Rhinoplasty, commonly called a nose job, is a type of cosmetic surgery designed to repair or reshape the nose. As one of the most prominent features on your face, your nose has a large bearing on your appearance and can impact how you feel about yourself. Individuals who are displeased with the size or shape of the nose can benefit from rhinoplasty because of the opportunity it offers to completely alter the appearance of the nose. Rhinoplasty has the ability to increase or reduce the size of the nose in its entirety, removing a bump, altering the shape of the bridge or the tip of your nose, narrowing the nostril openings, and modifying the angle between your nose and your lips.
Rhinoplasty cannot be successfully performed until the nose has stabilized and nasal bone has stopped growing. This typically occurs around age 14 to 15 in girls and age 15 to 16 in boys. Any surgery performed before this point runs the risk of having to be redone once nasal growth has ceased, since the nose has the potential to continue to change and develop until that point. Rhinoplasty is occasionally performed on younger children in the case of severe trauma to the face, so that the nose can be restored as close as possible to its original shape and size.
Most rhinoplasty procedures are performed on an outpatient basis under general anesthesia. There are exceptions to this rule, though. Patients undergoing severe reconstructive surgery may be monitored overnight to ensure that no complications arise. Individuals seeking to have their nose “set” after a bad break will occasionally receive local anesthetic only.
During the procedure the cosmetic surgeon makes an incision either inside the nostrils or through the columella, the external strip of tissue that separates the nostrils. The skin is then separated away from the framework of the nose itself so the doctor can access the underlying cartilage. In order to reshape the nose, the soft flexible cartilage and bone are manipulated into the proper position and shape. Depending on the desired results, tissue may be removed or added to change the angle or contour of the nose. A chisel or file may be used during the procedure, most frequently to remove a hump from the bridge of the nose. Once the nose has been sculpted into the desired shape, the skin is resituated and the nose is splinted to protect it. Nasal pads may be used for the first few days following the surgery to pack the nose and protect the delicate septum.
Rhinoplasty, as with all other surgeries, is not risk-free. In addition to the standard bruising and swelling, patients should be aware of a number of potential side-effects that could result from the procedure. These include an infection of the nose, nosebleeds, numbness, scarring, and a reaction to the anesthesia. Some patients report the bursting of small blood vessels on the surface of the skin and hematomas, or collections of blood that pool under the skin. The possibility also exists that a follow-up procedure will be necessary in order to remedy an over-correction or under-correction of the nose.
When successfully performed by a highly-qualified surgeon, rhinoplasty can dramatically improve the appearance of your nose and improve your self-confidence. If you are considering rhinoplasty and would like more information about this procedure, contact a reputable cosmetic surgeon in your area and arrange for a personal consultation.
Hemorroids represent one of the most common colorectal complaints heard by family physicians. Each year approximately 10.5 million Americans experience hemorrhoidal symptoms. They are the bane of pregnant women, overweight people, and a large percentage of the American population over the age of 30. In fact, hemorroids will strike at least 50 percent of the population, according to national statistics. That’s a lot of people suffering from this nasty condition.
Although, there are ways that people can prevent the onset of hemorroids, or help reduce the pain caused by them, some patients may end up needing surgery. For years, physicians and patients have been awaiting a surgical treatment for hemorroids that causes less pain and a shorter recovery period than traditional procedures. Now we have one. It is called Infrared Coagulation Technology (IRC). Traditional surgery is done below this line, causing the patient a lot of pain for a long time after surgery.
Treatment with IRC - a method obtaining it’s popularity in treating hemorroids. This procedure is performed usually after undergoing a colonoscopy while the patient is sedated. This procedure involves applying infrared light through the anus to compress and seal haemorrhoid veins.
This method is painless, safe, and effective. Before any treatment, a physician will conduct a routine external and internal examination to chart your hemorrhoid disease to determine whether or not you are a candidate for IRC.
Many medical studies find IRC to be the non-surgical hemorrhoid treatment of choice because it is fast, well tolerated by patients, and virtually problem free.
