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Red Light Therapy: What is It Anyways?

July 24, 2023 by

Red light therapy, also known as photobiomodulation or low-level light therapy (LLLT), is a cutting-edge non-invasive treatment gaining popularity for its diverse therapeutic benefits. Utilizing specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light, this therapy has shown promise in various medical and wellness applications. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the science, mechanisms, benefits, and safety considerations of red light therapy, shedding light on this intriguing therapeutic approach.

Understanding Red Light Therapy

Red light therapy involves the application of low-level red and near-infrared light to targeted areas of the body. These light wavelengths penetrate the skin and are absorbed by the cells’ mitochondria, the “powerhouses” responsible for energy production. When exposed to red and near-infrared light, mitochondria are stimulated, leading to increased production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the cellular energy currency.

This upsurge in cellular energy has profound effects on various cellular processes, influencing biochemical reactions and signaling pathways. As a result, red light therapy is believed to promote healing, reduce inflammation, enhance circulation, and modulate cellular functions, among other therapeutic effects.

Mechanisms of Red Light Therapy

  • Cellular Energy Boost: As mentioned earlier, red and near-infrared light photons activate the mitochondria, leading to a surge in ATP production. This increase in cellular energy triggers a cascade of beneficial effects in the treated area.
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  • Reduced Oxidative Stress: Red light therapy is thought to reduce oxidative stress by promoting antioxidant defenses within the cells. This helps protect cells from damage caused by free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS).
  • Modulation of Nitric Oxide: Red light therapy can stimulate the release of nitric oxide, a vasodilator that widens blood vessels, improving blood flow and oxygenation to tissues.
  • Anti-Inflammatory Effects: Red light therapy has been observed to suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines while promoting anti-inflammatory cytokines, helping to alleviate inflammation and pain.
  • Cellular Signaling: Light absorption by the cells can initiate signaling pathways that promote tissue repair and regeneration, supporting the body’s natural healing processes.

Applications of Red Light Therapy

  • Skin Health: These red light therapy devices have been widely used for various skin conditions, including acne, psoriasis, eczema, and wound healing. By stimulating collagen production and reducing inflammation, it can enhance skin health and appearance.
  • Pain Management: The anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of red light therapy make it valuable for managing chronic pain conditions like arthritis, fibromyalgia, and muscle strains.
  • Athletic Performance and Recovery: Many athletes use red light therapy to improve performance, reduce muscle fatigue, and speed up recovery from injuries.
  • Hair Growth: Studies have suggested that red light therapy may promote hair growth and combat hair loss conditions like androgenetic alopecia.
  • Mood and Sleep Regulation: Red light therapy has shown promise in improving mood and sleep quality by influencing the body’s circadian rhythm and melatonin production.
  • Joint Health: For individuals with joint disorders like osteoarthritis, red light therapy may help reduce pain and inflammation, improving joint function and mobility.

Safety Considerations

Red light therapy is generally considered safe when used properly. However, certain precautions should be taken:

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  • Eye Protection: Direct exposure of the eyes to red or near-infrared light can be harmful and may cause eye damage. Always wear appropriate eye protection, such as goggles, when undergoing red light therapy.
  • Photosensitivity: Some medications and medical conditions can increase photosensitivity, making the skin more susceptible to light-induced reactions. Consult a healthcare professional before starting red light therapy if you are taking medications or have a medical condition that may cause photosensitivity.
  • Pregnant Women: Although red light therapy is considered safe for most people, pregnant women should consult their healthcare provider before using this therapy, as there is limited research on its safety during pregnancy.
  • Cancer Concerns: While red light therapy has shown promise in cancer treatment research, its efficacy, and safety in cancer patients are not yet fully established. Cancer patients should consult with their oncologist before considering red light therapy.

Conclusion

Red light therapy, also known as photobiomodulation, offers a wide range of potential benefits for various health and wellness applications. By harnessing the power of specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light, this non-invasive therapy stimulates cellular energy production, reduces inflammation, and supports the body’s natural healing processes. From skin health and pain management to improved athletic performance and mood regulation, the applications of red light therapy continue to expand as research unveils its vast therapeutic potential.

As with any medical or wellness treatment, it is essential to consult with a healthcare professional before incorporating red light therapy into your routine. By doing so, you can ensure its appropriateness for your specific needs and enjoy the many potential benefits this innovative therapy has to offer.




How to Jumpstart a New Career in Nursing: A Guide for Moms

July 16, 2022 by

There are a few traits that every nurse needs. They need to be compassionate, be able to do the hard jobs, and need to have a good eye, patience, and strong fortitude. Nurses need to be able to help those at their worst and still care because it is that care that makes a massive difference in the quality of healthcare they provide and the outcome for their patients.

