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August 10, 2011

What Is Wavefront Technology In Lasik?

Lasik surgery has hugely improved the vision of millions of individuals worldwide. It has turned the visually impaired into sighted individuals who are capable of seeing their children again and contributing to the family’s income by working. Two items that millions considered they would never be able to do again.

However, Lasik eye surgery has not been sitting on its laurels. Far from it, Lasik surgery techniques are being improved all the time. One such enhancement is Wavefront Technology. Wavefront Technology with relation to Lasik eye surgery is used to more precisely map the patient’s eyeball, which makes more exact surgery possible.

This is of immense importance because eyeballs are not all the same shape. They are like hands, superficially they all look the same, but once you get down to particulars, they are not. There are all shapes sizes and proportions. The same is true for eyes.

The better the map of the eye, the more chance that the surgeon has of giving you the best vision they can, in relation to the precise problems that you have in your particular case. Wavefront Technology assists the surgeon accomplish this.

Wavefront Technology is actually a technology that has been adapted from astronomy. in astronomical telescopes it is crucial that the lenses are as perfect as they can be, because at high magnification, even the very slightest impairment would lead to huge distortions, which in turn would make the telescope just about useless.

Astronomers were using this technology in the 1970′s, so it was already quite advanced when some bright spark noticed that it could become adapted for use in eye surgery too. Wavefront Technology was born and taken on board by Lasik and other eye surgeons with great expectations.

In fact, the bright spark who noticed the potential value of this article of astronomical technology was a German doctor called Josef Bille who started using it in his practice.

He gradually enhanced and adapted the sensors and announced it to the Lasik manufacturers in 1997. This in turn allowed the manufacturers of Lasik equipment to adapt Wavefront Technology to their own apparatus.

Wavefront Technology is highly complicated in design and technology but also highly easy to understand. The Wavefront machine sends a flat sheet of light (known as a wavefront) through the eye to the retina, which reflects it back to the Wavefront device.

The Wavefront machine compares the two, measures the imperfections, chooses what has to be done to correct them and guides the laser to the right spot in order to accomplish the corrections. As simple as that!

However, the geniuses who created and developed Wavefront Technology did not give up there. They have their machine send in multiple wavefronts from multiple angles so that the computer can build up a three dimensional picture for even more accuracy.

There are now well over 60 patterns that can be automatically corrected by a Lasik laser guided by Wavefront Technology. So, if you have any issues with long or short sightedness, create an appointment to see your Lasik surgeon as soon as they can.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a variety of topics, but is now concerned with macular degeneration glasses. If you want to know more, please visit our site at Macular Degenerative Disease

June 21, 2011

Trying To Avoid Cancer Of The Lungs

Cancer is the main or second biggest killer in most countries in the world in spite of the fact that there has been a blitz on smoking. There are not that many countries left in the Western world where there are not some restrictions on smoking. This is hardly surprising actually, we all know what smoke and pollution is doing to the world’s atmosphere and to the world’s foliage – it’s lungs – so why would it not be doing the same to us? In spades, even?

Cancer is a state where cells start growing out of control, as most of us already know. The majority of people affected are over forty rears old and it affects women smokers equally as much as men smokers. By tradition, more men smoked than women, but that ratio is changing.

These days, it is more common to see women smoking than men. This is normally because women strive to use smoking as a hunger suppressant – in other words an aid to dieting.

Smoking is the foremost reason for cancer and so it is thought that during the following decades, that there will be a higher percentage of women dying of lung cancer than men for the first time in history.

An off-shoot of smoking is passive smoking, which is the condition in which someone breathes the secondhand smoke of a smoker. This used to happen most often in bars and offices, but smoking there has now been banned, so it is expected that most passive smoking now takes place in the home, which puts children most at risk. There are comparable experiences to passive smoking from pollutants from vehicles.

The difficulty with lung cancer is that there is no cure. Your body can repair itself if you give it a fair chance, but it does need a fair opportunity. Many people have been able to do well with a little lung cancer, but you cannot do well with merely a couple of percent of your lungs.

This is why some of the symptoms of lung cancer are coughing, wheezing, blood in the phlegm that smokers cough up, being out of breath and having chest pains. Heavy smokers who are developing lung cancer are frequently under weight as well.

Unfortunately, chemotherapy and radiotherapy do not have a immense deal of effect on this kind of cancer. The most a sufferer can look forward to is a wheezy life in an oxygen tent. And not a long life at that. Drugs can alleviate the pain and improve breathing, but not much more.

Surgery can help, but you just have so much lung capacity and if that is cut away it will not grow back. You can do fairly well with only one lung, but a full and active normal life is a problem. You would require an inhaler to walk any distance.

The other thing is that blood flows through the lungs to pick up oxygen which it distributes to each part of your body. While it is oxygenating this blood it will also pick up cancerous cells and distribute these over your whole body too. It could well be that it is one of these secondary cancers that will do for you.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a number of subjects, but is now involved with the stages of ovarian cancer. If you would like to know more, please visit our web site at Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

June 20, 2011

Safe Gas Boiler Repairs

There is not actually much to go wrong with contemporary gas furnaces, but each mechanical item can fail and the central heating system is one of them. The problem is though, that hundreds of millions of households around the world have come to rely on their central heating system.

In general, people are not advised to meddle with items that they know nothing of, especially if it refers to something that could become a fire hazard, but this article is about safe gas furnace repairs, that you can undertake yourself.

Some of these tips might stand you in good stead if the gas furnace in your home central heating system gives up the ghost. These pointers could save you cold nights and high call-out fees.

The more that you become intimate with your central heating system, the more easily you will identify problems that arise, because in general, home heating units have intermittent issues and recurring problems.

Does your heating system keep switching itself on and off at inappropriate times? This almost certainly has something to do with the thermostat. The old way of dealing with thermostats was to tinker with them, but no one does that anymore, they only replace them. You might as well do the same.

Purchase a replacement thermostat and fit it, but if you want to learn more, play about with the metal disk in the old one and refit it after a modification. If you keep going like this, you might find out what works one day. Some thermostats are quite easy devices and you can suss them out.

If your central heating system keeps closing down, this is also probably a difficulty with the thermostat, so long as there is fuel in the tank. The strategy is the same. Look at the disk inside the thermostat and read any writing on it. Normally, if you bias it one way or the other, it will correct the problem.

