| How to Tell If a Horse Needs Teeth Floated Posted: 18 Aug 2016 05:00 PM PDT Equine teeth are open-rooted, which means that they grow continuously and rely on chewing to keep them ground down to the correct length. In a perfect world, the rate of wear would equal the rate of growth and the main teeth, the molars, would wear evenly to provide the ideal chewing surface. However, the top set of molars is wider than the lower set, and horses chew in a circular motion, which means that over time, if the horse has an uneven bite, sharp spurs can develop. Floating is the process whereby the spurs or spikes are "floated" or rasped down with a dental file designed for use in horses.[1] Knowing when to float your horse's teeth is very important in order to prevent oral pain and to assure your horse is healthy overall. EditEvaluating Primary Signs - Determine if your horse has difficulty eating. Dental spurs in your horse's mouth may dig into the buccal (cheek) or lingual (tongue) surface and cause pain. This indicates that your horse needs its teeth floated.[2]
- The horse may be hesitant to eat or eat less than it usually eats.
- The horse may take a long time to eat, and throw its head as it eats.
- The horse may also exhibit other signs that it is not eating enough, such as losing weight.
- Spot sloppy eating to identify oral pain. Your horse may become an untidy eater, slobbering and dropping food out of its mouth.[3] For example, determine if your horse has scattered food all over the stable floor.
- Some horses will hold their head to one side as they chew, leading to heavy drooling. See if your horse has a constantly wet chin, from dribbling. They dribble because swallowing involves movement of the tongue, which can be painful due to the spurs. Instead of swallowing, they would rather drool.
- Sometimes the saliva is blood stained because of the damage to the mucous membrane lining the mouth.
- Look for signs of choking.[4] Oral pain makes the horse less willing to chew, and makes it more likely to swallow food that is incompletely broken down and only partially mixed with saliva. These dry balls of food can get stuck in the esophagus (the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach) and cause your horse to choke. This creates a visible lump in the left side of the neck, in a line from the esophagus, which travels from the corner of the jawbone to the point of the shoulder.
- This is not the immediate emergency that choking in humans is. This does not block the trachea, so the horse can still breath. However, the food blockage will build up over time, causing the horse to cough up fluid and food, in addition to causing discomfort and pain.[5]
- If the esophagus is blocked with a ball of hay, the saliva has nowhere to go when the horse swallows and so the horse tends to drool heavily.
- Notice if your horse has puffy cheeks from packing balls of grass or hay. When a horse works out a way to pack balls of hay or grass between the cheek and teeth, to act as a pad or barrier, it is called quidding.[6] This cushions the cheek lining as they chew and reduces discomfort.
- This can been seen if your horse has "hamster" or puffy cheeks.
- Your horse will also spit these balls out onto the stable floor occasionally, which is a sign that its teeth need floating.
- See if your horse avoids a bit, the piece of horse tack that goes in the mouth.[7] A horse with a sore mouth is likely to be uncomfortable with a bit in her mouth. This is because when the bit comes in contact with the sore in its mouth, the horse tries to protect it by shifting the bit to a different place where it is less painful. Thus the horse becomes preoccupied with avoiding the bit and either throws its head around, or flexes its neck to try to drop the bit out.
- This can transform a usually placid and well-behaved animal, into one who tosses its head around when ridden, or tries to avoid the bit by over-bending its neck.
EditAssessing Secondary Signs - Weigh your horse. A horse in need of dental attention may lose weight. This is because the horse will learn to selectively eat foods that require less chewing. Your horse may avoid coarse hay and hard grains, and prefer to eat gruel or soft grass.[8]
- Another reason the horse may lose weight is that she is not grinding the food thoroughly. Grinding breaks down cell walls and fiber making it easier to for the gut to digest the food and get maximum nutritional value.
- Pay attention if your horse looks very thin or starved. If your horse's mouth is particularly painful, then it may only eat the bare minimum, or even starve itself rather than experience discomfort.
- The horse may also be more lethargic than usual, due to a lack of food energy.
