| How to Grow Oats Posted: 20 Jan 2018 04:00 PM PST Oats can serve many different purposes, whether you eat them, feed them to your farm animals, or use them to benefit your farmland. While oat seeds need a certain soil condition and proper care in order to thrive, growing oats is a relatively simple and straightforward process. EditIn a Hurry? The best way to grow oats is to find an area where the soil has a pH between 6 and 7. In early spring or fall, weed and till the planting area. Then, lay the oat seeds apart in rows. Rake soil over the seeds and keep the soil moist. Pull any weeds that pop up as the oats grow. To learn about harvesting your oats, scroll down! EditChoosing and Preparing a Planting Location - Choose a location with a pH between 6 and 7. As with many plants, oats flourish in soil that has a pH that falls within this range.[1] To start off on the right foot, test the soil with a commercial pH probe or a pH test strip in the area where you plan to plant your oat seeds. If the pH doesn't fall between 6 and 7, try a different location or adjust the pH.
- You can raise the pH by adding limestone to the soil.
- You can lower the pH by adding a fertilizer that contains ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, or urea to the soil.[2]
- Remove all weeds from the area where you'll be planting oats. Oats have a difficult time growing properly and thriving if they're grown in a weed-infested environment. Before planting your oat seeds, use a weeding tool to loosen the soil around the weeds in the area and then pull the weeds out of the ground one by one.[3]
- Some weeding tools that you can use include a Japanese Farmer's Knife or a Cape Cod Weeder.
- Till the soil. Once the soil is free of weeds, use a tiller or cultivator to break up the soil and prepare it for planting the oat seeds. Refer to the manufacturer's instructions and push the tiller in parallel lines across the entire area that you plan to use for planting. When you're done, push the tiller in lines that are perpendicular to the others.[4]
- If you don't have a tiller, you can rent one from a home improvement store or from a lawn and garden equipment rental store or website.
EditPlanting and Caring for the Oats - Plant the seeds during spring or fall. When you plant your seeds depends on what you plan to use the oats for. If you're growing oats for food, plant them in the spring so you have a summer harvest. If you're growing oats for ground cover, plant your seeds in the early spring for green manure and plant them in the fall if you're hoping to get a winter-killed ground cover.[5]
- Lay the oat seeds apart in rows. It's best to plant your seeds in evenly spaced rows. Within the row, drop a seed onto the top of the soil every . Continue doing this until you've filled the planting area completely.[6]
- Walk over each row to push the seeds down. After you've dropped all of your oat seeds onto the soil, rake over the soil to smooth it out. The seeds need to be planted less than below the surface, and walking across them should allow this to happen.[7]
- If your soil has a high clay content, avoid walking over it so it doesn't get too compacted.
- Don't walk over your soil when it's wet.
- If your soil is wet or easily compacted, you can lay a wooden board over it and walk across the board instead of walking directly on the soil.
- Keep the soil continuously moist. Stick your fingers about or so into the soil as often as possible to make sure that it doesn't feel dry. When it does feel dry, water the oats to encourage them to thrive.[8]
- Weed the area once your oats start growing. Although weeding the area before you plant the oat seeds is beneficial and necessary, you'll need to continue doing it if you want your oats to thrive. When you water your oats, check for weeds and remove any that have popped up.[9]
EditHarvesting the Oats - Harvest once the seed heads are dry. As you watch the oats grow and develop seed heads, gently touch a few of them to see if they're damp or dry. Once, they're dry to the touch, it's time to harvest the oats.[10]
- It typically takes about 6 months from the time the seeds are planted until the oats are ready to be harvested.
- Cut off the oat seed heads and separate the grains from the stalks. Cut the seed heads off of the rest of the plant with garden shears or simply snap them off with your hands. Put the seed heads into a bucket and shake it to crack open the seed heads. Then, pull out the grains by hand.[11]
- You can separate out the grains in a number of other ways, including putting them in a pillowcase and beating them against a wall.
