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The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke describes Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) as the “the most common and widely known of the entrapment neuropathies, in which one of the body’s peripheral nerves is pressed on or squeezed.” According to Justin O. Sevy and his colleagues' research, CTS affects 1–3 people per 1,000 people in the United States every year. CTS is most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 40 and 60, and the prevalence rises with age. The problem can affect one or both wrists. Females are also more affected than males. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) also known as median nerve entrapment or median nerve compression, is a painful condition that occurs when the median nerve in the wrist is compressed.
According to Yvette Brazier, CTS may happen when a nerve swells, the tendons become inflamed, or something causes swelling in the carpal tunnel. Symptoms include tingling, burning, or itching, and numbness in the palm of the hand and the fingers, especially the thumb and the index finger. Moreover, CTS can have a negative impact on a person's quality of life if not treated. The median nerve can become severely damaged over time. As a result, permanent numbness in the fingers and permanent weakness in the muscles innervated by the median nerve are possible.
How does carpal tunnel syndrome develop? According to Healthline, carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by excessive pressure in the wrist and on the median nerve. Swelling can be caused by inflammation. An underlying medical condition that causes swelling in the wrist and sometimes obstructed blood flow is the most common cause of this inflammation. Diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, fluid retention from pregnancy or menopause, high blood pressure, autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, and wrist fractures or trauma are some of the most common conditions linked to carpal tunnel syndrome.
Carpal tunnel syndrome treatment is determined by the severity of your pain and symptoms, as well as whether or not you have any weakness. The Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons published guidelines for effective carpal tunnel treatment in 2008. The advice was to try to treat carpal tunnel syndrome without surgery if at all possible. Avoiding overextended wrist positions, wrist splints that hold your hand in a neutral position, especially at night, mild pain medication and anti-inflammatory medications, treatment of any underlying conditions you may have, such as diabetes or arthritis, and steroid injections into your carpal tunnel area to reduce inflammation are all nonsurgical options.
According to the Arthritis Foundation, there are two exercises that can help relieve the pain of CTS. The first exercise is to make Making a fist with the back of the hand facing down the first step. Then, slide your fingers up to the point where they're pointing straight up at the ceiling. The second exercise is to make a fist and then stretch the fingers as far as possible by opening the hand and spreading them out. It is critical to note that anyone who suspects they have CTS should not self-diagnose or attempt to treat the condition. The best way to get a proper diagnosis and the best treatment plan is to seek advice from a healthcare professional.
CTS is a common condition with gradual onset of symptoms. If left untreated, CTS can cause severe pain and numbness in the fingers, hands, and arms. CTS can be painful and interrupt your daily routine. If you've been having symptoms for a while, talk to your doctor about ways to relieve the pain and pressure. If home remedies fail, learn more about the other treatment options available to you. Corticosteroid injections or surgery may be used. The best way to avoid permanent nerve damage is to get a diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.
PNFP Marie-Claire Gaas
References:
1. Carpal tunnel syndrome: What you need to know
Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI — Written by Yvette Brazier — Updated on May 8, 2022
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/184337
2. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Medically reviewed by William Morrison, M.D. — Written by The Healthline Editorial Team — Updated on March 7, 2019
https://www.healthline.com/health/carpal-tunnel-syndrome
3. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
The Arthritis Foundation
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We’ve all been tempted to have a short nap on the sofa in the mid-afternoon, or we’ve thought about laying our heads on the table in the office and wander into dreamland. Many individuals think that naps are a sign of laziness, but seeing that we have long hours in work, it’s not shocking that so many of us are sleep deprived. Are naps the solution we’ve been looking for to aid us beat the midday fall and also improve daily function?
There are both pros and cons when it comes to napping. The obvious cons would be that napping could disturb your sleeping pattern. According to MayoClinic, although napping should have little outcome, napping could cause in nighttime sleep difficulties, particularly for those who suffer from insomnia. Naps could result in sleep inactivity, resulting in different waking up feeling like disoriented and groggy.
Napping in the day can also result in bad sleeping behaviors. Even just slightly a bit of a power nap reduces your night time sleep pattern. The nap becomes another episode of fragmented sleep.
