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WHAT IS FIBROMYALGIA? (June 28, 2008) Mohamed Yunus and his team first reported the prevalence of a medical condition, fibromyalgia in the 1980s. Previously doctors called this fibrositis, or non-articular rheumatism, as it does not cause inflammation of the joints. Fibromyalgia is a condition that results in aching joints, muscles, and tendons. The term fibromyalgia means literally pain in the connective tissue and muscles. Patients of fibromyalgia suffer from anxiety, disturbed sleep pattern, irregular bowel syndrome, and depression. They are irritable and may have short–term memory loss and an inability to multitask. Due to lack of sleep, they feel tired and irritable most of the time. Patients are more sensitive to pain especially at the pressure points, compared to normal individuals. Since there are no outward signs of this condition, there is a lack of empathy for the sufferers.
Cause Doctors still do not know what causes fibromyalgia and research work continues to find out the reasons for this painful condition.
Incidence Fibromyalgia can develop in about two to six percent of the population, irrespective of age, gender, and race. However, it affects more women than men, especially over the age of fifty years. Therefore, it greatly affects productivity and efficiency of the workforce. Fibromyalgia does not confine the person to bed rest, but is a painful condition to live with. The intensity and duration of pain from person to person and does not affect the natural life of the person.
Types of Fibromyalgia There are four main types of fibromyalgia identified by researchers, though some believe there is only one type of fibromyalgia.
Primary Fibromyalgia An individual with primary fibromyalgia may have been thought to have arthritis, lupus, or another rheumatoid condition. If they display tenderness in at least eleven of the eighteen pressure points, then fibromyalgia should be considered a possibility. Primary fibromyalgia mostly affects young women, though men and children of both sexes can also develop this condition.
Secondary Fibromyalgia This occurs due to another underlying illness and occurs more often in men. In secondary fibromyalgia, the person experiences pain only in the affected area. It is of two types, one that occurs due to an existing disease like lupus, or cancer. The person suffers a limb contraction and the pain persists even after the rheumatism subsides. The second type known as posttraumatic fibromyalgia happens because of a severe trauma like a car accident or overuse of muscles. The person suffers damage to spinal muscles and a severe spasm. The pain may first appear as a headache but increases gradually and affects the limbs. Overuse of muscles, leads to carpel tunnel syndrome, commonly seen in those using computers. The result of overuse is the same as that of a single trauma with a gradual weakening of the spinal muscles. Other associated painful conditions due to this type of fibromyalgia are shoulder pain and tennis elbow.
Concomitant Fibromyalgia This occurs in association with connective tissue pain, and arthritis. People suffering from osteoarthritis or scoliosis may also experience concomitant fibromyalgia, but the two conditions may be unrelated.
Regional Fibromyalgia A person suffers pain only in a particular region and can exhibit tenderness at eleven of the eighteen pressure points.
Another classification system identifies a few other types of fibromyalgia: Mood related fibromyalgia results in depression and irritation that are the result of disturbed sleep. Disturbance in sleep may result in injury to muscles of the face and neck and results in fibromyalgia. Hormone-related fibromyalgia: Hyperthyroidism may result in disturbed sleep and strain in the muscles, resulting in fibromyalgia. Menopausal and perimenopausal women suffer repeated pain in the neck and back due to changes in hormones, and can end up with fibromyalgia. Age-dependent fibromyalgia: Usually older persons develop fibromyalgia with increasing age due to a degenerating body and a variety of other factors. Stress and Fibromyalgia Stress is one of the causes that makes fibromyalgia worse. Stress can be the result of fatigue and muscle pain that are associated with fibromyalgia. There are many theories that suggest that the stressful condition of womens’ modern lifestyles is the cause of fibromyalgia. How Can I Control Fibromyalgia Stress Symptoms? Nearly 75% of people with fibromyalgia lead a very stressful life. It is estimated that 22.7 million Americans may suffer from fibromyalgia. However, the exact cause of stress is not known. It can lower your energy and vitality level and snatch simple pleasures out of life. Too much stress can help various diseases to appear; one of them is fibromyalgia. Too much stress in fibromyalgia can worsen the conditions. There is no specific treatment for fibromyalgia, but there are alternative methods that some believe can help to combat the negative effects of fibromyalgia.
