VITILIGO

Vitiligo is a skin disorder characterized by white patches of skin appearing on the face, chest, hands, armpits, groin, nipples, navel, sexual organs, anus, elbows and knees. Sometimes it affects the entire body. The exact cause of vitiligo is not yet known. But heredity plays a part. Some blame a chaotic immune system and others point the finger at certain toxins, chemicals, and even trauma that harm or destroy melanocytes, the pigments that produces skin cells. Some have found an association with other disorders, such as diabetes and thyroid problems, so thorough examination by your family physician and dermatologist is a must. But remember…this kind of disorder is not contagious.
To treat vitiligo, you can opt for cosmetic cover-ups with brands such as covermark, blenderm, and vitedye. There is also the surgical transplantation of normal melanocytes into the white areas. Doing with this PUVA therapy, steroids, and other topical solutions have achieved different degrees of success. Others have tried tattooing with gold salts; the best results have been seen on the face and neck. Some people like Michael Jackson, opt to bleach all remaining pigmented areas. The drawbacks..the whiteness created is albino-like and sensitivity to the sun’s rays is heightened. Since there is lack of pigment melanin, which is the best protection against sun damage, protect oneself from the sun with sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 and by wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a long sleeved shirt.

Facts About Vertigo

Patients with true vertigo have described it as a sensation of “the ground rising and falling”, “the room spinning”,”things moving”, and even like being on a merry-go-round. Nausea, vomiting, and sweating are common and hearing loss and tinnitus, a buzzing in the ear, may be present.

There are number of causes and here are some:
1. Benign positional vertigo is triggered by assuming a certain position. It is common among elderly. In most cases, the condition disappears in six months and recovery is usually complete. But a more permanent form results from vascular compression of the vestibular nerve and can cause constant positional vertigo and severe nausea.
2. Meniere’s disease is caused by the swelling of the semi-circular ducts of the
inner ear.
3. Acute labyrinthitis is caused by a viral infections affecting the ear.
4. Acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor that can cause problems when it presses down on areas of the brain.
5. Vertebrobasilar insufficiency is a stroke suffered by one part of the brain that can lead to many ill symptoms.
6. Medications, such as sedatives and anticonvulsants, can cause dizziness
7. Lightheadedness or “feeling faint” can caused by heart problems, very low blood pressure by using too aggressive anti-hypertension drugs, hypoglycemia or low blood sugar, and hypoxia or with low oxygen level.
8. Those with impaired balance caused by poor eyesight, position sense, and muscle coordination, common among those with diabetes, feel unstable when walking or turning but are fine when sitting or using a cane.
9. Even psychiatric illness, such as anxiety and depression, can cause an ill-defined dizziness, constant “lightheadedness,” or a “foggy” feeling
The above list of causes may help patients suffering with vertigo.

Blowout!

It’s the first day of the week. And it’s the last day of my daughters’ examination. After having lunch we went to my sister-in-laws parlor to accompany my mother to buy an outfit for my sisters wedding. But before we get to leave my father appeared furiously angry and even made trouble. We ended at the precinct and had decided to let him stay there for overnight.

Today is my daughter told me the good news when I fetch her at school. She got high scores inspite of not reviewing before taking the examination. Instead of me giving her a blowout my friend Helen took in-charge. We went to SM supermarket, had a short window shopping and then had snack at the food court. We went home early because I invited to investigating officer in the house to settle the conflict between my parents. With the help of the police officers, they both agree to live in their own for the meantime. I just hope everything will be normal.

A civil wedding day...

A red calendar date for my youngest sister, it’s her civil wedding day which was officiated by Mayor Reynaldo Bautista himself. We just followed at the reception at Pines View Hotel at Legarda Street. Our family is almost complete except for my children and nephew who did not able to make it due to their classes. I was asked to give my testimonial message in behalf of my family. At the middle of the occasion, I was saddened that I forgot to bring lunch for my daughter. I was so worried then, I called up the guard on duty to borrow money from her teacher but unfortunately she was nowhere to found. It’s God’s grace another teacher heard about it so he excused my daughter immediately from her class and let her joined him for late afternoon lunch. I was relieved when the guard texted me that my daughter has already eaten her meal. In return to the very nice gesture done by the teacher I brought snack and thank him for what he did for my daughter.

No relevant things has happened the following day, just went to the market after sending my daughter to school. Made skinless longanisa for my pending orders. Upon fetching my daughter in the afternoon, she had a good news, she passed the audition for the intramurals cheer dancing competition. She was so excited and looks forward for the start of the practice. I am also very supportive on all the things she wanted to do to gain self confidence.