Nurses are the backbone of healthcare and the primary point of contact for almost every patient in the country. The best news, though, is that nursing can be a very lucrative career, and it can open a lot of doors for yourself.

If you are a mom and are interested in starting a new career or even your second career in nursing, then know there are many ways to speed up the process and reach your goals sooner. You can get started even if you are a stay-at-home mom with young kids now, as there are online degrees that make it easier to manage your time and pursue your personal goals while you raise your children.

How to Jumpstart a Career in Nursing

You may feel behind career-wise when you take time out from your professional life to raise children. Just because you are at the beginning, however, does not mean that there is no other option but to start at the bottom, especially in nursing. The shortage in nursing and the demand for more nurses means that there are more opportunities and options to get started than ever before.

You don’t even have to relocate to get the training and education that you need. You can start working towards your BSN long before your kids are out of the house by enrolling in an online degree rather than a campus-based degree. If you live within a participating nurse licensure compact state, then you can even choose the best program from several different states rather than just the state you live in.

An online degree is just the start. There are intensive, integrated, and accelerated options to look into that will help you jumpstart your career in nursing.

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Getting into Nursing

One of the biggest mistakes that you can make when it comes to your nursing career is to assume that you must work in healthcare before you start. You don’t. You can have a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated subject and use credits from that degree towards your BSN. You can take advantage of the fact that you don’t currently have a career to take on an intensive BSN that will help prepare you for a BSN in less time in exchange for a full-time commitment.

All you need to get started as an RN is an associate’s degree in nursing or a BSN. You do not need to have worked as a certified nursing assistant or a licensed nurse practitioner beforehand. While these can be a good option if you need to work and earn an income fast, if you can focus on your BSN from the start, you can cut out time and get started towards your dream faster.

Earning Your MSN Qualification

As stated, you can become a registered nurse with either an associate’s degree in nursing or a bachelor of science in nursing. The reason why you won’t want to go for an ADN unless you need to get started working as a nurse ASAP is that it puts a stopgap in your career. There are very few programs out there that allow ADN-RNs to enroll and earn an MSN. These programs don’t let you skip the BSN either and take longer than the average MSN because you need to complete those missing BSN courses.

To make progress with your career and to have access to the largest number of programs and options, you will always want to go for your BSN. You can earn this BSN if you are a stay-at-home mom and your kids have finally started full-day school. You can earn a BSN part-time and work around a day job.

You can even fast-track a BSN if you already have an undergraduate degree, particularly if you have a BSc in a subject like a biology or chemistry. To accelerate, you will simply be transferring credits from your previous degree to your next. This can help save you up to a year and make it easier to earn your BSN.

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Optional: Earning a DNP

If you are serious about rising the ranks within nursing as fast as possible, you will want to find an integrated degree option. These degree options are more intensive and don’t let you take time off between earning your qualifications. In exchange, you can go from a BSN-holding RN to a DNP professional in just over three years. These BSN to DNP programs are becoming more popular and will allow you to earn the terminal degree in your new career. These degree options are available for a variety of different tracks. There are reputable AGACNP programs that can be finished in just over three years that you can apply for with a BSN and just one full year working as an RN.

Tips for Choosing the Right Direction for Your Nursing Career

You don’t have to worry about anything other than the fact that you want to be a nurse at the start of your career. The BSN program will train you to work as an RN. From there, you can earn hands-on experience by working in different units and on different teams. You will want to get that experience, however, as you will want to know where you want to specialize by the time you are ready to apply for your MSN or DNP.

A great tip for those that want to explore their options and get a wide wealth of experience is to work as a travel nurse. Travel nurses fill in during staff shortages, meaning you can work in a variety of situations and use that experience to help direct your career moving forward.




I’m a Mom With ADHD: Here is How I Manage

July 12, 2022 by

  

Growing up in the 1990s, you probably heard about ADHD in passing. It was a diagnosis almost always assigned to boys, treated with stimulants and surrounded by a negative stigma as with most mental health conditions. For a long time, it was thought to be a condition of childhood that we would outgrow as we reached adulthood. An expanded understanding of ADHD teaches us that it couldn’t be further from the truth. 

New studies have found that if one or more children are diagnosed with ADHD, it’s highly likely that at least one parent also lives with the condition. Contrary to popular belief, Dad does not always carry those genetics. I’m a mom with ADHD. If you’re in the same boat, here’s how I manage. 

