Many things can cause a person to suffer from a dry mouth including the use of cigarettes and other tobacco related products.  Ask anyone who smokes or has smoked in the past and more then likely they will tell you that they experienced having a dry mouth.  They probably will swear their dry mouth isn’t related to their use of cigarettes and tobacco products.  However, using any type of tobacco products or smoking cigarettes is proven to affect the production of saliva within the mouth.  If we aren’t producing an ample amount of saliva then we are becoming victims of a dry mouth.  The more we smoke and use tobacco products the more we are dehydrating the body of the moisture it needs to stay healthy.  We are also drying out the mouth of its natural saliva which is used to rinse the mouth of harmful bacteria.  This leftover bacteria causes other oral health problems.

Smoking cigarettes and using other tobacco related products are not the only things that cause a dry mouth.  Other causes of dry mouth include:

v  Lifestyle changes

v  Hormonal changes

v  Lifestyle habits

v  Damaged or removed salivary glands

v  Nerve damage

v  Side effects of certain medication

v  Side effects of certain diseases

v  Side effects of certain medical treatments

v  Dehydration

For those that suffer from a dry mouth it is important to determine the cause of the dry mouth in order to prevent it.  Some cures for a dry mouth can be as simple as changing a patients medication or the dosage of a prescribed medication.  Other people must be prescribed a substance that helps the salivary glands to produce saliva.  And in some cases it is necessary for a person to change their lifestyle habits in order to cure their dry mouth such as the use of tobacco products.

Author: leedobbins

Motion sickness affects many people when they ride in cars and on boats but perhaps the most inconvenient place to experience it is on a plane. Referred to as airsickness, it can be terribly inconvenient to be trapped on an airplane unable to get up from your seat when you are feeling nauseous.

Airsickness is nothing to be embarrassed about, in fact almost 29% of all pilots even experience it! This is a normal body response to an unusual stimulus. Your eyes are seeing that you are sitting in one place but your ears or “vestibular organs” can feel that you are moving up and down. The result can be dizziness, loss of appetite, nausea, burping and increased salivation.

Since airsickness is a problem for millions of travelers as well as pilots, there have been many studies done to determine how to avoid the affects of this problem. Below are some tips that have been learned through the studies, perhaps they can help you avoid airsickness on your next flight.

1. Don’t fly when you are stressed out. According to these studies the two most common causes of airsickness are anxieties and stress. If you are already stressed out before you even board the plane, your chances of experiencing airsickness are increased because your body already has too much to deal with and will have a hard time adjusting to the sudden change of environment. But who isn’t stressed out these days? Since stress may be hard to avoid, you might try learning some stress reduction techniques or change things in your life that are stressful. These can help you in everyday life but also will help to make your flight more enjoyable.

2. Don’t overeat before flying. OK, so if you know you get airsick you probably already feel queasy just thinking about getting on the plane so overeating probably isn’t going to be a problem for you. However, some folks might want to eat up before they get on the plane and it’s thought that large meals, especially ones loaded with salt, might trigger airsickness.

3. Don’t move around too much in flight. Well, it stands to reason that if you have motion sickness, adding more motion into the mix will make you feel worse so if you are already feeling the affects of airsickness just stay put in your seat.

4. Don’t worry, be happy. If you get airsick, there really isn’t a lot you can do about it but if you let the anticipation of being airsick get you into a frenzy then your experience will probably be much worse. The best thing to do is just accept the fact that you might feel a little motion sick and let your body and mind become accustomed to the environment. If you approach it with a relaxed attitude, you may even start to enjoy yourself after a few hours into the flight.

Airsickness is not a huge problem and shouldn’t get in the way of you flying off for an exotic vacation. You just need to relax and learn to adjust the body’s condition so as to avoid conflict of senses.

Airport security rules have changed drastically in recent years. With air travel increasing greatly around the holidays anyone considering going this route is well advised to familiarize themselves with new rules put in place where they may cause the most delays. Namely airport security checkpoints.

