How Long To Recover From Hernia Surgery

According to the Surgery Channel website, there are more than 500,000 hernia surgeries performed annually in the United States. A hernia forms when the outer walls of the abdomen lose strength or tear. This hole forces the inner lining of the abdomen to stick out creating a sac and a portion of the intestine or abdominal tissue may pierce the sac. Having a hernia can result in pain and other health problems such as infection. The only way to resolve a hernia is to have surgery.

After Surgery

On the day after surgery, you will want to consume small, light meals and drink plenty of liquids. You will be able to eat a regular diet soon after. It is common for vomiting and nausea within the first 24 hours after the procedure.

Pain

It is common to feel discomfort around the location of incision. Swelling and bruising are common but will eventually disappear after a few days. Pain can be anticipated up the first two days after surgery. Ice should be applied on the incision for the first 48 hours to relieve swelling and pain. Expect some difficulty walking after the first few hours after the procedure and you will have to refrain from using stairs for a few days.

Expect some discomfort in the groin area. Men may see some swelling of their penis and women may see some swelling around the vagina. This swelling will subside within a few days. The area around the incision will be black and blue but the discoloration will fade after a couple of days.

Resuming Activities

The American College of Surgeons states that you should not engage in sexual intercourse for the first week or two after hernia surgery. As for driving, after a few days you will be able to get behind the wheel again. Depending on the extent of surgery, your physician will direct you when you can engage in strenuous physical activity.

Total Recovery Time

According to the American College of Surgeons, total recovery time after a hernia surgery is one to six weeks.

Build Muscle Before Surgery

Building muscle and strength before surgery can help you increase your metabolic rate, decrease your level of body fat, and help your body be better prepared to cope with the upcoming demands of surgery. Although gaining weight is fairly easy, gaining muscle can be somewhat challenging--the trick is increasing your dietary consumption just enough to gain weight without allowing your body to gain a high level of unwanted fat in the process. This is accomplished by manipulating both the quantity and the quality of the foods you consume.

Instructions

1. Use a notebook or computer file to write down your food consumption for a three-day period prior to beginning your muscle-gaining diet. This will give you a good idea of how high you should adjust calories.

2. Average out the total caloric consumption for the three-day period to find out how many calories you are eating per day. Add 300 to that number to calculate your daily caloric goal for a muscle-building diet. Your goal during the diet is to consume that many calories every day, spread out across four or five smaller meals.

3. Consume most of your calories (at least 90 percent) from clean, natural foods like plain meats, fruits, vegetables and natural fat sources like almonds, oils and avocados. Although you are trying to gain weight and eat more calories, this is not a license to hit your caloric goal by any means necessary, as consumption of nutrient-poor foods like sugars and processed foods will be more likely to result in fat gain. Eat clean to gain the most muscle and the least fat possible, relying on bodybuilding staples like steak and sweet potatoes, oatmeal, protein powders, chicken breasts, eggs and copious amounts of vegetables.

4. Weigh yourself at the end of every week, aiming for a gain of at least 1 pound. If you are not gaining weight on schedule and you have been following the diet exactly, increase your daily caloric intake by another 300 calories. Conversely, if you find that you are gaining weight too quickly, decrease your total calories by 100 or 200 to try to find that balance between maximizing muscle gain and minimizing fat gain.

Deactivate Your Facebook Account

Deactivate Your Facebook Account

There may come a time when you need to deactivate your Facebook account. Fortunately, as with most of the social utility Web sites, closing your account with Facebook is easy. And if you change you mind, you can always return to Facebook with a simple reactivation process.

Instructions

Deactivate Your Facebook Account

1. Access the Facebook home page and log in using the email address and password you originally registered with (see Resources below). If you've forgotten you password, click on "Log in" and follow the link to reset your password.

2. Head to the "My Account" page using the link from the menu.

3. Follow the "Click Here" link under the Deactivate Account section. You will be taken to a short form to fill out before you close your account.

4. Tell Facebook why you're leaving. Select the radio button next to the reason for deactivating your account. There is also space to write other comments.

5. Opt in or out of Facebook emails. Even if you account is deactivated, your friends can still invite you to events or ask you to join groups. If you don't want any email from Facebook at all, check the appropriate box.

6. Click the "Deactivate" button. You will be taken to a page confirming your account deactivation.

Reactivate a Deleted Facebook Account

7. Head to the Facebook Web site to reactivate your account.

8. Log in to Facebook as if you'd never left. Use your original email address and password.

9. Check your registered email account for a confirmation email from Facebook with directions on reactivate your account.

10. Follow the link in the email. You will be taken to your home page, which will appear exactly how you left it. All your settings and events are intact upon reactivation. All you have to do is start exploring again.

Gastric Intestinal Infection

A gastrointestinal infection is caused by bacteria, viruses or other parasites infecting the gastrointestinal tract, which is made up of the stomach, large and small intestines, esophagus, anus and mouth. The infection is usually not life-threatening, and it causes people to have diarrhea.

Causes

A gastrointestinal infection is often caused by food poisoning, which occurs when bacteria create toxins in food that is handled or stored improperly. Common bacteria and parasites that cause the infection are salmonella, E. coli and giardia.

Symptoms

People with a gastrointestinal infection generally have loose stools for less than a week. Children with the infection can be in danger of becoming dehydrated. Other symptoms include vomiting, blood in stools, nausea, a loss of appetite, a fever and abdominal pain.

Spread

A gastrointestinal infection can be spread through hand contact, animals, food and water. Usually symptoms do not appear for two days to four weeks after the bacteria enter a person's body.

Treatment

A gastrointestinal infection often does not require treatment. People with the infection should avoid food, especially dairy products, until they stop having diarrhea, and drink plenty of fluids except for caffeinated beverages. Some individuals need to take antibiotics to keep the infection from spreading.

Prevention

People can prevent gastrointestinal infections by washing their hands frequently with soap and water, washing raw vegetables, cooking food thoroughly, avoiding tap water in some developing countries and keeping pets away from eating spaces.

Chip Income Limits

Children's Health Insurance Program or CHIP is a joint effort of federal and state governments to provide health coverage to children who cannot qualify for Medicaid because the parents' income is too high. Each state can make regulations for eligibility, but the federal government provides guidelines. The CHIP program has been available since 1997, but the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 expanded it to cover more children.

Poverty Guidelines

The federal government releases figures for poverty level or poverty guidelines in the United States each year and states use these figures to calculate eligibility for CHIP, since CHIP eligibility is low-income based. The government bases calculations for poverty guidelines on the number of members in the family.

The 48 contiguous states have one set of figures for poverty levels and the other two states have another. Poverty level for a family of four in the 48 states was $22,050 in 2010. This provides a working figure for CHIP income limits.

Federal Guidelines for CHIP Programs

The federal government gives the states latitude in developing the CHIP programs, but offers guidance and oversight. Federal guidelines mandate Medicaid coverage for certain groups of low-income individuals in return for federal funds, and federal poverty guidelines define some of these groups.

The federal government also has a Medicaid/CHIP quality strategy to partner with the states for best practices, technical assistance and improvement efforts. The federal government encourages building a new health information infrastructure with electronic health records and linking medical records nationwide.

State Guidelines

Generally, the states choose between 160 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level for CHIP income limits. A state allowing 400 percent of federal poverty level would permit insuring children in a family of four making $88,200 a year. The low states at 160 percent of the federal poverty level would insure children in a family of four making $35,280.

New York chooses to qualify children for CHIP insurance at the 400 percent level, and New Jersey insures to 350 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Many states insure at 300 percent, including Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin, Alabama, Maryland, District of Columbia, Iowa, Missouri, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.

States insuring children for CHIP benefits at 200 to 300 percent of poverty level are California, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Minnesota, Indiana, Tennessee, Louisiana, West Virginia, Delaware, Rhode Island, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Texas, South Dakota, Arkansas, Mississippi, Michigan, Ohio, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Nebraska, Wyoming, Illinois, Kentucky and Maine.

States insuring at a level between 160 percent and 199 percent of federal poverty guidelines are Idaho, North Dakota and Oklahoma.

Other Requirements and Benefits

Children must be under the age of 18 in most states to receive CHIP benefits and some states have a 90-day waiting period for some children. States usually require that the parent and child be residents of the state. Enrollment is about $50 a year and office visits and prescriptions are $3 to $10 depending on the family income and the state.

History Of The Weaving Loom

History of the Weaving Loom

Textile weaving is almost as old as civilization itself, and it is practiced around the globe. Weaving probably developed as a refinement of mat or basket making, in which the much finer materials needed the support of vertical tension to remain straight. Much of what we know about looms is the product of guesswork, offering few specific dates or inventors.

Evidence in Archeology

While early looms were made of wood, which is not known to last , illustrations of them have been preserved on sturdier artifacts, such as pottery. The oldest depiction of a loom (a horizontal ground-loom design) was found on the side of a bowl unearthed in Badara, Egypt. Textiles, which can provide evidence of the looms that created them, have been preserved under certain conditions that prevent bugs and rot. Egypt's dry, sand-laden climate allowed for the preservation of quantities of plain linen, most of which were found in the pharaoh's tombs. Frozen tombs uncovered in Central Asia contained ancient loom-woven textiles. Scandinavian bogs sealed entire garments from as early as the Bronze Age.

Horizontal Looms

Horizontal designs follow the way materials would have been laid out on the ground. They were used by a number of ancient cultures, and Bedouin tribes today still favor this style of loom. An innovation on this design was the pit loom, where the weaver would sit or stand in an actual pit to allow for more comfortable work. This became a more effective tool when pedals were introduced that allowed the weaver to move the warp threads, allowing the shuttle to go through more easily.