- Keep an eye out for signs of indigestion and colic. Balls of under-chewed food can make it to the stomach, but lodge in the gut and cause indigestion or colic. The symptoms of this include abdominal discomfort, which manifests as restlessness, constant turning, and looking at their flank, kicking at their belly, rapid shallow breathing, general agitation, wide-staring eyes, and flared nostrils.[9]
- Look for whole pieces of food in your horse's droppings. Because the dental spurs cause pain and result in less thorough chewing, your horse will swallow more full pieces of food. This poorly chewed food includes larger pieces of hay, and complete pieces of grain, which the gut is unable to fully breakdown and digest. Therefore, the horse's dung will contain whole pieces of cereal or grain, and pieces of undigested hay.[10]
- Smell your horse's breath to see if is worse than usual. If your horse has dental spurs, food is more likely to become trapped in the mouth. This food then becomes rancid and starts to smell.
- Also, the sores or ulcers in the mouth can become infected and result in bad breath (halitosis).
EditExamining the Teeth Directly - Gag the horse to make sure its mouth stays open during examination. Direct examination of the teeth involves putting a special gag into the horse's mouth so that the mouth is held in a semi-open position. This prevents the horse form chewing the speculum when it is introduced, and allows all planes of the teeth to be inspected.[11]
- Examine the problem teeth with a speculum to confirm the diagnosis. The problem teeth are the molars, or grinding teeth, which are situated at the back of the mouth. These are too far back to see without the aid of a special oral speculum. This is not painful and most horses tolerate this very well.[12]
- The oral speculum is a torch-like instrument with a flat, rounded edged blade that can be slid into the mouth for the purposes of examining the teeth.
- A vet or equine dental technician has access to such a speculum.
- If the horse is liable to toss its head around then it may be wise to put a halter on and tie the lead rope with her head in a slightly elevated position, in order to restrict her movement and allow better inspection of the mouth.
- Inspect your horse's mouth regularly to keep an eye on symptoms. Provided you do not see any signs of oral discomfort, a once per year inspection for horses between 5-20 years of age is fine. If your horse is under the care of a veterinarian, have him or her assess your horse's teeth.[13]
- Under 5 years old the horse is still growing, and a more frequent checkups are needed to make sure that teeth have come away cleanly and the dental arches are lined up.
- Likewise, after 20 years of age the horse is more likely to start getting dental complications, such as a cracked crowns or a tooth root infection, so twice per year dental checks are appropriate.
EditSources and Citations - Principles of Equine Dentistry. David Klugh. CRC Press. 1st edition
- Equine Dentisty. Easley, Dixon & Schumacher. Saunders Press. 3rd edition
Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
|
| How to Avoid Repeating the Old Same Mistakes All over Again Posted: 18 Aug 2016 09:00 AM PDT Everyone has some old habits that they might want to change. It's part of human psychology to tend towards repeating the same behaviors.[1] Changing those old behaviors can be difficult and take time. However, it is possible to do with some proper planning and by staying positive while you work towards you goal of avoiding making the same mistakes. EditNoticing Mistakes and Understanding Them - Don't fear failure. Making mistakes can be a good thing. The key to making mistakes into something valuable is to learn from them. Carefully examine a mistake that you made and look for the reasons why you may have made it. In this way, mistakes can actually help lead you to success.[2]
- Being over confident can also lead you to miss information and make a mistake.
- Many conditions or situations can cause a mistake, from being tired to having a bad habit.
- Don't believe that you can't avoid making mistakes. This can actually cause you to keep making them and won't let you learn from your mistakes. Your brain actually helps you to avoid mistakes. A study has shown that the brain reacts in 0.1 seconds to things that have resulted in past errors by sending out a warning signal to prevent us from repeating the same mistake.[3]
- Focus on what you are doing right. While learning from your mistakes is valuable, you should also focus on what went right. By focusing on what you are doing well, you can help feel great about your efforts as you work to improve and avoid mistakes.
- Make a list of everything you've overcome and all your successes.
- Write down qualities about yourself that you value.
- Review these lists often for motivation and reminders of your progress.
