Do you have a cold or allergies? How to find out and get better fast
You're stuffed up, you're sniffling – but is it an allergy or is it a cold?
It's not always easy to tell, even for someone like Dr. Kevin Lunde, an otolaryngologist at Baylor Plano.
"At times, I have performed allergy testing on patients with recurrent nasal and upper respiratory symptoms to help determine if allergies or colds are the cause," Lunde says.
It's important to figure it out because the treatments are different. After all, the antihistamines that can do so much for easing your allergy distress are not going to help your cold and might even make it worse. Up to 5 percent of allergies and colds will leave you vulnerable to sinus-tract infections, which are bacterial and call for antibiotics.
Sometimes it takes a little detective work to figure out what ails you.
"If you get sick with sneezing, sore throat and muscle aches, and it happens every September, it's probably allergies," says Dr. J. Robert Wyatt, an ear, nose and throat specialist and president of the Dallas Academy of Otolaryngology. Wyatt, who practices at Baylor Plano and in Forest Park Medical Center, notes that late August to late September is the height of ragweed season in Dallas.
If you don't usually get sick in September, but you spent time at your toddler's school hanging around with his little playmates and find yourself sniffling three days later, it's probably a cold, he adds.
Kids can pass colds back and forth to each other and bring them home throughout the school year. And allergy season can last most of the year, adds Dr. Sandeep Gupta, an allergist at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas and Baylor Plano.
(A quick rundown: January and February are worst for mountain cedar; March is spring trees; spring and summer include trees and grass pollen. Gupta says August and December are mild overall for pollen allergies, but mold spores are present year-round.)
Which is why the duration and speed of the symptoms may provide even better clues:
• Colds, which are viruses that damage and kill cells by entering them and multiplying, hit suddenly and usually leave in about three to five days, although symptoms can linger for a few days after the virus itself has passed.
• Allergies, which occur when your immune system overreacts to something like pollen that is not really a threat, come on slowly and linger through the three or four weeks, or as long as the allergen is around.
• Additional signs for colds include mild fevers, lymph node enlargement, muscle aches and coughing.
• Allergies are more characterized by sneezing, itching and rashes, and shiners under the eyes that are caused by inflammation.
What to do
There are some common treatments for both. Experts recommend eight hours of sleep, daily exercise for an optimum 60 minutes and eight glasses of water daily. Many doctors recommend daily sinus rinses, humidifiers and warm chicken soup as well. All of these measures can help prevent or lessen the symptoms as well as help you bounce back sooner.
With colds, you may also want to take acetaminophen (Tylenol) for mild fever and muscle pain. You want to make sure to keep resting for at least a week to 10 days, even if you feel better on the third or fourth day: Your immune system may be low, and you may be more vulnerable to infection.
For allergies, the best offense is a good defense – avoid what you are allergic to. If you can't do that, take over-the-counter allergy medications such as loratadine (Claritin) and cetirizine (Zyrtec) as needed, noting that cetirizine can cause drowsiness. Consult with your doctor before taking allergy medications with decongestants, such as Claritin D and Zyrtec D, because they can affect blood pressure.
If these don't help, your doctor may want to prescribe more intense allergy medications or discuss allergy shots, which can decrease sensitivity to allergens over time for some people.
If you are a frequent allergy sufferer, Wyatt recommends having your doctor examine your nose for nasal polyps (noncancerous lumps of swollen tissues that can get bigger over time), enlarged turbinates (ridges inside your nose that can get bumpier over time) and deviated septum (when the cartilage inside your nose is bent), all of which can result in symptoms that can be mistaken for allergic reactions. These problems can be fixed surgically.
Young children should also be watched carefully for signs of colds or allergies, as their immune systems might not be as strong as those of older children or adults, says Dr. J. Andrew Bird, an allergy and immunology specialist at Children's Medical Center Dallas, and assistant professor of pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
"As we age, our immune system develops a memory response that is protective against future infections of the same type," he notes.