It’s Saturday once again, time for washing the clothes and fixing everything in order. In the afternoon, I delivered the longanisa I made to the office of my friend. After having a snack, I accompanied my daughter to her wushu training at Maharlika which ended up to 6 O’clock in the afternoon.

A Window Shopping Spree

It is sad that we did not attend the mass this Sunday because of the heavy rains. We just accompanied my son at the Zola café’ until the rain stopped. Before going home my daughter ask me to have window shopping at the SM shoemart which happen to be on sale. On our way to the mall, we bumped into Marichu, a co-parent and her daughter. Since there so many shoppers we separate ways so as we could move freely. We almost forgot the time looking for an affordable items but sad to say although they are sale, it is still quite expensive for a middle class family like us.

It’s again the start of the week, it’s a very hectic one. After sending my daughter to school, we proceeded to the market with my co-parents. Then went to my sister-in-laws parlor at Maharlika wherein my mother is waiting. We have an appointment with the bank for the withdrawal of their time deposit as requested by my father. There are lacking documents which are not signed by my sister so we went to her house to have it signed. Went back to town to have it submitted to the bank for processing. We were advised to wait for 15 working days before the time deposit be released. My mother and I was starving because it’s almost 12 noon. Since there is food reserve for her at the parlor of my sister-in-law, we just took our lunch at her place.

After finishing our lunch, I received a text message from a friend asking me to accompany her at my friends’ dress shop for her daughters’ United Nation costume. From their, we went to Porta Vaga mall to have a cup of coffee before fetching our daughters from school. Her daughter attended her piano lesson before she had her measurement for her costume.

Living in Fear

EAR a very short and simple word but with a deep meaning. It’s a deep motivating force that underlies all of our actions. It is a convincing motivator that can keep you separate from love, joy, and even your soul mate. We always fear of not making it on a chosen career and not making it to the top. We also fear of not finding true love and not having a family which will result for not having your own children, of not being the person we always wished we could be.

All this fear causes untold amounts of pain which can also result to paranoia. You could overcome those fear by being proactive, to go out and mingle with others, to allow yourself to be open with opportunities and always think that you are not alone. Instead of being driven by a motivation to be effective, you’re being pushed by fear of not being successful. In love, trust is the most important recipe for a long life relationship. By this, you can move away from fear of not ending into a fairytale. You should have high hope that you are destined to have a family of your own. You are actually being pushed to grow in preparation to something even bigger.

Importance of Reading into Baby’s Brain Grow

Reading is very essential to the baby’s growth, it has intellectual, emotional and physical benefits that can enhance to the child’s development. The intimacy of sharing books and stories strengthens the emotional bonds between a parent and child, helps a child learn words and concepts, and actually stimulates the growth of the baby’s brain. Scientists have discovered that whose parents read and talk to them during the first three years of life create a stronger foundation for future reading success. Reading to a child while touching, hugging, and holding can be a wonderful remedy to the impersonal tendencies of the informative age. While critical the building brains, reading is equally important to building trust and close relationship.

That’s why many of us remember the warm embrace or the comfortable lap that cradled us when we read books as children. Reading should not be viewed solely as an intellectual proposition, particularly in the era in which we now live. Reading to children is easy, affordable and feasible to parents no matter what their level of education or economic station in life. Children’s books are available for free at public libraries in every community and can be found at reasonable prices in many bookstores. Doctors, librarians, teachers, book publishers, business leaders and even media can help make books available to families and educate parents about vital role that reading plays in our children’s lives.

It isn’t very often that we have before us such a simple, inexpensive and pleasurable way to improve our children’s health and development and raise their prospects for a brighter future.

Healthful Habits for Children

Good nutrition is essential to have a healthy living. We always ask our children what their favorite foods are. It is important to inform them that there are no good and bad foods, but they should not eat too much of just one food. They should eat balanced diet. They should eat foods from the basic food groups, like fruits and vegetables, grains which include bread and cereals, milk and dairy products, meat, nuts and seeds. Too much of a sweet will result to tooth decay while too much salty foods might give a person a kidney disorder. taking a bath daily, brushing teeth every after meal, washing of hands especially after using the comfort room and before eating.

It is also good for the children to be in any kind of sports because it keeps the body strong and healthy. Concept of sportsmanship should be explained to the children. It should be emphasized that when they lose, they must not feel ashamed or disheartened. What matters is that they joined the game or the contest, which did their best they could and played fairly. It’s not the winning that counts, its how the children played the game and have practiced good sportsmanship.