- Store oats in a cool, dry area. Keep your grains in an airtight container and then place the container somewhere in your home that is relatively cold and dry for as long as 3 months. You can also freeze them for up to 2 years if you prefer a long term storage option.[12]
- If you have farm animals, you can put the discarded stalks in your barn stalls and use them for bedding.[13]
EditThings You'll Need - Commercial probe or pH testing strips
- Weeding tools
- Tiller or cultivator
- Garden shears (optional)
- Bucket or pillowcase
- Airtight container
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| How to Diagnose Lymphoma Posted: 20 Jan 2018 08:00 AM PST Lymphoma is a group of blood cancers that develop in the lymphatic system. They are generally divided into 2 groups, Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, although the term non-Hodgkin lymphoma encapsulates a variety of lymphomas. Both general types of lymphoma have similar basic symptoms, so if you spot them you won't initially know what type of lymphoma might be developing. Lymphoma is properly diagnosed by identifying common symptoms and then getting a medical diagnosis. In order to give a proper diagnosis, your doctor will run a variety of tests on you, typically including imaging and a biopsy of one of your lymph nodes. EditSpotting the Symptoms of Lymphoma - Feel for swelling in your lymph nodes. The most common symptom of lymphoma that people identify is a swollen lymph node. The swelling typically causes a lump that can be seen and felt right under the skin. This lump can be located on the neck, armpit, or groin.[1]
- Lumps associated with lymphoma are typically not painful. This can make them hard to detect sometimes.
- Be aware of extreme night sweats. If you are waking up drenched in sweat, it could be a symptom of lymphoma. Lymphoma can cause you to have night sweats that will soak both you and your bed in sweat.[2]
- You may also have chills at night.
- Night sweats can be caused by a variety of illnesses, so getting night sweats does not automatically mean you have lymphoma.
- Keep track of unintended weight loss. Lymphoma can cause both unexplained weight loss and weight loss due to lack of appetite. If you have lost your interest in eating or you have lost weight for no discernible reason, it could be due to lymphoma.[3]
- If you weigh yourself on a regular basis it will be easier to tell if you have unexpectedly lost weight.
- Be on the lookout for bloating, swelling, and pain in your abdomen. These problems in the abdomen are caused by an enlargement of the spleen or liver. This is a common occurrence with some types of lymphoma.[4]
- This enlargement of the spleen or liver can also give you a feeling of fullness, even when you have not eaten. This is due to the enlarged organ pushing on your stomach.
- Look for itchy or rashy skin. There are certain types of lymphoma that can cause a red, irritated patch of skin to appear. These patches may look like a sunburn or may appear as red bumps that are located right below the surface of the skin.[5]
- This type of symptom is most often associated with a group of rare lymphomas that begin in the skin.[6]
- Notice unusual fatigue. Lymphoma can make you extremely tired for no discernible reason. If you are tired all the time and you cannot figure out any reason for it, you should see a doctor to be examined for causes.[7]
- Pay attention to problems with your respiratory system. Coughing, shortness of breath, and chest pain are all symptoms of lymphoma. If you have these symptoms in combination with swollen lymph nodes, you should be seen by a doctor for assessment.[8]
- If you are having difficulty breathing, this can be a life-threatening problem. When associated with lymphoma, it may be that an enlarged node is obstructing your breathing. Get medical treatment right away.[9]
- Take your temperature. A symptom of both non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphoma is a fever that has no explanation. If you are feeling warm and you have no other symptoms of common illnesses, such as a cold, then you should take your temperature. If you have an unexplained fever, you should seek out medical care to figure out the cause of it.[10]
- Assess symptoms for specific types of lymphoma. There are a variety of symptoms that can occur when lymphoma takes hold in specific parts of the body. These include, but are not limited to:[11]
- Lymph node pain after drinking alcohol
- Headaches
- Seizures
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Personality changes
- Trouble thinking
- Take risk factors into consideration. There are some factors that increase your likelihood of getting lymphoma. If you have one of the risk factors, it's important to be vigilant about keeping an eye out for symptoms and signs of the disease. Risk factors for lymphoma include:[12]
- Heredity
- Exposure to illnesses that impact the immune system, including HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, and Epstein-Barr.