Stress Management Pacing is one of the important concepts of managing fibromyalgia. Pacing helps reduce stress in an individual. Pacing your activities involves: taking things as they come being flexible, keeping your goals at a modest level, and working within your capacity. You could involve yourself in activities such as doing housework, various forms of mental activity, planning your diet, gardening etc. Stop whenever you feel it is time to slow down to rest.
Is Fibromyalgia Stress a “Positive”? You can consider stress as a positive to help you move forward. Positive stress will help you to great extent to make your life merrier again. Stress may, at times, help you to speak your mind to someone, lighten your mood, and restore peace. Some ways to keep stress down: 1. Find out your area of interest 2. Do not think of negative things 3. Try to change your negative thoughts to positive ones. 4. Take a warm, relaxing bath 5. Listen to some good relaxing music for at least 15 to 20 minutes 6. Do not overdo anything 7. Develop diaphragm breathing, as it will help you reduce pain and stress 8. Work out coping techniques for situations that make your symptoms flare up.
To get the complete informations please : click here
Linda Jap
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- YOUR INTERNET SAFETY GUIDE (Feb 10, 2008)
Surfing Internet Safely When you meet someone on the Internet, you only get the information about them that they want you to have. That may be genuine, incomplete or completely false. For your own safety and peace of mind, you should be miserly about what personal information you give out anywhere. It’s nice to be able to tell people that you come to know through their posts on your favorite web sites about your new job, husband or baby. But, any information you put into a Forum, chatroom or other social or business site is likely to be seen by many more people than the relatively few that post – there is often a much larger group that “lurk” without posting except when they feel it is to their advantage. Also, remember that the information that you have freely given will float around the Net for years!
Don’t Expose Your Friend’s Addresses to Other Friends. Don’t accidentally share addresses from your address book. Many people send copies of the same email to a number of friends at the same time. The correct way to do this is to put one email address in the To: box and then put the email addresses of all the other people in the Bcc: box. I have seen many emails with a dozen to a hundred private email addresses clearly displayed either in the To: box or in the Cc: box. If any of the people that get the email indulge in spam (and there are many “amateur” spammers trying to make a few quick dollars), then your friends will start getting some unwelcome advertising mail. The addresses will all be in all of your friends’ email accounts, probably for months. If any of those accounts are breached by a spammer with a Trojan or virus, then all those addresses will be added to his spam list. It may even appear to come from your email address if the spammer fakes the sending address! Even if that doesn’t happen, your friends will all see everybody’s addresses clearly displayed on your email and know that you shared their addresses without asking. That’s not good for your reputation.
Identity Theft Like most of the tricks and traps mentioned in this book, Identity Theft is not confined to the Internet. Your information may be obtained through a bogus web site or email, but it is probably more common for the scammers to get the information from someone copying your credit card details when you use it in a restaurant or from a carelessly discarded receipt at your bank branch or retrieved from your rubbish bin! Identity theft is devastating for the victims and their families. The money they lose is just part of the damage they suffer. They may have all credit stopped, their cash savings, if any, disappear, and they have to prove the crime or be liable for all debts that the scammers created with their stolen information. This may take years. It also often has serious effect on your health, business associations and personal relationships. Almost anyone can be a target, not just people with significant assets. Teenagers are popular targets for the scammers, because many are fairly casual about security of their information and their credit is usually unblemished. The profits from these scams can be huge but, perhaps because of a lack of knowledge about their effects on the part of legislators and judges, legislation is not a great deterrent at this time. It seems like some trials take longer than the sentences imposed on those found guilty.