The success of IRC technique depends upon many factors such as the size and duration of the hemorrhoid. The European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, states that 92 percent of patients reported they were symptom-free following IRC therapy. That “cure” rate is somewhat diminished when a large hemorrhoid has been neglected for many years. It is best to treat them when they are small are more readily curable.
Millions of patients have been treated with IRC. Experience tells us that hemorroids treated with IRC generally do not recur. A sensible diet, moderate exercise and proper bowel habits will also help.
As you may know, as soon as you put yourself on a diet, you only have one thought left: to eat. Sooner or later, it will overcome you…except if you hit first.
When was the last time you focused so much on a task that you forgot to eat? You did not really forget, but you were too much interested in what you were working on to stop doing it and go to the fridge. Years ago, when your body was slim and your head swollen with projects, did you ever think that to be a grown up would not mean to be responsible and free?
Stop looking for somebody to sue: nobody shovelled food in your mouth. Stop whining about commercials that influence you: nobody tied you up in front of the telly. Stop opening your mouth and closing your mind.
You know, everybody know, that the higher the education, the lower the weight. If you point at a person you know who has a PhD and 30 extra pounds, you act exactly as those people who say that there is no correlation between smoking and lung cancer since their grand father died of old age after having smoked thousands of cigarettes. I don’t write for you. Bye bye!
Now that we are between us, let’s move on to the main point. How much does this portrait look like you: - You often feel incredibly bored, - You think that you are more worth than what you show, - If you were given a new start, you would lead your life differently, - You cannot help wishing something else than getting up to go to work each morning, - In fact, it looks sometimes so vain that you’d rather stay in bed.
Do you recognize yourself? If yes, the choice is limited: either you fall in a depression, or you feed your brains. Since in order to get out of a depression, you would have to feed your brains, jump directly to the second solution!
First, recognize your qualities and make them shine in others’ eyes. Modesty? You are not asked to show haughtiness but to get a sense of pride from your abilities. Would the world be better if Mozart’s father had shyly hidden his son’s gift? Don’t let anyone mislead you: those who advocate modesty have nothing to show. Most time, they do not want you to succeed because it would be the evidence of their own failure. They brandish their righteousness against you because it is, by far, easier to damage your chances than to improve themselves. So, be honest and recognize your qualities.
Some people might advise you to devote your life to a charity cause. It is another way to prevent you from going ahead of them. Do you think that it would have been a great idea if Pasteur had chosen, out of charity, to visit the poor instead of inventing “pasteurization”?
Then, choose the domain in which you will be able to scintillate. Again, do not be humble. The satisfaction of reaching a goal is proportional to the difficulty you encounter to reach it. If you aim to learn arranging flowers, sure, you will succeed, but you will feel as bored as today and your thirst for something to fulfill your life will remain as burning as it is right now. You need to be confronted with a task exciting enough to prevent you from dropping it to go out to eat, or to take time to order a pizza. If the excitement is not rewarding enough, you are going to turn towards “the fridge consolation”.
Your goal must also be rather difficult because you are going to need time to change your way of life; so, decide to master the violin, to write an anthology about Roman Poetry, to learn a foreign language or to obtain a degree in chemistry; anything requiring your intellectual faculties to fully work and that you will not be able to complete in a couple of weeks is an activity that deserves to be chosen. Of course, the better you like your goal, the greater your chance to reach it, but do not worry: usually, we are attracted by what we guess we are good at.
Not only “decide” to change, make your decision official: proudness will help you to go on the day you are tired or disheartened.
Multiply your chances to succeed by eliminating the childish desire for “telling them”. If you suffer from not being estimated at your true value, make yourself known to your own eyes. The rest will come. Within three years you are going to gain higher education that will lead you to higher income while losing extra weight.
Sure, people will notice.
Even though we have a daily work out routing, that doesn’t mean we are getting the best workout. There are a few common short cuts we might be taking that we don’t even realize. Here are a few fixes so we can burn more calories, lose more weight and sculpt more muscle.