- Start correcting mistakes. Once you notice some mistakes you may have made, you can start correcting them. The method you use to correct them will vary in relation to the mistake you are trying to correct. Review the following examples to get an idea of some corrections you can start to make:[4]
- If you regularly miss the due date of a bill, try making highly visible reminders for yourself.
- Don't be afraid to ask for help. For example, if you're trying to make your grandmother's recipe for soup but it's not coming out right, try asking her for some advice.
- Stay focused on improving. It might be tempting to have your goals set high, trying to be the best at whatever your goal may be. However, it can be easier to find success if you focus on steadily improving over time, rather than the end result.[5]
- Perfectionism can lead to anxiety about your goals and your progress.
- Practice every day. Part of improving, finding success and avoiding past mistakes is getting enough practice. Getting daily practice is key as it can help you keep your skills sharp and allow you to slowly but consistently improve over time.[6] For example, you could try making your grandmother's soup recipe regularly to improve.
- Set aside time each day to practice.
- Keep a log of how long you practice each day.
- If possible, try to slowly increase the amount of time you practice each day.
- If you can't practice certain things daily, a visualization exercise could help. For example, if you find yourself without your guitar, you can imagine playing the chords of a song you are practicing.
EditGetting Ready For Change - Find which behaviors you want to change. Before you can avoid making the same mistakes or repeating the same behaviors, you will have to identify the behaviors you want to change. Examine your life for any behaviors that you want to work on.[7]
- Try finding the habits and old behaviors that you think are the most important to work on first.
- Don't take on too much at once. Focus on a select few issues that you feel deserve the most attention.
- Discover what triggers your behavior. Examine what situations or events might be causing you to make the same mistakes or engage in the same unwanted behaviors. There are reasons behind the behavior you want to change. Once you find those reasons, you will be able to both change your response to that situation as well as avoid it in the future.
- You might find that stress causes you crave a cigarette or an unhealthy snack.
- If you are nervous in social settings, you might find that it causes you to drink when you otherwise would not.
- Find something to replace old behaviors with. When your goal is to stop repeating a certain behavior, you will need to replace that old behavior with a new one. Without implementing a new behavior, you are more likely to return to your original unwanted one.[8][9]
- For example, you might replace eating potato chips with a celery snack or doing ten push ups.
- If you find that you get angry easily, try making it your new habit to take deep breaths before you let anger get the best of you.
- Write your goals down. After you have thought about which behaviors you want to end and what you will replace them with, it can be useful to write them down. This will serve as a reminder of what you want to accomplish that you can check anytime.[10]
- Try putting your written goals in a place you can see them often and with ease. For example, keep them posted at your work place or set a reminder on your phone.
- Don't be in a rush. Changing old habits can be difficult and take time. Being successful will take dedication as you work to replace your old habits with new ones that you have selected. Stick with your plan, stay positive, and meet your goals.[11]
- Changing a habit can take anywhere from 15 to 254 days depending on motivation, replacement behavior, and amount of repetition.[12]
- Remind yourself of your goals and the benefits that these changes will bring to stay motivated.
- Don't worry about setbacks. As you work towards you goals, replacing old behaviors with new ones, don't let any setbacks discourage you. Setbacks can happen; however, they don't mean that you have failed or that it's time to quit. Learn from these setbacks and keep working towards your goal.[13]
- Setbacks can be positive, informing you of any conditions or events that push you back into your old habits.
EditMaking the Changes - Contemplate the change you want to make. The first stage of making any change to a behavior is to think carefully about those changes you are about to make. Think about the benefits of your changes and any difficulties that may present themselves.[14]
- Make a detailed list of the benefits and positive aspects that your new behavior will bring.
- Carefully list out any difficulties that you can think of. These might be things that cause you to return to your old behavior or prevent you from making your new behaviors habit.
- For example, increasing exercise can make you more healthy but a lack of time might stand in your way.
- Prepare for obstacles. Before you start taking action and making changes, you will need to make preparations. The preparation phase involves planning to deal with any obstacles you can see that might prevent you from meeting your goals. By properly preparing, the changes that you want to make will be easier to obtain.[15]
- The preparation phase gets you ready to deal with obstacles between you and your goals.
