 I have a severe stomach ache, I feel like vomiting ... Mom, please!! I can't go for exam.
 I read it! I knew it all ... But I just blacked out.  
 I just couldn't write! My hands were trembling.  
 I messed up this question! I can do nothing right... I can never succeed in life!!  

It's not uncommon for students to experience such problems before/ during an exam.

Most of us suffer from some degree of anxiety when we prepare or sit for an examination. Examination usually leads to a lot of tension and anxiety commonly known as examination phobia. Examination phobia or Examophobia is a mental disorder found in most of the students. When exams arrive, students become extremely worried and make plans about how to study, how to perform better and get good grades. Some students find exams so difficult that the phobia makes them sick as they simply find themselves unable to cope up with the exam fear. There may be sweating, palpitations that disturb so much that one cannot think straight and end up messing up the paper. Also, in subsequent exams, it becomes worse and the fear intensifies. The person may end up feeling a failure, feeling guilty and may even be suicidal! 

Anxiety is a normal human feeling that is part of life and can often serve as a good form of adrenaline. However, in few people, this adrenaline rush exceeds normal limits and at times may lead to some negative consequences.

Exam anxiety is:

1. Excessive worry about upcoming exams 
2. Fear of being evaluated 
3. Apprehension about the consequence 
4. Experienced by many normal students

POSSIBLE CAUSES 
(I) Environmental Causes

1. High expectations of parents 
2. Parents imposing their ambitions on children 
3. Parents competing for higher social status through child's scores 
4. Constant comparison with other kids 
5. Fear of teachers 
6. Insulting remarks from teachers

(II) Poor studying styles: 
1. Inefficient:

1. Irregular coverage of the entire syllabus 
2. Trying to memorize the course book 
3. Binge learning 
4. Studying all-night right before exams

2. Ineffective:

1. Reading without understanding the topic 
2. Unable to recollect the material 
3. Not making revision notes 
4. Not revising

(III) Psychological factors:

1. Feeling little or no control over the exam situation (rather than knowing and applying exam strategies) 
2. Negative thinking and self-criticism 
3. Irrational thinking about exams and outcomes 
4. Irrational beliefs  If I don't pass, my (family/boyfriend/girlfriend/friends) will lose respect for me  
5. Irrational demands  I have to get at least 98% or I am worthless.  
6. Catastrophic predictions  I'll fail no matter what I do there s no point.  
7. Low Self-esteem 
8. Fear of failure

SYMPTOMS OF EXAM ANXIETY 
The symptoms can range from minor nervousness to a panic attack, which can ruin the test. But whatever the level of your anxiety, learning to keep yourself calm and managing the fear of sitting for an examination is what it takes to come out with flying colors.

1. Physical symptoms. Headache, nausea, diarrhea, excessive sweating, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, lightheadedness and feeling faint can all occur. Test anxiety can lead to a panic attack, which is the abrupt onset of intense fear or discomfort in which individuals may feel like they are unable to breathe or having a heart attack. 
2. Emotional symptoms. Feelings of anger, fear, helplessness and disappointment are common emotional responses to test anxiety. 
3. Behavioral/Cognitive symptoms. Difficulty concentrating, thinking negatively and comparing yourself to others are common symptoms of test anxiety.

HOW TO PREPARE WELL FOR AN EXAMINATION 
Fortunately, there are several methods that you can adopt to reduce your examination stress, which will not only help you to get higher grades but also improve your overall mental health.

1. Regular Studies Develop good study habits- ATTEND classes regularly, finish all the assignments on time, make notes properly and be an actively engaging student in school. Leave plenty of time to revise so that you don't have to do last minute cramming. Giving yourself adequate time will help to boost your confidence and reduce any pre-exam stress as you know you have prepared well. Instead of waiting for the eleventh hour, start studying as and when the academic year commences. With a good amount of time before hand, you will certainly feel more relaxed as you have plenty of time to give-in your best. 
2. Exercise Matters - It is of paramount importance to maintain mental, psychological and physical health to ace any exam. Exercising regularly, deep breathing and  pranayama  help in improving one s cognitive faculties, that results in lesser anxiety and simultaneously better grades in the tests. 
3. Don t Undermine the Importance of Diet - Be careful about your diet during the exams. A diet lacking in essential nutrients can put a major dent in your preparations; make you feel nauseated, SLEEPY OR overstressed during the crucial hours. 
4. SLEEP WELL - Adequate sleep is also vital. SLEEPING TOO LESS OR TOO MUCH CAN ALSO HAMPER YOUR ABILITIES 
5. Support - Take short breaks in between and spend some quality time with your family; share your feelings and state of mind with them. Spending time with the family can turn out to be a major stress buster. 
6. Set a Study Time: Lastly, drawing up a schedule will help you make the most of your study time. Set aside a time for your studies and follow it meticulously. Keep it flexible so that you can make the necessary adjustments. 
7. Stay focused: Concentrate on your studies, not others during the examination time. Avoid talking with other students about the subject before an examination. 
8. Use Mnemonics: Mnemonics are the techniques of memorization. You can make chart, rhymes or phrase to memorize your lessons. 
9. Practice Deep Breathing Regularly - Meditation is one of the best medicine that can reduce your anxiety. Make a habit to Meditate at least 10 minutes per day. It surely increases your concentration power. 
10. Consult Psychologist: If your anxiety becomes uncontrollable, don t hesitate to consult a psychologist or therapist. CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is pretty effective in treating anxiety disorders. It helps to change your thought process and negative beliefs. Performance or test anxiety is highly treatable so you can get absolutely get a better result.

