| How to Treat a Rattlesnake Bite Posted: 01 Sep 2016 05:00 PM PDT You've probably heard a number of myths concerning snakebites and the proper treatment for them. Since rattlesnake bites can be fatal, the treatment is very important. The best possible response to a rattlesnake bite is to get to the hospital as quickly as possible, though you can do a few things to help the bite before the ambulance arrives if you're in an area where you can dial 911. EditTaking First Steps - Move away from the rattlesnake. If the snake feels threatened, it can strike again. Therefore, the person who was bitten should move out of range of the snake.[1] Get at least 20 feet away from the snake.
- Get medical attention. It's important to seek medical attention as quickly as possible. Most hospitals will have an appropriate antivenom, and most treatments attempted by people before the hospital do not help much. If you're in an area where you can dial 911, that is your best option. If not, try to find help to take you or the injured person to the nearest hospital.[2]
- Even if you're not sure if you were bitten by a rattlesnake, it's important to go to the hospital immediately. It's better to be at the hospital if you start to exhibit symptoms of the venom entering your body.[3]
- Do NOT maneuver the area above the heart. If you place the area above the heart, the blood containing venom from the bite will go to the heart more quickly.[4]
- Keep the person immobile. If possible, keep the person from moving until help arrives. Movement increases blood flow, spreading the venom more readily. Therefore, you or the person bitten should try not to move as much as possible.[5]
- Of course, if you are alone, it is more important to find help than to stay immobile.[6]
EditTreating the Bite - Remove clothing and jewelry. The area around a snakebite can swell significantly, so cut away or take off any clothing near the bite. Also, remove jewelry from the area, as well. If it is not taken off before the area swells, it can constrict blood flow, and jewelry may need to be cut off.[7]
- Let the wound bleed. Allow the bite to bleed freely for about half a minute. This process may allow some of the venom to flow out of the wound.[8]
- Use a pump suction device. It is good to try to suck out the venom, but only if you have a device made for that purpose. The pump will come with instructions of how to use it, but basically, you place the pump over the bite to help suck out the venom.[9]
- Place a clean bandage on the wound. Don't wash the wound, as that can remove the venom from your skin. The medical professionals may be able to use what's on your skin to assist in your treatment, by allowing them to figure out what kind of rattlesnake you were bitten by.[10]
- Tie a splint or sling around the limb. A sling or splint can help keep the wound immobile, helping to slow the blood flow to the area. In turn, that can keep the venom from spreading as much.[11]
- To make an arm sling, make a triangle out of fabric by folding it or cutting it. Wrap the triangle around the arm with the elbow at the middle point. Your arm or the person's arm should be bent at the elbow to fit into the sling. Tie the other two ends together around the shoulder. Let the hand stick out at the base of the triangle.[12]
- Find items to support the limb, such as sticks, rolled-up newspapers, or even rolled-up fabric. Lay the supports alongside the limb, trying to incorporate a joint above and below the wound. Secure the supports to the limb with whatever you have on hand, from belts to tape to bandages. Don't wrap around the wound; wrap on either side of it. If the wound swells too much, you may need to decrease the pressure of the splint.[13]
EditWaiting for Help - Soothe the person. Talk to them. Ask them questions to help keep their mind off the bite.[14] Anxiety and panic can increase the heartbeat and make it easier for the venom to spread.[15]
- If you're the one who's been bitten, try to remain calm. Take a few slow, deep breaths to help soothe your nerves.
- You can also call Poison Control services while you wait.