EditGetting a Medical Diagnosis - See your doctor. If you have swelling in your lymph nodes and other symptoms related to lymphoma, you should make an appointment to be seen by your doctor. During the appointment they will take a medical history from you that includes discussing your symptoms. They will also do a physical examination that includes feeling your lymph nodes and commonly affected organs, such as the spleen and the liver.
- The lymph nodes your doctor may feel are located in the neck, the underarms, and the groin.
- Have a biopsy done. If your doctor suspects that you have an abnormality in your lymphatic system, they will typically have you get a biopsy. The is a procedure in which a small tissue sample is removed from your lymph node and it is then analyzed under a microscope.
- During the analysis of the tissue sample, a hematopathologist in a lab will look for abnormal cell development. A hematopathologist is a scientist or doctor that diagnoses diseases of the blood in particular. They will also look at the type of abnormal development that is occurring to distinguish between types of lymphoma.
- Get staging testing done. Once you have a preliminary diagnosis of lymphoma, your doctor will order more testing. With a combination of imaging and blood and bone marrow testing your doctor will be able to better understand the location and extent of your disease. This will allow the doctor to come up with the best possible treatment plan for your specific illness.[13]
- Imaging will be done on lymph nodes that are enlarged and on any organs that may also be affected.
- Blood tests will be done to measure your blood counts, whether cancerous cells are present in the blood, and how well organs are functioning.
- Your bone marrow will be tested to see if the lymphoma has spread to the bone marrow. This testing may not be required for all lymphoma patients, depending on what type of lymphoma they have and where it is located.
- Have tests done for specific types of lymphoma. If you have been diagnosed with a specific type of lymphoma, your doctor may want to run some specialized tests. For example, if you have a mass in your testicles, imaging should be done on that area.[14]
- Another specialized test you may need is a colonoscopy. This is done if mantle cell lymphoma is suspected.
- Your doctor may inspect your entire GI tract if they suspect you have MALT lymphoma.
- If your doctor suspects that you have a type of lymphoma connected to your central nervous system, then a spinal tap may be required.
- Get a second opinion. Hodgkin lymphoma can be hard to diagnose. In particular, it can be confused with other types of lymphoma. Because of this, it's a good idea to get a second opinion when facing this diagnosis.[15]
- Talk openly with your doctor about wanting a second opinion. They should understand why you would want a second opinion and they may be able to suggest who you could get the second opinion from.
- If there is a hematopathologist in your area, try to get your second opinion from them.
- Begin treatment. Whatever type of lymphoma you are diagnosed with, you should begin treatment quickly. With swift and thorough treatment, some types of lymphoma are curable and the progression of many can be slowed down. However, treatment for different types of lymphoma differs and their effectiveness varies as well.
- Hodgkin lymphoma is one of the most curable forms of cancer. The treatment will include some combination of chemotherapy, radiation, stem cell transplantation, and clinical drug therapy.[16]
- Treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma typically includes both medication and radiation therapy, depending on where the disease is located specifically. Overall, non-Hodgkin lymphoma does not have the same remission rate as Hodgkin lymphoma. However, there are types of non-Hodgkin that can be cured, so discuss your outlook with your doctor.[17]
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| How to Stop Muscle Twitches Posted: 20 Jan 2018 12:00 AM PST Muscle twitches are caused by small contractions in either a part of a muscle or a whole muscle. They can occur in any muscle in the body but often occur in the limbs, eyelids, or diaphragm. They are typically caused by either stimulation to the muscle or by a problem with a nerve. While most muscle twitches are nothing to worry about and pass quickly, there are some that are more severe and are symptoms of serious medical conditions. EditStopping Minor Muscle Twitches - Massage your muscle. If you have a muscle that is twitching because it is tight, this can often be relieved by massage. Moving the muscle around can release the tension that is causing the muscle to contract.
- Gently rub muscles that are twitching if it is comfortable for you to do so. If the muscle begins to hurt, or twitch more, then you should stop rubbing it.