A very easy one is the pilot light. If your set-up is not working, simply check that the pilot light is burning. The pilot light serves as the ignition for a heat cycle, so if there is not one present, there will be no heat cycle or heating.

The pilot light can be blown out or only go out because of a temporary shortage of fuel, after which it will have to be re-ignited.

If your whole heating system seems to be working normally, but there is no heat coming through the vents, it is probably the blower. Check the fan belt and either tighten the tension or replace it. This is an easy job, which, having done once, you can do in your sleep.

The main thing about any home appliance is not to automatically reach for the phone book if items go wrong. That is exactly what the want you to do. They would like you to think that things are too intricate unless you have studied them, whereas in fact, the majority of engineers just replace parts – very little gets fixed or taken apart any more.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on a number of subjects, but is at present concerned with emergecy air conditioning repairs. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Home Air Conditioning Systems.

June 10, 2011

Places Where People Live Long

Most people do not look forward to death. They would like to live a long life and endeavour to stay eternally young. The peoples of each country spend billions every year on health care and beauty products.

Some people believe that the length of time you live is written in fate and there is nothing that you can do about it, others think that we just have a certain number of heart beats, but most people believe that genetics, diet and lifestyle are the main influences.

However, there might be another factor worth looking at: your town of residence. There are a few places around the world where people seem to live longer, on average, than is standard for their country or globally.

Take the city of Okinawa in southern Japan. Okinawa has over a million inhabitants, 900 of whom are more than 100 years of age. Japan has an aging populace in general, but nowhere there matches Okinawa for longevity and the percentage of centenarians is between four and five times higher than in the UK or the USA.

Not just do Okinawans live longer, but they also tend to remain healthy until their dying days, which is everyone’s dream. Diet is considered to be the main reason why Okinawans live such long, healthy lives. They consume a great deal of fish, tofu, soya and seaweed and swill it down with plenty of tea.

This makes their diet low in saturated fats and pretty low in salt. However, it is also a broadly-held belief in Okinawa that one ought to just eat until one is 80% full not 100% This may put less strain on the digestive system, but no one is really certain yet if this has a bearing on living a longer, healthy life.

Then there is Loma Linda in California, the USA. The citizens of Loma Linda live an average of five to ten years longer than the residents of near-by towns. The town is mainly Seventh Day Adventist, which preaches vegetarianism, no smoking and no alcohol. Some will look to these reasons as the reasons for living longer.

However, this does not account for why almost everyone, even the smoking, alcohol-drinking, meat-eating inhabitants, lives longer. Others put the longevity down to religious belief, but researchers are puzzled. Maybe going to church and relying on God relieves believers of some of the stress of daily life and stress is famous to be a reason for major illnesses.

Another strange location is Owoda on the Mediterranean isle of Sardinia. It is only a village of less than 2,000 residents but it has far more than the average number of 100 year olds than elsewhere. What is even stranger is that there are as many old men as old women which is not the standard anywhere else in the world.

The famous Mediterranean diet and the pleasant climate are thought to be factors at play here, but it may also have something to do with their genes. The inhabitants were practically isolated for hundreds of years and marriage among relatives was not uncommon. Usually this is not recommended because it can cause abnormalities. It looks like the abnormality that inter-marriage caused for the Owodans is longevity.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a number of topics, but is now concerned with the cause of macular degeneration. If you would like to know more, please go to our website at Macular Degenerative Disease

June 8, 2011

Eyesight Improvement

We are under great pressure not to look old, not to look our age. One of the best compliments people of more than 21 years think that they can receive is: ‘Really? You do not look it!’ To a certain extent this obsession with a youthful appearance has always been with us, but the pressure has ratcheted up due to films and television.

Film stars and pharmaceutical companies unscrupulously team up to persuade us that we need this surgery too in order to become popular. What they do not tell you is that the pharmaceutical businesses have paid the film stars to have free treatment and then paid (or sponsored) the chat shows that so blatantly promote them.

And ageism is rife as well, both among the young, whose worst insults usually have the word ‘old’ included and among employers who can not wait to be rid of employees at 65 after a lifetime of service. Governments or at least some governments are exactly as bad, penalizing pensioners with a meager salary after fifty years of paying taxes.

Individuals used to grow old gracefully, now it is a sin. There is a long list of ‘improvements’ that you can plough your way through: face lift, liposuction, hair transplants, dentures and several others, but the one that really makes sense to me is eyesight improvement by whatever technique works.

We live in a beautiful world and it is a shame that whilst we are at the correct stage in our life to enjoy it – that is while we have more time, more money and have become more philosophical, we begin to go blind. At the same time as your grandchildren begin arriving, your eyesight begins to go.

There are numerous factors why you could begin losing your eyesight besides only old age, but old age does play a part in some of them as well.

Macular degeneration is normally called age-related macular degeneration, but there is a rare kind that has an impact on the young. There are two types wet and dry. The dry kind is less severe, but the wet kind is more easily treated.

Cataracts are thought to be age-related as well, but I had premature senile cataracts 20 years early. Fortunately these are easily treated as well with only a couple of minutes of surgery. Glaucoma is a vicious one, which can leave you totally blind, if you do not catch it soon enough and have it treated.

The key to success with all of these eyesight impairments is tackling them early. If you suspect that anything is not right with your eyes, go to a GP or optician immediately. Do not be fooled by quack cures that you might see advertised on late night TV or in the small ads. They ought to get banned.

Eye exercises and eye drops are fine for healthy eyes, but they will not help you if you have a problem, only a fully qualified expert can do that. These advertisers prey on individuals who either do not have the money for surgery or who are frightened of it and there are lots of them around too.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a number of topics, but is now concerned with macular degeneration glasses. If you want to know more, please visit our website at Macular Degenerative Disease

June 7, 2011

Cancer Prevention And Green Tea

Most people are scared rigid of developing cancer. That is perfectly understandable – who wants to spend a couple of years undergoing chemotherapy only to die a couple of years later? Or even if you recover it is a couple of years out of your life that have been worrying and gruelling. And not just for the patient but for friends and family too.

So, some people do everything possible to reduce the risks of developing cancer. Most of us do not think we know how to do this, others are not certain, but they have heard or read something that sounds ‘around about correct’ and others are convinced that they know how to avoid contracting cancer.