- Watch for swelling and discoloration. One of the easiest ways to tell the bite was most likely venomous is to watch for the area to swell. It may also change colors.[16]
- Another indication of a venomous snakebite is one to two puncture wounds rather than a row of small punctures, indicating smaller teeth.[17]
- Also, dizziness, pain at the site, blurred vision, and prickling in other parts of the body are signs of a venomous bite, as well as heavy sweating.[18]
- Look for signs of shock. One symptom is paleness.[19] Other signs of shock include rapid heartbeat, fast breathing, nausea, and dizziness. Also, look for a person's pupils getting larger.[20]
- If the person starts to go into shock, lay them down on their back, raising their feet up at least a foot. Also, keep the person warm by wrapping them in a blanket or an extra layer of clothing.[21]
- Start CPR if the person does not show signs of life, such as breathing, coughing or movement.[22]
- Avoid alcohol or caffeine. These substances make your body take in the venom more quickly. Therefore, do not drink these beverages immediately after having been bitten by a rattlesnake.[23]
EditKnowing What to Avoid - Don't cut the wound.[24] Popular belief suggests cutting the bites can help release the venom. However, tests have proven that this method doesn't help, and you can infect the wound if you use a dirty knife.[25]
- Don't suck the wound with your mouth. By sucking, you introduce the venom to your mouth. Also, your mouth is bacteria-ridden, so you could also infect the bite with germs from your mouth.[26]
- In fact, within 15 minutes, the venom has already entered the lymphatic system, so sucking after this point is useless.[27]
- Don't apply a tourniquet. A tourniquet cuts off blood flow to the limb. This advice was given in the past, as it was thought to stop the venom from traveling to the rest of the body. However, it often does more harm than good.[28]
- Don't apply ice or immerse the wound in water.[29] It's important to keep preserve the viable tissue for as long as possible. Using ice or water would not help the preservation because it would slow blood circulation.[30]
- Don't pee on the bite. A common myth is to urinate on the bite to help neutralize toxins. Urine will not help the bite. Instead, spend that time getting to the hospital.[31]
- Don't give the person anything to eat or drink while waiting for care.[32] This includes medication and alcohol. You want to keep the metabolism low.[33]
- If you hike in areas where there are snakes, do not hike alone, and consider buying a snake bite kit.
- If you see a snake, do not touch it and back away slowly from it.[34]
- Be aware that snakes may be swimming in water or hiding under debris or other objects.[35]
- Never stick your hand or leg in a hole or under a rock without looking first to see if there's a snake.[36]
- Wear hiking boots instead of sandals when hiking to protect your feet.[37]
- If you get bitten by a rattlesnake, immediately call emergency number (911 in US) or if possible, send someone to do it for you.
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| How to Find Your Purpose in Life Posted: 01 Sep 2016 09:00 AM PDT If you don't feel fulfilled by or happy with your life, you may decide to evaluate your life's purpose. While this can be a challenging self-examination that may lead you to believe that you've been living life the "wrong way," take heart; it's never too late to begin living the life that you want to live—a life that is meaningful and happy. Find your life's purpose, then take action to implement the kind of life you really want to live. EditEvaluating Your Interests - Keep a purpose journal. Journaling is a useful tool for making any changes to your life or your perspective. Create a dedicated journal that will help you write down and explore your thoughts about your life's purpose, you passions, and your joys.[1]
- Do not worry about how your writing sounds; this journal is just for you, and no one else will read it. It's important that you are completely open and honest, not that the writing is particularly good.
- Question yourself. To begin assessing your life's purpose, it's important to assess what you love to do, what you currently do, and what needs to change to live a more purposeful life. Some questions to consider are:[2] [3]
- When have you been happiest in your life?
- What has made you truly proud of yourself?
- What qualities do you most admire in other people?
- What makes you feel really alive and energized?
- How happy do you feel on an everyday basis?
- If you had one week to live, how would you spend that week?
- What "shoulds" are overriding your "want tos"?
- If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
- What one change could make your life happier?
- List your interests and passions. Write down the things that you enjoy spending time doing. These can be related to your work, your personal life, or your home life. They should be things that make you happy, that you really enjoy doing. These are things that you enjoy doing without getting paid to do them,[4] and they are likely things that cause you to lose track of time.
- Write down what you love. The things and people that you love are very important to the quality of your life and how you spend your time.[5] Acknowledging the things and people that you love can help you focus your passions and your purpose. Focusing on things that you love with your heart, rather than value with reason, can bring you closer to your true passions.[6]
- If your primary loves are your family, you are unlikely to feel fulfilled if your life is dominated by a career that causes you to spend almost all of your time away from them.