- Get enough rest. Muscle twitches can be more frequent when you do not get enough rest. Make sure that you are sleeping through the night and that you give yourself additional rest during the day if you are feeling particularly tired.[1]
- If you are having a hard time getting rest, try to avoid eating or drinking chemicals that can interfere with sleep, such as caffeine. You should also set a calming routine before bed, including doing an activity that will make you drowsy, such as reading or meditating.[2]
- There is no scientific proof that lack of sleep causes muscle twitches but getting more rest can allow your body function better and manage its nerve impulses more effectively.
- Reduce your stress. Some muscle twitches can be minimized by being less stressed out. While the cause of muscles twitches in the eyelid are not well understood, it has been proven that reducing your stress can minimize them.[3]
- Some easy ways to reduce stress include exercising regularly, spending quality time with your friends and family, working on a hobby you enjoy, and getting mental health support from a mental health professional.[4]
- Minimize your use of stimulants. Some muscle twitches can be minimized by reducing your intake of stimulants, such as caffeine. Drinking fewer caffeinated drinks can make you generally less jittery and less twitchy.[5]
- Instead of completely cutting out caffeine cold turkey, you can reduce your intake gradually. For instance, start drinking coffee that is half caffeinated and half de-caffeinated or switch to a mildly caffeinated tea.
- Give the twitches time to pass. There are some muscle twitches that will simply pass with time. The clearest example is hiccups. Hiccups are a form of muscle twitching that are caused by spasms in the diaphragm muscle. Hiccups can come and go quickly or can last for hours.[6]
- In general, you should wait 48 hours before seeking medical treatment for hiccups that won't stop. Some cases of hiccups can be related to medical issues, such as tumors and multiple sclerosis, so get yourself checked out if they continue indefinitely.
- Change medications. There are some medications that are commonly prescribed that can cause muscle twitching. If you are taking diuretics, corticosteroids, or estrogen, the medication could be causing your twitching.[7]
- Discuss changing your medications with your doctor. You should never change or reduce your medication without first discussing it with a medical professional.
EditTreating Muscle Twitches Associated With Medical Conditions - Assess the severity of your muscle twitches. Pay attention to how long the muscle twitches are lasting. Most muscle twitches are short lived and do not impact your quality of life. However, if you are having strong twitches or you are having twitching often or constantly, you should think about getting a medical evaluation.[8]
- Track the frequency of the twitches. If they are happening daily and are lasting more that a minute or two, and you have no exacerbating factors, such as stress, then you should contact your doctor.
- Have a medical evaluation done. If you have long lasting muscle twitches that are impacting your quality of life and are not stopping, contact your doctor and get a check up. While rare, there are some serious illnesses that can cause muscle twitching, and you will want to rule them out as the cause of your twitching. Your doctor will likely do a general medical evaluation and then run specialized testing if they think there might be an underlying medical condition.[9]
- Some serious, yet rare, medical conditions that can cause muscle twitching include Tourette syndrome, Huntington's disease, muscular dystrophies, spinal muscular atrophy, Isaac's syndrome, epilepsy, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, brain tumors, liver failure, kidney failure, nervous system disorders, and genetic disorders.
- Treat the underlying condition. Medical conditions that cause muscle twitching should be treated by a doctor. Depending on what medical condition you have, muscle twitching will oftentimes be controlled when the condition is controlled.[10]
- Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can sometimes cause muscle twitching. Once these imbalances are fixed, the twitching should cease.
- There are some rare progressive neurological illnesses that begin with symptoms such as minor muscle twitching. With these illnesses, such as Lou Gehrig's disease, the twitches may get progressively worse and will be uncontrollable.
- Since tumors can cause muscle twitching, having surgery to remove them can eliminate the twitching.[11]
- Take medication for muscle twitching. If treating your underlying medical condition does not minimize muscle twitching, there are medications that can be prescribed that can target the twitching specifically. Medications that are commonly prescribed for controlling muscle twitching include muscle relaxants and neuromuscular blockers.[12]
- Talk to your doctor about whether one of these medications will work with your larger treatment plan.
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