Vertical Looms

Vertical, warp-weighted looms (where tension is kept by tying weights to bundles of threads) are depicted on ancient Greek. By 1900 B.C., Egyptians also had a variation on this design, using a second bar in place of the weights. This style of loom is still used by the Navajo Indians, who picked up weaving from the Pueblo Indians far before the arrival of the Spaniards. One of the most important innovations on the basic vertical loom was the separation of the warps using shed sticks, followed by further separation creating a "counter-shed" using a heddle bar. Vertical looms also came to use foot treadles.

Body-Tensioned Looms

Body-tensioned looms involve a strap and two bars, one attached to the wearer and one to a post, a tree, or a similar object. These looms are portable, allowing the entire project to be rolled up and attached to a different fixed point. Over time, these looms were refined with many of the same innovations as vertical looms, including shed sticks and heddle bars. Body-tensioned looms have been popular in a number of countries, from Japan to India, but today are most commonly seen in Peru and Mexico.

Computerized Looms

Joseph-Marie Jacquard invented a loom that used a punch card system in 1801. This was the first step towards automating weaving, and also had an effect on other scientists--including those working on computers. This created an intertwining relationship between computers and weaving, allowing for ever-increasing complexity in design and pattern. Today, everything from which warps are moved to weaving speed can be controlled from a laptop computer.

Body Wraps For Weight Loss At Home

Weight loss body wraps are a popular spa treatment, but this is also something you can do at home. You only need a few natural ingredients as well as a friend to help you. The weight loss from body wraps is not from losing fat, but from shedding excess water weight and toxins. Body wraps are a great way to detox the system and help you look and feel your best.

How Body Wraps Work

When it comes to weight loss, there are a couple of ways that body wraps can help. The first is through the squeezing action of the wraps. Since you will be wrapped up in bandages (similar to a mummy), the tissue will naturally compress itself. The second way in which body wraps can aid weight loss is through extracting water and other toxins. When a wrap is applied, it opens up the pores to allow water and toxins to seep out. This is absorbed into the wrap, removing it from the body and causing the loss of excess water weight.

Making and Applying the Wrap

You can use almost any type of powdered clay for your weight loss wrap. The most common include bentonite, French green clay and seaweed; they are available at health food stores or spa supply stores. Mix up the clay with enough water to make it into a thin paste. You may choose to add a few drops of essential oil to the wrap mixture to help relax yourself. Lavender, rose and citrus oils are the best for this purpose.

Put a sheet down on your bed or floor and then lay a shower curtain or sheet of "space wrap" (available at spa supply stores) on top of the sheet. You can wear underwear, a bathing suit or disposable spa undergarments for your weight loss wrap. Dip some Ace bandages into the mixture and have a friend start wrapping you from your ankles up. Wrap your whole body, excluding the feet, hands, neck and head. Always wrap toward the heart, as this promotes lymphatic drainage.

Have your friend assist you into laying down, face up, on the sheet setup. Your friend should wrap you up in the shower curtain or space wrap, then wrap the sheet around you. Get comfortable, because you will be laying here for about half an hour. Warm temperatures help open up the pores, so you may choose to add a heated blanket to the top of your sheet. If you get thirsty during this time, ask your friend to bring you a cup of water.

Aftercare

After about 30 minutes has gone by, have your friend unwrap you. Care should be taken to avoid getting chilled, so unwrapping one leg or arm at a time is best. With a warm wet rag, your friend should wipe you down to remove the clay mixture and then dry you off with a dry towel. Sit up slowly when your friend is finished, as you may get a little dizzy.

Take a warm bath after you are done as this will help remove toxins from your system. Sip on water while you are in the bath to avoid becoming dehydrated.

You may repeat the wrap as often as once a week for maintenance. Watch what you eat to help keep the effects of the wrap. For example, eat a low-sodium diet, avoid processed foods and drink plenty of water. Note that your skin may be dry after the wrap is done. The clays do have a tendency to dry out the skin, so applying a light coat of lotion periodically can help with this issue.

Effective Advertising Solutions

Before you continue to invest in advertising, you should evaluate your advertising and determine what can be done to improve your return on investment. Use proven advertising solutions and your results will improve.

Target

Define your target audience. Pick an audience that is in most need of your products and services. Understand demographics and psychographics. Write your message to appeal directly to your target audience's needs.

Media

Pick media that is read, watched or listened to by your target audience. Use a type of media that best lends itself to your message. For example, if a visual representation of your product or service is important, do not advertise on radio.

Testing

Never assume the returns from an ad you place cannot be improved. Commit to testing your advertising. The first place to begin your testing for a text ad is the headline, since it determines if the recipient of the ad becomes interested enough to want to see or read the remainder of the ad. Invest at least 50 percent of your time creating multiple headlines. Pick two headlines to test. For example, if you are sending out an email advertisement, split your email list in half and use two different subject lines. Measure what percent of recipients open the email and take the action desired for each of the two subject lines. Pick the best subject line and test it against a new subject. By continually testing, you will continually improve your results.

Call to Action

Unless you are using institutional advertising, incorporate a call to action in your advertising solution. A call to action tells the message recipient exactly what you want them to do. For example, a print advertisement might say, "Pick up the phone and call 555-1234 to take advantage of this special offer."

Use Emotion

Many prospects buy for emotional reasons even though they may justify a purchase for rational reasons. Make sure you incorporate an emotional appeal in all of your advertising. For example, a hairdresser might promote "Turn heads as you walk into the room," appealing to the emotion of vanity.

Future Pace

Have the prospect imagine what it would be like to have purchased the item being promoted. For example, "Imagine how much more confident and happier you well feel after you have had a facelift. Everyone will compliment you about how great you look without knowing the reason why."

Crochet Pumpkins

Crocheted pumpkins last longer.

Fall decorating would not be complete without the pumpkin. Display beautiful arrangements with pumpkins throughout the entire fall season, including Halloween and Thanksgiving. Crocheted pumpkins add more versatility to your holiday d cor and do not spoil. Display pumpkins alone or in groups of varying sizes, with leaves, nuts, Indian corn and gourds. String small pumpkins together and hang them as a garland. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

Pumpkin Body

1. Chain two, then do six single crochets in the second chain from the hook, working in continuous rounds, using orange yarn. Place a stitch marker or small piece of green yarn in the last stitch to mark the end of each round. Move the marker up to the last stitch at completion of each round.

2. Make two single crochets in each stitch around. This completes round two.

3. Make two single crochets in the first stitch then one single crochet in the next stitch. Continue around to the end. This completes round three.

4. Make a single crochet in each stitch around. This completes round four.

5. Repeat rounds three and four. This completes rounds five and six. You will have 27 stitches.

6. Make a single crochet in each stitch around. Continue until four rounds are completed. This will complete rounds seven through ten.

7. Decrease the size of the rounds by drawing up a loop in the first single crochet and drawing up a loop in the second single crochet; then yarn over the hook and draw the yarn through all three loops. Then single crochet in the next stitch. Continue around to complete round eleven. You will have 18 stitches.

8. Make a single crochet in each stitch around. This completes round twelve.

9. Repeat rounds eleven and twelve. This completes rounds thirteen and fourteen. You will have 12 stitches. Stuff the pumpkin with fiberfill.

10. Decrease in each stitch across. You will have six stitches. Finish off by cutting the yarn and weaving it into the inside of the pumpkin.

Stem and Vine

11. Chain 21, turn and make a single crochet in the second chain from the hook and in each chain after, using green yarn. You will have 20 stitches.

12. Connect the vine to the pumpkin. Loop through the side of the last stitch and then single crochet into the first stitch of the pumpkin body. Pull the yarn through all three loops. Then single crochet in the next five stitches.

13. Single crochet in the next stitch, and decrease in the next two times, in one continuous round. Single crochet in the next four stitches. Single crochet in the next stitch, decrease in the next, single crochet in the next. Draw the yarn through each of the next three stitches, then loop through all loops. Finish off by cutting the yarn and weaving it into the stem. Twist the vine into a curlicue.

Diet With Juice

Juice is healthy and gives you enegy.

Fasting is an old style of dieting that has been reinvented. In the past, fasts consisted of only water, broth or clear tea. Today, fasting has become a healthy way to cleanse the body of toxins, and losing weight is an added benefit. The average weight loss reported by some fasters is one to two pounds per day. It is recommended to drink eight glasses of water in addition to the five to six glasses of juice daily to keep the body well hydrated. Celebrities have also discovered the benefits of juice fasting to lose excess weight after a movie role.

Instructions

1. See your doctor. If you have any health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure or low blood sugar, you should consult with your doctor before starting a juice fast. It is recommended to anyone, regardless of health, to get his doctor's permission before starting any diet or exercise program. Juice fasting is safer than water fasting and is considered safe when performed under a doctor's supervision. There is no absolute time limit for juice fasting but consult with your doctor about what is safe for you. Three days is recommended initially, with longer periods under your health care provider's authorization.

2. Get rid of temptations. The hardest part about dieting is having tempting food in the house. Put all junk food and snacks in a box and store away in a closet where it will not be seen or give it away to your local food pantry. No matter if you are fasting for a couple of days or a week, cookies and other sugary or salty snacks can quickly sabotage your weight-loss efforts.

3. Buy a juicer or blender. Juicers can be quite expensive with the best models costing $120 or more. If your budget will not allow it, the next best thing is a blender. Fruits and vegetables will need to be cut into chunks and pureed. Strain through a sieve before drinking. Store fresh juice in the refrigerator, but consume it within a few hours to retain the vitamins and nutrients.

4. Buy fresh, organic produce from your local farmer's market or supermarket. Stores like Sunflower Market, Whole Foods and Wild Oats carry organic fruits and vegetables as well as many other healthy foods.

5. Drink five to six glasses of juice per day. A serving is six to eight ounces of juice. Spread it out over the day as six meals: breakfast, mid-day snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and evening snack. Do not forget the eight glasses of water in addition to the juice. This will keep you from becoming too hungry, which could tempt you to cheat.