- Find your joy. This is similar to your interests and passions, but finding your joy is a little more focused.[7] To find your joy, think about what makes you feel blissfully happy. Think about the last time you laughed so hard your sides hurt, or smiled so much that your cheeks were sore.
- It can be useful to think about the type of play you most enjoyed as a child.[8] Does similar play (or work that mimics that sort of play) bring you a child-like joy?
- Use backwards planning. Imagine yourself at 90 years old. Imagine that you are looking back on your life, and you are completely content that you lived a meaningful, wonderful life.[9] Imagine what the specifics of that life are, then work backwards through time to determine what you need to do by each decade between now and 90 in order to life that complete life.
- For example, say that you picture yourself 90 years old, surrounded by great-grandchildren, happily retired after a successful career helping your community, living in your own home with a lot of land.
- This tells you that you want to have a family, that you'd like to have a career helping others, and that you would like to live independently in a rural setting.
- Your backwards planning could lead you to determine that you should start having children when you are 28, you'd like to find a position as a social worker by 25, and you should maintain your health constantly so that you can continue to live independently in old age.
EditStepping Outside Yourself - Determine the purpose of humanity. This is a weighty question, and it may take some time and reflection to decide, but if you can determine what you think the purpose of humanity is, you can scale that idea down and apply it to your own life.[10]
- For example, you may decide that the purpose of humanity is to help each other thrive in the world. Your own personal purpose can then be to help people in your community thrive, and you can determine what steps you need to take to work towards that.
- Find people who inspire you. Think about people whom you find truly inspiring. These can be world leaders, historical figures, or people from your own life. Think about why these people are inspirational, and determine specific actions or characteristics they have that you'd like to emulate. .
- You may want to keep this list in your purpose journal. Remember that you do not have to admire or emulate every aspect of an individual—rather, you are using the individual to home in on specific characteristics that you would like to have too.
- Leave your bubble. Leaving your personal bubble, or your comfort zone, means having a broader view of the world and the people in it.[11] We tend to be somewhat self-centered in our day-to-day lives, but leaving your bubble gives you the opportunity to view the wider world around you. With this renewed realization of the rest of the world, you can more objectively see your place in the world and evaluate your passions and purpose.
- Once you have a greater awareness of other people around you, decide how you want to interact with those people. Determine how you would like other people to view you in relation to themselves, and then work to be that person for them.
- Ask friends what your strengths are. If you are having difficulty assessing yourself, or if you'd like a second opinion, ask some close friends what they think your strengths are.[12] They may offer some insight that you have trouble seeing yourself.
- For example, you may not realize that your own actions inspire your friends to want to emulate you. A friend might say, "I think you are great at putting a plan into action once it's made, rather than waiting for someone else to get started." You can tie this strength into your purpose.
- Stop thinking in absolutes. Many people think that their purpose (or their career, or their interests) have to revolve around one thing.[13] But sometimes our passions are about balancing multiple interests that fulfill different aspects of our needs and wants. Realizing that your one purpose (if you choose to limit it to one) can be made up of multiple facets can offer you more flexibility in setting that purpose.
- For example, if your life's purpose is "to bring happiness to myself and others," you may have the sub-purposes "to feel fulfilled in my work, to be patient with my family, to make my kids laugh, and to listen well to my friends." All of these work towards your greater purpose.
- The advantage to having multiple facets to your life's purpose is that if one area is lagging or not going well, you won't feel like you're entirely off track. For example, if your work life is not fulfilling, but your home and social lives are, you can still feel like you're working towards happiness.
- Set your purpose. After you have evaluated yourself and expanded your view outside of yourself, decide what you'd like your life's purpose to be. Remember that it's okay if it changes in the future. It's important to have a goal and direction now, even if you alter it later as you change and grow.
- Once you have decided your purpose, write it down. Post it somewhere that you can read it every day, reminding yourself of what you want in life. You can ask yourself each day if you've done things to work towards that purpose.