Because colds and allergies can lead to sinus infections, it is important to watch for those symptoms as well – a thick, yellowish discharge and fever. See your doctor immediately, as antibiotics are usually recommended when there is a bacterial infection.
A word on the flu
While colds and allergies do not cause the flu, the flu is a virus much like a giant cold that can lead to high, damaging fevers and pneumonia, Wyatt says.
Wyatt says the best time to get a flu shot is in October, because that's early enough to give you immunity for the flu season, but late enough for your immunity to last until the flu season ends in the spring.
FluMist, a nasal spray flu vaccine, can also be helpful and provide a "route of protection" if the individual has a healthy immune system, Bird notes.
Check with your doctor about any vaccine first, however.
Cold or Allergies
Star Fruit Can Kill
This fruit can end your life!
This is not an April Fool Joke. But a stern reminder to all my readers. We were advised to have a few servings of fruits a day in order to rep the benefits of fruits right? But obviously this is one big no-no fruit to be excluded from your fruity feast!
In Shenzen, more than 10 people who consumes the star fruit had died. And now a 66-year-old, Malaysian who has been suffering from kidney ailment fell into coma after eating the star fruits.
Yes, all it takes is one fruit or 100ml of its juice and the ordinarily harmless star fruit transforms poison in a matter of hours for kidney patients. So does this mean, people without kidney problems should be fine with star fruit! Not at all! Prevention is better right?
University Malaya Medical Centre consultant nephrologist said that star fruits contain a neurotoxin which is not present in other fruits. It affects the brain and nerves. In healthy persons, the kidneys filter it out. But for those with kidney problems, this potent toxin cannot be removed and will worsen the consumers' conditions.
The symptoms of start fruit poisoning include:
~ Hiccups
~ Numbness and weakness
~ Feeling confused
~ Agitation
~ Epileptic fist
The risk of death is high if you are having kidney ailments! But healthy individuals should beware of this fruit's potential toxin too. It could also cripple your vitality if you are not lucky. So don't take it for granted. It's better to avoid them. Please pass this news to others.
So be warned. If you have kidney impairment, DO NOT consume Starfruit or Starfruit juice.
Your Love Poem
Your soul is like the vastest sea
And mine a darting fish:
I lose myself within your love;
I live within your heart.
I breathe your love: it is my air,
My element, my world.
I know no other ambiance;
I have no other dream.
I know there is outside your love
A world of rocks and sand;
And I could live there, too, but oh!
How poor and thin each breath!
How rich my world, how beautiful,
Alive within your love,
Each moment filled with dancing light
Refracted through your eyes!
The Secret Of Happiness
One day, one friend asked another,
"How is it that you are always so happy?
You have so much energy,
And you never seem to get down."
With her eyes smiling, she said,
"I know the Secret!"
"What secret is that?"
To which she replied,
"I'll tell you all about it,
But you have to promise to
Share the Secret with others."
"The Secret is this:
I have learned there is little I can do
In my life that will make me truly happy.
I must depend on God to make
Me happy and to meet my needs.
When a need arises in my life,
I have to trust God to supply
According to HIS riches.
I have learned most of the time
I don't need half of what I think I do.
He has never let me down.
Since I learned that 'Secret', I am happy."
The questioner's first thought was,
"That's too simple!"
But upon reflecting over her own life
She recalled how she thought a bigger house
Would make her happy, but it didn't!
She thought a better paying job
Would make her happy, but it hadn't.
When did she realize her greatest happiness?
Sitting on the floor with her grandchildren,
Playing games, eating pizza or reading a story,
A simple gift from God.
Now you know it too!
We can't depend on people to make us happy.
Only GOD in His infinite wisdom can do that.
Trust HIM!
And now I pass the Secret on to you!
So once you get it, what will you do?
YOU have to tell someone the Secret, too!
That GOD in His wisdom will take care of YOU!
But it's not really a secret...
We just have to believe it and do it...
Natural therapy for opening the veins of the heart
No need for any Angiography or Bypass...
Please pass on this to your well wishers...
Natural therapy for opening the veins of the heart.