6. Get moderate exercise. A daily walk for 15 minutes is good for your heart and will not make you light-headed. This is not the time for a strenuous exercise routine, but walking around the mall, in the park or at the grocery store will do wonders for your cardiopulmonary system and aid in weight loss as well.

Body Wraps To Reduce Waist Inches

Body wraps have been a spa luxury for years. A variety of ingredients are used in the wraps, which began as a way to moisturize and smooth skin while relaxing. Wraps are also requested by those who want to firm skin and reduce the appearance of cellulite. Now, temporarily slimming the physique is drawing women to wraps. At-home wraps, available in body wrap kits, or homemade, are also becoming popular as a cheaper alternative. Does this Spark an idea?

What Are Wraps?

Heralded as a temporary alternative to surgery, wraps usually rely on natural ingredients such as herbs and minerals. Oils and sea salt are commonly incorporated into wraps. Mud, aloe vera, caffeine and seaweed are used to help draw fluids and toxins, causing inch loss. Scrubs or other exfoliants may also be used to help smooth skin.

How They Work

Wraps help eliminate excess fluids, such as retained water, and toxins, according to Amy Keller, beauty editor of Allure magazine. There are several benefits that come with wraps, including metabolism and lymphatic system boosts as well as contouring and beautifying skin. The results are temporary, as fluids will gradually build back up. Wraps can also help reduce fine lines. And there's an additional benefit as well: the wraps are relaxing and help relieve stress.

Do They Work?

CBS' "The Early Show" put wraps to the test, measuring four women before and after wraps were applied. All of the women lost between two and four inches in an hour or less. Allure's Keller says to look for ingredients such as caffeine, seaweed and mud, but cautions it could be a case of trial and error.

At-Home Wraps

It's a good idea to try a home wrap if you're willing. That way you can see how you like it without spending big bucks at a spa. Be sure to measure yourself first, particularly the waist, stomach, thighs and hips. Measure any area you intend to wrap.

Spa Stay recommends this recipe: Mix five drops of lemongrass oil, 10 drops of grapefruit essential oil and three drops of orange essential oil in one-fourth cup of jojoba oil. Shower, then spread this recipe over the waist and stomach. Wrap with cling wrap. Leave it on overnight. The grapefruit and orange are designed to cleanse while the lemongrass removes toxins. Jojoba oil softens fats. The wrap keeps the oils on the skin to be absorbed. You will sweat, so drink plenty of water.

You can also try an herbal wrap. Take a large pot and add three handfuls of dried herbs, such as chamomile, lavender or rose petals to hot water. Add two large cotton towels. Submerge the towels. Let this steep for five to 10 minutes. Add 10 drops of your preferred essential oil. Mix. Wring the towels so that there is plenty of water left in the towels but they don't drip. Wrap the towels around you and lie down on plastic for about 10 minutes. Then unwrap the towels slowly. Moisturize skin.

Homemade Aloo Dish Scrubbies

Aloo fiber is natural, hardy and resilient

Homemade aloo dish scrubbies can be fun and easy to make. They are also a great way to be environmentally responsible by using natural, renewable resources. Aloo is a natural yarn-like fiber that is made from the Himalayan nettle plant in Nepal. It is spun by hand into a finish much like linen. The aloo yarn is also is known as a natural moth repellent. It is a great choice for scrubbies because it is both strong and resilient. Some knowledge of crochet techniques and terms is necessary for this project. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1. Hold two strands of the fiber together firmly to start working your aloo scrubby pattern. Tie a knot, such as a slipknot, at one end of the fibers. You should use a type of knot that will allow you to tighten and close the starting hole of your scrubby.

2. Chain (c) three stitches into the beginning fiber loop. This will be counted as the first double crochet (dc) and will be referred to as the "beginning chain" in the following steps.

3. Double crochet (dc) 15 more times in the beginning loop. Slip-stitch to the top of the beginning chain. Pull on the tail to close the hole.

4. Double crochet (dc) into the beginning chain. This will count as the first double crochet (dc) on the second round of your aloo scrubby. Double crochet (dc) twice into each stitch around the scrubby. Once again, slip-stitch to the top of the beginning chain.

5. Alternate stitches in this round, starting with the beginning chain. Begin with two double crochet (dc) in the next stitch, one double crochet (dc) in the stitch after that and repeat this process around the scrubby. End with the slip stitch to the top of the beginning chain.

6. Chain (c) a single crochet in each stitch around the aloo scrubby. Again, slip-stitch to the beginning chain.

7. Chain (c) three, then double crochet (dc) two together over the next two stitches. Double crochet (dc) in the following stitch, then dc two together over the next two stitches, repeating this process to the end. Slip-stitch to the top of the beginning chain.

8. Chain (c) two, then dc in the next stitch. Double crochet (dc) two together over the next two stitches, repeating this process to the end. Slip-stitch to the top of the first dc.

9. Repeat step 8.

10. Cut the fiber, leaving a small tail for sewing. Thread the fiber through the tops of the last eight stitches. Pull tightly to close the hole. Pull the beginning and end tails through the center hole in the back and tie.

Diet To Get Rid Of Fat On The Liver

The liver is the second largest organ in your body. Among its many tasks, it keeps your blood free of toxins, and controls the amount of sugar and fats in the bloodstream. The British Liver Trust states excess fats that accumulate on the liver, though harmless for most people, can trigger fatty liver disease in others. Dietary changes are recommended to remove fat on the liver when the condition is related to nutritional causes.

Dietary Causes

The liver converts carbohydrates into fat. When you consume excess carbohydrates and high fat foods, your liver is overburdened. Excess fat cannot be properly metabolized; it remains in the liver instead of being stored in the body's fat reserves as fuel to keep your bodily processes working efficiently.

The exact causes of fatty liver disease are still being investigated; however, the disease has been linked to high bloodstream levels of sugar and fats. According to Three Rivers Endoscopy Center, on their website GI Health.com, a healthy liver contains approximately five percent fat cells. Leading a sedentary lifestyle and eating a diet excessively high in fats and simple carbohydrates will contribute to an increase in the number of fat cells in your liver. When their numbers grow to 10 percent or higher, the fat cells begin to destroy, and take the place of, healthy liver cells. The result is steatosis---fatty liver.

Recommended Dietary Changes

The amount of fat entering the liver from the small intestine during the digestion process can be reduced by making dietary changes. Brent A. Tetri, M.D., Saint Louis University Liver Center, in his article in the Daily Health News, "New Epidemic in America: Fatty Liver Disease," September 22, 2008, recommends a Mediterranean style diet consisting of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish, and healthy fats like olive oil. Dr. Tetri states in his Daily Health News article, "Fix a Fat Liver," November 24, 2009, that a loss of as little as nine percent of total weight will result in a rapid improvement in NAFLD.

Three Rivers Endoscopy Center suggests reducing weight by following the Atkin's diet, which is high in protein, and low in carbohydrates. If you are diabetic, you must maintain strict control over this condition. Insulin impairment interferes with carbohydrate metabolism and is one of many factors contributing to fatty liver disease.

Additional Causes

Fatty liver is the first stage of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). It continues with the destruction of healthy liver cells, the formation of scar tissue, and ultimately the development of cirrhosis (liver failure) and death. According to the California Pacific Medical Center, "as little as one glass of wine or beer a week may contribute to this condition."

Fatty liver disease can develop as the result of high cholesterol or excess triglycerides causing the accumulation of too much fat in the bloodstream, type 2 diabetes, obesity, medications including prednisone, estrogen, and excessive use of acetaminophen (Tylenol), intestinal surgical procedures for obesity or small-intestine removal.

Prevalence of Fatty Liver Disease

For non-alcoholics suffering from this condition, the British Liver Trust states, NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) is the initial phase of the illness involving the accumulation of excess fat in the liver. NAFLD affects approximately one third of the adults in the United States, and approximately 13 percent of the children, as stated by Brent A. Tetri, M.D., Saint Louis University Liver Center, in his article in the Daily Health News, September 22, 2008.

The next phase is NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis), the more advanced stage of this disease. NASH involves inflammation and swelling of the liver and can progress to cirrhosis.

Because there are no initial symptoms, the disease may not be detected for many years until it has reached a more advanced stage of liver damage. Fatty liver disease is sometimes discovered during a routine blood test that reveals an elevation in liver enzymes.

Summary

Fatty liver disease can be avoided by eating a healthy diet that eliminates or minimizes foods that are high in carbohydrates and fats, especially triglycerides. Avoid overeating and crash dieting, minimize consumption of fast foods because of their high fat content, and refrain from fasting because it stresses the liver according to the Saint Louis University Liver Center. Keep active and engage in regular exercise, limit or totally avoid the use of alcohol, keep diabetes under control, and aggressively manage high cholesterol. If you have fatty liver disease, follow the cause-specific treatment recommended by your doctor and be certain to let him know about all medications you are taking including prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs such as Tylenol.

Hip Replacement Surgery Procedures

Hip replacement surgery repairs a hip joint that has been damaged by injury or disease. It involves removing the head of the femur, or thigh bone, and replacing it with a man-made substitute. While the general surgical strategy involved in hip replacement is a constant, your needs as a patient and the preferences of your surgeon will determine the details of your procedure.

Deciding on Hip Replacement

You may be a candidate for hip replacement if you have serious hip pain or lack of mobility that hinders your ability to perform everyday tasks. Conditions that commonly lead to this degree of disability include rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis), bone tumors, bone breaks and osteonecrosis, or death of bone tissue caused by an inadequate blood supply. Typically, you will make a decision on surgery with your doctor.

