Arthritis can be a very painful and uncomfortable condition, causing inflammation in and around your joints. At its worst, arthritis can be debilitating and leave you in a lot of pain and limited to what you can do. It’s a common condition, and although some might associate it more with senior citizens, it can impact people at younger stages in life too. If you or someone you love is suffering from arthritis and you would like to try and help them to become more comfortable, here are a few tips that could be useful in managing this pain.

Look at Lifestyle Choices

How you look after yourself each day and have an impact on your arthritis, so it’s a good idea to start looking at your lifestyle choices first. Maintaining a healthy weight so that you’re not putting additional pressure on your joints is key, and if you do smoke, this could aggravate your tissue and increase arthritic pain. Therefore, it’s worth thinking about quitting smoking for this, if not for all of the other health benefits of doing so. You should also make sure you’re engaging in gentle exercises and keeping your joints moving, but be mindful of your limitations, so you don’t push too far and cause your arthritis to flare up.

Speak to Your Doctor

If you have noticed that your pain is getting worse, you should bring this issue up with your doctor. They may be able to prescribe you something for the pain if it is significant enough or give you some further advice on what you can do at home for some holistic remedies and pain management.

Pain Relief Medications

Your doctor might prescribe you something if the pain is significant enough, but otherwise, you can look at some over-the-counter medications with anti-inflammatory qualities instead. If you are starting to notice you are relying on these medications regularly, however, do speak to your doctor as this could result in other health issues, or you may need something stronger if they aren’t being effective.

Natural Remedies

If you would like to try some natural remedies for pain relief rather than over-the-counter medications, you could try CBD oil or gummies as this has similar anti-inflammatory powers and has been used to treat pain caused by various conditions. See your guide to CBD gummies in the UK for further information on these products. You could also drink more green and ginger tea, take turmeric capsules, or use aloe vera to help soothe your pain. If you are unsure about any of these methods, again, speak to your doctor for further advice.

Hot and Cold Applications

Another way you could try to alleviate some of the pain you experience with arthritis is through the use of hold and cold applications. For example, a hot bath or shower can help ease muscle pain or use heat pads on the affected areas. Just be mindful that you are not using too much heat as this could risk burns. Ice or cold compresses can be useful, too, particularly in helping to reduce inflammation. You might find this more useful after exercise that has caused your arthritis to become aggravated.

If you or someone you know has arthritis, and you would like to manage the pain better for a more comfortable life, consider these suggestions and see how they can help.

Life in the northern hemisphere can be tough at the best of times, particularly when the nights start drawing in. But even at the height of summer, it’s not unheard of for the sun to be absent for large parts of the day. The absence of good weather is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is a depression that is most acutely felt in the winter months. People with SAD suffer from fatigue, low mood, and antisocial feelings. So, how can you set your day up right when the weather isn’t doing its thing? 

Exercise 

Getting plenty of exercise will boost your levels of serotonin and other feel-good brain chemicals. You should spend as much time as you can outside, particularly in the morning, as this will top up your levels of Vitamin D and boost your overall mood.

Socialise 

Even if you feel like crawling up and staying under the duvet, socialising with your friends is an excellent way to lift your mood. Give your best friend a call or find ways to meet new people. You could join a walking or running club, for instance, so you can exercise and socialise at the same time.

Enjoy a breakfast smoothie 

Rustling up a delicious breakfast smoothie can also help you improve your mood when the sun isn’t shining. Some winning combos include:

• Blueberries & raspberries – they provide your Vitamin C fix, which can help to reduce levels of stress.
• Oats & bananas – This combo provides you with an ideal level of slow-release sugars. They boost your feel-good serotonin, too, which provides you with decent energy levels without dipping in the afternoon. Bananas also contain mood mellowing tryptophan, potassium, and magnesium, which can help you relax.

So, instead of starting the day with a meat feast or sugar-rich cereals, consider turning to a nutrient-packed breakfast smoothie to start the day with a bang and stave off some of those blue feelings that you’re struggling to shake. You can pick your own bundle with Lovestruck to get started today or browse through their collection to find the dream breakfast smoothie option to start your day the right way.

Breastfeeding is the most affordable method of baby feeding and according to WHO data, more than 50% of all kids under the age of six months are exclusively breastfed. It’s proven after hundreds of researches that breast milk is an optimal and safe product for newborns.

But, you don’t have to be worried if for some reason breastfeeding doesn’t work for you, your little one will get all the necessary trace elements, and antibodies that protect it at the stage of development with the properly selected European baby formula. If you are stuck on this article,  you are looking for the basic tips on how to get ready to breastfeed. Here are the basic rules that will ensure your successful lactation:

Breastfeeding from the First Hour of Birth

It is better to put a baby on the breast 20-30 minutes after birth, but not later than two hours. The point is that a kid needs to receive the first milk called colostrum because it’s more nutritious than regular milk.

Schedule

It’s recommended to feed a baby at intervals of no more than 2 hours from the beginning of the previous feeding.  It is not necessary to wake up an infant, you can put it to the breast and it can eat sleepily. The regime will be developed gradually. It will be useful at first to record the time of feeding on paper, so you can plan your day, taking into account food-taking procedures.

Only Milk up to 6 Months

During the first half of the year, a newborn receives all the nutrients and water it needs only from breast milk. Therefore, it does not need to be additionally given with water or tea, even in the heat. Any extra fluid during the first six months of life will reduce the baby’s weight and reduce the mother’s milk production. Of course, there are cases when it’s not possible to feed a kid exclusively on breast milk, so parents are looking for alternative solutions. For example, if a kid is at risk of cow milk protein allergy, then it’s recommended to use a hypoallergenic formula such as HiPP HA.

Night Feeding

The peak production of the hormone prolactin, which directly affects lactation, is at night. Simply put: at night the mother’s body is given a signal of how much milk to produce for a child for the next day. That’s why night feedings are so important. A night break of no more than 4-4.5 hours is permissible, so enough milk will be produced.

Breastfeeding Position

Read about breastfeeding positions beforehand. After birth, try to feed in different ways and choose how you are most comfortable and you are relaxed. You can feed an infant lying down or sitting with a pillow on the lap.