* Treadmill - Many of us probably get on the treadmill and walk at a zero incline. A zero incline can cause less calorie burning. Increasing the incline as much as 6 percent can almost double your calorie burning. * Stretching - A lot of times we might not stretch long enough before and after our workout. Long stretching helps to protect our muscles. Try to hold the stretch for at least 20 seconds; better yet try to hold each stretch up to 60 seconds. Make sure to take deep breathes to help with relaxing. * Strength Training - We often rush through our strength training. Using a quick pace prevents the muscle from moving through its full range of motion. When lowering the weight count 2 to 4 seconds. when raising the weight count 2 seconds. This allows for the muscle to go through a full motion.
Your body may be sending you signals that you need to take a break from alcohol. It may be time to detox alcohol from your body if you are feeling run down and tired, having digestive problems or experiencing achy muscles. If you drink and party regularly and have any of these symptoms, a simple alcohol detox may be for you.
With repeated or long term use, alcohol can cause liver and kidney problems, addiction and weight gain. While drinking and partying often seem harmless, ingesting alcohol on a regular basis can lead to the build up of toxins and sugars and eventually to alcoholism, or addiction to alcohol. Overuse and dependence on alcohol can have serious health risks as well.
However, most of us don’t have a serious problem, and use alcohol socially. Even so, what can we do to limit the long term effects of alcohol usage?
In its simplest form, an alcohol detoxification program simply involves abstaining from alcohol for a period of time and allowing the body to eliminate all traces of the substance from the tissues and blood stream. Most healthcare professionals recommend at least one to four weeks of no alcohol. However, if you are a heavy drinker or suspect that you may be an alcoholic, cutting back or switching from hard liquor to wine for the first few days or a week may be easier for you to handle. Many people who have developed a dependence on alcohol will experience uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms like sweating, trembling and an almost overwhelming craving for alcohol.
Allowing your body a “vacation” from drinking may eventually lead to healthier habits, as you experience increased energy and vitality after your body begins to recover. During this period, take the chance to also do a colon, liver and kidney cleanse. Many report an increase in energy, sexual drive and function and a decrease of appetite after the detox period.
Allow your body to recover and rest. Take a break from alcohol for a month and you may be surprised at how great you feel!
Treating acne depends on the type and severity of your acne. Treatment also depends on how dry or oily your skin is, if you are male or female, if you are taking any medications, if you are pregnant or might be soon. These various factors affect your treatment options and can make any one size fits all acne treatment method ineffective.
Lucky their are numerous acne treatment options, so while you might not find one that works the first time, do not give up just try another. Do to the numerous acne treatments available today doctors can control most acne outbreaks; with greater success the earlier treatments are started. Hopping your acne will go away will not work, your local pharmacy is filled with many over the counter medications you can try, or visit your doctor who can prescribe more powerful treatments if needed.
The most popular way to treat mild to moderate acne is by using a topical treatment. These treatments can be in the form of a gel, cream, lotion or on a pad. They are applied to the surface of your skin, hence the name topical. The two main over the counter topic treatments are Salicylic acid and Benzoyl peroxide. Prescription Salicylic acid and Benzoyl peroxide are also available in stronger doses if required. Doctors my also prescribe ointments containing sulfur, tetracycline, erythromycin or a retinoid. Many times you will need to use a combination of the above treatments for best results.
Salicylic acid and retinoids are used to treat the clogged hair follicles that are causing the acne lesions. They penetrate the pores and help the dead skin cells dissolve. Benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, tetracycline and erythromycin are antibacterial ointments used to treat the inflammation and kill the bacteria in the blocked follicles.
For people with moderate to server acne, in addition to topical treatments they my also require some type of oral medication to treat their acne. The three types of oral medications are antibiotics, hormones, and isotretinoins. All three require a prescription.
Tetracycline, erythromycin, clindamycin, and doxycycline are the most common prescribed antibiotics. They work by being absorbed through the digestive system, then into the blood, and then into the hair follicles where they kill bacteria and reduce inflammation. This option would be used when topical antibiotic treatments were unsuccessful.
Hormones are an option available to treat teenage girls and women with acne. They are usually taken in the form of a birth control pill. They work by increasing the level of female hormones in the bloodstream. This helps reduce the production of androgen, which will then reduce the production of sebum.