Surgery

Hip replacement is performed as an inpatient operation, which requires a hospital stay afterwards. The procedure requires either general or spinal anesthesia, and you will need to fast for a few hours prior to surgery. Once you're properly sedated, your surgeons will open up the side of your hip and expose the bone underneath. They will then cut away all diseased or damaged bone, as well as the cartilage lining the surface of the joint. Next they will insert an artificial, or prosthetic, socket made of metal, ceramic or plastic into the top of the remaining portion of your femur. If you're older or not very physically active, the surgeons will usually secure this socket with surgical cement. If you're young or athletic, the bottom of the socket may have an exterior surface designed to encourage new bone growth. Once they have this socket firmly in place, your surgeons will take a metal or ceramic prosthetic ball joint that copies the shape and function of your original bone and secure it inside the prosthetic socket.

Your surgeons may also choose to use a procedure called minimally invasive hip replacement, which uses a smaller surgical incision in an attempt to promote quicker healing and recovery. Be aware that the benefits of this procedure are unproven so far, and post-surgery complications may actually be more likely than with conventional replacement surgery. Consider discussing this possibility with your surgeon before the procedure.

Recovery and Potential Complications

After surgery, you will typically stay in the hospital for a number of days. During this time, you will be encouraged to walk and perform rehabilitative activities under the guidance of a physical therapist. You may also be fitted with a protective splint that will hold your hip in a good healing posture. Any pain you feel may be addressed through temporary use of medication.

Potential complications of hip replacement include blood clots in your pelvis or legs, bleeding, fracture of the remaining femur, and injury to your nerves or blood vessels. To prevent clotting, you may receive medication or be fitted with special leg coverings or support hose. You may also be taught exercises designed to promote proper circulation. Consult your doctor for the full details of hip replacement recovery.

How Breast Tissue Expanders Are Made

Breast Expansion

In the 1980s an important discovery was made regarding the breast and breast tissue. Namely, that if breast tissues and skin are placed under a gradual, stretching pressure they will not only stretch, but more skin and tissue will grow. This works similar to pregnancy in how the skin stretches and grows. This discovery has revolutionized breast implant procedures, leading to huge leaps forward in breast reconstruction. Breast tissue expanders are similar to breast implants, due to their similar properties.

Expanders

A breast tissue expander is formed from silicone, just like a breast implant. Also just like a breast implant, the expander will be filled with a saline solution to give the breast a more natural look and feel. This is accomplished by placing the expander so that the wider base is against the chest, since the expander narrows like a tear drop to mimic natural breast shape. However, a breast tissue expander also has a metal lined port on the side of it that regular breast implants don't have. This port must be located on a weekly basis so that the doctor can insert a small needle into the port and inject more saline into the expander. As time passes the breast tissue expander will grow fuller, and the breast tissue will swell and grow to accommodate the increased size.

Afterwards

A breast tissue expander is more of a preparatory surgery than a final solution. Once the breast tissue has expanded to the desired size again, the breast tissue expander will be removed and a regular breast implant will be put in its place. This allows for a more permanent breast to be created, and it gives doctors more latitude in matching one breast to the other. There are other solutions that can be used to regrow a lost breast, but they may be less effective and much less controllable than the use of a tissue expander.

Financial Help For Spinal Surgery

Spinal surgery can be expensive depending on the severity of your injury and what type of surgery you have. Even if you have insurance, you may need financial help for spinal surgery costs and recovery. There are ways to get financial assistance or negotiate your medical bills for spinal surgery.

Advocate

If you are having a difficult time dealing with the bills from your spine surgery on your own, contact a claims assistant professional or a patient advocate to speak with the hospital, doctor's offices and insurance company. He can discuss what you need to do, facilitate payment arrangements and even negotiate the costs of your spinal care.

Negotiating

Contact the hospital to negotiate costs before your scheduled spinal surgery and inquire about assistance programs. Some hospitals and clinics will allow you to negotiate your medical bill before or after services are rendered. For instance, some hospitals will give you a discount or write off a portion of the bill if the amount that the insurance paid was high enough. Communicate early after you receive care to give time for the negotiating process. If you have a difficult time negotiating for your spinal surgery expenses, contact the head of the billing department and then work your way up the chain if necessary.

Government Assistance

There is government assistance for spinal surgery, which can help with some of your medical bills. Speak with your local health and human services or social service department to see what programs you might qualify for based on your income. Many states have indigent care programs that you need to qualify for after a specialist reviews your income and resources. These programs can act as a supplement to your health insurance for spinal surgery or cover all of the costs. Depending on the state requirements, you may need to make a co-payment that is based on your ability to pay.

Clinical Study

Contact a university hospital to see if you are eligible to participate in clinical studies. This might enable you to receive some treatment at a reduced or free cost, depending on what programs are available. Review any potential risks and benefits before you participate in a spinal treatment or surgery clinical study.

Private Foundation

Contact non-profit organizations and private foundations that provide support to patients with spinal injuries through grants, donations for recovery, physical therapy equipment or other needs.

Avoid Being Robbed In Foreign Countries

When you travel abroad, robbery is a legitimate concern. There are ways to prevent becoming victim of a crime, so follow these tips closely and you will have an easier time on your trip.

Instructions

1. Before you embark on your travels, investigate properly the areas that are most dangerous in the country you wish to travel. Try to avoid those areas at all costs.

2. When you are travelling by bus or walking, have your valuables in a pouch you keep underneath your clothes, or an inner pocket. Try to have it seem almost invisible so robbers do not think of robbing you.

3. If you encounter a dodgy area, make sure you do not appear nervous or scared as thieves will pick up on it. Try to get out of there as soon as possible while maintaining a serene exterior.

4. Make sure you do not carry unecessary items when travelling or sightseeing. Also, don't look like someone worth robbing by wearing lots of gold jewelry or other costly items.

5. Do not pull out huge amounts of money on the street, or valuables such as video camaras. Carry you purse or bag sideways so that it is not easily taken by a thief and never leave your bag unattended.

Buy Cheap Used Laptops

cheap laptop

If you are looking for a cheap used laptop there are several places you can look. I am going to talk about a few of the better places in this article.

Instructions

1. One of the best place to go is to a big retailer. Someone like Best Buy will usually have a display set up where you can buy cheap used laptops. Usually they are just ones that have been returned because the customer didn't like it or there was a problem that has now been fixed. You can buy cheap used laptop for quite a bit less than retail and usually get a warranty on them as well.

2. Another good place to look to buy cheap used laptops is Amazon. This isn't a place that most people think of look when they are wanting to buy a cheap used laptop but there are hundreds of them for sale here. I will include a link in the resources section for this.

3. EBay is one of the most popular website out there for buying cheap used laptops. You can search and find hundreds of them. Be careful. Not all of them will come with any warranty or guaranty. So be aware of the seller and their rating.

4. There are many businesses that specialize in rebuilding laptops and you can go there and buy cheap used computers that normally will have a warranty. These place will let you try out the laptop before you buy and make sure that it is in good working shape.

5. Finally you can buy cheap used laptops at garage sales and flea markets. Again, you have to be careful There is usually no return policy, just buyer beware when you buy cheap used laptops like this.

Diy Resistance Bands

Resistance bands can be made at home using some surgical tubing and carabiners.

Resistance band exercises are an effective way to simulate weight training without using any of the bulky or expensive equipment found in most gyms. With a little surgical tubing and some common household items, it's possible to make your own resistance bands that can be used in strength, toning and muscle endurance exercises.

Instructions

1. Visit your local medical supply store and purchase surgical tubing. Alternatively, if you know someone who works at a hospital, you can ask if the facility has any extra surgical tubing that you can have.

2. Cut the surgical tubing into a number of different strands ranging from roughly three to five feet long. The different lengths will provide different levels of resistance for your workout. The shorter you cut the surgical tubing, the more resistance it will provide.

3. Make basic handles by tying the ends of each piece of surgical tubing to an object or material that fits comfortably in your hand. Cloth strips, other plastic tubing or carabiners are all suitable materials for making handles.

Tummy Tuck Work

Tummy Tuck

A tummy tuck surgery is called an abdominoplasty. A tummy tuck is a surgical procedure that tightens abdominal muscles and removes excess body fat and excess skin. Both men and women undergo tummy tuck operations.

The Surgery

A plastic surgeon performs a tummy tuck operation. The surgery usually takes from 2 to 5 hours. A tummy tuck operation is performed under general anesthesia (the patient is asleep during the surgery). The plastic surgeon makes an incision below the bikini line. If the patient has a lot of excess skin, the surgeon may have to make an additional incision around the belly button. The surgeon pulls the skin away from the abdominal muscles, removes excess fat and sutures the muscles to make them tighter. The surgeon then closes the incisions, bandages the incisions and brings the patient into the recovery room, where he will wake up.

Recovery

Depending on the patient and the extent of the tummy tuck surgery, recovery can take from 2 to 6 weeks. The first week or two can be very painful for the patient. Some doctors prescribe light exercise to assist in the healing. The surgery leaves scars, but the scars are usually in areas that are not easily noticed to others. The scars fade over time but do not fully go away.

Extra Procedures

During a tummy tuck procedure, the surgeon may also remove stretch marks and perform liposuction on other areas of the body. These extra procedures are agreed upon with the patient before surgery.

Risks

A tummy tuck surgery can pose health risks. Possible health risks include anesthesia reactions, blood clots, infection, keloids, necrosis of the skin and swelling. If you are considering getting a tummy tuck, talk with a plastic surgeon to learn more about the risks involved.

Choose A Lifetime Career

Choose a Lifetime Career

There are so many jobs, vocations and career paths out there. Settling on just one can seem impossible, especially if you are looking to move beyond "just a job" and find the career of a lifetime. Here are some steps for launching yourself into your life's work.

Instructions

1. Start with what's important to you. Make a list of your values and beliefs. Use them to discover what it is you feel destined to do. Imagine the career that would make you feel as though you have made a difference in the world.

2. List your talents and skills. Talents are those that showcase your natural ability. Skills are abilities you can learn. Think about how you can use your particular talents and gifts in a lifetime career.