ADHD Looks Different in Girls

We tend to picture an ADHD diagnosis as a young child who can’t sit still in class and who struggles with focus and might not do well in school because of it. These symptoms might be typical of ADHD in boys, but in girls, they can present entirely differently. Rather than being hyperactive like their male counterparts, ADHD presents as being inattentive. We spend time daydreaming and might have trouble paying attention, but since we lack the titular hyperactivity often used to diagnose ADHD, we are often overlooked as children. 

Girls with ADHD are also more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression. They may struggle with self-esteem and have a higher chance of turning to self-harm. 

How I Manage With My ADHD

Managing as an adult with ADHD isn’t easy, but once you know what you’re up against, it’s easier to craft a plan of attack. Here are a few things that have worked well to help me manage my ADHD. 

Building a Routine

I get it — life can be downright chaotic at times. When you’re managing calendars for multiple people and may need to develop the ability to teleport to make sure everyone makes it to school, work, appointments, rehearsals and practices on time, setting up a routine might seem like an impossible task. In reality, having my routine in place has been a lifesaver for managing my ADHD. 

I have a list of things I need to accomplish to start my day correctly. They might not have to happen in the same order or at the same time, but I need to complete all these tasks before I can jump into any other tasks. The same goes for my evening routine. I must complete these tasks before I can wind down for the night. If you don’t already have a routine in place, start by taking small steps. Adopt one new task at a time. Trying to change too much about your routine could be overwhelming. 

Break Down Tasks Into Manageable Bites

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. If you’re trying to tackle a huge job, start by breaking it down into more manageable steps. For example, let’s say that Sunday is your chore day. You’ve got a list of things you need to do on Sunday because you work the rest of the week and it’s your only day off. Trying to take on the entire list can be incredibly overwhelming. For someone with ADHD, getting overwhelmed can lead to shutting down. You’ve got so much to do that you don’t know where to start, so you give up, and nothing gets done. 

Back to your chore list, start by breaking it down by room. Then, look at the tasks for each room and break them down into even smaller tasks. The bathroom chore list for a neurotypical person might look something like this: 

  • Clean sink
  • Scrub toilet. 
  • Scrub shower
  • Hang fresh towels

It seems pretty straightforward until you sit down and think of all the steps that go into each task. For me, the bathroom chore list looks something like this.

  • Clean counter
  • Move toothbrushes
  • Spray sink with cleaner
  • Scrub sink
  • Rinse
  • Put toothbrushes back.
  • Spray toilet with cleaner
  • Scrub toilet
  • Flush. 
  • Spray shower with cleaner.
  • Scrub shower
  • Rinse.
  • Move dirty towels to the laundry
  • Hang fresh towels
  • Empty trash. 

It seems like a lot, but each of these tasks is small and easy to complete, so the entirety of the chore list doesn’t seem so overwhelming. Yes, my Sunday chores might have dozens of to-dos, but each is small enough that I can manage them without too much trouble.

Recognizing My Limits

This challenge might not have much to do with my ADHD diagnosis, but I tend to be a perpetual people pleaser. I say yes when I should say no and take on more tasks than I have the energy to handle because I don’t want to be a disappointment. Instead of recognizing my limits and sticking to my boundaries, I would blow right past them and push myself into burnout. 

Learn how to recognize your limits. Know when you need to step away, even if it’s just for a few minutes to recharge. Don’t let people stomp on your boundaries. 

Staying Organized

One of the most challenging things to manage with ADHD is our problems with object permanence. Out of sight, out of mind takes on a literal meaning for us. If we put something away in a drawer, box or safe place to ensure that we don’t lose it, you can almost guarantee that we’ll never find it or think about it again. We also have a habit of creating ‘doomboxes’ — repositories for everything we have no other place. These boxes, drawers or cubbies will accumulate items that we’ll forget about, again due to that issue with object permanence.

Staying organized is one of the biggest challenges for people with ADHD. You don’t need to spend much money on coordinated storage boxes or other supplies. Sometimes, something as simple as taking the doors off your cabinets so you can see what you have can help make organization a little easier. 

You’re Not Alone

Living as an adult with ADHD might seem impossible. We’re in a world built for and by neurotypicals. We must mask our symptoms to fit in; even then, we tend to stand out. If you take nothing else away from this article, remember this — you are not alone. There are others out there that share your struggles. 

 




4 Simple Ways To Practice Self-Care

April 12, 2022 by

Self-care is an extremely important part of life that, when practiced correctly, can greatly improve our overall health and well-being. Self-care will mean different things to different people, and we will all have our own self-care routine. Creating a self-care routine should take time, as you need to take the opportunity to find what works for you and what does. It is important to only fill your self-care routine with the things that make you feel good and avoid those that leave you feeling drained and unmotivated. So, if you want to create your own self-care routine but you are unsure where to start, then here are four simple ways you can practice self-care.