My wife is certain that I may develop cancer from eating burnt toast and others are convinced that they can stave off cancer by saturating their flesh with green tea. It has frequently been pointed out and for decades as well, that countries where green tea is the norm, say the Far East, have a much lower incidence of cancer than we do in the West.

And this is probably true at the moment. But why is it the case? I live in Asia and diabetes is the number one cause of death near me. Do Asians not get cancer as much as we do because they drink green tea or for other reasons?

In fact, where I live in Northern Thailand, I have never seen anyone drink tea or coffee or accept a cup off me, except my wife. People here drink water or alcohol, depending on the time of day. Kids like Cola or Sprite or whatever because they watch as well much TV, but drink a lot of water.

It is said that green tea is an anti-oxidant and it is alleged that anti-oxidants help get rid of free radicals which could cause cancer. If this is true, then the claims for green tea are maybe more substantial.

However, the claims are so all-embracing that it makes me sceptical. I am reading a report just now that claims that green tea will prevent the formation of cancerous cells in the: “… aesophagus, bladder, on the skin, in the ovaries, the pancreas and the prostate”.

That is a very tall order indeed.

The problem for me with all these claims is that they are not substantiated – there are no references that you can follow that do not lead to businesses selling green tea. This is a difficulty.

Some will say that the government or the pharmaceutical businesses are suppressing the information because they want to sell more expensive drugs – and this might be the case – grist to the mill for conspiracy theorists and retailers of Chinese tea.

Now that we seem to be entering into a ‘new era’, a more sceptical and more enlightened era (thanks a lot to the Internet), couldn’t someone do some research on green tea and Acai berries and all the rest of the stuff you read of in your junk emails and put an end once and for all to the false dreams, if that is what they are, that we are being sold every day by unscrupulous marketeers looking for a quick dollar?

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a number of topics, but is now involved with the stages of ovarian cancer. If you want to know more, please visit our web site at Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

Is Hair Transplant Surgery Good For Women?

Most people associate balding with men and that is not surprising as most western men do go bald sooner or later. Most men really hate going bald. Some take to brushing their hair in a different way, having it cut short or even shaved off completely or they wear a hat. Increasingly, men are seeing balding as a natural process over which they have no control and just get on with their lives. This is a step in the right direction.

However, women go bald as well, or at least they can do. Traditionally western women care more about their looks than their men folk do and so women can take it very badly when or if they begin losing their hair. Some women take to wearing a wig and others try a hair transplant.

The difficulty is that men and women lose their hair for different reasons and hair transplants favour the causes of men’s baldness rather than women’s.

Distinctive male baldness is called ‘male pattern baldness’ and everybody knows men whom it has affected. It means that men lose hair first at the front, a receding hairline, and then on the top; leaving a band of hair running around three sides of the head. The three lower sides in fact have healthy, growing, self-replicating follicles.

It is this hair that is utilized if a man goes for a hair transplant – healthy hair and it has to do with testosterone, the male hormone, as oestrogen is the female hormone.

Female baldness tends to affect the whole of the head at the same time, which means that there is not a crop of healthy hair follicles from which to transplant hair to other regions of the head. This makes most women inappropriate clients for a hair transplant.

Luckily for women up to about retirement age, baldness merely affects a small percentage of them unless it is through illness or the treatment of an illness. On the other hand, just about 5% of women are decent candidates for a hair transplant. Women who have lost their hair due to using rollers for a long period of time, usually have a couple of patches of good hair left that can be utilized for transplanting.

Other women who have a good chance of a successful hair transplant are those who have a form of male pattern baldness and those who have lost hair due to trauma surrounding areas of surgery. Those who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy, will frequently make a full or near full recovery when the chemo sessions are over.

The easiest alternative for older women is to wear a wig. It is not ideal, obviously, but it does restore some confidence to those who could not otherwise go out without hair. Other choices are hats, scarves and turbans, jus like many women wore in the Twenties and Thirties.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a number of topics, but is now involved with the stages of ovarian cancer. If you would like to know more, please visit our web site at Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

June 5, 2011

Tackling Atherosclerosis With Good Nutrition (part 2)

You will have to make your own mind up on whether cholesterol or omega 6 is to blame for atherosclerosis. The argument is similar to the dieting problem: do you have faith in in the old-style fat-reduction, high carbohydrate diet or the newer, Atkins’ high fat low carbohydrate diet?

It is very confusing for the layman, but that is how specialists sell books. You pay your money and take your choice or you merely go along with your medical doctor.

However, both camps of dietitians agree that fish oil is healthy for you and in particular is helpful for decreasing LDL cholesterol and omega 6 excess. Omega 3 is best taken in oily, cold water fish like salmon, herring and mackerel.

They contain relatively high levels of omega 3 essential fatty acids. Another source of omega 3, but different ones from the fish, is from meat that has been fed on grass.

Garlic is famous for being an antiseptic but it is also useful for reducing cholesterol. It appears to have a lethal impact on LDL (bad) cholesterol, but leaves HDL (good) cholesterol alone. One clove a day is said to be enough to have a beneficial effect.

Fibre and roughage are crucial for good general health. These components are to be discovered in fruit and vegetables (especially the leafy green ones); grains, lentils, legumes and nuts. Roughage and fibre will help eradicate LDL cholesterol and prevent constipation. They also help prevent bowel cancer which is on the rise in the West.

Some nutritionists say that LDL is not perilous, but is just a threat and it becomes perilous when it has been damaged. One kind of damage is oxidization. Therefore, anti-oxidants will reduce your risk from cholesterol and arteriosclerosis. The next question ought to be: what are major anti-oxidants?

There is a colossal array of anti-oxidants ranging from the fun to the boring. I do not know what you find boring, but flavonoids are a useful anti-oxidant and they are present in high volumes in red wine. As well red wine, other anti-oxidants include: Vitamins Ce and E and beta carotene.

These are available in peppers, citrus fruit, strawberries, cantaloupe melons, broccoli, white carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, mangoes and green leaf vegetables. Other good sources are wheat, oats, nuts and seeds.

Mono unsaturated fat is one of the best sources of oil you can find. Mono unsaturated fat comes best from olive oil, which is one of the factors why the so-called Mediterranean Diet is so healthy for people.