HOW TO ATTEMPT THE EXAMINATION IN BEST POSSIBLE WAY 
(I) ON THE DAY OF EXAM

1. Get a restful, uninterrupted sleep the night before so you wake up refreshed and revitalized the day of the exam. 
2. Have a healthy breakfast but strictly avoid oily and heavy food 
3. Recheck your required stuff (pen, pencil, compass box, eraser, admit card, watch etc) before leaving home. 
4. Take the water bottle along with you to the examination hall. 
5. Avoid touching new/left-out topic at the last moment. 
6. Aim to reach the examination hall well in time. 
7. Avoid being part of Before-exam peer discussions on How well-prepared or unprepared others are! The classic  Tera kitna ho gaya  question followed by undue comparisons can be a complete confidence killer. So Beware !! 
8. If feeling tensed, take deep-long breaths and engage in positive self-talk; reminding yourself that you prepared best to your ability and tell oneself   I CAN DO IT  

(II) IN THE EXAMINATION HALL

First of all, fill the required information on the answer sheet. 
Read the instructions carefully to figure out if you have a choice of questions, no. of questions to be attempted etc. 
Read the question paper thoroughly before u begin writing and mark the questions under 3 categories: (a) Easy (b) Manageable (c) Difficult 
Manage your time: This is where you strictly need to stick to the plan:
Before you begin, allocate time for each question based on the marks it carries and difficulty level. 
If you are not able to complete an answer within planned time-frame, leave some space and move onto the next question. 
Always divide time in such a way that you are left with some time at the end to go back over incomplete answers and revise/recheck. 
Always try to attempt all the questions. 
Attempt the Easy questions first, followed by Manageable and Difficult questions at last. That way you stay secure, calm and confident. 
Avoid writing too lengthy answer just because you know it well.
5. Presentation:

a. Handwriting should be neat & readable. 
b. Instead of very long paragraphs, put your answer point-wise. 
c. Wherever possible, illustrate the information via Flowcharts/diagrams etc. 
d. Highlight: underline or highlight the main points using pencil / coloured markers but you should keep it for last spare moments.

(III) TIPS FOR PARENTS: 
Encourage your kids! Parents have the ability to address underlying fears that may be present with test-taking. At a deep level, even subconsciously, a student may fear failure for a variety of reasons. There could be a fear of looking dumb to friends, of not getting into the best school, or of not meeting parent s expectations. A great help is for parents to reinforce their unconditional support and encouragement to the child. Parents, let your children know that their grade does not determine their worth. Believe in your child. 

Help them get over the myth that  Success in exam is a predictor of success in life . 

Good marks = Great job. 
Poor marks = End of life!!

In short,  There are no secrets to success. It is the result of Time Management, Hard work and Learning from mistakes 

Say Goodbye To Exam Phobia!

Aphasia is a communication disability that can result from damage or injury to those parts of the brain that process language. It can happen due to stroke, brain tumors, accidents, or brain infection. A brain injury which damages parts of the brain that deal with language can also bring on Aphasia. Aphasia can also be caused by dementia such as Alzheimer s disease. Aphasia is sometimes also a symptom of epilepsy or other neurological disorders.

It s more common in older adults, especially after a stroke. What happens in Aphasia is that the affected person is unable to understand or use words. He or she may also:

Have difficulty speaking and finding the "right" words to express themselves verbally
Have problems understanding conversation
Have problems reading and comprehending written words
Have problems writing words
Is unable to calculate or use numbers
Has a tendency to use gibberish words as a part of speech
There are various types of Aphasia, differing in certain important ways from each other.
Aphasia can also be mild or severe. With mild Aphasia, the patient is able to converse, though he may not be able to find the right word or may not understand complex conversations.
However, in severe Aphasia, a person may lose his ability to communicate completely which means he can t speak or understand any conversation and may also not be able to read or write.

