Boston Bombing Aftermath

Recents news | Even if you were thousands of miles away we cannot help but to feel a range of emotions the day after the terror bombing attack at the Boston Marathon. Los Angeles psychologist Emanuel Maidenberg, PhD, says that in the wake of all that horror, it’s understandable that emotions are still raw and intense. “People become vigilant, they look around, they become apprehensive,” says Maidenberg, director of the cognitive behavioral therapy clinic at the UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. He added, empathy for those killed or injured, as well as fear for your own safety and anger at the bomber or bombers, are also common and normal at this time. One hundred fifty and more are reported injured aside from the three people confirmed dead than from two bombs that exploded near the finish line of the marathon Monday afternoon.

He says, for people who witnessed the attacks, the same emotions can surface, although they may be much more intense. “Some people feel numb emotionally and some feel overwhelmed,” he says. “Some people feel they have to start doing something right away to help other people.” Immediately after the attacks, news reports told of runners who went straight to the nearby hospitals to donate blood. “Some feel it’s best to withdraw and isolate themselves,” he says. While the other emotions are healthy, withdrawing and isolating are not, he says.

Boston Bombing Scene

For the runners, especially those turned back from finishing the race, he says, there is also disappointment and frustration. The next question would be how to coup up and how to handle the stress after the bombing. For the first few days after such a catastrophe, Maidenberg says, sharing your feelings with others can help. The tendency to stay plugged in constantly to news reports, though, can be mentally unhealthy, he says. “We want to know what’s happening, who’s behind it,” he says. That helps us deal with some of the uncertainty.

He said it can also keep you from your regular activities, which is good for healing. He then suggests limiting your news viewing. “My advice is, you do want to seek accurate and timely information. Once or twice a day, check in,” he says. The rest of the time, it’s better to go about your typical activities, he says. This is the point in time where you must pay even more awareness to your usual stress-reduction techniques and to do more often than reducing the technique.  It’s bright to give yourself a reality check, too. “We should also remind ourselves that the likelihood of this happening to us remains extremely low,” he says. While those who witnessed the events firsthand may take longer to cope with their emotions, anyone still feeling overwhelmed after 4 to 6 weeks should consider seeking professional help, Maidenberg says.

Live music may boost health in premature babies

“A new study has claimed that listening to live music may boost the health of premature babies who are being treated in the neonatal intensive care unit.”

According to the research, when the premature babies in intensive care listened to live music, they showed measurable improvements in heart rate, sucking behavior, sleep patterns and calorie intake. Adding up, MyHealthNewsDaily reported, music helped parents and babies bond, and relieved the stress of parents. The US study at 11 hospitals was composed of 272 premature infants in neonatal intensive care units, or NICUs. The infants had health issues from breathing problems, bacterial bloodstream infections or down to were small for their age. The researchers examined at preemies` reactions to three types of music therapy.  One is an instrument involved a Remo ocean disc that produces a soothing “whoosh” sound. Another one is an intervention involved a gato box, which is a drumlike wooden box that is played softly with the fingers.

“According to the researchers, the ocean disc imitates the sound of the in utero environment and in effect it could have a soothing, sleep-enhancing consequence, whereas the gato box would sound akin to a mother`s heartbeat.”

While in the third intervention, parents sang a lullaby to their baby, what researchers call a “song of kin”, that had a cultural, childhood or religious meaning.  But they sang the default tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” if the parents didn`t have a song of kin.For 10 minutes three times a week for two weeks each baby was exposed to each intervention. Results demonstrated that each music intervention had special various health benefits. In some case, preemies whose parents sang to them had the furthermost boost in activity or alertness.

The whooshing sound of the Remo ocean disc was connected with the utmost development in sleep patterns, and the sounds produced by the gato box amplified babies` sucking behavior, that consequently helped with swallowing and breathing. Comparing both babies who listened to song of kin and “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”, babies who heard a song of kin consumed more calories than babies who listened to “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”  Conversely, babies who heard “Twinkle, Twinkle” had to some extent higher levels of oxygen in their blood. Parents who sang to their babies reported feeling much less stress.

