| How to Cure Postnasal Drip Posted: 16 Jan 2017 04:00 PM PST Postnasal drip occurs when excess mucus accumulates in the back of the throat and creates the feeling of dripping mucus. The condition can lead to a chronic cough or a sore throat. The treatments for postnasal drip focus on the cause of the excess mucus, which may be an allergic reaction or non-allergic rhinitis. A visit to a physician to determine the cause of the condition is an important first step to alleviate postnasal drip. EditRemoving Allergens from Your Environment - Remove allergens from the environment when possible. Allergens such as dust, pollen, pet dander and mold can irritate the nasal cavity and lead to postnasal drip.
- Bathe pets to remove dander that may cause an irritation leading to postnasal drip. It may be necessary to remove pets from the home if the allergic reaction and postnasal drip is severe.
- Remove (flowering and non-flowering) plants from the home.
- Enclose unused pillows and mattresses in plastic to minimize allergens while sleeping.
- Use an air purifier to remove allergic irritants from the environment. A humidifier can add moisture to the air, which relieves the irritation in the nasal cavity. When the nasal cavity is irritated, it produces excess mucus as a response.
- Consult an allergist or take an allergy test. Chronic postnasal drip could be caused by an underlying food allergy that you don't yet know about or have recently developed. Check with an allergist to see if you could be allergic to something and not yet know it.
- The two main allergies are to gluten/wheat and dairy. Dairy is often linked to sinus, upper respiratory, and throat problems, while wheat is often associated gastrointestinal tract problems.[1]
- Since dairy is a likely culprit, phase dairy out of your diet for one month. If you experience no change in your symptoms, you've ruled out dairy as a possible allergen. If you experience an improvement in symptoms, you know that your body reacts to dairy by producing more mucus, although studies indicate a no clear link between dairy and mucus production.[2]
EditUsing Doctor-Recommended Treatments - Drink plenty of fluids to remain hydrated. Dehydration can aggravate the symptoms of rhinitis and postnasal drip. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which can cause dehydration. Water is the best choice to remain hydrated while suffering from rhinitis and postnasal drip.
- Look at your urine to determine if you're getting enough water during the day. If your urine is yellow, you're probably not getting enough water. If your urine is clearer, with at most a hint of yellow, you're probably drinking enough water.
- Blow your nose frequently to remove excess mucus in the nasal cavity. Blowing the nose can remove irritants, which causes a buildup of mucus. For mucus that cannot be cleared after blowing the nose, some people prefer snorting and spitting the excess mucus from the back of the throat, avoiding bad breath and dry mouth.
- Rinse the nasal cavity to remove mucus causing irritants. Over the counter saline kits and nasal sprays are available to rinse the nasal cavity. The saline solution flushes the irritants from the nasal cavity, thins the mucus and relieves the membranes in the nose.
- Try using a Neti pot to clear out the mucus in the sinus and the back of the throat. Be aware, however, that by using a sinus irrigation device you could be removing natural antimicrobial agents that get rid of enemy bacteria, viruses, and fungi.[3]
- Use over-the-counter decongestants to relieve the symptoms of excess mucus buildup and postnasal drip. Oral decongestants narrow the blood vessels to reduce the amount of congestion in the nasal cavity.[4] Decongestants are also available in a nasal spray.
- Use decongestants for only three days in succession. If symptoms don't get better after three days, discontinue use of decongestants.[5] Use of decongestants after three days may be more harmful than helpful.
- Remove mucus with mucus-thinning medications. Medications such as guaifenesin (Mucinex) are sold OTC and taken in tablet or syrup form.
- Ask your doctor for prescription medications to relieve irritation and mucus buildup. The physician can prescribe corticosteroid, antihistamine and anti-drip sprays to relieve postnasal drip.
- Corticosteroid sprays treat the inflammation that occurs with non-allergic rhinitis.
- Antihistamine sprays can effectively treat allergic rhinitis causes of postnasal drip but are not effective for non-allergic causes.
- Anticholinergic or anti-drip sprays are medications used in asthma inhalers, which can help treat postnasal drip as well.
EditUsing Unverified Natural Remedies - Make a salt water gargle. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to eight ounces of warm or lukewarm water and gargle after lifting your head back. To help cut the mucus even more, add the juice of 1/2 lemon to the salt water and gargle.
- Do a round of house cleaning. If allergens are haunting your sinuses, the only home treatment you may need is a treatment of your home. Try the following suggestions to remove dust, pollen, and dander from your residence before they come back to bite you — in the nose.