Three things that aid Aphasia recovery are

Speech Therapy
Family Support
Persistence
Treatment for Aphasia depends on factors like:

Age
Cause of brain injury which causes Aphasia
Type of Aphasia
Position and size of the brain lesion causing Aphasia
If the Aphasia is due to a brain tumor, surgery to remove the tumor affecting the language centre can treat Aphasia.
For a person who s got Aphasia due to a stroke, sessions with a speech-language specialist are very effective. The therapist teaches the patient ways to communicate using stuff that doesn t involve speech.
He uses the following to help the patient communicate without words:

Props
Drawings and pictures
Teaching patient to speak slowly and be calm when talking.
Treatment techniques
The speech therapist uses these two main techniques to tackle Aphasia:

Substitute skill model: This uses a prop like a writing board to help with spoken language.
Direct treatment model: This approach uses specific exercises to help patients
Copy and recall therapy (CART): This approach uses repetition and recall of certain words during speech therapy.
Visual communication therapy (VIC): This involves the use of index cards to represent various components of speech.
In addition, Aphasia patients are also trained in the use of hand gestures to aid in communication as a part of  Visual Action Therapy (VAT) .

Aphasia - Factors That Put You At Risk!

If you are concerned about the health of your heart, one of the primary and most important things to do is quit smoking. Avoiding and abstaining from smoking will heal the nicotine damage caused to your heart. This will enable you to lead a long and healthy life. Here are the reasons why you should quit smoking for the sake of your heart:

Reduced risk of heart attack: The benefits of not smoking start hours after you quit, and the heart rate and blood pressure get normalised slowly. By quitting smoking, your chances of having a heart attack are reduced by 50%.
In case of women, quitting smoking has special benefits: Women generally have a smaller body frame than men, and the harmful effects of smoking on a woman s heart are considered to be more dangerous and concentrated. Female smokers under the age of sixty are more likely to experience a condition known as cholesterol plaque erosion, which is a fatal blood vessel condition. Women smokers are likely (seven times more than men) to develop heart complications due to smoking.
When you quit smoking, your heart is no longer exposed to harmful chemicals: Cigarette smoke contains toxins such as arsenic, formaldehyde and benzene. The chemical substances may be hazardous to the blood vessels in your body, and the heart muscles get damaged. Once you quit smoking, these chemicals will no longer enter your body, making your heart healthier.
Quitting smoking benefits other people as well: When children and people are exposed to tobacco smoke, their chances of having plaque in their heart s arteries are enhanced. This may cause a stroke.
Quitting smoking reduces the chances of getting hospitalised: A smoker may be at the risk for getting hospitalised because of several conditions such as congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, much more than a non-smoker. After quitting smoking, the chances of being hospitalised decrease within five years.
Quitting smoking lowers the risk of having atherosclerosis: Atherosclerosis is a blood vessel disease which is caused due to inflammations all over the body. Because of this, the arteries may stiffen and thicken. Smokers face the risk of acquiring this condition three times more than non-smokers.
You can quit smoking most effectively by combining behavioural support along with prescribed medication. People using this type of multi-treatment are likely to become successful at quitting smoking. You should consult a specialist who is certified in tobacco treatment, who will provide you with a plan. It will include counselling, medicines and a nicotine replacement therapy.

Smoking - How Quitting It Is Good For Your Heart?

Technology may be a boon for your love life as due to technology a number of means of communication have evolved, which keep you connected with your loved one in the form of devices, software and applications. However, in spite of its benefits, they are plenty of things that come with technology, which can completely ruin your love life. Here are some signs that technology may be creating trouble in your paradise:

You may waste your time checking photos of ex-girlfriends and love interests. You may check out a picture of an ex on her Facebook profile and wonder about a new guy present in the picture. The same may happen with a present lover. These activities create unnecessary complications in your mind which may harm your relationship with your partner.
You end up spending more time with your smartphone than with your partner. This may affect your relationship, as you are too engrossed with checking social media websites and posting updates instead of paying attention to your partner, who is right by your side.
Sexting is a common trend in today's world where the exchanging of nude photos between a couple takes place via messengers and chatting platforms. This can be worrisome as you may always be concerned about your pictures getting leaked or exposed.
You may become technologically clingy. Your partner may have texted you, and you have not been able to reply in spite of reading the text. Modern technology enables a person to see when you have read their message and when there is no response, the speculations creep in. These situation lead to host of other problems.
It is easy to lie about something online or via texting than saying it face to face. Technology allows you to lie and make untrue statements, which are not true in real life. This creates dishonesty within a relationship.
With technology, you have too many options at hand and this makes situations difficult. In case you want to go for a dinner with your partner, you might spend hours searching for a good restaurant by going through the ratings online.
You may spend a lot of time deciphering text messages. Modern day texting is full of abbreviations, short forms and emoticons. Some of these may make you over think stuff, and you may try to decipher meanings from normal texts, which actually have no twisted meaning.
With so many forms of social media, you may be confused about what to use at which stage or phase. You may think whether you should text first, should you add an interest on Facebook and should you comment on a picture. All this creates confusion and honestly there is no real conversation between you and your partner.
There is no doubt that modern technology has taken the level of communication to a new level. Technology plays significant role in keeping in touch with your friends and loved ones sitting thousands of miles away by bringing them close. But it is high time that you realize that technology is something that has driving you away from your loved one. Make an attempt to have some personal conversations without your phones, laptops and tablets. Watch a movie, go on long drives or late night walks and reignite the love and passion in your relationships.