Lemon juice 01 cup
Ginger juice 01 cup
Garlic juice 01 cup
Apple vinegar 01 cup
Mix all above and boil in light flame approximately half
Hour, when it becomes 3 cups, take it out and keep it
For cooling. After cooling, mix 3 cups of natural honey
And keep it in bottle.
Every morning before breakfast use one Table spoon
Regularly. Your blockage of Vein's will open.
No need any Angiography or by pass.
Please pass on this to your real well wishers.
Wishing you a hale and healthy life.
This therapy is form :
Prof. Dr. S. Vikineswary
Biotech Division
Institute of Biological Sciences
University of Malaya
50603 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Greg Gutfield To Open A Gay Bar Next To Ground Zero Mosque To Cater To “Islamic Gay Men”
by Jon Bershad
No, this is not a joke. In fact, it is instead one of the most brilliant pieces of provocations in recent years.Greg Gutfield from Fox News’ Red Eyeannounced today via his blog that he is actively speaking to investors and plans on opening a gay bar next to the controversial mosque being built near Ground Zero in New York. To make matters worse (better?) the bar will be specifically designed to cater to homosexuals of the Islamic faith. God, this is going to be an exciting block.
Here’s Gutfield’s entire post which he will expand upon during tonight’s Red Eye:
“So, the Muslim investors championing the construction of the new mosque near Ground Zero claim it’s all about strengthening the relationship between the Muslim and non-Muslim world.
As an American, I believe they have every right to build the mosque – after all, if they buy the land and they follow the law – who can stop them?
Which is, why, in the spirit of outreach, I’ve decided to do the same thing.
I’m announcing tonight, that I am planning to build and open the first gay bar that caters not only to the west, but also Islamic gay men. To best express my sincere desire for dialogue, the bar will be situated next to the mosque Park51, in an available commercial space.
This is not a joke. I’ve already spoken to a number of investors, who have pledged their support in this bipartisan bid for understanding and tolerance.
As you know, the Muslim faith doesn’t look kindly upon homosexuality, which is why I’m building this bar. It is an effort to break down barriers and reduce deadly homophobia in the Islamic world.
The goal, however, is not simply to open a typical gay bar, but one friendly to men of Islamic faith. An entire floor, for example, will feature non-alcoholic drinks, since booze is forbidden by the faith. The bar will be open all day and night, to accommodate men who would rather keep their sexuality under wraps – but still want to dance.
Bottom line: I hope that the mosque owners will be as open to the bar, as I am to the new mosque. After all, the belief driving them to open up their center near Ground Zero, is no different than mine.
My place, however, will have better music.”
Is This Genius or what?
Anti-moslem tram
ANTI-MOSLEM TRAM IN THE NETHERLANDS !!!!!!!!
BURY MANY PIGS IN AND AROUND GROUND ZERO !!
THEN................ NO MOSQUE !!!!!!!!!
Perception
. . . Something To Think About . . .
THE SITUATION
In Washington DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.
About 4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
At 6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
At 10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.
At 45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
After 1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the DC Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.
This experiment raised several questions:
*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?
*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . .
How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?
How To Stay Young
HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them'
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.
AND always remember :
Li f e is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
Worry about nothing, pray about everything!!!
Poems Found In Toilets
I hope you enjoy these POEMS
POEMS FOUND IN TOILETS.
THE 'FUTURE' IS IN YOUR HAND, HOLD IT GENTLY'
Excellent poems by not so famous poets.....
Found on toilet doors and walls...
A budding poet trying his best...
Here I lie in stinky vapour,
Because some bastard stole the toilet paper,
Shall I lie, or shall I linger,
Or shall I be forced to use my finger .
Before he graduated to be a poet, he wrote this...
Here I sit
Broken hearted.
Tried to shit
But, only farted .
Someone who had a different experience wrote:
You're lucky
You had your chance
I tried to fart,
And shit my pants!
Perhaps it's true that people find inspiration in toilets.
I came here
To shit and stink,
But all I do
Is sit and think .
There are also people who come in for a different purpose...
Some come here to sit and think.
Some come here to shit and stink.