Being said, there are also some benefits to napping. A sleep specialist deliberated these pros, showing that naps could advance in our daily function. The specialist said that short naps during the day have been found to decrease the events of workplace errors and can improve concentration, attentiveness, performance, and attention. Often, after a nap, a person will also feel in better spirits, thus a nap has mood-boosting special effects and can support to manage stress.
There are things to remember when napping though. The length of the nap should not surpass 20 minutes, and MayoClinic suggests that a nap is between 10 to 20 minutes. The aim for this is that the longer an individual naps, the more likely they are to wake up feeling tired. This is because lengthier naps result in a profound stage of sleep.
Naps must also happen earlier in the day. MayoClinic says naps should occur before 3 p.m., while Huffington Post proposes the best time for a nap is earlier than 2 p.m. Their explanations are the same; napping later will affect your night time rest.
Lastly, it’s important to understand that fatigue could be a result of an underlying medical condition, the result of prescription medication or mental disorder. If you find yourself anguish from extreme daytime exhaustion, it is recommended you see a doctor.
PNFP- Karla P. Calapardo, RND
References:
https://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/should-you-be-napping-the-pros-and-cons.html
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We know we shouldn't be ingesting pizza every day, drinking endless amounts of soda or snacking on chocolate bars for good nutrition does have a bigger role in our health than many of us realize. A poor diet can result in many health complications, as well as the increased risk of an adult developing cancer. A study has been done how more than 80,000 new cancer cases in 2015, among United States adults aged 20 and above, could be connected to a poor diet— equal to about 5.2 percent of all newly identified, aggressive cancer cases in that year.
So, what precisely creates poor food consumption? We already know that being overweight and obese can considerably increase the risk of cancer, but CNN notes that given by the study, there are some dietary factors to consider when defining a poor diet. These consist of not eating enough fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy products but also a great consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks, red meats, and processed meats. Low whole-grain intake was related with the largest cancer problem in the U.S, followed by high processed-meat intake, low dairy intake, low vegetable and fruit intake, high red meat intake and high intake of sugar-sweetened beverages. Although the research has some boundaries including the consideration of other time periods and effect of age, it does propose that diet can produce a significant role in increasing cancer, specifically rectal and colon cancers, which CNN notes had the highest amount of diet-related cases. That said, eating well alone is not certain to protect you from developing cancer, and it tell us that a good diet is often supplemented by other healthy behaviours, including regular exercise and hypothetically better access to healthcare.
Knowing all these circumstances, eating enough food, together with having good habits, are not a guarantee from the development of cancer, but it leads us to the idea that good nutrition certainly won't do us any damage but healthy benefits".
PNFP- Karla P. Calapardo, RND
References:
https://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/should-you-be-napping-the-pros-and-cons.html
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Parents or guardians are struggling with getting their kids to eat healthy foods. It can sometimes be hard to get your children to enjoy healthy snacks; particularly fruits and vegetables. What your children see you eating can influence their snacking choices too. Purchasing fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables ahead of time will make it easier for you to prepare healthy snack options, which may increase the likelihood of your children to be eating a healthy snack.
Snacking is also a very important part of the children’s diet. Choosing a healthy and nutritious snacks is correspondingly important. Many kids get hungry between meals. Snacks help kids prevent hunger in between their meals as well as provide their daily requirements for energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Likewise, a healthy snack can help them get the nutrients they need on a daily basis. It is recommended to offer your kids whole, unprocessed foods during snack time instead of prepackaged or fast-food snacks.
Most snacks served to children should be fruits & vegetables. Offer them a variety of fruits and veggies, or pair them with other snacks like peanut butter, cheese, or low-fat dips. When choosing a healthy snack, make it in small servings so that it will not disturb the child’s main meals but just enough size that they don’t feel hungry at the same time. It is also important to consider the timing in giving them snacks. Don’t make it too long for them to give their snacks because they will become so hungry that they will eat anything they see. But you have to allow a gap of at least 2 hours between their snack and the next meal so that it will not spoil their appetite for the main meal. Remove any distractions during snack time. It is important that they will enjoy their food. Children tend to less likely enjoy the taste and texture of their food if they are playing or watching TV while eating. This may also lead to excessive food intake. So, try to stop them from engaging in these things and instruct them to just sit, stay focus on the food and eat properly. Likewise, it would also be effective if you will encourage your children to prepare their own snacks. Teach them how to prepare nutritious snacks like smoothies, sandwiches, or muffins. This will create a quality bonding moment as well with your kids.
