Simple tips to prevent skin cancer.

Following some simple steps may help people reduce their risk of developing skin cancer, the most common form of cancer, says expert.

The easiest way to prevent skin cancer is to protect your skin with clothing. Carrying a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses before going outside.

Wearing a long-sleeved shirt and pants also can help protect from the damaging rays of the sun, he added.

In addition, the following tips can prevent skin cancer:

Apply sunscreen every day - When you are going to be outside, even on cloudy days, apply sunscreen to all skin that will not be covered by clothing. Reapply approximately every two hours, or after swimming or sweating. Use a broad- spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen that protects the skin against both UVA and UVB rays and that has an SPF of at least 30.

Seek shade - Remember that the sun`s rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. If your shadow is shorter than you are, seek shade. Use extra caution near water, sand or snow as they reflect and intensify the damaging rays of the sun, which can increase your chances of sunburn.

Get vitamin D safely. Eat a healthy diet that includes foods naturally rich in vitamin D, or take vitamin D supplements. Do not seek the sun.

If you want to look tan, consider using a self-tanning product, but continue to use sunscreen with it. Don`t use tanning beds because just like the sun, UV light from tanning beds can cause wrinkling and age spots and can lead to skin cancer.

Check your skin for signs of skin cancer - Checking your skin and knowing your moles are key to detecting skin cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages.

EIGHT LESSER-KNOWN STEPS TO PREVENT STROKE.

 Quitting smoke, limiting alcohol, eating more fruits and vegetables, and keeping your weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar in check, can lower your likelihood of stroke.

Still, there are eight lesser-known ways to protect yourself, based on research, ABC News reported.

Walk 20 minutes a day: We know-you work, you have kids, errands to run, dinner to make, and a series on TV to watch, but make the time.

Even if you break it up into two 10-minute sessions, it`s worth it.

Walking a total of 2 hours a week can cut your stroke risk by 30 percent, according to a large study of nearly 40,000 women, conducted over a 12-year period.

Walk briskly (so you can talk but not sing) and your chances are reduced by almost 40 percent.

Know the difference between sad and depressed: The latter makes you 29 percent more likely to suffer from stroke, says a new study of more than 80,000 women.

Depressed people tend to smoke more, weigh more and exercise less; plus, they`re more likely to have uncontrolled medical issues, like high blood pressure and diabetes, which can also increase stroke risk.Recognize depression symptoms and you can get proper treatment.

Talk to your doctor if you: feel persistent sadness, anxiousness, or "emptiness"; hopeless; guilty, worthless or helpless; irritable; exhausted; if you lose interest in things you used to like; can`t concentrate or sleep; overeat or lose your appetite; think about suicide or have aches and pains that don`t go away even with treatment.

Set your alarm for 7 hours of sleep: More than 10 a night in la-la land may increase your stroke risk by up to 63 percent, compared with the recommended 7-hour stretch, scientists at Harvard claim.

And if you`re especially loud in bed-while snoring, that is-studies suggest you`re twice as likely to develop metabolic syndrome, which is a cluster of conditions that raises your risk of stroke, as well as heart disease and diabetes.

Include olive oil in your diet: Make olive oil your go-to ingredient for sauteing, baking, frying, drizzling, and all other food-related ings.

You know it helps lower your risk of heart attacks; new research now shows it extends its protective branch to strokes as well.

An observational study of more than 7,600 French adults age 65 and older found that those who regularly use olive oil cut their chance of stroke by just over 40 percent.

Mind the migraine: Those extra-special headaches-particularly the ones that come with flashes of light and blind spots-appear linked to a higher stroke risk in women; and as an added bonus, most migraine-sufferers are women, thanks in part to hormonal fluctuations and medications.

Though there`s no clear proof that indicates treating a migraine means no stroke, experts agree it`s reasonable to try and reduce their frequency.

Talk with your doctor-she may prescribe preventive meds or suggest stress management techniques.

Pay attention to palpitations especially if the heart flutters occur with shortness of breath, light headedness, and chest pain-those are all signs of atrial fibrillation (AF), an abnormal heartbeat that boosts risk of stroke about five-fold.Eat potassium rich foods:Eat sweet potatoes and raisins and bananas and tomato paste. Not all on the same plate but individually, each is loaded with potassium-and a diet rich in foods with this nutrient may reduce stroke risk by 20 percent, suggests a recent report. More good sources: fruits and veggies, fish, poultry, and dairy.