Mono unsaturated fat has another valuable effect: eating it lowers hunger for a longer time than you would expect for the calories involved. This makes it a good substance for dieters. The same is true of roughage, fibre and eggs.

Mono unsaturated fat is one of your best friends in the fight against arteriosclerosis. However, it is not merely present in olive oil, it is also in avocados and nuts, particularly pecan nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds.

Last but not least is ginger. Ginger has a high amount of phytochemicals known as gingerol and shogaol which are also antioxidants. Ginger not just lowers LDL cholesterol, but it also assists prevent the oxidization of LDL

If you can just implement a few these alterations to your diet you may be able to ward off arteriosclerosis and avoid having to take drugs like statins for ever.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a number of topics, and is now concerned with omega 3 arthritis. If you want to know more, please go to our web site at Omega 6 9

June 3, 2011

Water And Exercise

We, as human beings, as very reliant on water. We are roughly 70% water and we cannot live without it. In fact, we can go weeks without food, but only about three days without water.

One of the sad things about the Western diet is that a great deal of people no longer drink water. They have completely replaced water with sugary soft drinks, which of course contain enough water but also contain too much sugar or sugar substitute.

The first step that these people have to take in order to get back on track is to give up this silly, childish habit and begin drinking plain water again. It has been estimated that around two-thirds of people do not drink enough water, which means that they are in a permanent state of partial dehydration.

Water has a number of important functions in our bodies, but one of the most important ones is to flush out toxins. It is worth realizing that if you feel thirsty, your body has arrived at a state where it is crying out for water. In other words, it has already passed the state where it requires water, so endeavour not to wait until you are thirsty before you take a drink.

Another fact is that tea, coffee and alcohol (some of our most popular adult drinks) are diuretics, which means that they force urination, often more than they replace. So you can put 250mm in but you may lose 270mm. This is naturally not the purpose of drinking if you are thirsty

Exercise is another reason why we lose water. In fact, merely by being alive, we lose water due to body heat and evaporation, but while we are actually doing something, we lose water quite rapidly. You might get worried about drinking water before going to bed, but if you can do it, it is a very good thing.

If you wake up a bit groggy every day and need breakfast, tea or coffee before you can actually wake up, it might be because of dehydration, not because you have issues waking up. Being dehydrated results in drowsiness and lack of concentration.

In fact, dehydration is a major killer in the Third World. This is not because there is no water, but because the water is contaminated. This contaminated water causes diarrhoea which causes dehydration. It is vital to keep drinking when you are sick even if you do not feel like eating.

It is recommended that we drink at least eight tumblers of water (say, of 250mm each) a day. More if you are exercising or sick. It sounds like a great deal of water, but most individuals are awake for about 16 hours a day, so eight glasses works out to merely one each two hours.

It is more of a difficulty to get into the habit of drinking water on a regular basis than it is to really do the drinking, but once you have established the habit, you will feel better on a day-to-day basis. It will not prevent you from getting sick, but your general degree of health will improve, because you are getting rid of toxins.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a number of topics, but is now concerned with Sundance hot tubs. If you would like to know more, please visit our web site at Hot Springs Spa Parts

May 30, 2011

Did You Say Ovarian Cancer?

Ovarian cancer that accounts for over 25,000 newly diagnosed cases of cancer each year only in the United States Of America is by and large detected in the later stages once it has already spread outside the ovaries. Ovarian cancer or a group of malignant tumors begin in tissues of different sorts in the ovary.

Most cancers of the ovary start in the epithelial or outer layer of cells, with rarer kinds beginning in the egg forming germ cells or the stroma in the ovaries. However it is incorrect to assume that all tumors and cysts could become cancerous, for non-cancerous or benign tumors are more common than cancer of the ovary.

Cancer of the ovary or ovarian cancer is the 7th most common cancer among women in America; with only one out of five cases diagnosed in the early stage when effective treatment can be implemented. However most women might like to know the danger factors for ovarian cancer and take care to go in for early analysis.

It is a good idea to understand that danger does not mean a certainty, it only indicates an increased chance to develop this sort of cancer.

They say that a strong family history of cancer of the breasts, uterus, colon and rectum could expose a woman to cancer of the ovaries also. A family history could include one’s blood relatives like grandmother, mother, daughter or sister, with a family history of cancer at a young age contributing to a higher chance for ovarian cancer. A genetic counselor could suggest genetic tests for you, certain genetic changes indicating an increased risk for cancer of the ovaries.

It is important to note that each woman that has a personal history of cancer and has been already afflicted with cancer of the breast, uterus, colon or rectum stands a higher likelihood to get ovarian cancer.

It is to be observed that cancer has the tendency to spread rapidly and chemotherapy and radiation can only treat or remove cancer for some time. In addition to the growth of new cells there is every opportunity for it to spread to other organs of the body also.

It is the case that women that have attained menopause and older women that have never had babies have a higher chance to develop cancer of the ovaries. Postmenopausal use of hormones like hormone replacement therapy for a period of 10 years and more could rise the likelihood of getting ovarian cancer, with estrogen replacement therapy or ERT having the highest danger followed by estrogen-progestin replacement therapy or EPRT. It is also true that obesity and use of talcum powder also create a higher risk factor.

The indications of ovarian cancer after it develops to some extent could be pressure with or without pain and bloating experienced in the abdomen, pelvis, back and legs, feeling of nausea with indigestion, flatulence, constipation or diarrhea and a feeling of tiredness most of the time. In rare cases you could experience shortness of breath, the frequent urge to urinate and heavy periods after stoppage of periods.

However it can be hard to diagnose ovarian cancer and the only one who can do it properly is a doctor.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a number of subjects, but is now involved with the stages of ovarian cancer. If you would like to know more, please visit our web site at Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

May 18, 2011

Throat Cancer Does Not Really Exist – But You Have To Be Wary.

Really there is no such medical illness known as ?throat cancer?, although several sorts of cancer can arise in the throat and neck. The proper medical term for the throat is the ?pharynx?, which can be defined as: ‘the passage that ensures that food and drink go to the stomach and air to and from the lungs’.

The pharynx is made up of three parts: the oropharynx (the back of the mouth, including the soft palate and base of the tongue); nasopharynx (connecting the back of the nose to the back of the mouth); laryngopharynx (connecting the oropharynx and nasopharynx to the start of the gullet (oesophagus) and the windpipe (trachea) via the voice box (larynx)).

