Ritz

For those who snore and are at risk for sleep apnea, the dentist may be able to help. That s because oral appliances are recommended for those with mild to moderate sleep apnea. The Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine recently endorsed new guidelines for this treatment option, as published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. An oral appliance can look like a sports mouth guard or orthodontic retainer. Worn during sleep, it keeps the airway open and unobstructed by repositioning or stabilizing the lower jaw, tongue, soft palate or uvula. According to the guidelines, the severity of the problem should first be assessed by a sleep clinician who can then decide if a dental referral is needed. The exact cause of obstructive sleep apnea remains unclear. People with the condition may stop breathing hundreds of times during sleep, often for up to a minute at a time. Estimates are that 18 million people in the U.S. are affected. The new guidelines affirm that continuous positive airway pressure therapy, or CPAP, should be considered as the first treatment option for sleep apnea, but for the first time state that...

The first accessory that is required to stop smoking is within you- your commitment. Without this, no tangible results are possible. All your habits, good or bad will have a direct bearing on your body and mind, and skin is an all-embracing part and therefore, it assumes priority. Whether smoking has something to do with skin care. Definitely yes. Even the hard-core smokers will admit to this fact. Stopping smoking will benefit the skin. Well, almost immediately. For, there is no doubt that smoke, tar and nicotine are all drying agents and contain carcinogens. Its harmful effects are beyond dispute. So, the glow or dullness of your skin has something to do with the smoke that you inhale. Therefore, the decision to quit smoking should be firm and irrevocable. Just as a wavering candle can not withstand a storm, a wavering mind will not be able to quit smoking. Our food intake, the quality and content, is bound to show on our skin. Look at the face and observe the skin of a young adult who is smoking for the last, say, 8 to 10 years. The strong effects will definitely show; wrinkles are the sure indicators. The...

The two rules of procrastination: 1 Do it today. 2 Tomorrow will be today tomorrow. Foss Susan Daley was a successful entrepreneur selling promotional products. She enjoyed making decent money while having the flexibility to work at home. Susan recently took over a colleague s account, a huge growth opportunity. So why did she spend her mornings playing solitaire in her messy office rather than making phone calls to prospects. To procrastinate is to put off doing something , or to postpone or delay needlessly . Sometimes we avoid doing the tasks that must be done because they are unpleasant or boring, or because we have poor time management skills or are lazy. And yet, often it is the tasks we most want to do that we put off, resulting in much internal pressure. In Susan s case, she loved building relationships with potential clients, helping them to better serve their customers and employees, and making a good paycheck to support her family. So what was going on. Awareness is the first step. Think about your excuses for not accomplishing your goals. Everyone has his or her own pattern of procrastinating. Here...

This year, nearly 175,000 Americans will learn they have lung cancer. Knowing the signs of lung cancer can help you catch it early, and may contribute to survival. Everyone knows that smoking causes lung cancer. But so does exposure to substances like second-hand smoke, arsenic, radon, asbestos and air pollution. Dana Reeve, widow of actor Christopher Reeve, announced that she had been diagnosed with lung cancer despite being a nonsmoker. There are currently no reliable screening tests for lung cancer like mammograms for breast cancer, so it s important for people at risk to look out for signs of the disease, including persistent cough or coughing blood, recurring pneumonia or bronchitis, unexplained weight loss, and fatigue. A chest X-ray will often reveal a lung tumor and its location. Other tests, such as CT or PET scans, can provide more detailed information. To be certain that you have lung cancer, tissue from your lung will be removed and analyzed. This is called a biopsy. If you have cancer, your treatment will depend on the type of cancer, its location and your overall health. The main treatments are...