But, I come
Here to scratch my balls ,
And read the bullshit on the walls.....
Toilet's walls als o double as job advertisement space.... (written high upon the wall)
If you can piss above this line,
The Fire Department wants you.
Ministry of Environment advertisement.
We aim to please!
You aim too! Please
On the inside of a toilet door:
Patrons are requested to remain seated throughout the entire performance..
And finally, this should teach some a lesson... Sign seen at a restaurant: The hands that clean these toilets also make your food...please aim properly.
The Sun And Moon Viewed Over The North Pole
A scene you will probably never get to see in your lifetime....
This is the sunset at the North Pole with the moon at its closest point.
You also see the sun below the moon.
An amazing photo and not one easily duplicate.
You may want to pass it on to others.
The Chinese have a saying:
When someone shares with you something of value,
you have an obligation to share it with others...
Michelangelo's David is being returned to Italy
David stayed too long in the USA
A bit of cultural news for a welcome change.
After a two year loan to the United States ,
Michelangelo's David is being returned to Italy
His Proud Sponsors were:
THIS WAS TOO FUNNY NOT TO SHARE!
The Mother Of All Bombs
This is a picture of the US Air Force's new 21,000
Pound MOAB --- the 'Mother Of All Bombs'.
It is an upgrade of the 15,000 pound 'Daisy cutter'
which was used in Afghanistan
The USAF and Coalition forces are planning to drop
the MOAB on Tehran , Iran . From the looks of it, if you get hit with this --- you haven't got a prayer!
Scroll-down
The Amazing Hair Dryer
Not long ago a friend took her ten-year-old boy to my house looking for my wife, saying that her child had hiccups all day long. The child was very uncomfortable and unable to eat at all. After she checked, my wife said there was a muscle spasm in his diaphragm. Without hesitation, she took out a blow dryer, turned on the power and started blowing at the boy's stomach. About 10 minutes later, the boy burped and fell relieved.
We were surprised that this thing can do the trick. But my wife just smiled.
A few days later, I had a stiff neck when I woke up in the morning. I could hardly turn my head. I recalled my stiff neck problem was treated a few times by acupuncture and cupping when I was younger. I asked my wife for the similar treatment. She said there weren't any needles at home nor any suitable small jars for cupping. She just took out a hair dryer. I couldn't help laughing. Again? This thing can cure stiff neck too? Amazing!
She blew on my shoulders and my neck for about 15 minutes. My neck was really loosened up. I could turn my head now. Later in the evening, she repeated that on me once more.
The pain in my neck was significantly reduced. I crowned her the "queen of blow drying".
She explained that this was inspired by the method people used in the old days. In hospitals, with all the modern equipments we have, doctors do not need blow dryers. Back in the old days, in rural villages especially, doctors were poorly equipped with medical supplies. So they came up with other means to treat patients with common pains.
Suddenly I realized this is the thermal effect on pains with the heat generated by a blow dryer. Modern physiotherapy equipment such as electric, laser, thermal, ultrasound and others can easily generate heat for effective treatment. They are, of course, more powerful then a blow dryer. However, when they are not available, using a blow dryer to generate heat will also work, temporarily at least, on common pains such as back pain, muscle spasm, stiff neck, leg cramps, etc. It is easily accessible and easy to operate as long as there is electricity. The blow dryer is really amazing. Try it. Hope it works for you too.
Knowing where to make an effort
A giant ship engine failed. The ship's owners tried one expert after another, but none of them could figure but how to fix the engine.
Then they brought in an old man who had been fixing ships since he was a young. He carried a large bag of tools with him, and when he arrived, he immediately went to work. He inspected the engine very carefully, top to bottom.
Two of the ship's owners were there, watching this man, hoping he would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something. Instantly, the engine lurched into life. He carefully put his hammer away. The engine was fixed!
A week later, the owners received a bill from the old man for ten thousand dollars.
"What?!" the owners exclaimed. "He hardly did anything!"
So they wrote the old man a note saying, "Please send us an itemized bill."