- Wash your clothes, sheets, pillowcases, and mattresses in hot water regularly. Hot water will kill any bacteria that may be causing your symptoms.
- Use HEPA air filters in your home. HEPA stands for high efficiency particulate air, and is an industry standard tested by the government.
- Vacuum regularly with true or absolute HEPA filters. Vacuuming with HEPA filters ensures that any allergens are picked up during the vacuuming process.
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and spicy foods. All three may make mucus production worse.
- Use steam treatments with herbs or oils. Try out a DIY steam treatment by covering your head with a towel and placing it a safe distance from a pot of warm water. Make the steam treatment aromatic by adding tea (ginger, mint, or chamomile, for example) or essential oils (lavender, rosemary, etc.).
- Take a warm shower. Let the steam of the warm water work its way into your lungs and sinuses while you bathe.
- Try the lime cure. For this you'll need 3 cups of tea (1 huge cup) and hot water. Add sugar to taste and a little honey. Squeeze in the juice of 1/2 dark green lime. Drink this concoction first thing every the morning without food. The lime will clean your liver and your stomach (full of last night's mucus due to the postnasal dripping) and you'll feel lots of energy throughout the day.
- Try not to be too warm, as this will often trigger more coughing.
- Don't lie down as the mucus will often trigger more coughing.
- Steroid medications can cause serious side effects if used long term. A physician must monitor the use of these medications.
- Decongestants can cause high blood pressure, heart palpitations, insomnia, loss of appetite and anxiety. Decongestant nasal sprays should not be used longer than three or four days to relieve postnasal drip. The medication may cause congestion to return with increased symptoms when stopped.
EditThings You'll Need - Plastic mattress covers
- Air purifier
- Humidifier
- Over the counter medications
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| How to Get Bigger Chest Muscles (Pecs) Posted: 16 Jan 2017 08:00 AM PST Who doesn't want bigger pecs? To strengthen your chest muscles and make them pop, focus on doing chest-enhancing exercises, using the right workout techniques, and eating a healthy muscle-building diet. Follow along after the jump to learn how to get bigger chest muscles in no time at all. EditExercises to Get Bigger Pectorals - Do push ups. This often-neglected exercise focuses on building up your shoulder and upper chest muscles. Lie face-down on the floor and start with your hands about shoulder-width apart, with your legs stretched behind you. Push your body up from the floor with your hands until your elbows are straight, then lower yourself back to the floor.
- Do 3 sets of 15 push-ups, or as many as you can before growing fatigued. Add more reps as you gain strength.
- Push ups also work your triceps and shoulders (deltoids).
- Try this variation: elevate your legs by placing our feet on a block or step before doing the exercise. This puts emphasis on your shoulders and upper chest.
- Get into bench pressing. This is the most popular chest building exercise of all time, and for good reason. Weight a barbell with weights appropriate for your strength level. Lie on a bench with your feet flat on the floor. Lower the barbell down to chest until you reach about 1" from your chest, then lift it straight above your chest.
- To build muscle mass and hypertrophy it is best to do between 8-12 reps of 1-3 sets. This helps the blood flow carry glycogen throughout your body, so calories will be easily burned and the exercise can continue with the help of adrenaline.
- You can also do incline bench presses by using an inclined bench. This is the same as bench pressing, only it focuses more on your upper pectoral muscles. Decline bench presses focus more on your lower pectoral muscles. Most people don't perform this exercise but it is essential in obtaining a full and rounded chest.
- Do bar dips. Stand in front of a wide-grip parallel bar. Pull the bar down and slowly raise it back up. This can be a strenuous exercise that gives you some trouble in the beginning. But it's one of the best pec workout movements you can do to build lots of chest muscle fast.
- Focus on the pecs separately. Lie down in the push up position and push up. Hold for 3 seconds, then transfer all your weight to your right hand and foot. Stick your left hand and foot up in the air as if you are doing a sideways jumping jack. Hold for 3 seconds. Repeat with your left hand and foot. Again, hold for 3 seconds.
EditTechniques to Remember When You Want to Build Muscle - Don't overwork your muscles. Many people make the mistake of lifting weights every single day, thinking that the more they work out, the bigger their muscles will get. This is actually detrimental to muscle growth; your muscles get bigger on the rest days in between workouts, when the tissues repair themselves. To make sure you're not overworking your muscles, follow these tips:
- Work out your chest muscles no more than once or twice per week. On the days when you aren't working out your chest, work other muscle groups, like your legs, arms, and back.