Cheer Dancing Competition

This is open to all grade levels at my youngest daughter’s school. It is supposedly a fantastic experience for her but she refused to join the audition. I just let her do her thing until a co-parents daughter convinced her and another classmate to try at the last minute screening. There were so many pupils at the audition area hoping that they could be chosen as one of the cheer dancers. We waited for awhile until the jurors have announced the hopeful participants. The announcement of lucky contenders called one after the other, it is almost done but my daughter has not called yet. I trust my childs’ capacity but I am starting to loose hope when her name was called to be one of them. She was very happy and excited. They immediately had their practice the following day because the competition is very soon. Their choreographer required them to stay after class to practice since they have barely two weeks to master their piece. And no need for more elaboration, we the stage mothers are around patiently waiting for their dismissal.

The most awaited day has come…we left very early to avoid the rush. Everybody is in their cheerful mood in spite of the fact that there are participants who were not ready physically. When everything was in order, everybody marched to the competition venue. It so, so muddy but nobody should complain…the show must go on. All of the participants and even the parents were so excited and assumed of winning because they were the crowds’ favorite. But the excitement has gone when the principal has announced that the group was disqualified for not registering on time. They exerted all efforts and resources to let them be a part of the competition but not even the mayor can deviate from the rules and regulation of the organizer. The only consolation they offered is to perform as guest performer. They were applauded by the crowd and even concluded that they are the unanimous winner. We thought then that other participating schools were intimidated because we are the sure winners. At least we learned from our experience and the same should be duplicated in the future..

FAILURES ON EARLY MARRIAGE

It is a fact the most of early marriages are brought by pregnancy. Such forced marriages
have a very high risk of failure. The person who is immature in age is likely immature in emotions as well. Parents often object to early marriage, they have known to go to great lengths to break up the marriages of underage youth. If only parents would try to help the underage couple instead of trying to interfere, these marriages might turn out to be better. Early marriages tends to interfere with the plans for continuing education because of pregnancy. It may in time saddle the marriage with serious money problems and leads to resentment. In some cases teenagers hurry into marriage as an escape. It happens more often on females because many families place harsher restraints on a daughter because they fear she may bring home a pregnancy. Study also shows that marriage occur more often among the poor. Interests tends to grow apart when one partner works and the other one continues to study. This in turn places added strain on the marriage.

On the other hand, knowledge of the dangers of early marriage may have just a reverse effect. The couple may see the handicap as a challenge. They may set out to prove to themselves and others their decision to marry young was a smart one. They may get stubborn and refuse to give up. They want to show the world the world that age doesn’t matter when two people are in love. But it is a risky gamble.

Real Types of Love

A good marriage will likely need to have a strong sex interest. Well, for most of us, interest in sex is a trifle more than passing. Couples normally do have strong erotic feelings for each other. A good marriage includes mutual joy and satisfaction in sex. Sex is important, but it is only one of the many very important parts of good relationship. Respect and admiration is also a big contribution to a happy marriage because couples need to have a strong mutual attraction and hold each other in high regard. Friendship and admiration is also important to a good marriage. They need to have many things in common…the more the better. They must like each other a lot, and be the best of friends.

And, of course, affection. There must be tender feelings. Each partner should provide the other with a haven of refuge from harsh attacks in the outside world. We all need sympathy and empathy to soothe our hurts. Love can mean a shoulder to cry on when our burden are too heavy to bear alone. Finally, self giving devotion. A good marriage has to have a good deal of agape of love. All of us have some unlovable traits. A spouse must at times love not because of, but inspite of, the others faults. You will have to love your mate even during those times when you feel he or she does not deserve it. Your mate may at times be cranky, or lose their temper, or be depressed, or not want to talk to you.

Love

The word love has been used to describe all kinds of quite different things, from quiet devotion to lust at first sight. There’s sexual and there’s mother love. There’s brotherly love and married love. There’s religious love and there’s romantic love.

Presently, different people experience love for many wrong reasons. Love is frequently portrayed as a feeling for somebody of the opposite sex to achieve happiness. At other times, love is portrayed as pleasure, a philosophy characterized by the belief that maximization of pleasure accompanied by the minimization of pain is the fundamental moral principle of human life. It is long believed that romantic love is the sole sound basis for marriage.

