Health Tip: Pain in the Pelvis

Pelvic pain is common in women, in varying degrees of severity and at different times. Determining whether it indicates something harmless or serious should always be left to a physician.

Gynecologists says here are common causes of pelvic pain in women:

• An infection somewhere in the pelvic region, including pelvic inflammatory disease.
• Cysts on the ovaries, which can occur during monthly ovulation.
• Fibroids on the uterus.
• An ectopic pregnancy, where a fertilized egg grows somewhere other than the uterus, often in a fallopian tube.
• Menstrual pain, which can be severe.
• Ovulation.
• Endometriosis or adenomyosis.
• Gastrointestinal, urologic or musculoskeletal disorders.
• Psychological disorders, including depression.

Health Tip: Getting Older and Weakened Immunity

As you age, your body often isn't able to protect you against disease as effectively as when you were younger.

These changes to the immune system that may occur as part of the aging process:

• Decreased ability to protect against infection.
• Decreased effectiveness and duration of vaccinations.
• Increased risk of developing an autoimmune disease.
• Decreased ability to heal from wounds and other injuries.
• Decreased ability to detect and correct cell defects, which could raise the risk of certain cancers.

Health Tip: Use Household Chemicals Safely

Common chemicals stored throughout the home could pose health risks if not stored properly and used correctly.

Safety suggestions when working with household chemicals:

• When using all-purpose cleaners in the kitchen or bathroom, always wear gloves, and open a window or turn on a fan to minimize inhalation of fumes.
• Be careful to avoid letting bleach touch your skin or splash in your eyes. Also, avoid breathing in the fumes.
• Never mix bleach with any other cleaner, especially anything that contains ammonia.
• When using an oven-cleaning product, fully protect yourself with goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Look for cleaners without lye, and make sure the area is well-ventilated.
• Antibacterial cleaning products can burn the skin, so make sure you wear gloves.

Health Tip: Why Baby Won't Breast-Feed

Sometimes, babies may stop wanting to breast-feed for a short period, for a variety of reasons. This is not necessarily an indication that your baby no longer needs to breast-feed.

List of possible reasons why your baby may take a break from breast-feeding for a few days:

• New foods or other dietary changes may make your milk taste different.
• Your baby is teething, and has sore gums that make feeding painful.
• You are stressed, and your baby notices.
• You've changed your breast-feeding routine.
• You reacted loudly to an accidental bite, frightening your baby.
• You've changed your perfume or deodorant, and your baby notices the different smell.
• Your baby may have an ear infection, stuffy nose or other condition that makes breast-feeding painful or uncomfortable.

Health Tip: Caring for Mouth Sores From Cancer Treatment

Chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer can lead to small, painful mouth sores.

Suggestions to help ease the pain and make it easier to eat:

• Since brushing teeth can be painful, switch to a softer brush. And soften it with hot water before you brush.
• Use a gentle toothpaste that doesn't contain hydrogen peroxide.
• Rinse your mouth before and after you eat with a solution of baking soda, salt and water. Don't use commercial mouthwashes, which may irritate the sores.
• Moisturize your lips with lotion or balm.
• Swab the sores with Maalox or Milk of Magnesia -- if your doctor recommends it.
• Drink beverages and liquid foods with a straw.
• Stick to foods that are soft, moist and cold.

Health Tip: Try Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation techniques may help you relax, beat stress, and can even help ease insomnia.

Following suggestions for performing relaxation techniques:

• In a technique called progressive relaxation, lie down with your eyes closed, and gradually feel and relax each part of your body from your feet to your head. Take time to consciously relax each part of your body.
• Tense your toes, then release and relax them. Lying on your back with eyes closed, point your toes toward your head, hold for 10 seconds, relax and repeat.
• Breathe deeply, lying on your back and relaxing your body. Take a slow breath in through your nose. Fill your lungs with air, hold, and slowly release your breath.
• Guided imagery can help you relax by visualizing a relaxing place. Lying on your back with eyes closed, picture yourself in one of your favorite places, where you feel happy and relaxed.
• The quiet ears technique has you lie on your back with eyes closed, hands relaxed behind your head. Gently place your thumbs inside your ears until you hear a rushing noise. Listen for about 15 minutes, then take your thumbs out of your ears and relax.

---

Health Tip: Safe Use of Contact Lenses

It can be difficult to see that cosmetics and contact lenses may not mix, especially if the cosmetics are misapplied.

Suggestions for contact lens wearers who use makeup:

• Always wash your hands before putting contact lenses in or taking them out.
• Keep cosmetic brushes and other tools clean.
• Invest in hypoallergenic cosmetics without fragrance, sparkle, glitter or anything else that may contain irritants such as crushed oyster shell or tinsel.
• Put lenses in first, then put on your cosmetics.
• Never wear someone else's makeup, or let anyone else borrow yours.
• Never re-use an old mascara applicator.
• Be careful to keep creams and powders out of your eyes.
• Skip makeup when your eyes are irritated, infected, swollen or red.