EditActing on Your Purpose - Write your personal mission statement. Another way to think of your life's purpose is to frame it as a personal mission statement. You may want to convert your set purpose into a personal mission statement, which tends to take a more active, actionable format.
- Meditate to set your intentions. Meditation or mindful yoga can be useful for setting your intention for your day, your week, your year, and your life. Clearing your mind and allowing yourself to picture your life the way you'd like for it to be can help you make steps towards living that life of your dreams.[14]
- Stop trying to please other people. Even if your purpose has a social element to it, trying to please people around you on a daily basis is likely to hinder, not help, your overall purpose. Be sure that the actions you're taking in your life are your choice, not the choices of other people around you.
- Often, people do not know what is likely to make them truly happy, so even if your goal is to bring happiness to yourself and others, meeting the immediate demands of others won't help you live your purpose.
- List the actions that lead towards your purpose. In your purpose journal, write a list of actions that you can take that will lead you directly towards your life's purpose. You may not be able to take each action immediately, but realizing the steps that you should take to reach your purposeful life can help you move in the right direction.
- For example, if your current career is not fulfilling and doesn't mesh with your life's purpose, you may write "find a new career" on the list. However, you may not want to immediately quit your current job before finding a new one due to the practicalities of paying bills and keeping your family housed and fed.
- Divide your list into short-term, medium-term, and long-term changes.
- Do the things that lead you to fulfill your purpose. Once you have determined the actions you will need to take to fulfill your life's purpose, take those steps. Begin with the short-term changes and work towards long-term changes. Sometimes taking action instead of thinking too hard can bring you greater clarity and happiness.[15].
- Revisit your journal. Be sure to go back and read your purpose journal and related lists periodically to make changes, add to it, or remind yourself of your purpose. After some time has passed, you may find yourself drifting back into the comfortable familiarity of your daily life. While there is nothing wrong with this, you will likely feel more fulfilled generally if you are working toward your now-established life's purpose.
- Avoid activities that counter or distract from your purpose. It would certainly be difficult to avoid doing any activity that doesn't directly work towards your life's purpose. If you want to bring happiness to yourself and others, but you don't like doing laundry, you will likely still need to do laundry occasionally. However, you can avoid doing activities that work against your life's purpose.
- For example, if your purpose is to bring happiness to yourself and others, you should avoid saying things that are hurtful to others. You should avoid things that make you truly unhappy, like spending time with individuals that cause you to feel bad about yourself.
- Keep in mind that often, we find our purpose along the way. It is often stated after one's life has ended that they had a purpose, based on the events and choices of one's life.
- As you increase the amount of time spent fulfilling your life's purpose, you'll notice it's easy to make decisions in life as you ask the question "Does this opportunity fit in with my passions, actions, and genius?" Over time, you'll spend more and more of your days living your life's purpose, and you'll feel happier and healthier than ever before.
- We often look at our purpose as a way to answer everything right now or something that can only be fulfilled way into the future. While one's life purpose may ultimately be fulfilled far into the future, find ways to start NOW.
- Sometimes it's better (and easier) to know what you don't want than to know what exactly you want. If you need to, start by listing what you don't want to do (or be), then work towards figuring out what you do want.
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| How to Lower Triglyceride Levels Posted: 01 Sep 2016 01:00 AM PDT There is a well-known association between elevated triglycerides and cardiovascular disease. However, the extent to which triglycerides directly cause cardiovascular disease (CVD) or represent a biomarker of risk has been debated for decades. In the United States, the mean triglyceride levels have continued to rise over the past fifty years. This has a correlation to the rise in rates of type II diabetes, insulin resistance, and obesity resistance. The American Heart Association guidelines indicate lifestyle strategies to be largely effective in impacting triglyceride levels.[1] This means that lifestyle changes, along with medicine in some cases, can help effectively lower your triglyceride levels. EditChanging Your Diet and Lifestyle - Reduce refined sugars and simple carbohydrates. To help reduce your triglycerides, you should eliminate or limit refined sugars and simple carbohydrates. These often go hand in hand, with many products having both. These include white flour, white sugar, sugary carbonated soda, candy, cakes, pastries, breads, cereals, and pasta.
