Heartburn or GERD can Kill

Heartburn is a common annoyance. The busy lifestyle, quick meals, fatty or spicy foods all contribute to the occasional need of a chewable pain reliever. The acceptance of heartburn as an inconvenient, but natural, part of the daily grind can blind you to the warning that a severe heartburn symptom can bring.

Heartburn as a Disorder

Heartburn can be a symptom as well as a disorder. Simple heartburn or GERD can be controlled and dealt with. However, heartburn can signal the presence of a much more serious problem. If it’s heartburn, you will have a burning sensation in the chest usually after eating. There may be a spread of the burning to the throat, sometimes accompanied by a bad taste, difficulty in swallowing, belching, coughing, hoarseness and/or wheezing.

It can become worse by lying down or bending over or by eating. Relief can come from an antacid. While the more severe heartburn symptoms may be mistaken for a heart attack, simple heartburn is usually not made worse by exercise. If there is any concern that the pain may signal a heart attack, get help quickly.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Why You Need to Stretch

By Sean Davids

Stretching routines are an easy, effective means of improving your fitness levels. A consistently performed stretching routine can provide you with many advantages. Many professionals recommend such a regime as a way to enhance or restore flexibility, and also to reduce your chances of injury during sporting events, workouts or simply everyday life.

One of the best benefits of stretching routines is that your mobility becomes greatly improved. With consistent stretching of your muscles, you'll keep up your current state of flexibility and also continue to improve on it. If you ever quit your stretching program, your muscles will tighten up once again and you'll become much less flexible; you'll be right back where you started.

For many people, total flexibility is the objective and they opt for stretching techniques that work all regions of their bodies during their workout. A well designed stretching program can be a big help in preventing a range of injuries that commonly take place in day to day life. If you're flexible, you're a lot less likely to sprain your ankle, strain a muscle, or pull a ligament. This happens because your muscles become skilled at moving in various directions.

If your stretching program becomes a regular habit, you are almost certain to have less pain in your joints, since you're continually loosening them up during this activity. As well, muscles that are stretched regularly are usually more healthy because they get better blood circulation. Better blood flow provides the muscles with the nutrients and oxygen that they require to become stronger.

A focused stretching routine, similar to those used in physical therapy, can enhance the strength of your muscles a great deal. And it will probably only take a few weeks if you're really determined to perform the movements.

However, a flexibility routine will be effective only if you are performing the moves properly. That's why it's so important to observe your motions carefully and make sure you're performing them properly. Therefore you're more likely to get the most benefit out of your workout.

A stretching routine will improve your sense of well being and boost your body image, whether your objective is muscle toning or an increase in strength. Performing a stretching routine at least three times a week is the best way to reap the benefits.

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