For severe acne, isotretinoin is often used. It is a powerful drug that treats acne by stopping all of the changes in the skin that causes acne. It kills bacteria, reduces sebum production, and slows the growth of skin cells.
All of the above acne treatment options should be reviewed carefully prior to use. As with any type of medication they all present some type of risk or side effect. For the over the counter treatments read the product labels and warnings to see if the product is right for you. For prescription acne treatments discuss with your doctor all of the potential sides effects you may experience.
Career changes always require a painful transition period. A few years back I lost my job as a stage manager for live television shows, and I was feeling the heat. As I sat in my tiny little apartment staring at a huge pile of overdue bills, I could feel the pain coursing through my soul. I suddenly had the uncontrollable urge to just run.
I am an avid runner who loves running in the wilderness. The feeling of breaking a sweat with a good stride in the great outdoors is like no other for me. Your heart is pumping blood through your body like a turbo-charger, your lungs are sucking in precious oxygen as fast as you can breathe it in, your pores are excreting sweat and toxins like crazy, and all of your senses are at their peak of performance. You can feel the world around you and you know you are part of it. It is a wonderful feeling; a healthy addiction if you will. My drug of choice is endorphins.
I hurried down the stairs to the parking garage. The woman who lived below me was just getting out of her car when I entered the garage. She was a cigarette-totin’ Maggie with ashen-grey skin and a raspy voice that sounded like it was the product of damaged vocal cords due to years of yelling too loud at parties and breathing tobacco smoke relentlessly. She was tall, rotund and barrel-chested, with bleached white hair that she wore way too long for her age, which I guessed was somewhere around forty. She wore black clothing everyday that made her look like an albino witch. She was also a single mother of a teenage daughter that was seemingly out of control. I often saw this daughter coming home at four in the morning as I was just leaving for work. She was only thirteen, but she seemed to be in a big hurry to become an adult. Her mother didn’t seem to care about her too much. I drove to a nearby street and parked my car next to a couple of other cars at the entrance to a fire trail. I stretched for about five minutes, and then I was on my way up my favorite wilderness trail that led into the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains (California).
I grew up playing and exercising in those hills. It is my favorite place to go when I need to get away from it all. There are fire trails everywhere that accommodate anyone who is looking for exercise in a wilderness area that includes rolling hills, bush-covered chaparral, and majestic mountains.
About a mile into my run I began to work up a sweat. A group of dark clouds passed overhead and it started to rain. It was winter. I was only wearing a tee-shirt and shorts, and the rain was cold, but it felt good. The rain drops splashed over my face and body like a fire sprinkler from heaven that was released right on cue.
The sun burst through the clouds and I was soon bathed in warm sunlight again. I entered a rocky area filled with caves that were formed by millions of years of wind and water erosion. The Chumash Indians once lived in those caves before the Europeans came. I looked up to the right and saw a group of teenagers hanging out in a big cave that was about fifty feet up on the face of a cliff. One of them noticed me running down below and threw an empty beer bottle in my direction. The bottle hit a rock about twenty feet away from me and exploded into a million pieces. This explosion was immediately followed by an eruption of laughter from the group. I was thinking about stopping to say something, but I did not want to ruin my good mood.
I made a couple of left and right turns on trails that I originally explored when I was about eight years old. I ran deeper into the hills. Soon I was running up a series of steep switchbacks trails.
I eventually arrived at the top of the highest hill in that area. I stopped for a rest, and to take in the beautiful three hundred and sixty degree view all around me. I had mountains in front of me, hills all around me and the San Fernando Valley off in the distance behind me. I watched the sunset over the mountains and meditated for a moment at my favorite spot on earth. When I turned around I could see the lights of The Valley glistening like a million fire flies. I was about five miles away from the nearest civilization, but it felt like it was five hundred.
A half hour later I started my run back towards civilization. It was now dark, but I was not worried about getting lost, for I knew those trails like the back of my hand. Rattlesnakes were all hibernating, coyotes aren’t much to worry about, but mountain lions were a different story. Although attacks on humans were rare, there had been a couple of people killed in California in recent years. I did not want to be the next rare event, so I made sure to announce my presence by singing loudly (and slightly off-key).
