What is Sciatica

You may have heard your granny complain about having sciatica.  It sounds like a foreign food dish but it is actually a painful condition of the body.  Here, the mystery is unraveled.

Actually, the mystery is not so complicated.  Sciatica is a condition of the sciatic nerve in the body.  The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body and it runs from the lower (lumbar region) spine down through the buttocks and the lower leg.  When a person feels pain or discomfort in their sciatic nerve it can radiate from the lower back all the way to their toes.

Have you ever been walking and it seems like your leg just gives out?  That is a problem with your sciatic nerve.  It is a strange phenomenon that happens a lot when a woman is in the later months of pregnancy and the baby is getting very big.

Sciatica has a number of causes.  The most common cause is a problem with the vertebral column.  A disc herniation can occur at the level of the spine where the sciatic nerve originates.  The disc then presses on the nerve and traps it.  The nerve becomes irritated and inflamed causing all kinds of symptoms.  The sciatic nerve can also become inflamed because of other conditions: tumor, bleeding, infections or injury - to name a few.

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What is Endometriosis

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Sleep And Acne

Does sleep have anything to do with acne?  Sleep doesn’t cause acne but it can affect the number of outbreaks and the severity of them.  Don’t ignore sleep when trying to get rid of problematic acne.

What is the purpose of sleep?  It is a normal part of your circadian cycle.  For part of the day you are awake and for part of the day you are asleep.  The body is active and working hard when you are functioning at your job and at play.  It slows down to take a rest when you sleep.

Bedtime is the opportunity your body has to fix anything that got broken during the day.  Contrary to popular belief, your body can’t go non-stop without rest.  The body’s primary duty is to keep you going when you need to.  At night, it takes a break from the hustle and bustle to pay attention to its own needs.

What happens when you sleep?  The body gets the time it needs to refresh you.  It takes stock of your immune system and if there are any problems, the body works to boost it.  A strong immune system can fight acne and keep your skin clear longer.  Medications circulating through your system can do their jobs.

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Dehydration Symptoms

With up to 75% of our body weight consisting of water, it can sometimes be difficult to fathom the idea of dehydration. Most often when people hear about dehydration, their focus turns to Third World countries without running water. The fact of the matter is, it’s just as serious here in North America, and many people don’t realize how easily it occurs.

Dehydration is what happens when the amount of water leaving the body is larger than what we are physically putting in. The routine ways in which we can lose the important water in our system are when we sweat or eliminate, or as humidified air escaping our body.

One of the most significant reasons for dehydration is sweating, which is how the body cools itself down. Some situations when this cooling down process occurs could be during hot weather, in areas with excess heating, or sweating due to physical activity. Since sweat is released when we partake in physical activity, keeping yourself healthy and fit requires that you drink enough water both before and after exercise, and possibly during as well.

With a bit of variance with weather conditions, a quick or brisk walk of about thirty minutes around the block or through the park can result in your body generating up to sixteen ounces of sweat. This is the equivalent of about one pound. If you’re not hydrating your system enough, some signs indicating possible dehydration are:

* Excessive thirst or feeling you can’t drink enough
* Decreased output of bodily fluids in an attempt to conserve water. In this case urine will be more yellow in color due to its concentration
* Continual dry mouth resulting from decreased salivation
* Dry eyes as the body attempts to prohibit the creation of tears
* Significant decrease in sweat levels
* Muscle cramps, nausea and vomiting
* Light-headedness, confusion and weakening

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