Know who you can go to for support around issues of discrimination. Find a friend who will listen to you and support you in your struggles. You don't have to spend lots of time talking about discrimination, just knowing a friend is there and willing to listen is often enough. Have people you know you can talk to and be with comfortably. Meet in-person instead of texting or calling on the phone. If discrimination causes you to feel sad, anxious, invalidated and affects your self-worth, a therapist can help. Your therapist can validate and support your experiences and feelings. You can learn coping skills to manage the effects of discrimination. Therapy can help you learn assertiveness skills and help to increase feelings of empowerment.

Summary: Lean on other people. Seek therapy.

Talk to your doctor to determine if prescription drugs for weight loss are right for you. The FDA has recently approved several agents that can help with weight loss. Using prescription products will depend on your existing medication regimen, any medical conditions you may have, and the amount of weight you need to lose. Over-the-counter weight loss products have not been studied and tested for efficacy the way prescription-only products have been. Your doctor may consider over-the-counter products for you, but it is important to discuss this with your doctor before your try this type of product. For some people, considering surgical options may be the safest and most effective way to reach his or her weight loss goal. Only your doctor can properly evaluate your condition and determine if these options are right for you. Four procedures are commonly done to help people lose weight. This type of procedure is called bariatric surgery. Two primary functions are provided by the available procedures. The 2 functions include restriction, which physically limits the amount of food the stomach can contain, and malabsorption, which shortens the small intestine to reduce the amount of calories and nutrients the body absorbs. The 4 commonly performed procedures are called roux-en-Y gastric bypass, laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, sleeve gastrectomy, and duodenal switch with biliopancreatic diversion. Your doctor may be able to help you, even though you do not realize it. In some cases, you may be taking prescription medications that cause weight gain or increase your appetite. By talking to your doctor about your weight loss goals, some of your medications can possibly be changed, or the dose adjusted, to help you achieve your goal. Depending on how much weight you need to lose, any existing medical conditions, and your age, your doctor can help to guide you in exercise and activity options that are safe for you. Healthcare professionals, like your doctor or a registered dietician, are great resources for information, guidance, and support. Don't beat yourself up if you overeat, take a breath and start fresh the next day. We didn't become overweight by over eating once in a while, overeating was a daily habit. It takes about 8 months to change a habit and once you start feeling healthier and people start mentioning how great you look, you will know you are on the right track!

Summary: Take prescription weight loss medications. Avoid products that are available over-the counter, unless your doctor agrees. Consider forms of surgery. Talk to your doctor about your medications. Discuss your exercise plan with your doctor. Be kind to yourself. Be patient.

Studies have shown that regular oil pulling reduce the amount of s. mutans, a common oral bacteria responsible for a variety of oral diseases and a major contributor to tooth decay, plaque, gingivitis, and cavities. The lipids in the oil work to pull out bacteria and keep bacteria from sticking to the walls of the mouth. An emulsifier, vegetable oils increase saponification, which accounts for the cleansing, soap-like texture you'll notice when doing an oil pulling. Halitosis is caused by bacteria and fungus in the mouth and on the tongue, and using virgin oils regularly to oil pull will reduce these bacteria and fungi, fighting bad breath and contributing to a clean, healthy mouth. If you struggle with bad breath, work oil pulling into your routine. Some people attribute oil pulling to the general detoxification of the body and a diversity of positive effects, including reduced hangovers, reduced pain, headache relief, insomnia relief, and other cures. Studies show that virgin oils, sesame in particular, are particularly high in antioxidants sesamol, sesamin, sesamolin, Vitamin E, and antioxidants shown to halt the absorption of bad cholesterol in the liver. The antibacterial qualities of virgin oil support the use of pulling to promote general oral health.

Summary: Keep your teeth clean with oil. Consider oil pulling to remedy bad breath. Use oil pullings to contribute to all-around holistic health regimens.

If you think you have broken a thumb, you should go to the emergency room so that a professional can set it. If you wait too long, the swelling caused by the broken bone can actually make it too difficult to realign the bones, which means that your thumb could be permanently bent. In addition, broken thumbs in children can permanently affect their growth by damaging their growth plates. Even if you suspect the injury might be a sprain (torn ligament) rather than a bone fracture, you should still see a doctor for an accurate diagnosis. Additionally, some serious sprains can still require a hand surgeon to repair. You should ultimately leave the final diagnosis and treatment decisions to a medical professional. In addition to asking questions regarding the symptoms from Part One, the doctor will also physically examine your thumb. He may test your strength and movement in the thumb by comparing it to that of your uninjured thumb. Another test includes touching the tip of your thumb to your index finger before applying pressure to the thumb to check your weakness. The doctor will likely order x-rays of your thumb from a variety of angles. This will not only confirm that diagnosis, but it will also show the doctor exactly how many fractures your thumb has sustained, which will assist in determining the best treatment option. The angles for the x-rays include: Lateral: The lateral view is an x-ray with the hand resting on its side, so that the thumb is up. Oblique: The oblique view is an x-ray with the hand tilted, resting on its side, so that the thumb is up. AP: The AP view is an x-ray of your hand in a flattened position, from above. A CT scan can also be referred to as a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan. A CT scan uses x-rays and a computer to create images of what the inside of your body parts (in this case, your thumb) look like. This way, your doctor can get a better idea of what the break is like and the best way to go about fixing it. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant because CT scans might cause harm to the fetus. Once your doctor has run the relevant tests, she will diagnose the specific type of fracture you have sustained. This will determine the complexity of the treatment options available. Extra-articular fractures are those that take place away from a joint along the length of one of the two bones in the thumb. While painful and requiring six weeks to heal, these fractures do not typically require surgical intervention. Intra-articular fractures take place along the joint, often requiring surgical intervention to help the patient retain as much movement in the joint after recovery as possible. Of the intra-articular thumb fractures, the two most common are a Bennetts fracture and a Rolando's fracture. In both, the thumb fractures (and likely dislocates) along the carpometacarpal joint (the thumb joint closest to the hand). The major difference between the two is that a Rolando's fracture involves three or more bone fragments that require realignment, and while a Bennetts fracture may occasionally forego surgery, a Rolando's fracture almost always necessitates surgical treatment.
Summary: Visit your doctor or go to the emergency room. Submit to a physical examination. Get an x-ray taken of your thumb. Talk to your doctor about getting a computed tomography (CT) scan. Have your doctor diagnose the type of break.