Suddenly, I saw a shadowy figure of a person up ahead on the trail in front of me. I was not used to seeing other people that far back in the hills. I approached with caution. As I got closer and closer to this dark silhouette, I noticed that this person was just standing still at a fork in the dirt road. When I was about to pass this person I noticed that it was a young teenage guy. He was wearing brown nylon shorts and a yellow tee-shirt that said Calabasas Cross Country Team on the front. He looked very worried, and seemed to be lost.
The thin young man politely asked me if I knew which one of the trails he was standing in front of was the one out of there. He explained that he was training for an up coming cross-country competition and did not realize how far he had run, or how quickly it got dark “now that daylight savings was over”. I told him that I knew that area quite well, and that he could follow me out of there.
I made a right turn at the fork in the road, and the kid followed behind me. As we were running down the switchback trails it started to rain again. We ran out into a large valley with tall grass, and then the kid began to fall behind a bit. I slowed my pace down a little until I could see him again slowly running behind me on the trail.
As we were passing through the rocky area with all the caves we suddenly came upon the group of kids that were partying earlier. They were slowly walking on the trail and passing around a bottle of whiskey. A young girl noticed us approaching and broke off from the group with the whiskey bottle in her hand. As we were passing by the girl she held the whiskey bottle out towards us and with a sarcastic and drunken voice she said “you guys must be thirsty”! A full moon was now shining down on the area and it illuminated me to the fact that this girl was the thirteen year old daughter of the albino witch lady that lived in the apartment below me. She was too drunk to recognize me. We then jogged past the chuckling group of inebriated teenagers and continued on with our run through the wilderness.
We finally reached the end of the trail and we both stopped running. While trying to catch his breath, the kid thanked me for giving him directions. He then disappeared into the neighborhood. I walked over to my car and stood next to it for a moment. I thought to myself; I may not have much money, but I have my health. I am thankful for having parents who cared, and that I chose to run on the right path in life.
Copyright 2006. Michael P. Connelly
Although there are many types of yoga, and it may be impractical to try them all, experiencing some of the main branches — including Kundalini yoga — will give you a fuller grasp of yoga’s essence and benefits. Kundalini yoga isn’t just another practice, however. It’s often referred to as the mother of all yoga, and said to be one of the most powerful forms.
What’s more, Kundalini yoga is a little different from other practices. Most forms of yoga concentrate on the body’s poses, combined with breathing and meditation exercises. While Kundalini yoga still concerns itself with forms and poses, it places much more emphasis on breathing, chanting, and releasing a special energy we all possess unawares.
In Kundalini yoga, the special energy is likened to a powerful serpent lying asleep at the base of the spine. But practitioners can awaken the powerful serpent with the use of Kundalini techniques, releasing almost unimaginable energy.
How It’s Done
In Kundalini yoga, you’ll combine classic poses, meditation, chanting or mantras, and also coordinate your breath and movement. In this yoga, the serpent that represents energy is said to lie asleep at the base of your spine, coiled and dormant. Specifically, this region is located in the perineum area of the body. That is, it lies between the rectum and the testicles in males, and between the vagina and the clitoris in females. When awakened, the dormant masculine energy (Siva) and feminine energy (Sakti) unite to create a powerful surge unlike anything you’re likely to have experienced before.
What Can It Do For Me?
The powerful energy released by Kundalini yoga is said to do many things for the body. And yet, although it can help you physically, its primary benefits are spiritual. All the intangible energies that help to shape our lives are affected by Kundalini yoga, such as divine prosperity, and freedom from judgment. Once freed, this new energy helps to promote creativity and unconditional love. Needless to say, all these positive changes help sweep away any negative feelings, such as those associated with depression, or even long-standing resentments or jealousy.
If you would like to experience this type of amazing yoga, you’ll want professional guidance. Understanding more about how Kundalini works will help you achieve the results you seek, so a little private time with the books can help you as well. As with any yoga, it’s best to learn Kundalini from an experienced instructor, who can help you focus your energy in addition to teaching you the techniques. Having an awakened yogi nearby can be half the battle.