Eat A Balanced Diet

Eating a balanced diet is one effective way you can practice self-care. Food is a very important part of life, and it is crucial that we give our body’s the nutrients and vitamins it needs to thrive. If we constantly eat junk food, our bodies can slow down, and we can begin to feel sluggish and low energy. The good thing about eating a balanced diet is that we still get to enjoy all the foods we love, as we balance it out by eating nutritious foods. Fuelling our bodies with delicious and nutritious foods is an excellent form of self-care as we provide our mind and body with the important things they need to keep going. 

While eating a balanced diet is important, it can sometimes be difficult for people to eat healthy if they have never put much thought into their diet. It can often come down to nature vs nurture; they may not have been brought up around healthy food, or they simply might not like the taste. If this is the case, then it could be a good idea to introduce some protein or boosters like Lion’s mane gummies or shakes into your diet. While some people use shakes for weight-loss reasons, they can also be a way of getting nutrients and vitamins into your body in a simple way. Shake That Weight offers a wide variety of shakes for you to choose from, so they could be a good place to look if you think shakes could work for you.

Create A Skincare Routine

Another simple way to practice self-care is to create a skincare routine. Protecting our skin is so important, particularly with the summer months ahead. So many people fail to realize the importance of sun cream, which is there to protect our skin from the harsh UV rays. Even in the winter, our skin can be damaged by bitter winds and cold weather, so it would be good to create a routine that works all year round. This is why most poeple are interested in redlight therapy. By purchasing one of these, you would be able to do at home red light therapy.  Creating a skincare routine will protect your skin, but it can make you look healthier and happier.

 

Creating an effective skincare routine will involve a lot of trial and error. You have to be patient and take the time to find the products that work for you. One great thing that can help you when you start building a skincare routine is finding out what skin type you have. Once you know your skin type, you can begin to look for products that work best for your skin type. Often skincare routines do not work out as people haven’t discovered what skin type they have. Using products that are not made for your skin type can actually make your skin break out, so be sure you do your research beforehand. Working out what skin type you have shouldn’t be too difficult. Check out this article for a helpful step-by-step guide on learning more about your skin.

Find A Hobby

Another great way you can practice self-care is by finding a hobby. Hobbies are a wonderful way to distract your mind and spend time doing something you love. Often, people are put off from discovering a new hobby as they feel like they should spend their time doing something that is deemed worthwhile. However, your free time is yours to do whatever you want, so if you enjoy your hobby, then it is a worthwhile way to spend time. 

The great thing about finding a hobby is that you have complete freedom to choose any activity you like. Take the time to try out a few new things and see which activities you like doing the most. Although a lot of ‘traditional’ hobbies do involve some physical activity, having a hobby does not mean you must go outside and explore. You could start doing something like crocheting instead, which means you can just sit in front of your TV and watch a film while you learn. What you spend your time doing is up to you, but finding a hobby is a great way to learn something new and stimulate your mind. If you’re unsure about where to start with a hobby, consider looking around your local area or think about what you enjoyed when you were younger.

Meditate 

Meditation is another simple way to bring some self-care into your life. If stress is a constant factor in your life, you may be always feeling agitated or anxious, and you may struggle to switch off. Meditation is a great tool that is available to everyone, and although you may not feel the effects straight away, if you give yourself the time and be patient, you will start to feel the benefits. Meditating can give people a wonderful sense of peace, calm and balance. It can help ground you and deal with your main stressors. Often when we are stressed, we choose to put our feelings in the back of our heads, which only exacerbates the issue. Meditation gives you the opportunity to focus on your issues and deal with the problems you are facing.

Meditation is accessible to everyone, and you do not need any particular tools in order to meditate. While some people prefer to follow some sort of guided meditation, others choose to simply be by themselves and listen to their inner voice. If you would prefer to do it on your own, then start by sitting somewhere comfortable and calming; it could be your bed or a cozy chair. Set a timer for a couple of minutes and focus on controlling your breathing. Taking long, deep breaths can help your body relax and can take you into a mediative state. Let your mind wander wherever it needs to go, and remember to gently bring yourself back when the timer ends. Doing this a couple of times a day can be extremely beneficial, so why not give it a try. 

Ultimately, the more you practice self-care techniques, the more you will learn what works for you and what doesn’t. When practicing self-care, it is so important to be kind to yourself and be open to discovering what methods are best for you. Self-care gives you the chance to switch off from life and fully focus on your own needs. It can be a great way to reduce stress and anxiety and can improve your overall mental health. The last couple of years have been so stressful for everyone, so make sure you take some time away from the busyness of life and find ways to make yourself happy. Â