Time for exercise

*Does It Matter (to Your Heart or Otherwise) What Time of Day You Exercise?* Depending on your exercise goals, there may be specific benefits to working out at a particular time of day.

Exercising in the morning may be associated with lower blood pressure, better sleep and greater weight loss, due to improved fat burning and appetite suppression. Studies also suggest that people tend to be more consistent with morning exercise, due to fewer distractions that are likely to interrupt their routines later in the day.

On the other hand, afternoon or evening exercise is associated with peaks in body temperature and flexibility and appears to be better at improving aerobic performance and strength.

But for most of us who want to exercise for general health effects, the best time is the time that works best and allows you to perform it regularly.

The American Heart Association recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise, a week in divided sessions. Adding resistance training three times a week can further benefit you.

Many variables contribute to a successful exercise program, including time of day, location, type of activity and social setting. However, consistency is the most important variable and is most strongly linked to achieving positive results.

If you’re a morning person, then a morning workout is likely best. If you’re a night owl, exercising later in the day may be a perfect way to unwind and release stress. For most of us, it is probably best to avoid exercising just before bedtime, since it may interfere with your ability to go to sleep.

_In short, the best time to exercise is when you have the most energy and motivation to do it. Regardless of why you exercise, pick the time that works best for you and stick with it._

Women Men Heart Attack risks

*Women or Men — Who Has a Higher Risk of Heart Attack?*
How gender is involved in coronary artery disease (CAD) ?

A woman’s heart may look just like a man’s, but there are significant differences.

For example, a woman’s heart is usually smaller, as are some of its interior chambers. The walls that divide some of these chambers are thinner. And while a woman’s heart pumps faster than a man’s, it ejects about 10 percent less blood with each squeeze.

When a woman is stressed, her pulse rate rises, and her heart pumps more blood. When a man is stressed, the arteries of his heart constrict, raising his blood pressure.

*Why do these differences matter?* They matter because gender plays a role in the symptoms, treatments and outcomes of heart disease.

*1.* *Women have risk factors men don’t have.*
Certain diseases that only affect women increase the risk of coronary artery disease, the leading cause of heart attack. These include endometriosis, polycystic ovary disease, diabetes and high blood pressure that develop during pregnancy. Endometriosis has been found to raise the risk of developing heart disease by 400 percent in women under age 40.

Women also share traditional risk factors with men: high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, high cholesterol levels, smoking and obesity. Like men, women can be impacted by a family history of heart disease, particularly when a father or brother was diagnosed with heart disease before age 55, or a mother or sister was diagnosed before age 65.

*2.* *Women are generally older when they have their first heart attack.*
Men are at risk for heart attack much earlier in life than women. Estrogen offers women some protection from heart disease until after menopause, when estrogen levels drop.

*3* . *The symptoms of heart attack can be different in women.*
Chest pain (also described as a crushing weight on the chest) is the most common symptom of heart attack in men. Some women also experience chest pain, but they are more likely to have different symptoms. _Unlike the dramatic, chest-clutching pain seen in the movies, more common in men,  women often experience subtler symptoms  three or four weeks before a heart attack._ *Women, watch for these symptoms, which is different from men* 👇

. *New or dramatic fatigue :* for example, a simple activity like making the bed makes you feel unusually tired. You aren’t exerting yourself, but you feel deeply fatigued or have a “heavy” chest. You may feel very tired, but can’t sleep well. Or you are suddenly worn out after your normal exercise routine.
. *Shortness of breath or sweating :* Watch for this especially when either symptom occurs without exertion and when either symptom is accompanied by a symptom such a chest pain or fatigue. Look for either symptom worsening over time after exertion. Other signs are shortness of breath that worsens when lying down and is relieved when you sit up.
. *Pain in the neck, back or jaw :* This is especially of note when there is no specific muscle or joint that aches or when the discomfort worsens when you are exerting yourself and stops when you stop. This pain can be in either arm, whereas it’s usually the left arm in men. Also, watch for pain that starts in the chest and spreads to the back, pain that occurs suddenly and may wake you up at night and pain in the lower left side of the jaw.

*4* *A heart attack is harder on a woman than a man.*
Women don’t tend to do as well as men after a heart attack. They often require a longer hospital stay, and they are more likely to die before leaving the hospital.