Most passengers may think there is only one security checkpoint, when in reality there are usually three. This may vary from airport to airport but this seems to be the rule for most.

The first checkpoint will be when you register for your seat on the plane. You will need to show at least one proper form of identification. Usually a drivers license or a government issued identification card will suffice. You will then be given your boarding pass.

This is also the time when you will need to hand over the luggage that you will be checking for storage below the plane. These are commonly referred to as checked bags or luggage. To avoid delays you should check with the airline for specific items that may be banned or prohibited. In the past, only a small number of bags were hand checked, but now almost all are.

Many of these checks are quick look-overs, but you may be subject to a random, extensive search. This search often includes the checking of all baggage compartments, as well as the wiping of a cloth, which is looking for powdery substances.

Once through this stage you will encounter the main airport security checkpoint. This is where you will be asked to have your carryon luggage xrayed and you will have to go through a metal detector. Also currently all travelers are being asked to remove their shoes to have them xrayed too. In the past people where picked randomly for this excercise but now the only exception is of those with a disability or hindering medical condition.

Again, by familiarizing yourself with the items that are banned aboard an airplane, including items that are only prohibited from being stored in your carryon luggage, an unnecessary incident can be prevented.

In the event that you are found carrying a prohibited item, certain steps will be taken. Depending on the item in question, you may be required to return the item to you car, discard it, mail it to your home, or turn it over to airport security. Ensuring that you leave all prohibited items at home is the best way to prevent this unnecessary delay, which may cause you to miss your flight or even worse scenarios.

There is one final checkpoint to pass before boarding your flight. When entering the airport terminal, after your airline has granted permission for passengers to board, you will need to present airline officials with the appropriate boarding pass. At this time you may need to show your identification again. However, it is not always necessary.

It is best that you stay calm during all airport checkpoints, including the final boarding stage. Most travelers are easily able to board their airplane, but in the event that you are acting suspicious or drawing unwanted attention to yourself you may be pulled aside. So leave the anxieties at the door.

By being prepared and knowledgeable about what is and is not acceptable before ever entering the airport you will avoid unwanted delays and experience a much more pleasant flight.

Motion sickness affects many people when they ride in cars and on boats but perhaps the most inconvenient place to experience it is on a plane. Referred to as airsickness, it can be terribly inconvenient to be trapped on an airplane unable to get up from your seat when you are feeling nauseous.

Airsickness is nothing to be embarrassed about, in fact almost 29% of all pilots even experience it! This is a normal body response to an unusual stimulus. Your eyes are seeing that you are sitting in one place but your ears or “vestibular organs” can feel that you are moving up and down. The result can be dizziness, loss of appetite, nausea, burping and increased salivation.

Since airsickness is a problem for millions of travelers as well as pilots, there have been many studies done to determine how to avoid the affects of this problem. Below are some tips that have been learned through the studies, perhaps they can help you avoidairsickness on your next flight.

1. Don’t fly when you are stressed out. According to these studies the two most common causes of airsickness are anxieties and stress. If you are already stressed out before you even board the plane, your chances of experiencing airsickness are increased because your body already has too much to deal with and will have a hard time adjusting to the sudden change of environment. But who isn’t stressed out these days? Sincestress may be hard to avoid, you might try learning some stress reduction techniques or change things in your life that are stressful. These can help you in everyday life but also will help to make your flight more enjoyable.

2. Don’t overeat before flying. OK, so if you know you get airsick you probably already feel queasy just thinking about getting on the plane so overeating probably isn’t going to be a problem for you. However, some folks might want to eat up before they get on the plane and it’s thought that large meals, especially ones loaded with salt, might triggerairsickness.

3. Don’t move around too much in flight. Well, it stands to reason that if you have motion sickness, adding more motion into the mix will make you feel worse so if you are already feeling the affects of airsickness just stay put in your seat.