- For example, if you think a lack of time might be a problem when trying to increase exercise, you will want to start scheduling your time or thinking of ways to exercise in spare moments.
- Start making the change. After you have thought about which new behaviors you want to work towards, and how to overcome obstacles, you can start to take action. During this step, your focus will be on tracking your progress, overcoming obstacles, and rewarding the new, desired behaviors.[16][17]
- Track your progress carefully to keep motivated and catch slip-ups.
- Think ahead to overcome obstacles. Avoid situations or events that would cause you to slip back into your old behavior.
- As you meet your goals, you will want to reward yourself. Try watching one of your favorite films or taking a relaxing bath.
- Maintain the changes. Once you have replaced your old unwanted behavior with a new one you have selected, you will need to maintain that new behavior. Keep your new course of action going strong and continue enjoying this new way of acting.[18][19]
- If possible, try to increase any original goals. For example, if you wanted to stop avoiding exercise and become more active, keep increasing those fitness goals.
- Keep things interesting. As you work to maintain your new behavior, try doing it in different ways to stay engaged. For example, if you are trying to avoid junk food by eating healthy, keep learning new recipes.
- Stay positive and don't let set-backs discourage you. If you do have a set-back, learn from it, and keep working towards your goals.
- Be patient as you work towards your goals. Changing old behaviors can be difficult and take time.
- Think of obstacles ahead of time to be prepared for them.
- Don't let set-backs stop you. Learn from them and let them help you succeed.
- Mind and body is key, only what you allow inside will reflect to what occurs on the outside.
EditRelated wikiHows EditSources and Citations
Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
|
| How to Treat Ulcers Posted: 18 Aug 2016 01:00 AM PDT Ulcers are sores or lesions in your stomach or the upper part of your small intestines. Ulcers develop when the acids that digest foods damage the stomach or intestinal walls. Connected to a variety of causes like stress, diet, and lifestyle, scientists now know that many ulcers are caused by a type of bacteria called Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori. Left untreated, most ulcers will continue to get worse, so it's important to receive a proper diagnosis and make the dietary and lifestyle changes that will allow you to heal fully. EditReceiving Medical Treatment - Identify the symptoms of ulcers. Abdominal problems are often difficult to diagnose, since the symptoms of any one problem are reminiscent of lots of different kinds of issues, including gastritis, pancreatitis, Crohn's disease, and a variety of other problems.[1] It's important to see your doctor and receive a proper diagnosis if you think you may have an ulcer, so you can receive the proper care. Ulcer symptoms include:
- Persistent or reoccurring stomach or abdominal pain that interferes with sleep
- Nausea and vomiting
- Blood in vomit or stool
- Gas and bloating
- Less of appetite
- Weight loss
- Talk to your doctor about your symptoms. If you're having stomach problems, it's not necessarily an ulcer. Your doctor will talk to you about the history of your symptoms, your diet, and will conduct a physical exam.
- The doctor may start you on medication to reduce stomach acidity before doing further testing, if your symptoms are mild.
- Return to the doctor if blood is present in your bowel movements or vomit, or if your symptoms worsen or do not respond to the medication, so you can undergo further testing.
- Get a diagnosis. Your general practitioner may recommend that you visit a GI specialist, during which time you may go through any of the following tests which can be used to properly diagnose any kind of digestive ulcer:
- Upper gastrointestinal (GI) x-ray series. After drinking a chalky substance called barium, you will have x-rays taken to look for signs of ulcers in your stomach.
- Endoscopy. While you are under sedation, the doctor will insert a thin tube with a small camera at the end down your throat and into your stomach. The camera allows the doctor to see inside of your digestive track and tack a tissue sample. This is a simple and almost painless procedure.
- Blood and stool tests. These will be performed to check for antibodies to H. pylori, a bacteria commonly associated with gastritis and ulcers. A breath test may also be performed, after drinking a substance called urea.