The laryngopharynx is occasionally called the hypopharynx. ?Throat cancer? can be cancer of any of these, although the most common form of ?throat cancer? is nasopharyngeal cancer.

Just to render the term ?throat cancer? even more useless and puzzling, some individuals apply it to cancer of the thyroid gland (situated at the front of the base of the neck), cancer of the voice box (larynx), cancer of the gullet or cancer of the windpipe (trachea), which actually falls into the lung cancer group.

Most head and neck cancerous cells are squamous, which is to say that they do not travel far from their origin, although they often have an impact on the lymph nodes. In fact, the first symptom of head or throat cancer is frequently an enlarged neck lymph node, which is also occasionally called throat cancer.

A different sign could be the manifestation of white patches or spots in the mouth that will not respond to treatment. Known as leukoplakia, 33% of them become cancerous. It is estimated that 7,000 Americans die of a throat cancer each year, often because it was detected late. Ethnicity might also play a part, since African American men are 50% more at risk of throat cancer than Caucasian men.

These cancers are quite painless in early stages and can be confused with toothache, earache, sore throat or croakiness. When established however, they develop very quickly, although if caught at an early stage, they can nearly always be effectively removed.

There is a wide variety of reasons why someone can be at a greater risk for a throat cancer, including smoking; chewing tobacco and other things, such as betel nut, gutkha, marijuana or pan; heavy alcohol consumption; poor diet resulting in vitamin deficiencies (worse if this is caused by heavy alcohol intake); weakened immune system; asbestos exposure; prolonged exposure to wood dust or paint fumes; exposure to petroleum, industrial chemicals, and being more than the age of 55 years.

The existence of acid reflux disease (gastroesphogeal reflux disease – GERD) or larynx reflux disease can also be a major factor. In the case of acid reflux disease, stomach acids flow up into the oesophagus and injure its lining, making it more liable to throat cancer.

Because successful therapy depends on early detection, regular oral examination is suggested. Your dentist will have been trained to be on the look out for early signs, making a bi-annual visit to the dentist even more rewarding

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on quite a few topics, but is now involved with the stages of ovarian cancer. If you would like to know more, please visit our web site at Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

May 13, 2011

Melanoma: Skin Cancer By A Different Name

Melanoma is the most prevalent kind of skin cancer and skin cancer is the most widespread form of cancer in the Western world. It starts in skin cells known as melanocytes.

Melanocytes are found under the skin, which is made up of two strata: the epidermis on the outside and the dermis below that. To be accurate, melanocytes are found in the lowest levels of the epidermis, but not actually in the dermis.

These cells produce melanin, which has an effect on the epidermis? pigmentation, both natural skin colour and because of exposure to the sun as in tanning.

Sometimes, a group of near-by melanocytes combine with a little local tissue to form a mole (also called a nevus; plural nevi). The typical person has between ten and forty moles, which usually seem before the fortieth birthday. They frequently fade or disappear with age.

Moles are non-malignant (non-cancerous) and can be flat or raised in contour and almost any colour. Usually, they are a little darker than one?s natural skin colour. Dark skinned people are likely to have more moles.

Cancer starts in cells where the normal cycle of decay and replacement by regeneration has been Upset. Under these conditions, cells do not always die when they ought to and new cells are produced needlessly.

This, in turn, creates a growth (also known as a tumor), which can be either benign or malignant (that is to say cancerous or non-cancerous).

Benign tumors can be surgically removed and rarely return. They do not spread or affect surrounding tissue.

Malignant tumors are cancerous and can affect surrounding tissue and organs. In these cases, cancerous cells can break away from the primary tumor and have an impact on other organs or enter the blood stream (lymphatic system), wherein it can spread to other regions of the body (metastasis) very quickly. The rate of metastasis is a deciding factor in how a physician deals with cancer.

Melanoma happens when melanocytes are malignant. It can occur at any age, but the likelihood increase with age. Fair-skinned individuals are more likely to develop it than dark-skinned individuals. In fair-skinned races, men tend to get it on the upper body and neck, whereas women get it on their calves (lower legs).

Dark-skinned people hardly ever suffer from melanoma, but if they do, it is usually under the finger and toe nails or on the soles of the feet or palms of the hands. When cancerous cells from melanoma enter the lymphatic system and affect other organs, it is still attributed to melanoma. For instance, if the liver becomes affected by cancerous cells from melanoma, it is referred to as metastatic melanoma, not liver cancer.

Frequently, the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, colour, or texture of an existing mole, although it frequently first manifests itself with a new mole or moles. Self-diagnosis is not to be relied on – always seek professional advice if you have any concerns relating to your skin. However, it is wise to keep in mind ?The ABCD of Melanoma?, which goes thus:

Asymmetry: the shape of one side of the mole is not the same as the other side.

Border: the border or edges of the mole are not plainly defined; a bit ragged or the colouration ?leaks? into the adjacent skin.

Colouration: the mole is not uniformly of one colour, although it is not so vital what that colour is.

Diameter: there is a modification in size or a new mole gets larger than 5mm in size.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a number of subjects, but is now involved with the stages of ovarian cancer. If you want to know more, please visit our web site at Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer (cancer of the thyroid gland) comes in four variations: papillary, follicular, medullary and anaplastic. Papillary and medullary are slow-growing and sometimes return, but respond well to treatment in patients under middle age.

Medullary also reacts well to therapy, if it has not already spread. Anaplastic developes quickly and responds badly to therapy. The spread of these kinds of cancer is not uniform throughout the world, but is roughly: 78% for papillary; 17% for follicular; 4% for medullary and 1% for anaplastic.

Normally, the first symptom of a problem is the growth of a nodule or nodules in the neck in close proximity to the thyroid gland. However, just 5% of these are malignant. Occasionally an early warning sign is discomfort or even pain; occasionally, the lymph nodes swell, the voice changes or there is hypo- or hyper- thyroidism.

Diagnosis usually takes place after a nodule is discovered during a (routine) physical examination. The patient is then referred to an endocrinologist or a thyroidologist, who will arrange an ultrasound test or a biopsy. Using a thin needle enough cells can be taken to perform an accurate test on the precise state of the thyroid and whether the nodules are cancerous.