Health Tip: Help Keep Anxiety Under Control

Everyone is anxious now and then, but for some people, anxiety can completely interfere with their daily lives.

These suggestions to help control anxiety and stay calmer:

• Try to figure out what's causing your anxiety.
• Create a diary or journal detailing your anxious thoughts, and what you think triggers them.
• Talk to a friend, therapist or family member about what's concerning you.
• Get plenty of sleep and frequent exercise.
• Stick to a healthy diet, avoiding caffeine, alcohol, nicotine and illicit drugs.
• Make time for fun.
• Try relaxation techniques.

Health Tip: Avoid Animal Bites

Even the most friendly of cats and dogs can inadvertently bite you or a loved one, which could lead to an infection.

Suggestions to help prevent animal bites:

• Small children should never be left unattended with any animal.
• If you see animals fighting, avoid trying to separate them.
• Don't approach or touch animals that appear sick, or any animals with which you're not familiar.
• Never touch or bother an animal that is eating.
• Always keep your pets on a leash when away from home.
• Choose your family pets wisely, and make sure to keep their vaccinations current.

Health Tip: The Signs of Hunger

When you have a desire to eat, are you really hungry? Other factors can make you feel like you want to eat, including feeling sad or lonely, the time of day, craving certain foods, or being thirsty.

List of actual hunger signs:

• Your stomach growls or rumbles.
• You feel hunger pangs in your stomach.
• You have a slight headache, or difficulty concentrating.
• You feel grumpy or irritable.

---

Health Tip: Getting Back to Sleep

After you wake up during the night, do you generally go right back to sleep? If not,
Some suggestions:
Lie in bed for about 15 or 20 minutes. Beyond that, you're probably not going to have an easy time getting back to sleep. They say you should get out of bed.

Read a book or a magazine, soak in a warm bath or do something else relaxing. You should not do anything that would tend to make you even more awake, such as office work, cleaning or watching TV.

After about 20 minutes of your relaxing activity, head back to bed, advises the center. Getting back to sleep should now be a lot easier.

Health Tip: Prevent Bleeding Gums

Bleeding gums can occur because teeth haven't been properly brushed and flossed, or as a side effect of conditions including leukemia, scurvy or vitamin K deficiency.

Suggestions to help keep gums healthy:

• Don't smoke or use other forms of tobacco.
• Take vitamin supplements, as recommended by your doctor.
• Don't take aspirin, unless your doctor advises otherwise.
• If medication is causing your gums to bleed, ask your doctor about possible alternatives.
• Massage your gums gently with an oral irrigation tool. Set the device on low.
• Make sure dentures fit properly, and talk to your dentist if they cause bleeding or soreness.
• If your gums do bleed, wet a gauze pad with ice water and hold it to the affected area.

Health Tip: Exercise for Bone Health

As you age, your bones tend to lose density, become weaker and are more likely to fracture. Regular exercise is one of the best ways to help keep bones strong.

Besides recommending that you get enough bone-building vitamin D and calcium in your diet.

Recommendations:

• Walking and jogging.
• Hiking.
• Cross-country skiing.
• Stair-climbing machines, or climbing stationary stairs.
• Dancing and jumping rope.
• Sports such as soccer, volleyball, basketball, field hockey and softball.

Health Tip: Minor Reaction to Childhood Immunizations

When children have a severe reaction to an immunization -- with symptoms such as high fever, breathing problems, continuous crying for several hours, weakness, or red streaks near the injection site -- it requires immediate medical attention.

Suggestions for much milder post-injection discomfort:

• For soreness at or near the injection site, apply a cool, damp cloth or an ice pack.
• Administer an over-the-counter pain medicine, such as acetaminophen. Do not give the child aspirin.
• For minor cases of hives, apply hydrocortisone cream.
• Any fever that develops should not last more than three days. Administer acetaminophen and lots of fluids. If the fever lasts more than three days, seek medical attention at once.
• Your child may be cranky or fussy after the immunization, and may sleep a lot. If these symptoms don't improve after three days, call your doctor.

Health Tip: If You Have Bad Breath

Everyone's had a bout with bad breath, but when it becomes chronic, it's time to see your dentist.
Some sources of bad breath include: what you eat; not brushing and flossing daily; tobacco products; or a medical disorder such as a respiratory tract infection, sinusitis, postnasal drip, bronchitis, diabetes, gastrointestinal disturbance, liver or kidney ailment.

Tip:

You should brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste to remove food debris and plaque, remembering to brush your tongue, too. Once a day, use floss to clean between teeth.

If you must constantly use a breath freshener to hide unpleasant mouth odor, see your dentist.