- Instead, include some healthy complex carbohydrates in your diet, such as brown rice, quinoa, millet, barley, whole grain bread, and whole wheat pasta. The added fiber in these foods will also help pull the triglycerides from your system.
- You should also avoid any product with high fructose corn syrup in it because of its elevated sugar content.[2][3]
- It is a common misconception that consuming high levels of carbohydrates only impacts blood sugar. It also impacts triglyceride levels.
- Eat fresh foods. Instead of eating fast or poorly prepared food full of trans and saturated fats and calories, make as much food as you can at home. Fresh vegetables and fruit are much better for you than canned or frozen, which can have hidden ingredients or fats. The fiber and nutrients in fresh produce will help lower your triglyceride levels and help you maintain a healthy weight.
- All of your vegetables should be fresh if possible with your budget. When making a meal, vegetables should comprise two-thirds of your plate.[4][5]
- If you can't afford fresh food at the grocery store, look for a farmer's market or co-op that might have lower rates on fresh produce.
- Vegetables and fruits are high in fiber. Fiber is very effective to help lower triglyceride levels.
- Eat more protein. Protein can help decrease your triglyceride levels. Focus on lean, healthy meats, such as skinless chicken and lean red meat, instead of fatty red meat or unskinned chicken. You can also get your protein from plant sources, such as beans, certain legumes, and soy products.[6]
- Consume healthy fish. Fish are full of omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for lowering triglyceride levels. Incorporate fish into your diet at least two to three times a week. This includes fish such as tuna, salmon, and mackerel.
- This will also help you cut down on red meats and other fatty meats.
- You can also get omega-3s from dark leafy green vegetables, flaxseeds, walnuts, soy products, and legumes.[7][8]
- Choose better fats. The oil you use can greatly impact the kinds of fat you eat. Instead of using vegetable oil, use olive, peanut, canola, walnut, flaxseed, or coconut oil. These have healthy monounsaturated fats instead, which are much better for your body.
- Also avoid products with hydrogenated oils in them. Look on the labels of any store bought food product to ensure you eliminate any with these harmful oils in them.[9][10]
- Contrary to what you might think, fats are not the enemy. In fact, healthy fats can actually help improve triglyceride levels.
- Drink less alcohol. Alcohol raises your triglyceride levels. It is also full of empty calories and sugar, which also contribute to the rise in triglyceride levels. Try to eliminate your alcohol consumption altogether. If you can't, limit it to one drink a day.
- This is true for all types of alcoholic beverages, including beer, wine, and hard liquor. [11][12]
- Exercise. Exercise has a dramatic impact on triglyceride levels. The American Heart Association recommends sustained aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes five days a week and muscle toning exercises for 20 to 30 minutes twice a week.[13]
- Switch up your workout routine so you don't get bored. Go walking, hiking, jogging, swimming, or biking. Try classes in yoga, spinning, pilates, or weight training. Just keep mixing it up so you don't get bored.
- This will also help you lose weight. Even a loss of 10 pounds can greatly affect your triglyceride levels. Ask your doctor what the ideal weight is for your body type and situation.[14]
EditUsing Medication and Supplements - Take fibrates. Fibrates are medications that help lower your triglyceride levels that can help with triglyceride levels. These work best in those with levels over 500 mg/dL. Ask your doctor before taking these with any other medications to avoid side effects.
- Try different kinds, such as gemfibrozil, which should be taken by mouth in a dose of 1200 mg daily. You can also try fenofibrate, which is taken in a dose of 145 mg orally every day.[15][16]
- Try niacin. Niacin, also called nicotinic acid, is the most effective triglyceride lowering agent for those with levels over 500 mg/dL. It helps your bad cholesterol levels as well. The supplement can be bought over the counter, but talk to your doctor before taking it. The recommended dosage is 1500 to 2000 mg per day.