- Receive a recommendation for treatment from your doctor. Ulcers need to be healed by addressing the particular cases and conditions of the ulcer specific to you. That's why it's important to get a proper diagnosis and follow through with your doctor's recommended treatment if your tests confirm the presence of an ulcer. Most treatments involve medication, eliminating the cause of the ulcer, and allowing it to heal.
- Often, an H. pylori infection is to blame, in which case the doctor will prescribe an antibiotic to eradicate it. In some cases, you may be prescribed an proton-pump inhibitor like omeprazole (Prilosec) or an H2 agonist (Pepcid), which blocks the production of acid in your stomach and allows your stomach to heal.[2]
- In most cases, dietary and lifestyle changes will be recommended, which are discussed in the following sections.
- In extreme cases, surgery may be necessary for very serious ulcers, or if complications develop as a result of ulcers that go too long without treatment. Most of the time, dietary changes and waiting will heal ulcers completely.
- Avoid taking NSAIDs and aspirin. Aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can cause ulcers, and will exacerbate the symptoms. Avoid taking NSAIDS while you have an active ulcer, and for extended periods of times thereafter.
- If you need to take medication to deal with pain symptoms, ask a doctor about your options. In some cases, you might be able to take a NSAID along with an acid reducer, or pursue alternative pain treatments.
- Use over-the-counter antacids to control your symptoms. Often, an ulcer will feel a lot like some combination of indigestion and heartburn, with burning and nausea in the upper abdomen under the ribs. Antacids can be used to provide temporary help for symptoms, but will not cure ulcers in and of themselves. Some antacids may interfere with the effectiveness of prescription medications, so talk to your doctor before taking them. Over the counter antacids choices include:
- Calcium carbonate, found it products like Tums and Rolaids, is probably the most common OTC antacid. Sodium bicarbonate products such as Alka-Seltzer and Pepto Bismol (Bismuth Subsalicylate) can also be used to soothe the lining of the stomach, and are widely available.
- Magnesium hydroxide is also common recommended, marketed as Phillips' Milk of Magnesia. A mix of aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide is sold as Maalox, Mylanta and other brands.
- Less common antacids include aluminum hydroxide, sold under the brand names AlternaGEL and Amphojel, among others.
EditChanging Your Diet - Avoid any foods that aggravate your symptoms. Ulcers vary from person to person, so it's hard to say what foods are good for ulcers and what foods are bad. For some people, spicy food may cause no problems, but olives or pastries may drive them crazy with pain. Try to eat a relatively bland diet while your ulcer heals and identify the things that make it worse.
- Often, high-sugar foods, processed foods, fried foods, salted meats, alcohol, and coffee make ulcers worse.[3]
- Try keeping a food journal and write down everything that you eat in a day, so that you can have a record of what makes it bad, if you start getting a flare up of pain.
- Be judicious about what you cut out in the short term to heal up in the long term. A little discipline now will help your stomach heal quickly and let you get back to a less restricted diet and lifestyle.
- Eat more fiber. Some estimates show that the average consumer gets about 14 grams of fiber a day. Try to get upward of 28-35 grams of fiber a day to treat your digestive tract right.[4] A high-fiber diet that contains a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables helps to reduce your chances of getting an ulcer, and helps existing ulcers heal.[5] Try getting fiber from the following sources:
- Apples
- Lentils, peas, and beans
- Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and other brassica
- Berries
- Avocados
- Bran flakes
- Whole wheat pasta
- Barley and other whole grains
- Oatmeal
- Eat lots of foods that contain flavonoids. Some research suggests that foods containing naturally occurring flavonoids can help to heal ulcers more quickly.[6] Flavonoids occur naturally in many fruits and vegetables, making them good for you to consume on two levels. Good sources include:
- Apples
- Celery
- Cranberries
- Blueberries
- Plums
- Spinach
- Try licorice root. Teas and supplements containing licorice root can help to heal ulcers and keep them from coming back.[7] It's important to distinguish between sugary licorice candy, which can make stomach troubles worse, and natural licorice root, which is used in supplements and teas. Only use the latter as an additional treatment for ulcers.