3. Select one or more possibilities that best suit your values, gifts and interests. Narrow your search by researching your chosen careers or industries to learn more about their history, present status and future prospects. Find out what education or other qualifications your chosen fields require. The more educated you are about your career choice, the better chance you have of making it successful.

4. Get an internship or starter job in your chosen field field to gain experience and perspective. Careers and industries look much different from the inside than they do from the outside. Observe the functions and responsibilities of your job and those with which it interacts. Talk to coworkers to get additional information about other positions.

5. Stay open minded and permit yourself to adapt and expand. Try different tasks or positions within the workplace. Learning to be flexible and watching for creative solutions to job problems will help you adapt to the inevitable changes you will encounter in a lifetime career.

6. Set short-term objectives as well as long-term career goals. Take them one step at a time. You have a lifetime to make your chosen career exactly what you hope it will be.

Funny Baby Shower Gifts For Dad

Funny Baby Shower Gifts for Dad

Co-ed baby showers have become more common in recent years, as many dads have become equal partners with their wives in the preparation for and care of the baby. With so many preparations and products to learn about, the expectant father can experience new dad jitters. Help dad to enjoy the baby shower and relax some of those nerves with a few funny baby shower gifts designed just for him. Does this Spark an idea?

New Dad Apparel

Give the father-to-be a gift he can wear to announce his new role. Choose from apparel items such as T-shirts, caps and sweatshirts that sport funny pictures and sayings. Look for clothing items that display pictures of crying babies or worn-out dads accompanied by phrases such as "Dad in Training" or "Daddy's Diaper Service." As an alternative to purchasing from a retailer, create your own personalized clothing items with iron-on transfers or fabric markers and stencils, which can be purchased at a craft store.

Daddy Tool Belt

Arm the new dad with everything he needs to care for baby, packed into a tool belt. Load up a tool belt with items such as diapers, cream, wipes, pacifiers, baby bottles, a nasal aspirator, baby nail trimmers and a thermometer. This gift is funny to see dad wear, but also practical as it is filled with useful supplies he and mom can use to care of their new arrival.

Daddy Diaper Bag

If Dad is embarrassed to carry a cute or feminine diaper bag, make him a manly version of his own. Fill a tool bag or tool box with all the diapering essentials you would stock in a traditional diaper bag. Add some funny items such as a clothespin for his nose and a pair of tongs to pick up the dirty diaper.

Giant Coffee Mug

Give him a giant coffee mug filled with coffee or espresso beans. Add a note in the card or attach a gift card that expresses that this is the amount of caffeine he will need per serving to get through the sleepless early months of parenthood.

Daddy Humor Stories

Shop at the bookstore for funny tales of fatherhood, humorous new dad guides or collections of parenting humor essays written by fathers. Ask friends and family members to recount their own funniest fathering experiences, put them in writing and create your own compilation to give to the proud new papa.

Daddy Training Treats

Create a gift from Dad's favorite candy or snack treat, wrapped in a box with a homemade label that reads "New Dad Training Treats." Include instructions about reward him with a "good behavior" treat each time he changes a diaper, warms a bottle or wakes up for a late-night feeding.

How Movie Stars Get A Flat Stomach Fast

Unlike most people, celebrities can hire a team of personal trainers, nutritionists, and coaches to help them trim down and lean out quickly. Yet lots of people want a six-pack of abdominal muscles to show off, and the strength that comes from having a powerful core. If you want the toned, flat stomachs of your favorite movie stars, simply follow the tips their trainers and nutritionists recommend.

General recommendations for a flat stomach

To get a flat stomach like the stars, you must exercise multiple times each week. You cannot have a flat stomach if you are fat everywhere else. Eat fewer calories and focus on toning and working the entire body. Use every available opportunity to exercise, climbing the stairs instead of using the elevator, or walking to the store instead of driving.

Drink enough water every day. It will help flush toxins from your body (many of which get released during exercise), and will increase your feeling of satiation (fullness). To appear less bloated, avoid foods like beans that cause intestinal gas, and take in less salt, which causes your body to retain water.

Movie star exercise Tips for a flat stomach

Cindy Crawford's personal coach Valerie Waters recommends a combination of circuit training and cardio, doing at least 30 minutes of weight lifting. Also, she suggests using a Swiss ball to perform your exercises, especially the abs, as it will increase the difficulty and engage more muscles (causing more caloric burn). When you hit a plateau, she advises to increase the intensity and/or duration of your workouts.

Nicole Kidman's trainer Jenna Phillips suggests doing 50-to-100 repetitions per set of each exercise, which helps develop long, fine muscles. She also suggests using interval training that blends intense bursts of weight lifting or fast cardio with slower periods of less intensity. This method helps burn maximum calories each workout, which leads to greater weight loss. To help you stay committed, Phillips recommends doing a "fun activity" (like dancing) in place of one day of your weight and cardio training.

Movie star diet tips for a flat stomach

Alicia Silverstone's nutritionist Matt Amsden advises eating only raw food to lose weight. Raw foods contain greater levels of nutrients, helps the body stay hydrated and improves digestion. For rapid weight loss, he suggests following an all-liquid diet of juices for a few days. The fiber in raw foods and in the juice diet will also help increase satiation, leading you to eat less overall.

Phillips suggests eating small meals frequently, say five meals daily, each spread a few hours apart. This will help keep you feeling full and will also keep the insulin levels in your body steady (insulin spikes cause your body to store excess calories as fat). If you want to have dessert, Phillips tells her clients to eat it at lunch, so that they can burn off the calories in the afternoon. For quick weight loss, Waters recommends eliminating all junk food, anything high in sugar, and all processed foods.

Richard Giorla, who advises Jennifer Lopez, suggests eating plenty of protein combined with small portions of carbohydrates at lunch and dinner; if you must eat carbohydrates, pick whole-wheat breads or cereals. If you want to snack, pick nuts and low-glycemic (slow-digesting) fruits like apples and pears.

Change Your Laptop Screen From Vertical To Horizontal

Change your laptop screen from vertical to horizontal.

Laptops are very customizable. There is a very handy technique that has been a feature on laptops for many years but is still not widely known. It comes in handy for a lot of reasons. For anyone who wants to relax and watch a movie on their laptop or read an ebook, the ability to rotate their laptop's screen from vertical to horizontal makes these activities so much easier. This explanation applies to Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Instructions

1. Hold down the "Ctrl" and "Alt" keys and press the "Left Arrow" key. This will rotate your laptop screen view. Return to the standard screen orientation by holding down the "Ctrl" and "Alt" keys together and pressing the "Up Arrow" key. If you were unable to rotate your screen with "Ctrl + Alt + Left," go to step 2.

2. Right-click on the laptop's desktop and select "Personalize."

3. Find the "See Also" menu on the left side of the screen and click "Display."

4. Click on "Change Display Settings" and choose "Orientation" from the drop-down menu.

5. Choose from "Landscape," "Portrait," "Landscape (Flipped)," and "Portrait (Flipped)" from the box that appears. "Landscape" is the standard view. "Portrait" changes the view to sideways, leaning to the left. "Landscape (Flipped)" shows a sideways view leaning to the right. "Portrait (Flipped)" turns the screen upside down.

6. Click "Apply" and then click "OK." Your screen orientation is set to whatever version you like.

Band Adjustment Specifications On A Powerglide Transmission

Although General Motors produced the Powerglide transmission, it is most commonly associated with Chevrolet. Within the transmission is a steel band that holds a gear within the transmission stationary. Over time, the surface of the band wears down. When this occurs, the transmission will noticeably slip when it shifts from low gear to high gear. Because the band wears down, you need to periodically adjust it.

Basic Operation

The Powerglide consists primarily of a gear box and a torque converter. Within the gear box is a two-speed planetary gear set. The shift from the low gear to the high gear is automatic. A governor driven by the output shaft interacts with a throttle valve connected to the accelerator pedal, to determine when the shift occurs.

Accessing the Adjusting Screw

The band's adjusting screw is on the driver's side of the transmission. For most vehicles, accessing the screw does not present a problem once the vehicle is up on jack stands. On Corvette models, it may be necessary to drop the driver's side exhaust pipe to access the screw. On Chevelles it may be necessary to remove the transmission's crossmember and the rear mount bolts, and move the transmission slightly toward the passenger's side of the vehicle.

Releasing the Adjusting Screw

Note that a nut surrounds the top of the band's adjusting screw. This nut is called a locknut and is designed to prevent the screw from falling out of adjustment. To adjust the screw, first release the locknut. Turn the locknut 1/4 turn in a counterclockwise direction with an open-end wrench. Hold the locknut in place while turning the adjusting screw. The 1/4 turn is not an approximate figure; it must be exact.

Adjusting the Band

Adjust the band by turning its adjusting screw with a torque wrench. Tighten the screw to 70 inch-pounds of torque. If the band has been used for 6,000 miles or more, turn the screw in a counterclockwise direction four complete revolutions, then tighten the locknut. If less than 6,000 miles, turn the screw three complete revolutions, then tighten the locknut.

Hotels In Burlington Kansas

Burlington, Kansas offers relaxing views and calming community.

Burlington, Kansas offers a wide array of local attractions that make it perfect for families, business travelers and vacationers alike. The Coffey County Historical Museum has one of the largest antique doll collections in the state and the Burlington Swimming Pool, located on 13th Street, offers a refreshing place to swim on hot evenings. There are plenty of accommodation options as well, for travelers to the Burlington area.

Country Haven Inn

The Country Haven Inn in Burlington is located near such family attractions as Drake Park and Kelley Park, the Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge, the Coffey County Lake and the John Redmond Lake. It features parking areas for cars as well as larger vehicles, such as boats and trailers, and private voice mail. Other amenities include queen-size beds, 20-inch televisions, a refrigerator in each room, and large desks. There is also a room designated specifically for business or group meetings, an indoor pool and an indoor health club.