Technology - Is It a Boon or Bane For Your Love Life?

E-cigarettes : Good Or Bad?

E-cigarettes or electronic cigarettes are vaporizers powered by battery which instigates the feeling of smoking. Though it has emerged as a measure to quit smoking, it is not so successful in achieving the same. 

Check out its Benefits Vs Risks

BENEFITS.
1. Alternative to smoking - For those who find hard to quit smoking can replace this smoke and tobacco free device with the traditional cigarettes and can reduce the intake of smoke or tobacco to minimal.

2. Easy on the pocket book - The cost of e-cigarettes is relatively low than traditional cigarettes. Hence, it fits well under the budget of chain smokers.

3. Reduces the risk to diseases - Cigarette smoking is injurious to health. It can cause innumerable diseases from cancer, stroke, heart attack, pneumonia to osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s etc. E-cigarettes have reduced the risk of many of these diseases for the smokers.

4. Odor free Cigarette - The odor from a smoker after smoking is unbearable. E-cigarettes help get rid of the maleficent odor and so others won’t notice the smell.

RISKS.

1. E-liquids - E-cigarettes have e-liquids which are very harmfull for the body. A small amount of e-liquid is enough to kill a child or an adult. Hence, there is an increased risk to life of a smoker.

2. Lacks labeling - E-cigarettes do not have proper labeling, health warnings, directions to use and its safe disposal technique. Hence, it has an added risk to environment if the e-liquids get exposed/leaked.

3. High levels of Nicotine - Though it is a tobacco and smoke-free cigarette, over usage of the same can make you addicted to nicotine which has further negative impacts on your health.
Hence, e-cigarettes may help in quit smoking, it is equally hazardous to your health. 


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How Good Are E-cigarettes, Really?

Most patients suffering from ulcerative colitis are advised to undergo a surgery as that is oftentimes, the last option remaining for them. Failure of other treatments to bear any results leads to the need for a surgery. There are two main categories of surgery options; however, the difference lies in where the waste pouch will be placed following the ulcerative colitis surgery.

A patient who is planning to go through the ulcerative colitis surgery procedure must be aware of the recovery period and its duration. Since the surgery is an invasive and an intensive procedure, the recovery time is lengthy. So, naturally, before you arrive at any decision it is recommended that you consult your doctor, surgeon and other healthcare professionals about the procedure.

Ulcerative colitis is not a curable disease, but if your colon and rectum are removed, the symptoms of ulcerative colitis can be treated. But educate yourself as you may still have to live with a number of side effects of the surgeries, even after the incisions have healed. This is the reason that you must prepare yourself both physically and mentally before making any decision, which should be based on the information available.

Tips for Quick Recovery
The recovery from ulcerative colitis is quite tricky. As it is an invasive surgical procedure, the recovery time is lengthy. However, you should not fret yourself with that. With the required care and doctor s advice, you will be able to return to your daily life in full vigor. In order to improve your recovery and hasten the process, you will be given a detailed file of information that you must follow strictly. These tips are:

After the surgery, you may have to remain in the hospital for 3 to 7 days. This is a mandatory protocol as it allows your surgeon to monitor your incisions and treat any complication or infections.
Any procedure that you may opt for, a total of 4 to 6 weeks is a minimum requirement for recovery.
During this time, you will be asked to meet your surgeon regularly and in some cases an enterostomal therapist as well. An enterostomal therapist is a specialized doctor who only deals with patients who have had their colon removed. So you should make an appointment with an enterostomal therapist, suggested by your doctor, and have him/her review your case.
Eat nutritional healthy foods to avoid any complications.
Stay hydrated by drinking at least 2-3 liters of water per day.
A rehab therapist or a physical therapist will help you to move towards your normal life, by keeping you active and recommending rejuvenating exercises that won t hamper your health.
Manage stress and anxiety as they cause stomach issues.


Ulcerative Colitis Surgery - Tips For Quick Recovery!

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