Papillary thyroid cancer more frequently takes place in women and often in the 30-40 year old age group and is frequently characterized by bulging eyes. If the growth is less than 1cm in size a partial thyroidectomy or hemithyroidectomy would probably be recommended.

Above 1cm and a full thyroidectomy is preferred. Some surgeons prefer a full thyroidectomy anyway because the cancer cannot come back then.

Follicular thyroid cancer is more common in women over 50 years of age. Therapy is most often full thyroidectomy as the threat of recurrence of this aggressive form is quite big for partial surgery.

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) starts in the cells that produce the hormone calcitonin. Higher degrees of calcitonin in the blood are a reasonable indication of MTC, although these increased degrees of calcitonin are probably not injurious in themselves.

Mutations in the DNA concerned in cell growth and development are responsible for nearly all cases of hereditary or familial medullary thyroid carcinoma. Hereditary medullary thyroid cancer is inherited as a 50/50 probability from each affected parent. DNA analysis makes it feasible to identify children who carry the mutant gene.

Surgical removal of the thyroid in children who carry the mutant gene is effective if the whole thyroid gland is removed at an early age, before there is a spread of the tumor. Hereditary MTC accounts for around 25% of all cases of MTC. The other 75% of cases are known as sporadic MTC and normally occur in older patients.

Frequently the disease is well advanced in these cases as there has been no screening as in hereditary MTC. The first sign is often diarhoea. The likelihood of surviving MTC seem to be linked to the rate at which the patient?s post operative calcitonin levels double.

Anaplastic thyroid cancer is highly aggressive and likelihood of survival are almost zero. It is resistant to all known cancer medications and invades nearby tissue rapidly.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on quite a few subjects, but is now involved with the stages of ovarian cancer. If you want to know more, please visit our web site at Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

May 9, 2011

Some Basic Information On Breast Cancer

The official phrase for breast cancer is ‘malignant breast neoplasm’. Breast cancer originates most frequently in the inner lining of the milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. The general term for cancers that originate in ducts is ‘ ductal carcinomas’ and the term for cancers originating from the lobules is ‘lobular carcinomas’.

Successful treatment depends greatly on the kind of cancer, staging and the age of the patient, however the figures vary from 10% to 98%. Worldwide, breast cancer accounts for just more than 10% of all cancers in women, which makes it the second most common form of cancer in women after skin cancer.

In 2004 (the latest figures available at the moment), breast cancer caused almost 520,000 deaths worldwide, which is 7% of all deaths by cancer and 1% of all deaths. One more interesting statistic is that women are 100 times more likely to get breast cancer than men, but women have a far higher likelihood of recovery (usually due to more frequent screening).

October has been nominated as ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Month’ and the symbol used (not only in October) is the ‘Pink Ribbon’. It has become a worldwide symbol of breast cancer awareness.

However, some companies have been criticized for putting the pink ribbon on the labels of their products (see Kentucky Fried Chicken and some alcoholic drinks). The lesson to be learned is to check out how much that firm actually donates to malignant breast neoplasm awareness and research.

If Breast Cancer Awareness month is to do any good, the one thing it ought to concentrate on is making women aware that this form of cancer is not a death sentence, because if it can be treated early the survival rate is very high. Even cancers that have been diagnosed ‘a little late’ can be treated successfully although the treatment will almost certainly be much more harsh.

All women ought to go for frequent screening by a professional – at least once a year – but they ought to also learn how to test their breasts themselves and get into the habit of doing the self-test every day whilst washing in the shower. You could also get a friend to lend a hand by incorporating it into foreplay.

The information necessary for self-testing is widely accessible all year round (not only in October) at your doctor’s surgery or at your gynecologist’s. It is also available in libraries, clinics, some schools and on Net. One of the foremost factors that you ought to take in to account when deciding on your plan for counteracting the threat of cancer is whether any other members of your family have had breast cancer or any other form of cancer for that matter.

One anxiety that many people in the know have is that breast cancer research is getting too high a proportion of the whole amount available for funding for cancer research. This means that more patients are dying of other kinds of cancer than should be.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on quite a few topics, but is now involved with the stages of ovarian cancer. If you want to know more, please visit our web site at Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

May 2, 2011

Modern Times And Blindness

Not so long ago, it was not at all unusual to see blind individuals strolling the streets tap-tapping away with their white sticks, being guided by a dog, usually a Labrador, but I have not seen anyone like that in Britain for years, as far as I recall.

That has to be a decent thing; it must mean that we are starting to cure or at least assuage most types of blindness.

My aunty had cataracts for years when I was a kid in the Sixties – it was simply one of those things. Some individuals got them when they were old and others did not.

My brother’s mother-in-law had cataracts in the late Nineties and she was enrolled on a two year waiting, but at least she had hope and they were going to be removed free of charge.

I do not know of anyone else that has eye trouble except myself. I could not get my glasses clean one day and then a friend said he saw a white dot in one eye. He took me to the hospital and the optician diagnosed ‘premature senile cataracts’.

Well, I live in Thailand now and he did not say those exact words. He told me that the cataracts were because I was prematurely senile.

I asked him if that was what he really meant; he looked it up in a book and we both had a hearty laugh about it, although he never actually corrected himself. My condition turned out to be a little bit worse than just cataracts, but when I went from the local hospital to a major hospital in Pattaya, the surgeon saw me within 30 minutes and asked me if I wanted them taken away.

I said that I did and she was willing to do the operation there and then. I got it postponed by 24 hours, but she would have sorted my eye out that day in a 30 minute operation, which does not need anaesthetic. I think that that was marvelous.

We have come a long way from routinely seeing blind people on the street and putting up with cataracts through a two-year waiting list to immediate removal of cataracts by laser surgery in 40-50 years.

At least we have in the Developed World and in the East too, if you have the money. There are still millions of people in Asia and particularly in Africa suffering blindness and partial blindness for the sake of an easy 30 minute operation.

Two weeks after my surgery, my other eye began to cloud over. It was as if it had been holding on with its last ounce of strength until I got his mate sorted out. I had that one done last year and once I was allowed to take off my patch and look about me with two decent eyes again for the first time in a decade, I could not understand that I had forgotten how bright the world really is and that I had not noticed how dingy my world had become.