- Don't work out for longer than 30 minutes in a session. You'll risk damaging your muscles, and you might have to sit out for awhile instead of working on building strength and mass.
- Work out as hard as you can. When you do work out, you need to go all in. Challenge yourself to lift as much weight as you can without risking muscle damage. To find out how much weight you should be lifting, try doing reps with different weights. You should be able to do 8 - 10 reps without having to put the weights down, but you should be sweating and panting by the end of the set.
- If you can't do more than 5 or so reps without stopping, you're lifting too much weight. Scale back. As you get stronger, you can start lifting more weight.
- If you can do 10 reps without feeling a burn, add more weight. You need to challenge yourself if you want to get bigger.
- Use the right form. Have a personal trainer, instructor, or seasoned gym member show you how to do your exercises using the right form. You should generally start with your arms fully extended, and use your muscles, not momentum, to complete each motion.
- Using the wrong form can cause muscle damage, so make sure you know what you're doing.
- If you can't complete a motion with a particular weight, it might be too heavy for you. For example, if you can't straighten your arms while you're bench pressing, ease off on the weight.
EditDietary Habits that Increase Muscle Mass - Don't eat too many calories. People often believe that to get big muscles, you need to eat a lot of calories. You do need to be eating enough calories to give you energy through training, but not so many that your body has to work on burning fat instead of building muscle. Being lean helps the muscles you're working so hard to build look more visible.
- Stay away from empty carbohydrates like pasta, white bread, cakes, cookies, and other baked goods. Choose whole grains.
- Don't eat too many foods that are processed or fried, and limit fast food and snacks.
- Eat plenty of protein. Protein is a building block for muscle, and you're going to need a lot of it if you want a big chest. You can get your protein from a multitude of sources - not just meat. Consider these options:
- Lean meats like chicken, fish, lean beef, and pork.
- Eggs and low-fat dairy.
- Nuts and beans.
- Kale, spinach, and other vegetables that have protein.
- Tofu and soy
- Consider taking supplements. Many people who are working on building muscles take creatine, a powdered amino acid that is mixed with water and ingested three or more times daily. It is considered safe to consume by the FDA, since it's composed of the same protein that our bodies produce naturally to build muscle.
- You may also consider taking a protein shake supplement it is one of the most beneficial supplements to gaining muscle and leading an overall healthy life.
- Listen to music while working out!
- Don't stop working out just because you don't see results in a week. Over time change will come.
- Do swimming. It's great for upper body strength.
- Don't eat too many calories, but keep in mind to not starve yourself either.
- Always warm up before doing exercise.
- Drink plenty of water.
- While working out, you have to remember that you have to get other vitamins as well. So pack up on fruits, vegetables, and grains(very little). Try to get sugar from only fruits.
- Leave at least 100 hours between working the same muscle group, preferably until ALL soreness is gone.
- Vegetarians do not have to lack protein. Soy products (usually contain the most protein of all) are sold in grocery stores and food markets.
- Concentrate on the motion. If you're not feeling the muscle tense (shake), you're not doing it correctly or the weight is too low. Also remember to take your time with the motion. Slow and steady reps is more beneficial to your body than fast, shaky reps.
- Make sure to get a healthy amount of sleep when exercising or physically exerting yourself. It is important that you rest your muscles in order to grow.
- Consistency is the key! Be sure to have a proper diet without skipping meals.
- Don't doubt yourself, work hard!
- Get .5 to 1 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Get your protein from meat, chicken, milk, beans, pulses, fish (tuna has a very small amount of fat and calories but a large amount of protein), and eggs as they are cheap and a good source of protein.
- Make sure to do all the exercises with proper form. Once you do that you can add weight to your routines.
- Don't start with too much weight. Always start small, otherwise you might risk pulling a muscle or two.
- Don't over exercise yourself, it can cause serious injury.
- Though dips are good for your pecs they are hard on your shoulders. Use caution when doing dips to avoid shoulder injuries.
- Always consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.