Here are some healthy snack ideas:
- Apples with peanut butter mixed with yogurt
- Green Beans with hummus
- Roasted pieces Cauliflower
- Orange sprinkled with cinnamon
- Granola with yogurt and blueberries
- Pear slices with cheese
- Fruit salad including kiwi, mangoes, bananas, and strawberries
- Pretzels and berries
- Baked sweet potatoes fries
- Colorful sweet bell peppers with dip
Encourage your children to eat healthy snacks by eating with them. Talk to them about some of your favorite fruits and veggies. Then, offer them a few nutritious snack options. This way you will know that your kids are eating healthy. Always remember that snacks should be small, nutritious, and act as a bridge to their next meal. Most importantly, as an adult, be a role model to your children. So, eat smart and lead by example!
NOI Kimberly Tanador, RND
References:
Sensible Snacking for Children
https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/specialties/center-for-healthy-weight-and-nutrition/resources-for-families/nutrition-articles/sensible-snacking-for-children
Choosing Healthy Snacks
https://healthy-kids.com.au/parents/packing-a-healthy-lunchbox/the-basics-to-healthy-choices/
Healthy Snacks for Children
https://caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/healthy-living/healthy_snacks_for_children
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When providing nourishment in the early years of your baby, nothing beats breast milk. It is the healthiest, safest, most appropriate, most economical, and the most cost-efficient way of providing good nutrition. But what really makes breast milk stand out among the nourishments that you may provide to your baby? Breast milk is made up of hundreds of substances including lactose, milk fat, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. It is a real wonder of nature that is packed with goodness, nourishment, and sustenance. Breast milk is 87.5% water and the rest contains millions of different components of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and minerals. Breast milk changes color during feeding and it also becomes thicker.
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Your body do not produce vitamin D on its own, but it’s necessary to normalize the absorption of calcium and phosphorous. Vitamin D helps in the prevention of bone diseases like bone deformities such as rickets or osteoporosis. It has also been found to improve numerous health problems, together with fighting off tiredness, cancer and depression. We can get Vitamin D from food sources like cheese, egg yolk, and fatty fish, as well as fortified foods with Vitamin D, and, of course, sunlight exposure for UV light. But the question is, how much vitamin D do you require?
People who have less than 10 nanograms per milliliter of vitamin D are considered to have a vitamin deficiency and could experience numerous health problems, from muscle pain to weakness. Experts recommend that we need our vitamin D blood level to be at least of 20 nanograms per milliliter. To attain this, some individuals take vitamin D supplements. Though, the publication claims that many fit adults have these levels without trying. Experts claim that those with healthy levels of vitamin D of which most of us are do not necessarily need to take supplements.
This may be accurate in the wet months, where people do not get enough vitamin D from sunlight. In these months, the sun lacks sufficient levels of UVB radiation for our bodies to make vitamin D. This means we need to get more vitamin D over our diets, which is hard to get. It is for this reason that the Department of Health recommends a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D during cold weather for adults and children over five.
Individuals can choose not to consume supplements in summer time, because they would be getting enough vitamin D through sunlight. However, those who do not spend enough time outdoors could be at threat of a vitamin D deficiency including those who cover their entire body with clothes for personal preference or cultural reasons and those who are deprived of mobility like bed-ridden individuals. It also believed that dark-skinned people may not get sufficient vitamin D from sunlight due to the characteristics of melanin that prevent the penetration of sun rays to the skin. These individuals should consider taking the recommended 10 micrograms of vitamin D for entire year.
PNFP- Karla P. Calapardo, RND
References:
https://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/should-you-be-napping-the-pros-and-cons.html