If you are concerned around an eye operation, do not be. What you will experience once you can see properly again will make all the worry appear ludicrous and if you get the opportunity to give someone their sight back, please do it.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a variety of topics, but is now concerned with macular degeneration glasses. If you want to know more, please visit our website at Macular Degenerative Disease

May 1, 2011

Eye Care After A Lasik Operation

The patient of Lasik surgery has two foremost responsibilities regarding his or her eyes: firstly to pick a responsible, skilled surgeon, which should not be very difficult and secondly, to take care of his eyes after the operation by following the guidance of the surgeon on post-operative care. This second part is very important and should not be taken lightly.

The post-operative care procedure is not difficult, but if you are worried about it, you could ask your surgeon what it will entail before the procedure. The doctor or a nurse will be able to explain the method of supervision to you in detail or they will give you a pamphlet.

There might be some peculiar sight aberrations for a few days after the operation, some of which are fairly standard. One of the most common aberrations that are standard for a few days are halos around lights.

However, you should be certain that you understand the difference between what is standard and so no grounds for concern and what should be reported immediately

There are different Lasik procedures and the procedures are advancing all the time so it is not possible to give precise details in this article. Moreover, the shape of the eyes and the causes for deteriorating eyesight are individual to each patient.

Some of the advice that your Lasik surgeon might give for your post-operative eye care may include the following, although different doctors may have their own recommendations.

The first thing is to remember that you have just had an operation including anaesthetic. There might not have been any blood but it was surgery all the same.

All patients are required to take it easy after an operation and you will be no exception. If you had had an operation on your knee, you would use it as little as possible for a time and the same is helpful advice for your eye.

Attempt to sleep for a couple of hours after the operation or at least close your eyes and rest. Infection is the chief concern, so do not poke or rub your eye and do not strain it by trying out your recently improved vision by reading or watching TV.

If you have to entertain yourself in this way wear an eye patch. Your surgeon will almost certainly have given you a stiff plastic eye guard, which you ought to wear at all times.

Some surgeons will warn against getting water into your eye for a few days, which means washing only from the neck down, no showering, no going out in the rain and definitely no swimming.

Be careful with bright light, it cannot damage your eye but it does hurt. Your world will get much brighter after the operation and looking at a light bulb can become painful. Be cautious of watching moving traffic when the sun is shining, a car window can catch the sun and reflect it back into your eye unexpectedly.

You will be given eye drops so do not fail to use them. Lasik surgery can dry your eyes out, if this happens they might be able to give you substitute or extra drops.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a number of topics, but is now concerned with wet macular degeneration treatment. If you would like to know more, please go to our website at Macular Degenerative Disease

Do You Want Beautiful Hair?

All women and a growing number of men want shiny hair. This is because shiny hair is thought of as belonging to a healthy, vivacious person. The fact is that as we get older, men’s hair falls out and women’s hair becomes more brittle. So how can you have age-defying hair?

There are a few tricks of the trade, some of which are pretty obvious once you give them a bit of thought. The first and most vital tip is not to over wash your hair. Your head produces oil to protect your hair and it does that because it thinks that hair is vital to help it regulate the temperature of the brain.

OK, these days we can put a hat on or erect a parasol, but it takes the body a long time to mutate. The point is to not wash all the oil off your hair too often. You need to wash the muck off your hair but not all the oil.

Consequently, rub the shampoo into your scalp and not into your hair. As the shampoo runs off your hair it will take the dirt off your hair with it but only some of the oil. This makes a huge difference.

The tip above is the most important piece of advice because it applies to whatever shampoo you buy, but the next tip applies to what shampoo to purchase. Do not stint on shampoo if you want lovely-looking hair.

Do you remember the days when you had to wash your hair, rinse it and then apply conditioner and then rinse again? Well those really were the good old days as far as hair is concerned. These all-in-ones clean on the principle that the conditioner will not work in the presence of oil and the shampoo will not work if there is no oil.

This means that on the first wash, half the shampoo is wasted, but the shampoo has to scour your hair for the second wash (conditioner) to do its job. On the second wash the conditioner does its job, but the shampoo half goes down the drain having done nothing.

In other words, your inexpensive container of shampoo with conditioner costs double as much as you paid for it, so why not buy separate shampoo and conditioner in the first instance?

The combined shampoo and conditioner is a con because it makes you think that you are saving time and thereby getting something for nothing. You are not.

The best tips you can hear for your hair is to buy a mild shampoo without conditioner. By all means buy one that says that it is better suited to your sort of hair if you want. Then do some research on your hair sort and natural colour on the Net and make your own conditioner or buy one.

Individuals used to use vinegar, beer, dandelions and all kinds of items and one that I have recently come across is Butterfly Pea. Do not become guiled by adverts and time saving if you really like your hair

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a number of topics, but is now concerned with the cause of macular degeneration. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Macular Degenerative Disease

April 24, 2011

Combatting Atherosclerosis With Good Nutrition (Part 1)

The first thing to do in this piece is to make certain that we all understand the same thing by the word ‘atherosclerosis’. atherosclerosis means ‘in the Greek’ athero=’gruel’ and sclerosis=’hardening’; individuals call it ‘furring’ or hardening’ of the arteries, which gives it its other appellation: arteriosclerosis.

What this all comes to mean is that the arteries become clogged up, impeding the flow of blood around your body. These blockages put pressure on the heart and can, or almost always will, lead to strokes or / and heart attacks.

So, what brings about atherosclerosis? The foremost reason given by most, but not all, medical experts is the build up on the arterial walls of fat and other materials. This gunge makes a plaque, similar to the way the food on your teeth forms plaque, if you do not brush them frequently enough. The plaque builds up over time, layer on layer until it has a serious effect on blood flow.

However, your body is still signalling to your brain that, say, your legs need more energy, because you are running for a bus. Your brain tells your heart to get some more blood to your legs immediately, so your heart pumps harder, but the blood is not getting through in adequate quantities because of the atherosclerosis, so the heart has to pump even harder.

This means that the heart of a sufferer from atherosclerosis has to pump a great deal more quickly than that of those who do not have atherosclerosis. This additional stress on the heart can lead to a heart attack. Not just that, but bits of plaque break off under this higher pressure and they zoom around the blood stream. If they get lodged in the brain and cause a blockage to a vital process, you might suffer a stroke.

The three reasons that exacerbate the condition the most are smoking, diabetes and a family history of arteriosclerosis. Men are more at danger than women and those with a sedentary lifestyle and career are more at danger than active people or those who have a physically demanding job.