EditThings You'll Need - Weights and exercise equipment
- Local gym (optional)
- Trainer/physical instructor
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| How to Train a Cockatiel to Talk Posted: 16 Jan 2017 12:00 AM PST Cockatiels can make great pets and teaching them to talk can be a great way for you and your pet to bond. A talking cockatiel repeats syllables, making a robotic replication of words or noises you say to it. Your cockatiel's speech will never sound as clear as that of a parrot, but with some work you should be able to understand the words it says to you. In order to get your cockatiel to talk to you, you must first teach it to talk and then work with the bird to reinforce and expand its vocabulary. EditMaking Your Cockatiel Comfortable - Bond with the bird first. Human interaction is key to teaching a cockatiel to talk. While some people believe you can teach a bird to talk and tame it at the same time, this is a false belief. Instead, you need to bond with the bird and get it used to its home before talking training.
- If you need some help taming a bird, your local veterinarian or pet store owner can help you, or an experienced friend can too.
- Make sure your cockatiel is healthy. Make sure your bird has enough food and water, as well as enough space in its cage. Also make sure that your bird is in good physical health by taking it for veterinary checkups on a regular basis. If your cockatiel is feeling under the weather, it is less likely to want to chat with you.
- Make sure your cockatiel is happy. Give it lots of attention and mental stimulation. Teaching the cockatiel to talk is part of that attention, but you also want to give it toys to play with and praise and affection whether it is talking or not.A cockatiel's brain needs to be stimulated in order for it to be happy.
- Also make sure that the bird is in an environment that it likes. That way the bird will feel more comfortable when learning words.
EditTeaching Your Cockatiel to Repeat Words - Train the bird in a quiet place. This will allow your bird to focus on you and your words. If your bird is easily distracted you can even try talking to it while its cage is covered. This will eliminate visual distractions as well.[1]
- Introduce the bird to one phrase at a time. Keep it easy and short and use one that you say frequently, for instance the bird's name.[2] If you want to teach it something other than its name, remember that the phrase should be simple, containing one or two words that are relatively high pitched.
- Since cockatiels have high pitches voices, you may not be able to teach it words that you say in a low tone.
- Use the words at the right time, such as don't teach it "Good morning" in the night when you are about to sleep, and vice versa.
- Focus on words that your bird "likes." Look at the cockatiel's eyes. Are its pupils getting larger when you say a certain word? Does the bird's crest go up to indicate excitement or interest? If you see neither, you may not be teaching the bird a word it likes saying.
- The cockatiel may not be repeating your phrase for other reasons too. For instance, it may be that the bird is not physically able to say it.
- Strengthen the behavior with positive reinforcement. Give the bird lots of treats and attention whenever the bird says a word correctly. Depending on your birds preferences, there isn't really a "right" thing to do. Some birds may like human food better, but some may like special bird treats. What ever you do, make it positive.[3]
- Repeat the phrase often and be patient. No matter how smart your birdie is, it will not be Einstein. You must be patient, otherwise your bird will become frightened of you and you will have lost all the progress you have achieved. One single hand movement can do this, so be careful
- Complicate and increase the phrases you teach the cockatiel. Once your bird has one phrase down, give it more to learn. After all, you don't want to hear just one phrase from your bird all day.
- Try narrating things you do for your cockatiel. When you feed it an apple, say "want a treat?" If you do this enough, and your bird likes talking, it may start saying the phrase when it sees the treat coming.[4]
- Try whistling at your cockatiel. If you give it a simple series of notes repeatedly, it just might repeat it back to you. Be warned, however, that once a cockatiel learns how to whistle, it may choose whistling over talking. This is because whistling is easier for the bird.[5]
- If you are looking into adopting a cockatiel and you want to train it to talk, consider adopting a male. Male cockatiels tend to speak more than female cockatiels.
- Your bird may start talking just to get your attention, and will stop once you arrive. He or she will learn that once it says a word it refuses to say, you will give it lots of attention and love, and they may use it for their own good.
- Get a cockatiel recording to play to the bird. These repeat short words and sounds for your bird and can be played even when you're not home.[6] You can also make your own! Get a tape recorder, and then record about 6 minutes of the words you want it to say. Include about 3 to 4 rests, depending on your bird's attention span. Play the tape for your bird, to help it learn when you are not actively training it.
- Training a cockatiel can be tricky if your bird is too old. The best time to train them to talk is when they are about 8 to 10 months old.
- Cockatiels in pairs are less likely to talk. This is because they are more likely to bond with each other than with humans.[7]
- Don't get frustrated. Each bird is different and will take a different amount of training before it speaks. In fact, some birds will never speak. Do your best and don't get angry with the bird, as it will not respond well to anger. Anger is likely to deter it from talking even more.
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