4. Don’t worry, be happy. If you get airsick, there really isn’t a lot you can do about it but if you let the anticipation of being airsick get you into a frenzy then your experience will probably be much worse. The best thing to do is just accept the fact that you might feel a little motion sick and let your body and mind become accustomed to the environment. If you approach it with a relaxed attitude, you may even start to enjoy yourself after a few hours into the flight.

Airsickness is not a huge problem and shouldn’t get in the way of you flying off for an exotic vacation. You just need to relax and learn to adjust the body’s condition so as to avoid conflict of senses.

Everyone wants to have a more comfortable flight but did you ever think about how this desire competes with the airlines ability to provide you with the utmost in safety?

The public desire for larger and faster aircraft sometimes comes head to head with the need for greater airplane safety. This fact was magnified soon after the world had welcomed the arrival of the year of 2000. One of the supersonic jets then carrying passengers across the Atlantic gavethe public an eye-opening experience.

A piece of scrap left on the runway caught on one tire of a departing supersonic jet. The resulting crash led to a re-evaluation of the requirements forairplane safety. Eventually, the airlines decided to discontinue the use of those two jets. Now passengers are no longer able to get a super-speedy flight from London or Paris to a U.S airport.

For a time after that accident, airplane safety had the attention of the public. Of course, the public, as always, quickly forgot about the accident that had so recently appeared on the TV and computer screens.
Airplane designers could sense the dying concern for airplane safety, and the increased desire for a way to ease airport congestion.

Airplane designers introduced the idea of a larger jet, one that would carry almost twice as many passengers. They designed a jet with two different levels. An airline based in Southeast Asia expressed a desire to purchase such a jet.

There were a token number of test flights for the newly-designed and larger aircraft. No one seemed to question whether or not a measure ofairplane safety could be properly made from just those few token test flights. The public needed a larger plane, a plane that could help to ease the congestion on the runways.
Therefore plans were made to initiate use of the larger jet plane. Once again the public desire for larger and faster aircraft had trumped the need for airplane safety. Once again, only time would reveal the wisdom of relying on this new and larger plane.

Sometimes we put our “want to haves” in front of our “must haves”, it’s only human nature to want the best of the best, but whenthe public clamors for more comfort the airlines must react by giving it to them. At times this can take priority over giving more safety. So next time you want a more comfortable seat or larger planes you might want to think about how this impacts the safety of air flight and your safety in general.

Considering an advance booking of parking space in the airport? Great idea; it will save a lot of your money as well as your precious time. But you can get even cheaper deal, if you are informed about many features of airport parking. As for instance, an indoor parking is more expensive than an open air lot. Similarly there may be restrictions on the entrance of certain types of cars in the airport parking for security reasons. If you are aware of the different types of airport parking, it will be easier for you to choose the most suitable one for you.

Short-term and long-term parking
In all major airports, all around the world, you will come to find that the parking facilities are divided into two types of bays: short-term and long-term parking bays.

The short term parking spaces are typically very close to the Terminals of the respective airports. The rates for these types of parking bay are determined on a per hour basis. Discount rates are available only after a specific number of days.

In contrast, long term airport parking is meant to provide shelter to the cars over an extended stretch of time, often for more than four to five days. These are cheaper than the short term parking lots. During the busy seasons, you have to be lucky enough to secure place in this parking area without an advance booking. So during the seasonal rush, you have to take good care of booking the parking space well in advance, so that you do not have to opt for the more expensive short term parking as the last resort.

Terminal Parking
In many US airports you will come to find the term, terminal parking. This Parking is accessible from the Departure (Upper) Level only. The terminal parking usually consists of multiple numbers of four parking structures. There can be height restriction for certain types of the vehicles from entering this parking.