This may be due to the fact that women who suffer a heart attack have more untreated risk factors, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. *Mostly, it’s because they put their families first and don’t take care of themselves.*

Seven Wonders of the world

*The Seven Wonders of the World*
by Author Unknown

Junior high school students  were studying the Seven Wonders of the World. At the end of the lesson, the students were asked to list what they considered to be the Seven Wonders of the World. Though there was some disagreement, the following received the most votes:
1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. The Taj Mahal in India
3. The Grand Canyon in Arizona
4. The Panama Canal
5. The Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student, a quiet girl, hadn't turned in her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The quiet girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many." The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help."

The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are:

1. to touch...
2. to taste...
3. to see...
4. to hear... (She hesitated a little, and then added...)
5. to feel...
6. to laugh...
7. and to love.

The room was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop.

*May this story serve as a gentle reminder to all of us that the things we overlook as simple and ordinary are often the most wonderful - and we don't have to travel anywhere special to experience them.*

Healthy Heart

*5 Things to Do Every Day to Keep Your Heart Healthy other than 5 things you know i.e less stress, good diet, physical exercise, stop smoking & regular heart health check in case of strong family history*

*1.Eat healthy fats, NOT trans fats :* We need fats in our diet, including saturated and polyunsaturated and unsaturated fats. One fat we don’t need is trans fat, which is known to increase your risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke over a lifetime. This is because trans fat clogs your arteries by raising your bad cholesterol levels (LDL) and lowering your good cholesterol levels (HDL). By cutting them from your diet, you improve the blood flow throughout your body. So, what are trans fats? They are industry-produced fats often used in packaged baked goods, snack foods, margarines and fried fast foods to add flavor and texture. *TIP:* Read the labels on all foods. Trans fat appears on the ingredients list as partially hydrogenated oils. Look for 0 percent trans fat. Make it a point to avoid eating foods with trans fat.
*2. Practice good dental hygiene, especially flossing your teeth daily :* Dental health is a good indication of overall health, including your heart, because those who have periodontal (gum) disease often have the same risk factors for heart disease. Studies continue on this issue, but many have shown that bacteria in the mouth involved in the development of gum disease can move into the bloodstream and cause an elevation in C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation in the blood vessels. These changes may in turn, increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. *TIP:* Floss and brush your teeth daily to ward off gum disease. It’s more than cavities you may have to deal with if you are fighting gum disease.
*3. Get enough sleep :* Sleep is an essential part of keeping your heart healthy. If you don’t sleep enough, you may be at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease no matter your age or other health habits. One study looking at 3,000 adults over the age of 45 found that those who slept fewer than six hours per night were about twice as likely to have a stroke or heart attack as people who slept six to eight hours per night. Researchers believe sleeping too little causes disruptions in underlying health conditions and biological processes, including blood pressure and inflammation. *TIP:* Make sleep a priority. Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep most nights. If you have sleep apnea, you should be treated as this condition is linked to heart disease and arrhythmias.
*4. Don’t sit for too long at one time :* In recent years, research has suggested that staying seated for long periods of time is bad for your health no matter how much exercise you do. This is bad news for the many people who sit at sedentary jobs all day. When looking at the combined results of several observational studies that included nearly 800,000 people, researchers found that in those who sat the most, there was an associated 147 percent increase in cardiovascular events and a 90 percent increase in death caused by these events. *TIP:* Experts say it’s important to move throughout the day. Park farther away from the office, take a few shorter walks throughout the day and/or use a standing work station so you can move up and down. And remember to exercise on most days.
*5. Avoid secondhand smoke like the plague :* Studies show that the risk of developing heart disease is about 25 to 30 percent higher for people who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work.  Nonsmokers who have high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol have an even greater risk of developing heart disease when they’re exposed to secondhand smoke. This is because the chemicals emitted from cigarette smoke promote the development of plaque buildup in the arteries. *TIP:* Be firm with smokers that you do not want to be around environmental smoke — and keep children away from secondhand smoke.
_Follow these five tips and you’ll be doing your heart a favor. You’ll feel better and be able to stay active with a heart-healthy lifestyle._

Prostrate care

*Men: You Should Never Ignore These 2 Symptoms*
Self exams, regular checkups are critical

*1. Changes and pain in your testicles*
Testes cancer, or testicular cancer, occurs mainly in men between the ages of 15-35, but it can also develop in children and older men. The most common symptoms are pain, swelling, hardness or a lump in the testicle. You can detect all of these signs with a self-exam.