- Avoid spicy foods, if they bother you. If you find that your ulcer pain increases after eating foods that contain hot peppers or spicy seasonings, cut back or eliminate those foods from your diet.
- Although doctors now believe that spicy foods do not cause ulcers, some people with ulcers do report that their symptoms worsen after eating them.[8]
- Avoid citrus, if it bothers you. Acidic fruit drinks, including orange juice, grapefruit, and other citrus juices can make the symptoms of ulcers much worse. For some people, it may not be a problem, but it can be extremely painful for others. Limit your citrus-intake, if it seems to bother your ulcer.
- Cut back on coffee and carbonated drinks. Coffee is highly acidic, which can exacerbate the symptoms of ulcers. Carbonated soft drinks and colas likewise can irritate your stomach lining and make your symptoms worse. Try to cut out your morning cup of coffee in the short-term, if you're suffering from an ulcer, to Try to heal up.
- Caffeine in and of itself doesn't make ulcers worse, but acidic soft drinks, some strong teas, and coffee do. Try switching to more gentle herbal teas, if you have an ulcer. If you need a little caffeine kick, try adding some guarana to your tea.[9]
EditMaking Lifestyle Changes - Stop smoking. Smoking increases the chances of ulcers developing and makes it more difficult for existing ulcers to heal. Smokers are twice as likely to develop ulcers as non-smokers, making it critical that you quit smoking if you want to allow your ulcer to heal properly.[10]
- Smokeless tobacco and other forms of tobacco come with the same, and even increased, risk of stomach problems.[11] Try your best to quit tobacco altogether, if you have an ulcer.
- Talk to your doctor about tapering methods, including using prescription medication to help you ease off of a nicotine dependence. Over the counter patches and nicotine supplements are also available, which can help.
- Avoid all alcohol until your ulcer is completely healed. Alcohol irritates the stomach lining, and it takes a while for the stomach to heal completely. If you're recovering from an ulcer, or any kind of stomach trouble, it's important to avoid alcohol while you're recovering. Even a beer or two can aggravate your ulcer.[12]
- Alcohol in moderation may be alright after all treatment has ended, but you should discuss it with your doctor before resuming drinking in any capacity.
- Sleep with your head slightly elevated. For some people, ulcers can get a lot worse at night. Laying flat on your back can cause certain ulcers to become more painful, and nighttime is the worst time to be in pain. Try sitting with your head and shoulders elevated slightly off the mattress, to keep yourself at an inclined position. Some people have success sleeping more soundly like this, when ulcers are bothering them.[13]
- Eat smaller meals at regular times. Eating a big meal in the middle of the day can make an ulcer worse. Instead, try to time your meals at regular times throughout the day, and have more small meals, as opposed to a few really big ones. This will help your stomach to process smaller amounts of food more easily.
- Avoid eating food too close to bedtime, which can cause nighttime pain that will keep you from sleeping more soundly.
- Some people find that the symptoms of ulcers are made worse after eating, while others find that eating can soothe the ulcer pain.[14] Experiment some with your diet to see what works for you.
- Be careful about what medication you take. Any time you go to the doctor from here on out, you need to let them know that you've dealt with ulcers in the past, and you'd like them to consider your history of stomach troubles when prescribing medication. Even if you've been ulcer free for many years, certain medications can irritate your stomach and make it much worse. Always consult your doctor before switching medications or taking something new.
- Give it time. The stomach can take quite a while to heal completely, and most doctors recommend that you take a fairly rigorous approach to your recovery, and allow a period of at least 2-3 months before you consider yourself "healed." Even then, a return to a diet or lifestyle that resulted in your ulcers flaring up in the first place can cause your ulcers to come back, perhaps stronger this time. It's important to commit to your health and give your stomach the time it needs to heal.
- Some people may heal faster than others, but it's important to continue your dieting and lifestyle changes well beyond when your symptoms subside. Don't celebrate having no stomach pain with a couple drinks, or the pain could return.
- Always consult your doctor before undergoing any treatment.
EditRelated wikiHows EditSources and Citations
Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
|
No comments:
Post a Comment