Quick Tips to Reduce the Risks Do not to give out your personal information just because someone asks, especially your Social Security Number or other sensitive information. Carefully check your financial statements and all accounts each month as soon as possible after you get them. Query anything you cannot confirm. Some people find small, fairly regular amounts being charged to their credit card every month by some organization that they can’t remember ever contacting. Even $5 a month becomes worthwhile to the scammer when it’s not costing them anything – and they are probably doing the same thing to many other people too! Don’t store passwords on your computer unless you use some purpose-made software that you trust. Your web browser should not be used to store any passwords. Never use a password for more than one web site. Never click on a link in an email. If it is from someone you don’t know and trust, be extra careful. If it seems to be from your Bank or other financial institution, call them on the phone or visit their office to discuss the matter and check the validity of the email. If you decide to visit the web site, open a new window in your web browser and type the address in. Check it carefully before you click the button to go to the web site. When you finish making your transactions at your Bank’s web site, wait for a message that you have been logged out and then close the window completely. Do NOT use that browser window to visit any other site or even log back into the same one. Take the extra few seconds, close the browser window and open a fresh one.
Click Here for Your Private Information A convenient feature of all web browsers is the ability to store any passwords that you use for the websites you visit. Having read this far, you'll realize that storing the passwords of sensitive sites, such as your bank, anywhere on your computer is not a good idea. It's up to you whether you want to use this feature to store other passwords. But, either way, your browser probably stores much more information about your Internet activities than you may realize. If your computer was examined by someone that knew what they were doing, it could reveal many secrets, including: • copies of pages that you visited • details of files that you viewed and downloaded, and even • information about files that you deleted and thought were gone forever There are many software programs available which you can use to remove most of this information. The one that I have, and am most comfortable recommending, is free to use. It is called CCleaner and you can get it from http://www.ccleaner.com/. Another program worth checking out is Privacy Eraser from http://www.privacyeraser.com .Of course, removing your usage history information and cookies from your computer will not be completely comfortable for you at first. You will have to type in your username and password for each site that you visit in the future, instead of the browser inserting them into the form instantly when you open the web page. Your choice will depend on how much that convenience is worth for you compared to the potential risk.
Security Software This is an overview based largely on my own experience with programs as well as the experiences of colleagues and clients. Most programs for which you have to pay are available in trial downloadable versions which will run with all or their most important features fully working for a period of up to thirty days so that you can test the program thoroughly before buying. While you are using the trial version, you may not be able to access the full support options that paid-up clients get. But, you should submit a genuine question to their support department during the evaluation period. I found that one significant difference between some of the best programs that I tried was the prompt (one to two business days during the evaluation period is fair) and understandable responses which were easy to use that I got from only a small number of suppliers.
Find Something Good and Stick to it! Testing different programs was something I felt that I should do so that I could give you a wider range of information. But, I advise against chopping and changing between security programs of the same type, but from different suppliers, just because one announces that it has a new, and currently exclusive, feature in the new version of its program. Every program that you use will require some time for you to learn how to get the best from it. When you set up a different program of the same type, you’re more or less back to square one and the virus threats, spam or other malware won’t wait for you to catch up! I have always run two anti-spyware programs and not had any noticeable difficulty. But, that may not work for you.
Updates and Scans I advise that you schedule your various security programs to check for updates and perform their system scans at different times to the other programs. This will reduce the amount of resources which they take away from other programs that you may be using at the time these procedures are running.
Pep Up Your Computer If you find that your computer is running more slowly than you are comfortable with, the main things for you to check would be: ? Have you cleared any unused or obsolete files from your computer system and defragged it. This may take some hours if you have not done it for a significant period, so arrange time to do it as soon as possible. ? Are there programs installed that you aren’t likely to use? Just having them on the system is reducing the resources available to you and also increasing the time that the security programs require to check your computer system. ? Can you add more ram (not a larger hard drive which would just encourage you to store extra files on your computer) at a reasonable cost. A free program that will help you to find the information which you need to answer those questions is Belarc Advisor which you can download from http://www.belarc.com/. Some suppliers will just quote you for the maximum amount of extra ram that your system will accept. I was very pleased when the salesman at my favorite computer store said that, while my computer had space for two more gigabytes of ram, he recommended that I only buy one because the applications that I use are unlikely to need any more. That saved me about $120 which I was prepared to pay right then. Of course, it’s likely that he’ll see that money and quite a bit more because I’ll be buying most of my future computer needs from the salesman that took the long view on a fairly small sale. Web Browser Add-Ons The current version of the Opera web browser has a “fraud detection” feature which uses the database at http://www.phishtank.com/ to check sites that you visit. McAfee Site Advisor is a free add-in for the Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers which uses their own database to check whether the sites you surf to are known to have spyware, adware, spam etc.