Valet Parking
This facility is also known as meet and greets facility. You can avail this service when you are in a real hurry and have no time to wait for the shuttle service to the terminal. In that case, a parking company executive will come up to you and you just need to handover the charge of your car to the man, who will safely park your car. On return, you will again be picked up by the company driver. The valet parking areas are usually located on the departure level of the terminal.

Terminal Curbside Parking
If you are lucky enough to be driven by one of your friends to the airport, you should be careful of the area where to park your vehicle for getting down from the car and taking luggage off the car. Generally, curbside parking is only meant for quick loading or unloading and the driver is not allowed to stay beyond a specified period of time.

Author: Travel Guru

When you are on an airplane, you are often going long distances. The distance plus the change in time when you arrive might often lead you to what is most commonly known as jet lag. This is your body’s attempt to figure out what has happened and to regulate how you feel, suddenly being in another time zone and in another place.

There are several things that you can do to avoid and to fight jet lag:

Set Your Watch To Local Time
As soon as you get on the airplane, set your watch to the time that it is in the destination to which you are flying. This way, your brain will begin to be accustomed to the new time zone and will be more likely to accept it when you land.

Got to Sleep Or Stay Awake
Next, take careful note of the time that it is where you are landing, and do what you would be doing if you were there. For instance, if you get on a flight in the afternoon where you live, but you are going somewhere that is several hours ahead of you, and therefore where it is currently bed time, you should try to sleep on the plane. The sooner that you can get into the mindset of the current time where you are flying, the better off you will be. A lot of the jet lag problems come from your own mind, so as much as you can convince yourself that the time has changed before you land, the better off you will be.

Stay hydrated
Next, you should stay hydrated on the flight and avoid alcohol. As much rest as you can get on the flight is going to help you greatly. After you have arrived, there are several things that you can do to help yourself get over jet lag as fast as possible.

Stick To The Local Timetable
The most important thing to keep in mind is that as soon as you get to your destination, you should be on the timetable. Try to ignore your own body for a few days. Sleep when the clock says you should be sleeping, and stay awake if it isn’t time to be asleep. You might be very tired for a couple of days, but staying on the clock of the place that you have arrived at is the best way to get over jet lag and to be able to enjoy your holiday. Try to avoid the temptation to sleep whenever you feel like it, and stay on a schedule instead!

(ArticlesBase ID #254242)

Source: articlesbase.com

Author: Ray Attebery

Want a vacation from travel-related health troubles?

Try these tips:

Travel Health Tip #1:

Take regular breaks Stroll the airplane aisle or highway rest stop periodically to prevent the blood in your legs from pooling. Another good reason to get moving: Sitting in a car or plane all day can make you constipated, says Rick Kellerman, M.D., president of the American Academy of Family Physicians
and chairman of family medicine at the University of Kansas at Wichita, but you can prevent that with exercise. Even moving around for just a few minutes helps.

Travel Health Tip #2:

Pack produce… and other high-fiber foods, says Dr. Kellerman. You are more likely to prevent stomachaches and other gastrointestinal problems by having family members eat the way they do at home. When you get hungry and pull off the road, head to the local grocery instead of a fast food joint.

Travel Health Tip #3:

Get your ZZZs. To head off jet lag, schedule your flight as follows: When heading east, fly early; when heading west, fly late. This long-practiced flying strategy ensures the least disruption to the bodys normal sleep-wake cycle, preserving your travel health.

Travel Health Tip #4:

Wet your whistle. On a flight, you family is in a very arid environment that dehydrates the body and dries out the tender skin and mucous membranes in the nose and throat. A good rule of thumb is to drink at least 16 ounces of water before leaving and 8 ounces of water every hour while flying, suggests G. Richard Olds, M.D., a travel disease specialist and chairman of medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Fruit juice is also a good choice; cola, tea and coffee are not (the caffeine they contain may have a diuretic effect). Are you visiting a hot climate? A sports beverage can replenish sodium and potassium that are lost in sweat.