Country Haven Inn

207 Cross St.

Burlington, KS 66839

620-364-8260

countryhaveninn.com

Wolf Creek Lodge

The Wolf Creek Lodge was formerly known as the Rocking "R" Motel. It is located only one mile from the Coffey County Hospital and within walking distance of the local Pizza Hut and a Sonic Drive-in. It offers a microwave and a mini-refrigerator in each room and is in close proximity to several other restaurants.

Wolf Creek Lodge

919 North 4th St.

Burlington, KS 66839

620-364-1454

Fairfield Inn

The Fairfield Inn is located less than an hour from Burlington in Emporia, Kansas. This hotel offers free high-speed Internet, a free continental breakfast and an indoor pool. All of the rooms were renovated in 2004 and offer such amenities as an iron and ironing board, coffeemakers, hair dryers and cable television in each room. Smoking is not allowed in the hotel. The Fairfield Inn is located in close proximity to several eateries, including a Montana Mike's Steakhouse and a Pizza Ranch.

Fairfield Inn

2930 Eaglecrest Dr.

Emporia, KS 66801

620-342-4445

marriott.com

Best Western Inn

The Best Western Inn is located 41.8 miles from Burlington in Iola, Kansas. It is in close proximity to the Bowlus Art Center and the Russell Stover's Factory. It has an outdoor heated swimming pool and an on-site restaurant, as well as an on-site cocktail lounge. They offer a meeting space for the business-minded traveler that is large enough to accommodate 100 people. Other amenities include a microwave, refrigerator, cable television and high-speed Internet access in each room. All rooms are on the ground floor and pets are allowed in the hotel.

Best Western Inn

1315 N State St.

Iola, KS 66749

620-365-5161

bestwesternkansas.com

Haunted Tourist Attractions In California

Alcatraz Island is rich in history--and ghosts, some say.

California is famous for attractions such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Hollywood and Disneyland. This large state also contains more unusual attractions, such as ghostly houses, hotels and islands. Some visitors and paranormal organizations regard these places as haunted.

Brookdale Lodge

Located in northern California, the Brookdale Lodge won an award for its "playful ghosts" from Ghosttrackers.org, an established paranormal research group. Ghosts have been heard or seen by several sources at the lodge, now called the Brookdale Inn & Spa after being burned down. One of the managers heard mysterious footsteps and laughter coming from the lobby. He also reported his office door being closed when he had opened it and open when he had closed it, and the abrupt disappearance of his keys. Ghostly sightings have been reported of a young girl named Sarah, and the Ghost Trackers reported the sound of a child's laughter. Other findings were flashes of light and orbs (ball-shaped lights that are believed to be ghosts), which were witnessed by more than two people.

The Lodge at the Brookdale Inn & Spa

11570 Highway 9

Brookdale, CA 95007

831-338-1300

www.brookdaleinnandspa.com/index.html

The Whaley House

The No. 1 most haunted house in America, according to Mania.com, the Whaley House is located in San Diego in the southern part of the state. It was built in 1856 and is one of only two haunted houses certified by the state of California. Thirteen ghosts are purportedly living inside, including the home's first lord of the manor, Thomas Whaley, and his wife, Anna Whaley; a horse and boat thief named Jim Robinson; and Dolly the family dog. Thomas's laugh and cigar smells have been sensed in the house, and Anna is frequently spotted, accompanied by the sounds of a piano and the scent of her perfume. In addition to being a thief, Jim was a murderer and was hanged, according to legend. This event occurred four years before the house was built, and Thomas left journal entries claiming to have seen Jim's ghost. Visitors also express an eerie feeling in the exact spot of Jim's death. The Whaleys' dog, Dolly, reportedly has been seen running down the halls and has been felt rubbing up against visitors. Tours are self-guided and are available in the daytime, evening or after-hours (after 10 p.m.). Later tours have higher costs..

The Whaley House

2476 San Diego Ave.

San Diego, CA 92110

619-297-751

www.whaleyhouse.org/ghostly.htm

Alcatraz Island

Alcatraz Island is rich in historical ghost encounters dating as far back as its first Native American visitors, who said the island was inhabited by evil spirits. The island became Fort Alcatraz from 1850 to 1907 and Alcatraz Military Prison from 1907 to 1934. From then to 1963, the island was a federal penitentiary that housed some of the most ruthless criminals. Soldiers and prisoners reported numerous occurrences of sobbing and moaning accompanied by appalling smells and ghost sightings. There were also stories of hearing screams, gunshots and cannons when nothing was there. Currently, visitors and staff report cold spots where the temperature dips below 20 degrees, visions of dismembered men, sightings of specific inmates such as Abie Maldowitz (also called Butcher), banjo strumming (said to be by Al Capone), and sounds of voices and clanging metal doors. The island is open every day of the year except Christmas, New Year's, and Thanksgiving, and admission is free. There is a ferry service charge, which differs depending on the time of arrival. Tours are also given.

Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Fort Mason, B201

San Francisco, CA 94123

415-981-7625

//www.nps.gov/alca/index.htm

Become A Dj On Your Computer

Laptops dominate DJ booths around the world. Many DJs perform without turntables and often without CD decks. The computer adds a new dimension to the art form, turning DJs into true musical performers. Equal parts science and art, DJing using a laptop is quite simple. These steps can put you on the right track so you can begin honing your skills to become the next superstar DJ.

Instructions

5 Steps to becoming a computer DJ

1. Select your DJ software. This tool allows you to mix two or more songs together, add effects and create musical magic. Choose a software package that matches the style of music you will perform and the role you want the software to play in your performance. DJ software can create loops of music on the fly, simulate "scratching," match the beats of the two songs together automatically and add effects such as an echo or reverb.

2. Invest in an external sound card. Most laptops do not have an internal sound card up to the task of playing music in a "club" environment. External sound cards generally connect to your laptop using a USB or firewire connection and include outputs that allow you to connect to a DJ mixer or other sound system.

3. If you perform in front of an audience, you will need to invest in a DJ controller. This device communicates with your DJ software and controls some of the virtual "buttons" in the program. For example, a basic controller might include buttons to adjust the treble, midrange and bass of one song, and to fade the volume of the music from one track to the other. Controlling the software in this manner provides you with greater flexibility and a more dynamic performance.

4. Quality check your music. What sounds good on an MP3 player may not sound good on a powerful sound system. As a rule of thumb, never perform MP3s with a bitrate of less than 192.

5. Practice. While good DJs make it look effortless, it is hard work. Practice mixing songs together, or "beat matching," so the music becomes one seamless set. Experiment with the effects and understand how they work. Used properly, effects add a new dimension to your set.

Exercises For Morbidly Obese People

Regular exercise is extremely important for weight loss. However, for some morbidly obese people, simply moving or getting out of a chair can be an exhausting task. So you'll want to start at a low intensity and increase your activity level gradually. Before beginning any exercise routine, consult your doctor.

Types of Exercises to Try

Examine your current fitness level before embarking on an exercise routine. For bedridden people, constant movement for up to 15 minutes a day is a good start. You could do bicep curls with 2- or 3-pound weights. Try leg lifts if you are ready. Other exercises to try are slow core twists and even small crunches.

If you are able, try walking at a comfortable pace for 30 minutes a day. If you walk on a treadmill, make it a goal to walk without holding the hand rails. You could also swim or ride a recumbent bike to alleviate stress on your joints.

Exercise Benefits

Aside from losing weight, many morbidly obese people just feel better after beginning a regular exercise routine. According to Martin Blinks, research director at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center, those who attempt even a minimal amount of exercise, such as tying their own shoes or dressing themselves, feel better and see an improvement of symptoms such as shortness of breath.

"These folks weren't reporting high levels of activity, yet they still felt better," Blinks says at Dukehealth.org. "This supports what we've been teaching for years -- no amount of exercise is too little to have an impact. And it's beneficial no matter what you weigh."

When to Increase Your Exercise

Have your vital signs checked every month -- more often if you have been diagnosed as super-morbidly obese. Ask your doctor to help you track your weight loss and changes in your heart rate, blood pressure and cholesterol levels

After a month of consistent exercise, you should be able to add a few minutes to your overall routine. For example, if you've been walking for 30 minutes at a comfortable pace, increase your duration to 35 to 40 minutes.

You could also increase your intensity and implement low-impact "farklets" into your routine. Farklets -- Swedish for "speed play" -- are sudden, temporary increases in exercise pace. If you walk for exercise, try walking at a brisker pace for one minute, then drop down to your regular pace for four minutes, then repeating the pattern.

Cycling Events In Texas

Texas offers a variety of events and fundraisers for cycling enthusiasts.

Thanks in part to seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, Texas has in recent years come to the forefront of cyclists minds. However, there are plenty of large races across the state that have endured for years and continue to draw large crowds from around the world.

Don't Mess With Texas Challenge

This cycling event begins at the Center for the Intrepid at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and ends at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Held in April, it is limited to 200 participants. The mission is to support the participation of "wounded warriors and vets in the Ride 2 Recovery program." In providing that support, organizers want to help provide bicycles and clinics for veterans.

Ride 2 Recovery

23679 Calabasas Road

No. 420

Calabasas, CA 91302

818-888-7091

ride2recovery.com

Fort Davis CycleFest Tour

Held the third weekend of each September, this tour takes cyclists on routes of 10, 25, 55 and 75 miles through the "Texas Alps" near Fort Davis. It is held at the historic Prude Ranch, which was established more than 100 years ago as a cattle ranch.

Peyton's Bikes

4712 North Midkiff Road

Midland, TX 79705

432-699-1718

peytonsbikes.com

Fort Hood State Road Race

The Fort Hood State Road Race is held in October and benefits Project Homeland---a charity sponsored by Scott & White Hospital that provides both support for families and soldiers serving at Fort Hood. The event involves from one to three loops on a closed 33-mile trail located on Fort Hood, which means military restrictions must be observed.