Love is a mysterious visitation, which comes out of nowhere. It so important that you must give up everything else for it…A man is justified in giving up his wife…A woman is justified in abandoning her home and even her children because of love and…even a king is justified in surrendering his throne for it. It may go as expectedly as it come, and there is nothing you can do about that, either. It is not, in any way, subject to human control. For some, love come to mean engaging in the sexual act. This seduction leaves out values such as fidelity, exclusiveness, dependability, stability, childbearing, founding of a family, and love of children.

Genuine love must eminently human, directed from one person to another by an affection rooted in the will, and embracing the good of the whole person. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hope and always perseveres.

SUMMERING

Most children plays ceaselessly when they are young and when it is summer. Summer means it’s not waking up early. It doesn’t mean you must know and memorize the multiplication table. Summer meant you do not have to plant mongo seeds in cans and watch them grow. Summer meant day-long games. We splashed around in the early morning sun. We dug holes in the hard packed earth in the backyard to house our marbles. The children even save money in their favorite piggy bank for the things needed on the games they will be playing.

Summer nights were also lovely, the moon shines brightly and everybody, young and old are having fun. Children are playing hide and seek. The yard with its orchards, there are pig pen, chicken coops, and there are two huge acacia tree which is dark and could be an enchanting kingdom. And their the kids hid, up in the trees, near the pig’s trough, beside the sleeping chickens, behind the acacia tree. And there the so energetic children ran, in the yard fragrant with the smell of leaves, hearts pounding with every step and sweat cooled by the night wind.

It is also fun to go swimming under the luminous moonlight. Young voices shrill in the wind. Everybody are laughing out loud. Some are singing at the videoke, some grills food while most of the people are in the swimming pool. When everybody had enough in the water they leave the place to get a rest for tomorrows itinerary. Summer is always an unforgettable experience which everyone would not neglect especially to the young generation.

True Miracles

Believe it or not, miracles happen! Several miracles have taken place since the world began. The works of Creation is one. Nobody could have crossed the sea by walking on it. You wouldn’t be able to reach the other shore unless you cross a bridge, ride a boat or a plane, swim or drift away with the current, waves or wind. But during the time of a man called Moses, people crossed the Red Sea on foot. They walked on dry path between two great separating walls of water. The fire that wrote the Ten Commandments of God in two tables of stone in Mount Sinai, and the burning bush that never consumed were just among those other wonders.

Nowadays, we see superman in the movie, a fictitious hero who could fly and soar above the clouds. You have heard of a dead man coming back to life from his grave? It sound incredible but that’s just one of the true miracles that Jesus performed in His time.

If you are sick and suffering, Jesus can do something for you…trust and believe He can heal you and you would. Jesus himself is a miracle. The story of His birth, His life and His death tells us that He was not an ordinary man. His resurrection and promise that He will come again reveal even more of his wonder. He is the Greatest Miracle of all! A true miracle is a supernatural work of God. It neither deceives nor disguise evil with good. It comes about anytime in every answered prayer!

Precautions of Exercise for the Overweight

There are several exercise precautions for the overweight, and the concern increases as the amount of extra weight climbs. These include providing for such common problems as sensitivity to heat, difficulty in breathing, difficulty in performing various movements, joint and muscle pain and/or injury, and local muscle weakness.

Overweight person is at higher risk for heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. However, if the exerciser is careful to follow appropriate guidelines, has adequately prepared for emergency procedures, and emphasizes low to moderate-intensity non-weight bearing activities, such as bicycling, swimming and brisk walking, exercise programs for the severely overweight can be conducted safely.

Overweight exercisers tend to stick with the program longer if there is an emphasis on group participation in activities that are recreational, fun, varies and that offer the participant a feeling of personal success. Regimented calisthenics and aerobics training are not advised for the obese. Providing music, games , and social interaction will improve compliance.

Another key principle is that exercise need not be formalized to be beneficial. Exercise can take place at different time of the day, as a part of regular daily activities, such as climbing stairs or walking around. Such activity is also often more attractive to the overweight, who sometimes want to avoid being noticed during exercise. Athough control of diet is the real power behind losing weight, regular exercise is meaningful because it leads to many important improvements in health and fitness.

GLAUCOMA

Glaucoma, a serious disease, is one of the leading causes of blindness. It is most common in individuals over the age of 35. It is estimated that one in 50 in the age category has his vision threatened by glaucoma. When it is diagnosed early, however, blindness from glaucoma can almost always be prevented.