Travel Health Tip #5:

Go the distance with germ warfare. You do not need to vacation in Mexico to experience Montezumas revenge. The farther you travel from home, even within the U.S., the more likely you are to be introduced to unfamiliar germs, says Dr. Olds, that will increasesyour chances of respiratory illness, loose stools and other germ-caused infections. So take precautions: If you are traveling across several states, pack some over-the-counter cough syrup, sore throat lozenges and an antidiarrhea medication, Dr. Olds says.

Travel Health Tip #6:

Shun the Sun Spending time outdoors at the beach, mountains or woods? Protect your families skin with a sunscreen that has a high SPF (30 and up). Apply it to exposed skin areas about half an hour before heading outside to allow the sunscreen to swing into action. And use at least two tablespoons per application. Reapply sunscreen every two hours throughout the day and immediately after you have gotten wet or have been sweating.

Follow all these tips and you will go a long way in assuring your and your families travel health, and guess what? your vacation will be made in the shade.

Source: articlesbase.com

Author: peterhutch

Man has made some impossible things seem so ordinary these days. Years ago who would have ever thought that within few hours we would be able to cross from one continent to another? Who would have thought that within just a few hours you could skip from once country to another? Today thanks to the invention of airplanes and their use, we can travel around the globe. You can be in one country a day and another country the very next day. Distanced have been made shorter thanks to the discovery of the airplane.

Drink lots of water on the plane. For more info about drinking water go here. The plane dehydrates you so you need extra water to help you body stay hydrated. And the only thing that counts as water is water. Coffee, tea, alcohol etc. do not count as water. If you want to drink them you can, I am just saying don’t expect to get rid of jet lag then. (as well as them being hazardous to your health) Right before the plane is about to land (before the wheels actually touch down) you are going to gently pull the outside of your ears in all directions straight out from the middle of your ear.

Avoid drinking alcohol as your ‘falling-asleep-assistance’

Tiny alcohol bottles on board often used as a falling asleep assistance during the flight. In the airplane these affect however – exactly the same as tranquilizers – three times as strongly as down on the earth! If you are suffering from fear of flight you should avoid alcohol here, since psychological symptoms can occur such as aggression or depression (however, this is an extensive subject. I will post an article about this in the future. For now I focus on ‘jet lag’).

Jetlag is caused by crossing time zones during air travel. It’s really a symptom of the disruption of your body’s circadian (day/night-light/dark) cycle which controls the timing of bodily functions such as when you sleep and eat. Other contributing factors to jetlag are the dry atmosphere of planes and the lack of fresh air, the discomfort from cramped conditions, swelling caused by cabin pressure, food and drink consumed in transit (which can mess up your appetite at destination) and the direction of travel.

When flying try and keep make-up to a minimum and follow a good skincare regime before leaving for the airport.Spend time to properly clean, tone and most importantly moisturize your skin. While flying the moisture is stripped from your skin, and although the body gallantly tries to keep it moisturized from the inside, it can do with some help from the outside.It is of paramount importance to keep your skin hydrated at all times. It might be good to look for a “heavy duty” type of moisturizer, or to regularly re-apply a lighter type of moisturizer. With a heavy type of moisturizer you could look at something like your regular night cream, since it is normally richer than your day cream.

Source: articlesbase.com

* A very effective way to prevent and overcome motion sickness is by taking over-the-counter medicines like Dramamine, Bonine or Antivert.

* Reduce the amount of food or drinks taken on or before travelling. Avoid alcoholic drinks, spicy, and fatty foods. This will just worsen motion sickness to some people.

* Choose a seat wherein you will experience minimal motion. If you’re in a car, sit in the front seat; in a bus, choose the front row; in an airplane, the middle area; in the ship, lower cabin near the center.

* Avoid reading while travelling.

* Open a vent or a window if possible so you could have a source of fresh air.

* If someone is suffering from motion sickness, try to isolate yourself from that area. The tendency is that it can make you sick as well just by hearing or seeing others feel sick.