COMPUTER TROUBLE

Dear friends, you may know that I suffer from Lumbar disc prolapse which causes intolerable pain in the back and legs. Analysing the cause for this, led me to a startling conclusion : The main culprit seems to be the hours spent slouched in front of the computer. I am writing this so that people who use computers for long may protect themselves from injury.
What are the common problems that computers cause and how to deal with it?

CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME
•    Using keyboard or mouse for long can lead to pain, numbness and tingling in forearm, thumb and index fingers. If not treated, it can cause permanent damage and might need surgery.
SOLUTION:
•    Keep mouse and keyboard at the same level. The Keyboard should be placed so that forearms are parallel to the floor. There must be a right angle in the elbow.
•    Wrists should be straight and not bent.
•    Take few minutes break at least once an hour. Use break reminder software.
•    Use cushioned mousepads.
•    Spread fingers apart for several seconds while keeping wrists straight.
•    Learn common shortcut keys, macros and function keys in order to reduce keystrokes. 

NECK PAIN
Due to unnecessary neck movement.
SOLUTION:
•    A document holder is a must 
•    Tilt the monitor at 15 degrees for an optimal neck position

BACK PAIN
Due to
•    Unhealthy posture
•    Inadequate back support
•    Sitting in the same position for long time  
SOLUTION:
•    Contoured chair with breathable fabric and rounded edges to distribute the weight
A pillow or rolled towel can be placed against the back of the chair for extra support
Your feet should be flat on the floor, your thighs parallel to the ground, knees forming a 90 degree angle. You may use a footrest.
•    Sit straight and avoid slouching.
•    Get up every hour, stretch and move around for about five minutes.


COMPUTER VISION SYNDROME 
•    Itching, burning and watering in eyes, 
•    Blurred vision
•    Headache
Due to light reflecting off the display screen or poor screen contrast.  
SOLUTION:
•    Keep the monitor atleast 18 inches away from face and top of the screen at eye level.
•     Every 30 minutes, look away from the computer to stare at a distant object and blink 10 times slowly.
•    Adjust the brightness,contrast and refresh rate of your monitor to stop it flickering. Refresh rate should be at least 60 Hertz
•    Keeping your monitor the screen clean from dust.
Regular eye testing - do this at least once every 2 years. Ask your optician for tint coat on your glasses.

FIGHTING WITH SPOUSE 
How to deal with angry wife shouting at you for staying up late online? Solution for this in a later post  ;-)

Have you become a parent yet?

So you are married for the past one year and everyone you meet asks you the same Effing question : Anything special at home? Even though you understand immediately, you feign as though you dont really get the question. Is this a familiar scenario? If yes, you have arrived at the right blog. Instead of doing pujas, visiting hundred temples or swamijis, just read on... 

First, if it is less than a year since you are trying to concieve, you have nothing to worry.  If it is been longer, visit a Gynaecologist for a check up. Infections or poor health can interfere with getting pregnant. Maintain a healthy weight, exercise moderately, eat healthy, limit coffee and minimise tension. Take prenatal vitamins with folic acid atleast a month before planning to concieve.

Now a short trip to the biology classroom. Every month, female hormones cause an egg to be released from the ovaries. This is called ovulation. Once the egg is released, it has to meet a sperm from male. When both egg and sperm meet on a date, TADA! magic happens. So for a baby to be created, you need to have sex at the time of ovulation.

How do you know when ovulation occurs? There are few methods for women to know this. 
1) Use a calendar to mark the day your period begins each month. Note the number of days each period lasts. Ovulation is most likely to occur at the midpoint of your cycle. If you have a 28 day cycle,  ovulation will begin 14 days after the 1st day of your previous period. In a longer cycle, such as 34 days, ovulation is likely to begin 20 days after the 1st day of the previous period. There are many iphone or android ovulation apps that can help calculate this.
2) Watch for changes in cervical mucus. Just before ovulation, you might notice an increase in clear, slippery vaginal secretions resembling raw egg white. After ovulation, the discharge will be scanty or disappear. 

3) Try an Ovulation Predictor Kit which tests urine and tells when you are ovulating. Fertility monitors such as the Clear Blue Easy monitor also help. An ebay search will provide you with such a kit. 

After a woman ovulates the egg will survive only for a single day. Sperm, on the other hand lives for up to 3 days. So when you do the math, you arrive with the following solution:

Don’t wait until the day of ovulation to have sex. Have sex daily on 13, 14 and 15th day of your period when ovulation is mostly likely to occur. Ovulation Predictor Kits helps in pinpointing ovulation day.

When couples try to conceive, sex becomes a monotonous exercise. Try something romantic to spice things up. If the woman has an orgasm just prior to ejaculation, it increases chances of pregnancy manyfold. The missionary position is the best. Placing a pillow under the woman's hips tilts her pelvis and keeps the sperm inside longer. Don’t let her get up immediately after sex. Let her relax and allow the sperm to stay in the vagina as long as possible. 

So that is it folks. We have covered all the bases. Wishing that the storks come to your home with an express delivery soon.

MSG Mania

Have you ever seen the following sign in a chinese restaurant or your favourite potato chips  and wondered what the fuss was all about? Yes? Read ahead please...

"NO ADDED MSG" 

WHAT IS MSG?