The man sent a bill that read:
Tapping with a hammer...... ......... ........ $ 2.00
Knowing where to tap.......... ......... ...... $ 9, 998.00
Effort is important, but knowing where to make an effort makes all the difference!
The Time of the Singing of the Birds has Come
By Sheila Schuller Coleman
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they are?" -Matthew 6:26 (NIV)
Many of you have heard my father preach on this scripture: "The time of the singing of the birds has come" (Song of Solomon 2:12). And, every time I have heard him share on that scripture, I had a hard time relating to it. Don't birds sing all the time?
Here in sunny Southern California, we have birds around us all of the time. They don't migrate south for the winter, and others migrate in from colder climates. I was thinking about that the other day when I received a text message from my youngest son, Nicholas. Nicholas is in graduate school on the East Coast in Connecticut. This is his first winter outside of sunny Southern California. So, he calls me and sends me pictures of the piles of snow that he's trudging through. He has complained loudly about how cold he is. I hear from him, "Why am I here? It's ten degrees below zero. I'm walking home from studio at midnight in a blizzard. I can't even see where I'm going."
Meanwhile, back at home one sunny, warm California morning, I opened my windows and started thinking about Nicholas back east in all that snow. I thought, "I bet he doesn't open his windows because it's too cold." But, even if he did, he wouldn't hear a bird sing. All the birds have migrated south for the winter where it's warm. However, spring is on its way. In fact, when spring arrives in Connecticut, I expect Nick will open up his windows to hear the birds singing again. When spring returns, "the time of the singing of the birds has come" - the sign that the winter is over and the blizzards are gone.
For you and me, for many of us, we have been experiencing a winter in our lives - brought on by the recession, serious health concerns, and troubling relationship issues. It has been a long, hard, stormy winter. When will spring come?
God always promises! The spring always arrives! The winter always comes to an end. And, with the end of winter, with the beginning of spring, the birds return. The birds' songs is are a signal that the winter blizzard is over. A new life has sprung. A new day has dawned.
The time of the singing of the birds will come and, even if you still see no signs of spring or encouragement that the storms are ending, hear the song of Jesus – today! He is the songbird in your life. Hear His song*: "Why should I feel discouraged...when Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He. His eye is on the sparrow..." - you and me. Today, hear the song, feel the warmth of the love song of Jesus in your heart. No matter how cold your day is, the Lord will warm your heart.
*"His Eye is on the Sparrow," C.D. Martin, C.H. Gabriel.
That's Life
God created the donkey and said to him.
"You will be a donkey. You will work un-tiringly from sunrise to sunset carrying burdens on your back. You will eat grass, you will have no intelligence and you will live 50 years."
The donkey answered:
"I will be a donkey, but to live 50 years is much. Give me only 20 years"
God granted his wish.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
God created the dog and said to him:
"You will guard the house of man. You will be his best Friend.
You will eat the scraps that he gives you and you will live 30 years.
You will be a dog. "
The dog answered:
"Sir, to live 30 years is too much,give me only 15 years.
" God granted his wish.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
God created the monkey and said to him:
"You will be a monkey. You will swing from branch to branch doing tricks.
You will be amusing and you will live 20 years. "
The monkey answered:
"To live 20 years is too much, give me only 10 years."
God granted his wish.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally God created man ...
and said to him:
"You will be man, the only rational creature on the face of the earth.
You will use your intelligence to become master over all the animals.
You will dominate the world and you will live 20 years."
Man responded:
"Sir, I will be a man but to live only
20 years is very little,
give me the 30 years that the donkey refused,
the 15 years that the dog did not want and
the 10 years the monkey refused.
" God granted man's wish
............ ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... ......
And since then, man lives
20 years as a man ,
marries and spends
30 years like a donkey,
working and carrying all the burdens on his back.
Then when his children are grown,
he lives 15 years like a dog taking care of the house
and eating whatever is given to him,
so that when he is old,
he can retire and live 10 years like a monkey,
going from house to house and from one son or
daughter to another doing tricks to amuse his grandchildren.
That's Life.
Postingan