“The findings mean musical therapies could be tailored to the specific needs of a preemie,” said study researcher Joanne Loewy, director of the Louis Armstrong Center for Music & Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. “Live sounds are the key. When a music therapist teaches parents to entrain with the baby`s vital signs, it can have a therapeutic effect,” Loewy said. The sounds researchers utilized during the study varied from 55 to 65 decibels, alike to the volume of a moderate rainfall or a conversation. | source - springhill medical

Higher Risk of Behavioral, Adaptive and Learning Problems on Children with Sleep Apnea

“This study provides some helpful information for medical professionals consulting with parents about treatment options for children with SDB that, although it may remit, there are considerable behavioral risks associated with continued SDB,” said Michelle Perfect, PhD, the study’s lead author and assistant professor in the school psychology program in the department of disability and psychoeducational studies at the University of Arizona in Tucson. “School personnel should also consider the possibility that SDB contributes to difficulties with hyperactivity, learning and behavioral and emotional dysregulation in the classroom.”

Sleep apnea is a common form of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). A recent study found that obstructive sleep apnea is connected with elevated rates of ADHD-like behavioral problems in children plus other adaptive and learning problems. The journal SLEEP will feature the five-year study in their April issue. This study is utilized data from a longitudinal cohort, the Tucson Children’s Assessment of Sleep Apnea Study (TuCASA). The TuCASA study prospectively examined Hispanic and Caucasian children between 6 and 11 years of age to establish the occurrence and commonness of SDB and its outcomes on neurobehavioral functioning. The outcome of the study shows that 23 children had incident sleep apnea that actualized at some point in the study period, and 21 children had persistent sleep apnea the whole time of the entire study. While 41 children who at first had sleep apnea no longer had breathing problems during sleep at the five-year follow-up. The chances of having behavioral problems were four to five times greater in children with incident sleep apnea and six times higher in children who had persistent sleep apnea.

Children with sleep apnea were more likely to have parent-reported problems in the areas of hyperactivity, attention, disruptive behaviors, communication, social competency and self-care compared to youth who never had SDB. Children with persistent sleep apnea moreover were seven times more probably to have parent-reported learning troubles and three times more likely to have school grades of C or lower. Mind you to have knowledge on fraud prevention because scam watch should always occur to you, there are scams present in every case. “Even though SDB appears to decline into adolescence, taking a wait and see approach is risky and families and clinicians alike should identify potential treatments,” said Perfect.

Natural cold and flu remedies for children

Homemade medicines are a lot cheaper, safer and easy access. It was always been a debate whether or not chemical medications are good for the heath or have no side effects on the body especially on children. Over the years, there have been many recalls on several drugs due to inadequate or worse non-existent testing procedures.

This is a major burden to parents when their children become ill. Little did they know that there are other medications cheaper and safer. Here are some tips:

This is something good for children and adults’ alike, homeopathic medicines can be found at most health food store in quick dissolving tablet form.

· Belladonna- 6C: Best and helpful for fevers that come on unexpectedly, and it is also good for clear runny nose. Belladonna is helpful as well in easing headaches and inflamed red sore throats.

· Pulsatilla-6C: When nasal discharge is thicker and children are acting clingy and weepy try using this because this is good for it. What’s more is it is helpful for earaches that are less intense.

· Chamomilla- 6C: For irritability and digestive issues, this homeopathic remedy is very good for those sicknesses. And also this is a great help to ease severe pain associated with teething, earaches and gas pains.

*these following guidelines are your medicine cabinet’s must haves. | source: springhill jounal

Without alcohol and other additives, onion and honey cough medicine is a wonderful homemade alternative. Be certain to use good honey; local, organic, raw honey is the finest as it will help to prevent allergies too. The benefit of both honey and onion is that it reduces bronchial constriction because both have anti-bacterial properties and onions contain a compound that. Any onion color will do, chop it and place in a jar, and cover the onion bits with honey. The next day, discard the onion pieces and save the liquid.

This next tip has been used to promote health for centuries now. Honey and cinnamon, this mixture can aid at the first sign of cold and has proven to boost the immune system whether separately or together. To get rid of the cold, just mix one teaspoon of honey with a teaspoon of cinnamon, your colds will be gone in couple of days.

This may sound a little unrealistic for some but definitely true, the healing power of touch. This healing power can be in the form of hugs, kisses, cuddles or even light placement of the hands on areas where there is pain and discomfort. Many studies can back-up that healing touch can reduce pain, boost the immune system, lower stress levels and promote relaxation and healing.

Aside from being cost effective and easy to prepare, natural cold and flu remedies have higher success rate. Homeopathic medicines act to cure the imbalances that preceding to sickness and can be used to stop the illness altogether. They are better than the commercial. Over the counter medicines simply mask the symptoms, or antibiotics that are shown to lower the immune system and decrease resistance. It is also a good fraud prevention, no will never get scammed. Go for alternative medicines.