Fort Hood State Road Race

817-980-7787

Jalapeño Hundred

Harlingen has hosted this cycling race, run and walk for more than 20 years. Proceeds from the February event benefit Harlingen Youth Athletics and Harlingen Boys & Girls Clubs. About 500 people participate each year, coming from as far away as Canada and Mexico. The 100-mile race ends near the Gulf of Mexico, in Port Isabel.

Jalapeño Hundred

311 East Tyler Street

Harlingen, TX 78550

956-423-5440

jalapeno100.com

Lone Star Ride Fighting AIDS

This two-day cycling event held in Dallas features 45- to 105-mile rides the first day and 45- to 75-mile rides the second. The route follows scenic roads throughout Dallas, Fort Worth and their suburban areas. Funds raised benefit AIDS Outreach Center of Tarrant County, AIDS Services of Dallas and Resource Center Dallas.

Star Ride Fighting AIDS

2701 Reagan Street

P.O. Box 190537

Dallas, TX 75219

214-521-2412

lonestarride.org

Tour de Cure

Tour de Cure is held in several Texas cities each year to help raise funds for diabetes research. In May, the two-day tour begins at Retama Park in San Antonio and wraps up at Akins High School in Austin. It includes 14- to 32-mile loops as well as 25- to 80-mile routes. In July, the event is held at Texas Motor Speedway and includes routes of 5, 15, 32, 62 or 100 miles. The Houston course, run in September, has routes of up to 80 miles and winds up with a meal at Stubb's BBQ.

American Diabetes Association Office

888-342-2383

tour.diabetes.org

How Long Does It Take To Gain Weight After You Eat

How Long Does it Take to Gain Weight After You Eat?

The Digestive Process

The human digestive system is about nine meters long, with many steps along the way that convert the food that you eat into nutrients, fat, muscle, and other important body necessities. The entire process can take between 24 to 72 hours before food is fully converted into waste and that which will stay on as body weight in some way, shape, or form. Before food even enters the body, the cerebral cortex is stimulated by the sight and smell of the food and acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter triggering a release of gastric juices in the stomach. When food enters the mouth, saliva is secreted and mixes with the chewed food by the tongue. The chemical breakdown of the food begins with saliva's enzyme, salivary amylase, as polysaccharides like starch are simplified into more simple sugars. The food next travels through the pharynx and oesophagus, where food is passed down into the stomach. Only around seven seconds elapse while food goes through the esophagus and into the stomach. The gastric phase follows which releases digestive enzymes like gastic acid and pepsin, triggers more hormones and lasts three to four hours. Some small molecules like alcohol become absorbed into the stomach and go directly into the circulatory system. The intestinal phase is divided into two phases. The first takes place in the small intestine where partially digested food fills the duodenum, intestinal gastrin, bile, pancreatic juices, and intestinal enzymes are released, and food is broken down into smaller molecules. Most digestion occurs in the small intestine, and it is here where the greatest amount of time is spent. It is at this point that the fat digestion occurs (discussed in section 2). The large intestine then absorbs water, stores feces, and prepares the waste for body elimination.

Fat Digestion and Storage

When fat is detected in the small intestine, hormones are secreted that bring forth bile from the gallbladder and lipase from the pancreas. Droplets of fat are mixed with the bile salts and become smaller droplets called micelles. The micelles are broken down even further by the lipases into their constituent parts, fatty acids and glycerol. The glycerol and fatty acids are absorbed by the intestine, reassembled into protein coated chlomicrons and released into the lymphatic system. The chlomicrons eventually enter the bloodstream through the veins, where they last about eight minutes in the bloodstream, as they are broken down into their fatty acids again. The lipases work rapidly if your insulin level is high, and hardly do anything at all if your insulin level is low. The fat cells, liver cells, and muscle cells in your blood then absorb the fatty acids and store them in molecules as fat droplets. Any extra carbohydrates and protein will also be converted into fat by the fat cells, but they are passed over until all fat has been dealt with, since fat is much easier for the fat cells to convert. 24 to 72 hours after the food is ingested, it has been converted to fat or muscle.

Protein and Glycogen

According to Dr. Michael Colgan of the Colgan Institute of Nutritional Sciences, the body has the ability to build about one ounce of muscle tissue a day. This is because the protein turnover rate in muscle cells takes about 180 days. Similar to fats, proteins are built in the blood stream from their amino acid components. There are thousands of different proteins in the body and the weight gain from the creation of these necessary proteins is limited. Another type of weight gain, known as "water weight," refers to the storage of extra carbohydrates in the body in the form of glycogen. Glycogen is formed in the bloodstream, and it is stored in muscle tissue and in the liver. Glycogen consists of simple sugars and water. Water weight is lost at the beginning of a trendy low carbohydrate diet like Atkins or South Beach because the body is low on sugar and needs to break down the glycogen stores to keep functioning. Since the loss of water weight is temporary, many diets are deceptive in their large initial gains. In order to truly be at a healthy weight, you should not care about gains and losses day to day, or week to week, but over months and years. Choosing a healthy lifestyle and sticking to it for a long time will be better for your body than quick crash diets. While it may take 24 to 72 hours to put on weight from your food, it is more important to monitor your weight on the scale of years, not hours.

Green Tea Diet Instructions

Green Tea

Green tea diets have become extremely popular, and renowned for their weight loss properties. Green tea helps people lose weight by providing a natural weight loss supplement to their diets. This tea contains natural caffeine and catechins, both of which promote an increase in metabolism and fat burning. Moreover, it is rich in antioxidants that cleanse harmful toxins from the body. A green tea diet is relatively simple to follow as it is completely natural and only requires a few instructions.

How Much Green Tea to Drink?

You should drink between three and six cups of green tea per day on a green tea diet. Green tea naturally contains a small amount of caffeine, which is a stimulant that can suppress appetite. Drinking green tea will make you feel less hungry and give you energy to boot. However, you shouldn't consume more than about six cups per day so that you do not consume too much caffeine and experience caffeine overdose side effects.

When to Drink Green Tea?

The best times to drink green tea are in the morning and between meals. Green tea is ideal in the morning because its caffeine will stimulate you for the day ahead. Likewise, if you drink it between meals, you will have more energy and may not feel the need to snack. Do not, however, drink green tea too late in the afternoon or at night. Otherwise, as with other drinks that contain caffeine, you may have trouble sleeping.

Avoid Additives

Your goal is to lose weight; therefore, you should not add fattening ingredients to your green tea. Additives such as honey, sugar, milk, cream and creamers all contain calories and should be used in moderation or completely avoided. If you can, try to drink green tea plain. Green tea actually has a pleasant taste if you purchase a high grade that is rich in catechins. The simple fact is that if you add calories to each cup of tea you drink, it hinders your dieting goals.

Do A 3 Day Juice Fast

do a 3 Day Juice Fast

Americans eat way too much fat, way too much sugar, and way too much protein. In fact, Americans simply eat too much of everything. The way out of this dilemma is so easy that we usually miss it: consider occasionally fasting. Here is a simple 3 Day Juice fast, great for detox, weight loss, and general refocusing. Enjoy!

Instructions

1. Three days before your fast, try and eat less protein and more vegetable. Consider replacing lunch and dinner with salads. This will help shrink your stomach and make fasting easier. Now while the steps are divided into meals, if you get hungry in between you can have -more juice! Part of the fast means drinking as much juice as possible. I've listed some other organic juices on other articles, feel free and mix-n-match.

2. Breakfast Juice.

Carrot juice is very high in pro-vitamin A or carotene and is completely nontoxic -so you can drink as much carrot juice as possible. Here is my favorite recipe for Carrot Peach Juice. If you don't like peaches just substitute the fruit that you do like.

Carrot Peach Juice

6 Fresh Carrots

2 Peaches

Peaches are rather fuzzy on the outside, and therefor we recommend that you peel the skin off of them before you begin juicing. Obviously you be deseeding the peaches as well. Place the all ingredients in your juicer. Enjoy!

3. Lunch Juice

Pineapple is a great source of Vitamin B1 and Vitamin C. Once again if your not crazy about apricots substitute another fruit.

Pineapple Apricot Juice

Ingredients:

1 Whole Pineapple

6 Apricots

Serving Size:

Produces 2 Servings

Instructions:

Juice one whole pineapple without the outer skin, and 6 ripe apricots. Apricots have lots of beta carotene for your body.

4. Celery is high in magnesium, iron and chlorophyll, which is an excellent blood builder and is one of the richest sources of organic sodium. It mixes well with tomatoes and lettuce juices.

Celery/ Wheatgrass Juice

1 shot wheatgrass

2 sticks celery

Handful of parsley

Put all ingredients into a juice one at a time. Enjoy!

Home Remedy For An Appetite Suppressant

Home Remedy for an Appetite Suppressant

Dieting is tough, especially when it comes to dealing with temptations. When you are cutting calories, it is easy to feel hungry all the time. There are plenty of diet pills on the market that claim to suppress your appetite, but they often contain chemicals that are not approved by the FDA and may be unhealthy. Luckily, there are plenty of natural ways to suppress your appetite.

Protein

Foods containing high amounts of protein are a great appetite suppressant. Look for foods that are low in fat and calories but high in protein. Nuts are a good choice; although they do have some fat content, it is a healthy type of fat that your body needs, and a small handful will keep hunger at bay. Another option is to use whey or soy protein powder to make shakes. You can find different types of protein powders at health stores and some grocery stores. Though they are sometimes expensive, they pack more grams of protein with fewer calories than most other options.

Water

Water is probably the cheapest appetite suppressant there is. Sipping water throughout the day keeps your stomach feeling full. Oftentimes thirst is mistaken for hunger. If you feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water first and wait about 20 minutes. It is possible that your body was just a bit dehydrated. For more calorie-burning power, drink ice cold water. Your body will burn extra calories as it warms the water up to body temperature.