Mono Sodium Glutamate is a sodium salt of glutamate. Glutamate is found in milk, meat, fish, mushroom, tomato and even produced by our own bodies. MSG was found to increase the taste of food and was patented by Ajinomoto Corporation of Japan. Hence the common name, Ajinomoto.

THE FIFTH TASTE?

Bet you can name the four basic tastes -  sweet, sour, bitter and salty. Would you be surprised if told that there is a fifth taste? Umami is the so called fifth taste. Forecast as one of the leading food trends of 2010, it has been described as a meaty taste.

MSG is a flavour enhancer and adds to the Umami-ness of food. Its commonly added to Chinese food.

HOW IS MSG PREPARED?

MSG is obtained by the fermentation of  starch or sugar cane.

CHINESE RESTAURANT SYNDROME?

Few people  have reporting sensitivity to MSG. Soon after a Chinese meal, they experienced the following :

•Headache

•Warmth

•Sweating

•Numbness, tingling or burning in face and neck

•Rapid heartbeats

•Chest pain

•Vomiting

•Weakness

However  scientific studies in the same people who thought they were sensitive failed to demonstrate any side effects after they were given food flavoured with MSG.

It is theorised that allergy to other ingredients such as prawns, spices and herbs may have been responsible for the symptoms.

POTENTIAL CONCERNS?

A 2008 study suggested link between MSG and obesity but it was refuted by another study done in 2010.

If you are prone to asthma or wheezing attacks, you may want to avoid MSG.

ANY HEALTH BENEFITS?

Common salt contains sodium. Sodium should be restricted in people who have high blood pressure, heart failure, liver and kidney diseases. MSG contains only 1/3rd sodium of common salt . It can help to reduce the total sodium in a recipe without losing flavour. So it can be a safer alternative to the above people.

IS IT SAFE IN KIDS?

In studies with baby rats, High levels of Glutamate (more than 10 times the allowed amount) caused brain damage and blindness. An important concern is the potential harm in infants whose blood brain barrier is not fully developed. MSG is safe for older children. In fact, even breast milk contains glutamate.

SUMMING UP

Scientific studies so far have concluded that MSG is safe. However you need to avoid it

1) If you have demonstrated symptoms after a meal flavoured with MSG

3) If you are prone to asthma attacks.
So friends, enjoy your chinese food without worrying too much. Bon appetit or as the chinese might say Qǐng xiǎngyòng.


Reference : mayoclinic

NO MORE EAR BUDS

So u just finished having a nice warm shower.
Are you reaching for the box of Johnsons cotton buds? Gotcha!
Dont you just love the amazing feel of that soft tip caressing the insides of your ears?
STOP!!!

Using cotton buds not only makes our ears less clean, but also can cause ear infection and deafness.
What? You don't believe me? Please read further...

What exactly is earwax?

Lots of misconceptions float around about earwax.
Cerumen as it's called medically is not the result of bacteria and dirt building up in our ear.
It is actually produced by glands in the outer ear.
Did you know that fear, stress and anxiety can increase ear wax.

Why do I have wax inside my ears?

It is a natural defense mechanism. It protects sensitive skin within the canal from dirt, dead skin, and bacteria and keeps the skin lubricated preventing dryness and itchyness.

Why should I not use a cotton bud to clean the muck from my ears?

Ears actually clean themselves when functioning properly. wax naturally makes its way toward the outer part of the ear whenever we move our jaws to talk or chew.
Wax is only produced in the outer one-third of the ear canal, Poking with cotton swabs moves wax inside where it can cause infection, deafness and tinnitus—a terrible buzzing sound. Removing wax from the ear leaves the skin exposed to infections. Bacteria thrive in wax-free ears.
and if u poke ur ear too deep, u can rupture the eardrums

What is the correct method to clean ears?

Take a soft cloth soaked in warm water and gently wipe the outside of the ear. There you are done!
Don’t stick anything inside your ear- not cotton buds, not fingers, and especially no hairpins, pencils, or whatever else u got on your desk.

What can i do if there is wax deep inside my ears?

Take a bit of olive oil or baby oil and place two drops in your ear two times a day for two days.
After the wax has softened up take a warm head shower and tip your head to the side so it can all drain out.

One weird earwax fact

The Jelly Belly Candy Company has a jelly bean with ear wax flavour!

So should i throw away my box of earbuds?

Not necessarily. Here are 10 innovative uses for your buds.
Njoy!!!

HICCUPS

When air suddenly rushes into the lungs, The diaphragm which is the respiratory muscle, contracts and the result is a HICCUP.
Did you know that the Guinness Record is held by Charles Osborne from America who had hiccups for 68 years! 


Causes :
•    Eating too fast or having carbonated drinks or alcohol.


Treatment :
•    Distract yourself to forget about it.
•    Hold your breath for 30 seconds and then release.
•    Breathe into a paper bag five times.
•    Sip 10 gulps of water slowly without stopping to breathe.
•    Pull hard on your tongue.
•    Swallow a teaspoon of sugar.
•    My tried and tested method : Take a mouthful of ice cold water and close both ears with your fingertips. Forcefully gulp the water and your hiccup is gone!


See a doctor if the hiccups last more than a day or if  u have stomach pain, or you spit up blood.
Medical Treatment :
•    Anal massage
•    Haloperidol, metoclopramide, chlorpromazine or baclofen
•    Surgery to remove the nerve that stimulates hiccups.


SRC : Emedicine