Anti-virus Programs An anti-virus program searches your computer for virus programs which it has information about and also for programs it may not recognize but which show characteristics similar to programs that have already been added to its knowledge base. Your anti-virus program will also monitor important files on your computer and check any that are changed in size at any time (a possible indication that a virus or some other malware has affected the file). It’s very important that you always have the most recent version of the program and its reference files. I schedule my program to check for updates every day, just before it starts the full daily scan. But, if you are not using your computer on the Internet every day, then a weekly check for updates may be enough for you. It’s not a good idea to try to run two anti-virus programs on the same computer. Some will clash and your computer may even crash. It’s even more likely that the two programs could claim the other is (or contains) a virus simply because of the reference files that accompany each program. Another problem is that having the two programs constantly scanning your machine, even just on a low priority basis in the background, can reduce the resources available to other programs you are using and slow down your work or leisure activities. Most anti-virus programs will scan your emails as they are received or sent. This may require you to specify the path to the main file of your anti-virus program or its email-scanning sub-program when you set up your email program. Not all anti-virus programs will do this. If yours does not, I suggest you think about upgrading it or getting a different program which is more fully featured.To get the complete information and more software please : click here To your success! Ardy
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- YOUR TROPICAL FISH AQUARIUM (Jan 22, 2008)
1. Origins of Fish keeping Fish keeping traces its origins back to medieval and prehistoric ages. At that time, carp pools were a common feature. Fish raised in such pools proved to be an alternative for meat on specific abstinence days. Although these pools catered primarily for consumption purposes, some fish keepers among them kept brightly colored and attractive species for decorative and ornamental purposes. Notable breeds among them are koi, carp and goldfish. These benefited through selective breeding. Similar cases are true regarding saltwater fish.
Types of Fish keeping Fish keeping has three broad classifications. These are freshwater, brackish, and marine or saltwater fish keeping. Freshwater fish keeping proves to be the most popular. It consists of having a variety of freshwater species that include guppies, goldfish, and angelfish. Some aquarists prefer keeping a single variety of fish while others prefer keeping many different varieties of fish together. The main benefit of keeping single-variety fish is the ease of breeding them in captivity.
Brackish water fish keeping involves a combination of freshwater and saltwater elements. Fish kept in such aquariums are normally from habitats with varying degrees of salinity as in estuaries and mangroves. These fish cannot survive in freshwater aquarium surroundings. Monos, gobies, freshwater soles, scats, and a few puffer fish are happy in such an environment. This form of fish keeping is not very popular and few fish keepers are aware of it. Marine or saltwater fish keeping is the forte of experienced fish keepers. These fish are expensive and normally cannot live at room temperature. It is essential to maintain chilled water conditions as available in unheated basements or through the use of artificial chilling agents. Attractive coral reef adds to the beauty of such aquariums. Some fish keepers highlight aquatic plants through their aquariums. They concentrate on different water plants while fish is kept at a minimum. This aquarium is the popular 'Dutch Aquarium'. 2. Basic Fish Anatomy Basic anatomy of a fish can teach various characteristics to aquarists, as these normally are according to their habitat. Different species sport different characteristics.