- Some patients do not react well to it because it causes flushing. [17][18]
- Use fish oils. Fish oils, also known as omega 3 fatty acids, are supplements of the natural fats found in healthy fish. You need high doses of this supplement for it to be effective, so it is best used by those with levels over 500 mg/dL.
- Although most fish oil supplements are not regulated by the FDA, you can take Vascepa, a 1 gm ultra pure FDA approved omega-3 fatty acid supplement. You can also take the first prescription form, Epanova, but only if your levels are above 500 mg/dL and it is prescribed by your doctor.
- Supplements should be taken in doses of 4 grams per day.[19][20]
- Take statins. Statins are typically used to lower cholesterol, but they are also used to lower triglycerides. These are typically only prescribed if you also have high bad cholesterol levels, low good cholesterol levels, or have a history or blocked arteries.
- Ask about prescriptions atorvastatins such as Lipitor or simvastatins such as Zocor. [21]
EditUnderstanding Triglycerides - Recognize the link to an unhealthy diet. Triglycerides are consumed in the diet, with certain "culprit" foods containing more of these triglycerides than others. We know that triglycerides have little nutritional value but a significant number of calories. There are associations with obesity and hypertriglyceridemia, or high triglyceride levels. There are growing consensus among researchers that what you eat is to a large extent causing disease.
- In a study of pre-diagnosed breast cancer patients who were awaiting biopsy, a triglyceride study was taken. Around 84 patients were diagnosed with breast cancer and also had elevated levels of triglycerides. The women were also found to have extremely low levels of beta-carotene, which is found in fresh carrots.[22] These statistics show that these participants did not have a healthy diet.
- Understand other causes. Other than an unhealthy diet, there are other conditions that can cause high levels of triglycerides. Make sure you tell your doctor any medical history or medication you take in order to help pinpoint why your levels may be high. High levels can be caused by:
- Liver damage and cirrhosis
- Uncontrolled diabetes
- Kidney disorders
- A diet low in protein and high in carbohydrates
- Genetic disorders
- Underactive thyroid
- Medications, including female hormones[23]
- Learn the side effects. High triglyceride levels contribute to heart disease. Elevated triglycerides also cause acute pancreatitis, which can be life-threatening.[24]
- In addition to these conditions, elevated triglycerides have been shown to cause problems in men. In the study of approximately 1200 male participants, a correlation was found between subclinical hypothyroidism and cardiovascular disease among males 50 years and younger, where hypothyroidism was discovered and diagnosed in approximately 20% of the population. It was discovered that these young males had a statistically significant rate of cardiovascular disease and elevated triglycerides.[25]
- Understand the link between cancer and triglycerides levels. Research is still being done on triglycerides, and their role in disease is difficult to determine because there are so many factors that go into it. However, triglycerides are found in unhealthy foods, which can cause obesity. Obesity leads to an increase in fat cells that secrete estrogen in men and women, which is linked to several cancers.
- A large study of triglyceride risk and cancer was done, with 156,000 patients with elevated triglycerides (ETG) studied over the course of 10 years in Austria. Over this period, 5,079 cancers were found in men and 4,738 were found in women. The study's conclusions indicated that rectal, lung, thyroid, prostate, and all gynecologic and breast cancers were associated with an increased triglyceride level.[26]
- In another study of 5.24 million subjects from the United Kingdom, 166,955 developed cancer. This study led to the discovery that for every 5 kilogram per meter-squared increase in BMI, there is an associated higher risk of cancers of the uterus, kidney, cervix, thyroid, liver, colon, ovaries, and breast.[27]
- Get your triglyceride levels checked. When you have your triglycerides checked, your doctor will take your blood and check the levels in it. You should fast eight to 12 hours before your blood is taken and do not work out before the test. The results of the test can vary within a large scale, ranging from normal to very high. The scale of values is:
- Normal is <150 mg/dL
- Borderline is 150-199 mg/dL
- High is 200-499 mg/dL
- Very High is >500 mg/dL
- Levels of 1000 mg/dL are associated with pancreatitis, which is extremely dangerous.[28]
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