Glaucoma could be described as hypertension of the eye. A clear liquid continually flows through the inside of the eye. Normally the same amount of fluid flows out of the eye as flows in. However, if this drainage system gets blocked, hindering fluid movement, its pressure increases within the eye. This increased fluid pressure can damage the delicate optic nerve which carries signals to the brain giving sight.

There are primarily three ways the eye’s drainage system can become blocked…the most common is when debris and deposits build up slowly over a period of time. The fluid pressure gradually increases within the eye. This is similar to the process of fatty deposit buildup on the body’s blood carrying arteries. Most adult glaucoma victims have this type. It is called chronic open-angle glaucoma. Vision is lost so slowly and imperceptibly that its victim is unaware of trouble until the optic nerve is badly damaged. Next to this is the congenital glaucoma which springs from birth and results from an imperfectly formed drainage system. The eye often becomes enlarged because of greater elasticity in younger persons and the front of the eye may fog over. Affected individuals often tear excessively, and the eye is sensitive to light. And the last type occurs suddenly when the iris or other tissue slides over the drainage opening. This immediately halts fluid movement out of the eye. Such a sudden complete blockage is called acute angle-closure glaucoma. Victims of this condition experience blurred vision, severe pain, nausea, and vomiting, and they see halos around lights. If this is untreated, blindness can result in 24-48 hours.

Early diagnosis of changes in eye fluid pressure is essential. People over the age of 35 should be checked for glaucoma at least once every three years. Someone experiencing any decrease in vision, recurring pain, or any of the symptoms mentioned in the description of glaucoma types should seek immediate medical attention.

How to Raise a Brighter Child

Theories on child’s intelligence contradict age old beliefs. People have always been brought up to believe that a child is either born bright or dumb, and whichever he happens to be at birth, he will be for the rest of his life. Intelligence is not constant and therefore can be improved or stunted. While it commonly said that heredity lays the groundwork for a child’s intelligence, it is the environment which determines the extent to which he can develop his potential. Backed up by numerous scientific studies, regardless of inherited intellectual capacity or economic background, the mental development of a child rests largely on whether or not his parents care enough to provide him with a creative and stimulating environment in the earliest years of his life, long before he enters his first classroom.

The importance of the first six years in a child’s life cannot be over-emphasized. The child’s mind is like a blank slate on which his varied perceptions of the world are recorded permanently. Based on the premise that the brain grows at a decelerating rate from birth on, waiting for formal schooling to stimulate a child’s mind is definitely too late. And since the child normally spends his first six years with his parents, they become his first and most influential teachers.

Parents were never taught to think of babies as intelligent individuals. An eight-year study on the subject, however, reveals that even newborns can focus their eyes on shapes and show obvious enjoyment in seeing them. They prefer complicated patterns to solid shapes and can recognize stripes as narrow as one-eight of an inch. They can distinguish between smells, discriminate between tones, distinguish between round nipples and rubber tubing inserted between their lips…all of which show that the infant is integrating information.

It is a firm belief that a baby craves for learning in the same way that he craves for food and for love. A baby who repeatedly drops his rattle from his playpen and howls for his mother to retrieve it is not being plain difficult. He is trying hard to discover the relationship between his releasing the toy and the sound that it makes on the floor. A child who bombards his parents with as endless whys and hows is not testing them for endurance. He is busy forming his own cause and effect. And a child who gets into everything has no behavioral problems. He is simply trying to satisfy the hunger in him to explore, to experiment and to learn. It is also suggests that a child is placed in a big room with clean floor instead of restricting devices such as playpens, infant seats and walkers. It is a spell of convenience for the mother, but disaster to the child’s intellectual growth, stimulating toys which are not necessarily expensive; short trips to the grocery, carnival and at the zoo; reading to him as soon as he reaches ten months, love of reading is one of the best legacies you can give your child; singing to him and playing records or radio music, and talking to him all the time, using correct grammar.

For preschool education, it is recommended the Montessori method of teaching which is very much like home learning. The child is left free to choose the specific activity games, learning is individualized, thereby allowing him to proceed at his own pace without the pressure of keeping up with or waiting for a group. The method also fosters self-discipline and self-reliance by teaching him how to feed, wash and dress himself, a task which parents find tedious.

A child will blossom in a warm and democratic home where his parents listen to him seriously, answer his questions with enthusiasm, correct his mistakes matter-of-factly and seek healthier ways of motivating him other then fear, scolding or physical punishment. While it may be very well to keep in mind that the goal is to develop a thinking individual who can evaluate a situation and act accordingly…not an animal who obeys without question.