Fish anatomy centers on: Body Shape This determines the normal living environment of fish. This fish can live better in moving waters while the tall and laterally compressed species adapt better to slow-moving waters. Fish living on water surfaces have a flat back with an upturned mouth. Fish living at sea or on water bottoms have flat bellies with different swim bladders that allow them to hop instead of swimming at the bottom. Head The location of the fish’s mouth indicates its feeding habits. A normal fish mouth is terminal and it feeds mid-water. Surface feeding fish have an upturned mouth for feeding on insects. Bottom feeding fish have special tactile organs and barbells for locating food within muddy waters. Some also have a suction cup to pull in small invertebrates. Omnivorous fish have small mouths while predatory fish have large mouths. Fins The fins of the fish help them move. Fish with forked fins are regular fast-swimmers while those with rounded fins can move fast. Fish bred in aquariums have long, drawn out fins. Anal fins help stabilize movements while swimming. Body Color The body color of a fish denotes its health. Some fish can alter their colors while some change colors at night. Colors receive additional enhancement during the spawning period. Favorable water conditions, a choice of a variety of foods, and compatibility with mates within an aquarium bring out the best colors in fish. Gills Gills are the main respiratory organ of fish. Gills are sometimes useful for trapping prey within the mouth cavity. Freshwater fish excrete water through their gills to maintain body salt concentration. Swim Bladder The swim bladder in fish contains air and allows fish to swim without sinking or floating. This allows fish to sleep in mid-water. Some species have a special swim bladder, which take in oxygen and help in breathing. Lateral Line The lateral line located under the scales consists of a series of fluid-filled ducts to pick up vibrations from the water. These vibrations indicate to fish about predators, presence of food, and allow easier navigation.
3. Water Chemistry and Quality Fish in aquariums require the water environment to be the same as in their natural habitat in order to survive. It is essential to recreate a similar environment within the aquarium to provide a stable water body. Tropical freshwater fish live in natural lakes, ponds, and rivers. These water bodies counteract changes due to their large water volume. Therefore, the fish keeper needs thorough knowledge of water chemistry and quality to ensure healthy living and breeding of fish in aquarium. Important factors center on water hardness, water pH, and the nitrogen cycle.
Water Hardness Water hardness is according to the presence of dissolved minerals especially calcium and magnesium in the water. Water hardness is according to the amount of calcium carbonate. A few dissolved minerals in the water make it soft water while many dissolved minerals make it hard water. Excessively soft water in an aquarium can cause problems for fish. Calcium carbonate proves to be a natural buffer and provides natural buoyancy to fish. Soft water has low calcium carbonate content and could cause the fall in pH content. This proves detrimental to fish in aquariums.
Changing Water Hardness to Suit Fish You can change the water hardness in different ways to suit your fish. Ion exchange resins, filtering water through peat moss and reverse osmosis system, or boiling water for a long time can reduce water hardness substantially and make it soft. Filtering water through dolomite or crushed coral can increase hardness.
Water pH The scale that measures alkalinity or acidity of any substance is the pH scale. The scale ranges between 0 and 14 with 0 being the most acidic and 14 being the most alkaline. Water has a neutral pH of 7.0 with an equal ratio of H+ ions to OH- ions. Therefore, water with a pH below 7.0 is acidic as it has more H+ ions than OH- ions. Water with a pH above 7.0 is alkaline as it has more OH- ions than H+ ions. Freshwater fish thrive best in water with 5.0-9.0 pH, although most have a greater preference for water with little acidic content, as with water having slightly acidic to neutral pH of 6-7.5.
Maintaining the pH Content in Your Aquarium Adding bicarbonate, phosphate, and other buffers to tap water can help maintain the necessary pH levels in an aquarium. Decaying plant material within the aquarium can lower the necessary pH levels and increase the level of ammonium. Adding baking soda or removing organic build-up can change pH content of the aquarium water favorably. If pH content is very high, use phosphate-based chemicals available at fish aquarium shops. However, phosphate can increase algae growth. Softening of water is essential before you undertake any treatment for changing pH levels.
Nitrogen Cycle Fish excretion causes rotting of food and deterioration of plants. Bacteria can break down nitrogen compounds present in fish waste into nitrate, which is easily absorbed by plants. You can otherwise remove this through gravel siphoning. This conversion process of changing fish waste into NO3 is nitrification. Nitrifying bacteria are not present when you set up your aquarium. Starting with a few sturdy fish can begin the process. Although initially ammonia levels could be very toxic, soon with development of Nitrosomonas bacteria these levels start dropping. Ammonia breaks into nitrite and later into nitrate, which is least toxic. Algae and plants absorb these nitrates. Maintaining such normal nitrate levels is essential for the health of your fish in the aquarium. Overstocking, overfeeding, and improper water changes can causes disturbances in nitrate levels. Restoring them early can prove beneficial.
