Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Does the weather affect your health?





Some people claim they can predict the weather by physical changes in their bodies.  Have you ever heard of the grandmother who knew when it was going to storm because her hip was aching? Or the coworker who always got headaches when there was a dramatic change in the temperature?

As someone who experiences migraines, I have always been curious about this connection.  According to the Mayo Clinic, people who have migraines appear to be more sensitive to changes in the weather. Weather-related triggers include:
  • Bright sunlight
  • Hot or cold temperatures
  • High humidity
  • Dry air
  • Windy or stormy weather
  • Barometric pressure changes
Apparently weather changes can wreak havoc with the balance of brain chemicals. One in particular is serotonin, which can prompt a migraine. Weather-related triggers also may worsen a headache caused by other triggers. It’s a vicious cycle!

Weather parameters known to affect health include humidity, barometric pressure and temperature. They can trigger migraine, asthma, arthritis or heart disease.

Linking weather to your health is not a new discovery.  The InternationalSociety for Biometeorology was founded in 1956 to connect scientists interested in the subject. 

It wasn’t until 1986 that Dr. John Bart, a medical practitioner in Toronto, took it a step further.
He noticed that patients were having similar complaints on the same days. Wondering if weather could be the common factor, he asked one of his patients, meteorologist Denis Bourque, if evidence for such a link existed. Mr. Bourque was intrigued by the possibility.

After much research the two found that, in fact, much European literature supported the weather health theory. From this, Bart and Bourque set out to develop an index that would map specific weather conditions known to trigger health. The results of their work are 14 distinct categories of weather known to affect health. MediClim.com was born.

MediClim can warn people when they are most susceptible to flare ups from migraine, asthma, arthritis or heart disease. You can check it out here.

So what can we do? We obviously can't change the weather. However, we can learn which weather changes are troublesome and take steps to lessen their effects:
  • Keep a diary for your headache, arthritis, allergy or other ailment, listing each symptom, when it happened, how long it lasted and what could have caused it. This can help you determine if you have specific weather triggers.
  • Monitor weather changes and avoid triggers if at all possible. For example, stay indoors during very cold or windy weather if these factors appear to trigger your issues.
  • Make healthy lifestyle choices — eat healthy foods, exercise regularly, get enough sleep and keep your stress under control. These factors can help reduce your inflammation and improve your overall health.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Review~The Schliemann Legacy~ @DAGraysone never disappoints!



Ever since I read Two Graves, D.A. Graystone has been one of my favorite authors. 

Mr. Graystone sweeps you off your feet and on to an adventure that is so dramatic you feel as though you know the characters personally.

The Schliemann Legacy is an international thriller that takes you across the globe. Danger lurks in Munich, Bogotá, Israel, Turkey and Jamaica, but you will follow these personalities with fervor.  

The story begins at an archaeological dig in Turkey in 1873. The Schliemann Legacy, a collection of artifacts that proved the existence of Troy, is unearthed. Unfortunately the collection disappears during World War II.

As you meet the characters you will feel a wide range of emotion.  You may cry when you learn of the horrific childhood that shaped David Morritt, a special agent for the Israel government. He survived the atrocities of the holocaust, due to the kindness of a man that took him under his wing.

You will probably dislike Duman, a former KGB agent, is a brutal terrorist, but you will have find yourself in awe of his skills. He chose this Turkish name that means mist or smoke.

Katrina Kontoravdis will capture your curiosity. An undercover Greek agent, she had been taken out of the field after a tragic death in which she was unfairly blamed. She is given this assignment as a test. If she can get through it with her life, then maybe she can resume her career. The odds are against her.

International agents, assassins and terrorists, they are but puppets when the gluttonous Henri Mardinaud starts his twisted game. (You will definitely hate him)

The story moves quickly and more interesting characters emerge.  There are murders, bombings and constant danger as the race begins to retrieve the treasure.  But even amongst the mayhem and violence, a pure love is able to bloom.

Find the book here
D.A. Graystone website here
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