Vegetables

Green leafy vegetables like spinach, lettuce and cabbage can fill you up with very few calories, plus they have a lot of vitamins and minerals that you need to stay healthy. Snacking on carrots and celery will keep your mouth busy and, because they are dense, they take a while to digest. With some of these foods, you actually burn more calories digesting them than the food itself contains. Try eating a salad full of vegetables with a light dressing before your meal. The salad will fill you up enough that you will eat less of the calorie-rich main course.

Fiber

Snack on foods that contain a lot of fiber. Adding bran cereal to your morning yogurt can keep you full for hours. Try different high-fiber fruits. Mangos are sweet and delicious, and one serving contains half your daily recommended fiber. Soluble fiber (the kind found in fruits and some vegetables) turns into a thick jelly-like substance in your digestive track, which helps you to feel full. Insoluble fiber, found in whole grains, binds to fat and cleans out the system.

Soup

Soup is a great way to fill up with fewer calories. It is liquid-based, so it fills your stomach just like water. Most kinds contain some protein in the form of beans or meat, as well as fiber-rich vegetables. Eat soups that have a clear broth, rather than cream-based soups, which contain more fat and calories.

About The Symptoms Of Bad Circulation

Dealing with bad circulation

Bad circulation occurs when blood flow is restricted to certain areas of the body. The legs, heart and brain can suffer serious consequences if bad circulation is left untreated. Take steps to improve bad circulation and reduce symptoms.

Causese of Bad Circulation

Bad circulation is often caused by peripheral vascular disease (PVD) or peripheral artery disease (PAD). Both conditions are serious and require action to control the symptoms and address the problem.

Peripheral vascular disease is caused when blood vessels on the outside of the heart or brain narrow and restrict blood flow. Peripheral artery disease develops when fatty deposits are formed on the inside of the artery walls, slowing the blood flow.

Identifying Bad Circulation

Know the symptoms of bad circulation so you can take action to combat the problem.

- Cold feet and or hands

- Cramping in the calf muscles while awake and sleeping

- Cramping in the legs, feet and buttocks when active that gets better with rest

- Swollen, achy and tired feet

- Feet and hands fall asleep

- Varicose veins

- Skin that becomes blue, red or pale

- Infections that are slow to heal or don't heal at all

Risk Factors of Bad Circulation

Your physician will run tests that could include a medical exam, physical, X-rays and MRI to diagnosis the conditions associated with bad circulation. Once the diagnosis is made, you need to take action to correct the problem. If left untreated, bad circulation can lead to serious problems such as blood clots, heart attack, stroke and dementia. Some conditions that lead to bad circulation are diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Effects of Bad Circulation

Understanding the symptoms of bad circulation and talking with your doctor about the problem offer insight into fixing the condition. Treatment options are mostly lifestyle related and include getting regular exercise, stopping smoking, not sitting for long periods of time without moving, lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, and keeping your feet and hands warm.

If you are diabetic, keeping your blood sugar in the normal range is the best way to help alleviate circulation problems. People with high blood pressure and high cholesterol will also benefit from medication that helps blood flow.

Significance of Bad Circulation

Everyone needs to understand the symptoms and dangers associated with bad circulation. If you are suffering from any of the symptoms mentioned in this article, seek medical attention. Bad circulation can be treated and quality of life improved.

Different Types Of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia has puzzled the psychiatric world for years. Generally, current treatments for schizophrenia have come a long way. Doctors are sometimes able to stabilize schizophrenics and allow their symptoms to go into remission stages with medication, talk therapy, and group therapy. There are differing stages of schizophrenia--- some can be managed and some cannot be. There are five general states of schizophrenia with some being worse than others. The states are: Paranoid Schizophrenia, Disorganized Schizophrenia, Catatonic Schizophrenia, Undifferentiated Schizophrenia, and Residual Schizophrenia.

Paranoid Schizophrenia

This is the widely known infamous type of schizophrenia involving auditory and visual hallucinations and delusions of persecution or conspiracy. Surprisingly, people who suffer this type of illness sometimes have a high rate of functioning and are able to socialize, work, and form a family. Depending on the progression of the disease, they may sometimes become hostile and angry. They do not readily discuss their thoughts or symptoms and only seek professional help when their condition comes to a point where they feel they can no longer cope with it. Since they are unwilling to share thoughts, it is hard to diagnose a schizophrenic initially if he does not show pronounced symptoms.

Disorganized Schizophrenia

This type of schizophrenia revolves around disordered thinking. This schizophrenic may speak in a jumble of disorganized words and suffer from disorganized thinking processes. This type will find routine tasks such as showering, brushing their teeth, and dressing themselves as complex actions that require more strength and care than they are able to exhibit. Often there is emotional impairment, meaning that they respond inappropriately to public or private exhibitions of emotion.

Catatonic Schizophrenia

This type of schizophrenia deals with depressed to over-excited movements. Movement may be extremely impaired to the point where it stops altogether and becomes a catatonic stupor. On the other hand, movement may increase so much that it becomes catatonic excitement. When people with this schizophrenia halt movement, they will stay in contorted bodily positions or may allow someone to move their limbs and stay in that fixed position. This symptom is called "waxy flexibility." Sometimes they will hold strange facial contortions as well. They may also refuse to be moved out of these positions, no matter how painful they seem to be. They may also echo and mimic what others say and do. These features are respectively known as "echolalia" and "echopraxia."

Undifferentiated Schizophrenia

This type occurs when the person shows signs of schizophrenia, but the doctor is unable to diagnose them properly because the patient seems to shift from one classification of schizophrenia to the next. Symptoms may be present and then may change course altogether and become more suitable under another diagnosis.

Residual Schizophrenia

This type generally notifies a remission or partial remission of symptoms. Sufferers have received the treatment they need and their symptoms, if any, are to a lesser degree. Some people with schizophrenia never reach this stage while, for many, schizophrenia seems to be a cycle between remission and severe, acute mental illness.

Conclusion

Some schizophrenics are able to live by a daily routine, hold down work, and create families and connections. Other schizophrenics must remain in state hospitals and are unable to care for themselves any longer. This all depends on the severity of the prognoses given. Treatment is available and may help enough to put symptoms into remission and give a schizophrenic a chance at life.

Abdominal Wall Hernia Symptoms

Abdominal Wall Hernia Symptoms

The dictionary defines a hernia as "the protrusion of an organ or tissue through an opening in its surrounding walls, especially in the abdominal region." Although hernias can happen in many places, abdominal hernias, or hernias that push through the abdominal wall, are the most common location. The different types of abdominal-wall hernias include inguinal (75 percent of abdominal-wall hernias), umbilical (10 to 30 percent), femoral, incisional, spigelian, obturator and epigastric. These hernias generally cause little pain but are identified by the bulges they form. While some of the bulges may show in places other than the stomach area, the hernia begins with a penetration through the abdominal wall. Although heavy lifting and straining won't cause a hernia, it will make hernias more obvious because the action pushes the intestines against the weak areas of the abdominal wall.

Inguinal Hernias

These hernias occur in the groin area where the thigh meets the body and appear as a bulge. Inguinal hernias are found in men 25 times more than in women. These hernias can be direct or indirect. The difference is where the hernias originate. Indirect hernias follow the path of the testicles when they descended from the abdomen. This path usually closes as a male ages, but if it doesn't, it provides the hole through the abdominal wall that the hernia needs. Indirect hernias can also cause protrusions in the scrotum. Direct hernias occur near the site where you find indirect hernias but along an area of the abdominal wall where it is thinner.

Umbilical Hernias

During pregnancy, the umbilical cord between mother and fetus provides the fetus nourishment, but the cord also penetrates the fetus' abdominal wall. Prior to birth, that hole in the abdominal wall closes. When it doesn't, it could open the way for an umbilical hernia, which is seen as a protrusion in the bellybutton area when a baby is born. Small hernias usually close on their own by the time a child reaches age two. Larger hernias require surgery around the same age. If an adult gets an umbilical hernia, it is usually because of pregnancy, obesity or excess fluid in the abdominal area.

Femoral Hernias

Femoral hernias follow the path of the femoral artery from the abdomen into the thigh. This hernia causes a bulge below the inguinal area, usually in the mid-thigh, and it tends to occur in women. There is a high risk that this type of hernia will become irreducible and strangulated. A strangulated hernia means that its blood supply is cut off.

Incisional and Spigelian Hernias

Incisional hernias are caused by abdominal surgery. The surgery leaves the abdominal wall weak, which can lead to a hernia. These hernias may even return after they have been repaired.

Spigelian hernias are rare and can be found as protrusions along the side of the middle of the abdomen. These hernias follow the edge of the rectus abdominis muscle.

Obturator Hernias

This is a rare hernia that is found generally in women. This hernia doesn't cause a protrusion, but it can block the bowels. It also causes nausea and vomiting. The intestines push into the pelvic cavity through an opening in the pelvic bone.

Epigastric Hernias

Unlike other abdominal hernias, epigastric hernias are protrusions of fat rather than intestines that push through the abdomen mid-line between the bellybutton and the bottom of the rib cage.

Hernia Symptoms

The unusual bulge from a hernia is the most-noticeable indication that you have one. The bulge may ache but not be painful, or it could be very tender. While many things could produce such bulges, if it grows in size when you stand or strain, it is probably a hernia. Another sign of a hernia is that it can be pushed back inside the abdomen. This is called reducing.

Because of entanglements with other organs and tissue, some hernias can't be reduced. These hernias are more painful and can cause bowel obstruction, nausea and vomiting. The danger with these hernias is that the blood supply can be cut off. This is called strangulation. The hernia will be painful and tender if this is the case. The person with the hernia may even look and feel ill, although the person won't have a fever. At this point, the hernia has become a medical emergency that requires surgery.