4. Planning Your Aquarium Planning and maintaining an aquarium requires proper knowledge about fish keeping, fish tanks, and essential supplies for fish maintenance. An aquarium at home enhances the beauty of your room and house. Although there are many fish keeping theories, gaining knowledge through books and the Internet can help you plan and set up a freshwater aquarium.
Basic Steps Before planning to start with a fish aquarium at home, you need to decide on type of fish you want to keep, freshwater or saltwater. Maintaining freshwater fish in your aquarium can prove easier.
Basic essentials include: • Aquarium Tank • Aquarium Stand • Filter • Aquarium hood or canopy • Gravel • Proper lighting arrangements • Thermometer • Heater • Nets and cleaning equipment • Decorations, although a vanity item
Size of Aquarium Tank An aquarium tank should be large enough to contain a minimum of thirty gallons of water. Small tanks do not prove beneficial as small changes in water chemistry can cause substantial effects on fish. Water chemistry changes do not affect the water of large tanks as easily. Different fish grow to different sizes. Your aquarium tank should be able to support all growing fish. Lack of sufficient space could cause bigger fish to eat smaller ones.
Location of Aquarium Tank: Keep your aquarium in such a position that allows perfect viewing of fish from all parts of the room. Place your aquarium away from direct sunlight, cold winds, air-conditioners, heaters, or loud and vibrating objects. These could cause wide changes in water temperature levels and prove detrimental to the health of the fish in the aquarium. Keeping an aquarium close to a water supply can make it easy for changing water and similar maintenance work.
Shape and Material of Your Aquarium Tank Aquarium tanks are available in different shapes and are of many different materials. Rectangular glass tanks are cheapest. You can choose from hexagonal, bow-front, or corner aquariums. Acrylic aquariums prove more ornamental than glass aquariums. These tanks prove more difficult to clean and maintain than glass aquariums, as they scratch easily and require greater support. Initially, purchasing a less deep glass aquarium is best as it supports easy cleaning and handling.
Aquarium Stand Use a specially made aquarium stand, as it can hold an aquarium well in place. Aquariums are considerably heavy and using improper stands can prove dangerous and cause unnecessary mess all around. Your aquarium stand should be stable and sturdy, well capable of holding the weight of your aquarium. Normally, aquarium shops sell tanks and stands together as a kit. These offer necessary support in proportion to the weight of the tank.
Filter Aquarium filters could be a power filter, canister filter, or under-gravel filter. Aquarium filtration could be mechanical, chemical, and biological, although all three are essential. A power filter is easily accessible as it is behind the tank. A canister filter is normally underneath the tank and therefore remains hidden except for hoses. An under-gravel filter provides only mechanical filtration and therefore proves insufficient to maintain the cleanliness of your aquarium.
Aquarium Lighting Lighting in your aquarium adds to the ecological quotient, especially so if your aquarium has many live plants. Lighting should be appropriate. Excessive lighting could accelerate algae growth. This increases maintenance work and proves to be an unattractive sight within your aquarium. Further, your lighting should not generate too much heat, as it could cause serious changes in water temperatures. Lighting in aquariums could be through fluorescent or incandescent. Most prefer fluorescent lighting, as it does not generate much heat, is more affordable, and can emit different spectrums of light.
Aquarium Heater This heater prevents fluctuations in water temperatures. Maintaining an aquarium heater can ensure steady water temperature that is most suitable for fish in your aquarium.
Species Compatibility Fish in your aquarium need to live in harmony. There are specific species that remain perfectly compatible with one another. Choosing such compatible species can promote healthy living of fish. Oscars and growing cichlids are aggressive varieties. Allowing them to grow up together can prove beneficial while housing them. Live-bearers, bristle nose catfish, and rainbow fish gel well together and do not possess any aggressive nature. Cardinal tetras yearn for their own kind. If you choose to accommodate them, it is necessary to have quite a number of them together.
To get the complete informations please : click here
Have Fun.... Ardy
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