, and people who sleep have less pain,” agrees Michael Breus, PhD, author of Beauty Sleep and clinical director of the sleep division for Arrowhead Health in Glendale, Arizona.

Improving the quality of sleep of people who suffer from chronic forms of pain (such as lower back pain, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and diabetic nerve pain) can be tough because most of these people usually don’t want to take any more drugs, states Breus.

These people are oftentimes already taking more than one medication to address their pain disorder. Also, some prescription sleeping medications may conflict with their current pain medications, which means they couldn’t take them even if they wanted to, says Breus.

Essentially, Breus becomes the Sherlock Holmes of sleep problems. He observes each person’s sleep habits and bedroom environment, which involves determining how old their mattress and pillows are, making sure they provide adequate support. He will also ask about their diet and habits; do they steer clear of caffeinated beverages after 2 p.m.? Do they exercise regularly? Do they make use of their bedroom only for sleep and sex? Each one of these things might also aid people in pain catch some ZZZs.

The bottom line, according to Cleveland Clinic’s Bae, is that if you suffer from chronic pain and have problems sleeping you should mention it to your doctor to see if anything can be done to aid your sleep while also treating your pain problems.

REFERENCE: (2010) Denise Mann. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/pain-sleep?ecd=wnl_fib_031610

Medical evidence shows that many beliefs about pain and pain relief are no true. Here is what experts in this field say you should know about 5 of the most common pain relief myths:

Pain relief misconception 1: No pain, no gain.

This belief is prevalent among bodybuilders and weekend athletes. But there is no supporting evidence for the notion that you can increase strength by exerting muscles to the point of pain. A related notion, “work though the pain” is also incorrect. Taking a break to repair muscles and bring relief for pain might not be macho, but it’s a smart thing to do. You might also need to alter your exercise routine with cross training; lighter, more frequent workouts; and appropriate shoes.

Pain relief misconception 2: its all in my head.

Pain is a complicated issue, involving both mind and body. For example, back pain has no known cause in the majority of cases, and stressful events in life can make it worse. But that doesn’t mean that its not real. Pain is an invisible problem that others cannot see or feel, but that does not mean its all in your head.

Pain relief misconception 3: I just have to live with the pain.

There are many options for pain relief. They include relaxation techniques, physical therapy, glucosamine supplements, physical exercise, over the counter and prescription medications, surgery, and complementary treatments like acupuncture and massage. It might not always be possible to completely control your pain, but you can utilize many different ways to help you manage it much better.

Pain relief misconception 4: Only the weak go to a doctor for pain relief.

Older adults have more of a tendency to “grin and bear it.” Putting up with the occasional headache or minor injury is one thing. However, enduring chronic pain can impair your functioning and quality of life. It can lead to depression, tiredness from sleep loss, anxiety, inability to work, and impaired relationships.

Most forms of pain can and should be treated effectively.  If you are experiencing pain, you owe it to yourself to set a meeting with your doctor. Relief may just be around the bend.

Pain relief misconception 5: I’ll become addicted to the pain medication.

Health care providers start with a conservative approach to pain relief and prescribe non-narcotic pain-relief medications, which are not addictive. Doctors may prescribe narcotics, such as codeine and morphine, if pain becomes acute, such as when treating cancer pain. Many people fear becoming addicted to narcotic medications. Physical dependence is not the same as addiction. And, physical dependence isn’t a problem as long as you do not stop taking the narcotics all at once. Addiction is rarely an issue, unless you have a history of drug or alcohol addiction. If you do, talk this over with your doctor.

REFERENCE: (2009) 5 Common Pain and Pain Relief Myths Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/5-common-myths-about-pain-and-pain-relief?ecd=wnl_cbp_112609

It’s time for hot heads to pay heed: increasingly, the negative, irritable, raging and intimidating personality type concerns heart researchers and doctors alike. “You’re talking about people who seem to experience high levels of anger very frequently,” states Laura Kubzansky, PhD, MPH, an associate professor at the Harvard School of Public Health in Cambridge, MA, who has evaluated the role of stress and emotions on cardiovascular disease.

The key word here is “high” levels. Moderate levels of anger might not be the problem, according to Kubzansky. In fact, displaying anger in reasonable ways can be beneficial. “Being able to tell people that you’re angry can be extremely functional,” she says. But explosive people who throw objects or yell at others might be at a higher risk for heart disease, as well as those who harbor suppressed rage. Either side of the spectrum can be problematic.

Anger’s Physiological Effects on the Heart

So how does anger contribute to heart disease? Researchers don’t know for sure, but anger may produce direct physiological effects on the heart and arteries. Emotions like anger and hostility rapidly trigger the “fight or flight response,” in which stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, increase your heart rate and breathing and give you a burst of energy. Blood pressure also increases as your blood vessels constrict.

While this stress response mobilizes you for emergencies, it may do harm if triggered repeatedly. “You get high cortisol and high adrenaline levels and that is the cardiotoxic effect of anger expression,” states Jerry Kiffer, MA, a heart-brain researcher at the Cleveland Clinic’s Psychological Testing Center. “It causes wear and tear on the heart and cardiovascular system.” Consistent anger may fasten the process of artherosclerosis, in which fatty plaques collect in arteries, Kiffer says. The heart pumps harder, blood vessels constrict, blood pressure increases, and there are higher levels of glucose in the blood and more fat globules in the blood vessels. All of this, scientists propose, is capable of causing damage to artery walls.

And anger might not be the only culprit. In Kubzansky’s own research, she discovered that increased levels of depression and anxiety might add to the risk of heart disease as well. “They tend to co-occur,” she states. ”People who are angry a lot tend to have other chronic negative emotions as well.”

The Heart and Emotions

According to an analysis of data from 44 studies released last year in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the findings support the connection between emotions and heart disease. To be more detailed, anger and hostility are greatly linked with more heart problems in initially healthy people, as well as a worse outcome for patients already diagnosed with heart disease.

The same study also demonstrated that chronically angry or hostile adults with no history of heart problems may be 19% more likely than their calmer peers to develop heart disease. The researchers found that hanger and hostility seemed to do more damage to men’s hearts than women’s. Among patients already diagnosed with heart disease, those with angry or hostile temperaments were 24% more prone than other heart patients to have a poor prognosis.

In the wake of such findings, some physicians now consider anger a heart disease risk factor that can be altered, just as people can decrease their cholesterol or blood pressure. “We’re really good at treating heart attacks, but we’re not that good at preventing them,” states Holly S. Andersen, MD, cardiologist and director of education and outreach at the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. “Stress is not as easy to measure as your cholesterol level or your blood pressure, which are clearly objective. But it’s really important that physicians start taking care of the whole person — including their moods and their lives — because it matters.” The bottom line: “A change of mind can lead to a change of heart,” Kiffer says.

Dealing with Anger

Got a quick-trigger temper? Counseling and anger management courses may help in the long run, but what can you do for a quick fix?

Identifying sings of anger and changing your frame of mind will help, says Wayne Sotile, PhD, author of Thriving with Heart Disease. The next time you feel your anger – and heart rate – rising, try these coping statements to get a quick grip:

• “Nothing can be accomplished by blaming others, even if they are at fault. I’ll try a different angle.”
• “Will this be important five years from now?”
• “If I’m still angry about this tomorrow, I’ll deal with it then. For now, I’m just going to cool off. “
• “Acting angry is not the same as showing I care.”

REFERENCE: Katherine Kam (2010) How Anger Hurts your Heart Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/features/how-anger-hurts-your-heart?ecd=wnl_hyp_012810