Lengthen that short fuse:A study published in the journal Hypertension suggests that angry and aggressive people may be at a higher risk of stroke.

Use the handy mnemonic FAST to recognize the symptoms:

F (face): uneven smile, facial droopiness, numbness, vision disturbance

A (arm and leg): weakness, numbness, difficulty walking

S (speech): slurred, inappropriate words, mute

T (time): Realize that time is critical. If you notice any of the above symptoms, immediately see a physician. 

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7 easy ways to keep headache at bay without taking a pill!

Each one of us experiences headaches, be it a mild irritation or skull-crushing distractions. And to get rid of headaches is something that everyone wants. They can be treated in different ways depending on the kind of pains you have. However, you can still cure headaches naturally by different methods, without having to pop a pill.

Take lots of water: Drinking plenty of plain and crystal pure water can give you a big relief since dehydration can lead to headache. You should avoid sugar-loaded drinks like alcohol, coffee as that can dehydrate you.

Drink herbal tea: Teas like peppermint and chamomile work wonders in relieving one of a headache. Make sure that you drink a cup of herbal tea for soothing your headache.

Try Exercise: Since physical exercises such as jogging, brisk walk, swimming, etc. boost your blood circulation, it will help you in overcoming a headache and fatigue in addition to allowing your whole body to relax. So you should try to incorporate exercise in your daily routine.

Try using a cool compress: You can wet a soft washcloth with cool water and lay it over your forehead as it might ease some of the pain. Refresh it with cool water again when it starts to feel uncomfortably warm.

Laugh your heart out: Since most headaches result from stress, laughing therapy is an effective tool in calming the same. Hence, watching a comedy or reading a comic book can be a real relief.

Get enough sleep: Most of us do not care about our sleeping schedule or do not get adequate sleep. It is actually bad for our health. In fact, lack of sleep may be the cause of headaches in some people. Hence, people who often suffer from headaches are advised to get sufficient sleep daily. Also, maintaining a good sleep routine can help in reducing stress.

Try light massage: You can give yourself a light massage on the head, neck and ear lobes as it can disseminate the pain. Also, gently press your fingers over your temple, eyebrows and move them in slow circles for a quick feel-better. Light massage also helps in improving blood circulation and relieving tension.

Apart from the above methods, try consuming foods that are high in magnesium and calcium as these two minerals are believed to be helpful in reducing the symptoms of tension and other stress-linked headaches. Foods like broccoli, beans, soy milk, nuts, spinach, etc. are rich in magnesium.

Seven heart-healthy tips that can cut cancer risk

Washington: The American Heart Association`s seven steps for a healthy heart- dubbed Life`s Simple 7 - can also help keep cancer at bay, a new study has claimed.

Laura Rasmussen-Torvik, a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University`s Feinberg School of Medicine, said that following even six of the steps can cut cancer risk in half.

She said that she and her colleagues had a hunch that following healthy-heart guidelines would also decrease the risk of cancer and their findings confirmed it.

According to the study, following four of the steps in `Life`s Simple 7` resulted in a 33 percent cancer risk reduction, and following six or seven of the steps led to a 51 percent cancer risk reduction.

The American Heart Association had developed the seven steps in 2010 with the goal of reducing heart attack and stroke deaths by about 20 percent by 2020.

Rasmussen-Torvik and her fellow researchers examined two decades of data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, going through the health records of 13,253 patients from 1987 to 2006 and discovered that the more steps the patients followed, the more they cut down on cancer risk.


Here are the steps in the Life Simple 7:

1. Get active - AHA recommends at least 150 minutes of exercise a week.

2. Control cholesterol - Cholesterol should be lower than 200 milligrams per deciliter.

3. Eat better - This means foods high in whole grain, fruits, vegetables and lean protein such as fish. Limiting sodium, added sugars, trans and saturated fats is also important.

4. Manage blood pressure - It should be less than 120/80.

5. Lose weight - body mass index should be below 25.

6. Reduce blood sugar - Fasting blood sugar level should below 100, which can be achieved by avoiding soda, candy and other desserts, as well as getting exercise.

7. Stop smoking - AHA says do "whatever it takes."

The researchers also found that the steps are cumulative, but quitting smoking was especially helpful.

There`s also a considerable amount of overlap in the steps, considering that getting active and eating better - steps 1 and 3 - also help with cholesterol, blood pressure, weight and blood sugar - steps 2, 4, 5, and 6.

The study has been published in the journal Circulation.