If you do notice any of these changes in either of your testicles, see your primary care doctor for an evaluation.

*2. Blood in your urine*
As a sign by itself, blood in the urine (hematuria) is usually associated with other non-cancerous conditions such as an enlarged prostate or a kidney or bladder stone. However, this is also one of the signs of both kidney cancer or bladder cancer. It’s important to talk to your doctor if you ever see blood in your urine.

If needed, tests for these cancers will include the following:

If you notice changes in your testicles, an ultrasound of the testicles is the first step; depending on the results, your doctor may order additional tests and treatments.
For blood in the urine, a urine culture and cytology (test to analyze contents of urine), CT urogram (imaging exam for urinary tract) and cystoscopy (visual exam of bladder) are typical tests.

*A word about Prostate cancer :*  The most common type of cancer in men — most cases are asymptomatic, meaning there are no symptoms.

Instead, it is usually diagnosed with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. This is a simple blood test to determine the levels of PSA, a protein produced by the prostate gland.

Must do your first PSA test at age 50, and the results will determine how often you need to get tested in the future. If it is at or below average, then you should have another PSA in five years. If it’s above the average, it is recommend to get a PSA test done  every two years.

7 Signs of Cancer

*Don’t Ignore These 7 Potential Cancer Symptoms*

One of the tricky things about detecting and diagnosing some early-stage cancers is that, oftentimes, they don’t actually cause any symptoms, and if they do, they’re symptoms that are also commonly associated with a number of other causes and conditions.

This is one reason why it’s important for people to establish a primary care doctor that they visit annually, A doctor who knows your history and has a running record of your health can help determine whether changes to your body warrant testing or a visit to a specialist.

While all of the symptoms below could very well be benign or unrelated to cancer, they should definitely be brought to the attention of your doctor.

*1. A lump under your skin :* It’s often impossible to tell a benign cyst from a malignant tumor just by looking at it, so have any lumps on the breast, neck or genital areas checked out.
*2. A wart or mole that changes in appearance:* Lesions that are asymmetric or changing in shape, color or size should be looked at by a doctor.
*3.A significant change in bathroom habits :* This includes more frequent urination or always feeling like you have to go, or changes in your bowel habits (diarrhea or constipation) as well as blood in the stool or urine.
*4. Difficulty swallowing :* Cancers of the mouth, throat or esophagus can cause this symptom.
*5. A sore that won’t heal Or one that heals and then bleeds again :*
*6. Unusual bleeding or discharge :* Talk to your doctor if you experience spontaneous nipple discharge or odorous vaginal discharge.
*7.Chronic cough or hoarseness :* — especially if you’re coughing up blood or also experience chest pain or shortness of breath.
_If you experience any of these symptoms, be sure to log them in some way, so that you can have a thorough conversation_ _with your doctor about how often symptoms occur and how long they’ve been happening._

Appendix knowledge

*How to Tell if That Pain Is Your Appendix :*

Of all your body’s many functions, modern medicine is still confused about one thing: the appendix. It’s possible your appendix fights off some infections, but doctors aren’t quite sure.

We all can survive without the 2-to-4-inch, worm-shaped organ, but if it gets infected or bursts — causing appendicitis — you’re in trouble. You’ll need medical attention right away.

*Appendicitis is a serious condition, And, it’s always an emergency.*

How do you know if you’re at risk?
Everyone has a low risk — roughly 7 percent — for developing appendicitis during their life. However, it’s most common among children, ages 10 to 19. In fact, it’s the most frequent reason for emergency surgery in kids.

*What symptoms should you watch for?*

_Go to the emergency room or call your doctor right away if you notice new or worsening pain in the lower right part of your abdomen (upper right side for pregnant women)._

It’s especially important to see a doctor if you also experience:

Fever
Loss of appetite with Nausea or vomiting
Lack of energy
Inability to pass gas

*How do doctors diagnose appendicitis?* Doctors typically use ultrasound to diagnose appendicitis in children.

*What  are the treatment options?*
Doctors can treat appendicitis in two ways.
In less severe cases, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics. However, most appendicitis cases require surgery (an appendectomy) to remove the appendix.

*The bottom line?* Don’t hesitate to seek medical care if you notice potential signs of appendicitis. Treatment has the best results if appendicitis is found early.