Diet and exercise are the foremost agents in combatting atherosclerosis without the use of drugs. However, it is not that easy. Everyone agrees that exercise is useful, and everyone agrees that diet is vital, but the diet argument is contended by two factions.

Conventional wisdom says that the difficulty is LDL cholesterol derived from saturated fat, hydrogenated and trans fats. However another faction says that the over consumption of omega 6 is to blame; or rather that the ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 in our bodies is to blame. They say that we get too much omega 6 (which is responsible for inflammation) in polyunsaturated vegetable oils.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on several topics, and is now concerned with omega 3 arthritis. If you want to know more, please visit our site at Omega 6 9

April 22, 2011

Breaking Age-Related Social Norms

The post Second World War years were an age of prosperity for numerous countries, but particularly the United States because their plant and infrastructure was unscathed and they made a great deal of money furnishing the products the rest of the world required to rebuild their countries.

America was working flat-out in the Fifties and early Sixties and salaries and national prosperity kept increasing. A similar feeling of goodwill was evident in numerous other countries, but it was relief that the war was finished and gratitude that their lives and cities were being rebuilt. This feeling of international joy and plentiful employment also led to a boom in babies.

The so-called Baby Boomers were being born in their millions into a joyful time where money and employment was everywhere to be had. Education was seized upon not just by these youngsters but also by many returning service men and women, who wished to assume a bigger role in that bright new world that was stretching out before them.

With a better education and the feeling of liberation that the ending of the War brought about, the Civil Rights Movement started to flourish particularly in America were non-Caucasians were still being segregated.

Although it was not known as Apartheid, segregation is simply the English word for the same idea and masses of people were beginning to find it intolerable and not only non-Whites either.

Individuals after the War were far less respectful of Authority, Governments and the Old Ruling Orders for several reasons. It was these individuals who got us all into wars in the first place and it was these people who were denying Civil Rights. Even if they did not condone segregation they did not do much to stop it.

As Marx or Engels said, nobody gives away power, it has to be taken.

The people alive in the Fifties and Sixties were unlike any generation that had ever preceded them. They had money, education, a healthy disrespect for authority and a higher percentage of individuals who had been abroad than ever before in history.

Even if they were carrying weapons at the time. This was a heady cocktail and civil disobedience raged all over the world from America to Europe to Thailand in the Sixties and Seventies.

The new order articulated itself in music and rock and roll was its name. Never before had youngsters had their own music and they had the technology to replicate it cheaply, the freedom to broadcast it and the money to buy it. A whole new industry was started in the Fifties – record labels aimed at teenagers.

Now that the Baby Boomers are getting old, they are breaking other norms too. Boomers are questioning why the are expected to feel old at sixty-five and stop work. At sixty-five nowadays people frequently still have twenty years left to live and if the past is anything to go by, they will not merely roll over and die on this one either.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a variety of topics, but is now concerned with the cause of macular degeneration. If you would like to know more, please go to our website at Macular Degenerative Disease

April 9, 2011

Natural Eyesight Improvement

Losing one’s sight can get upsetting. In the beginning, if as standard, you start to lose your eyesight at around 40 years of age, it is the first sign of approaching old age, but later as it deteriorates further, people start to worry whether they will go blind.

Well, if you require spectacles at 40 then yes, it is the first sign of approaching old age, but there are not so many individuals who go totally blind now due to advancements in information concerning the eyes and how to treat impairments.

There is nothing you can do regarding the former problem, but at least two routes you can take to sorting out the latter.

Most people ‘blindly’ follow their opticians advice and purchase spectacles or contact lenses. This is the best option for the optician and the cheapest option for the client in the short term. It is good for the optician because you will almost certainly require new spectacles every two years and contact wearers have to keep buying contact lenses as well.

It is handy for the customer because the outlay is small if you do not go for designer frames like Gucci or Levi. In the long term, though the client pays out many, many times more than if a different procedure had been chosen.

One of these alternative courses of action is Lasik surgery. This is costly up front, but can last for 20 years although you might still need glasses for either long or short distances. Most people have their long distance eyesight corrected and never ever have a problem with it again, although they do still need reading glasses.

A third option, which you might like to attempt instead of or in conjunction with any of the above is called Natural Vision Improvement. It has to be said that the system of Natural Vision Improvement has more detractors than supporters, but some individuals treat it as a form of yoga for the eyes which cannot do any harm.

The point here though is that if you would like to try Natural Vision Improvement, you should still go to an optician regularly so that they can check for eye diseases like glaucoma and macular degeneration, which Natural Vision Improvement cannot hope to, nor does it claim to, cure.

Advocates of Natural Vision Improvement say that contemporary equipment like TV screens and monitors and even living in a city where long distance eyesight is almost unnecessary because it is blocked by buildings a few yards away, have trained us to ‘see badly’.

They say that we need to relearn how to see in the right manner. They even go as far as to say that glasses and contact lenses may be part of the problem.

By this they mean that as your eyes get used to corrective lenses, they come to rely on them and so become weaker. Therefore, the next time your sight is measured, you will need stronger spectacles.

The Natural Vision Improvement philosophy says to use the weakest lenses that you can and make your eyes work harder. In this manner, they insist, the next time you go for a check up, you can get weaker lenses not more powerful ones until eventually you do not require spectacles at all.

Some opticians and optometrists will work with you if you would like to attempt this route, but you may have to look about for one. One important point around the Natural Vision Improvement procedure is that if your impaired vision could create a danger to yourself and others, you should wear regular, full-strength glasses whilst carrying out those activities (like driving).

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a number of topics, but is now concerned with macular degeneration test. If you would like to know more, please visit our site at Macular Degenerative Disease

July 17, 2010

Human Monitored Home And Business Alarms

Many Americans are just starting to realize that advanced security measures are not only for the very rich. You just cannot get too much security for yourself and your family or your employees. The problems in society are getting worse too, not better. The current recession is hitting hard and splitting society even more into the have and have-nots, the working and the not-working.

However, these days burglars do not seek out the very wealthy, because they have all the protection that money can buy. The people most likely to be robbed and burgled are the working middle classes. They get robbed when they are at work and the kids are at school or when they are sleeping in their beds.

This is why it is essential to have the best automated security you can afford taking care of your home and family twenty-four hours a day. But it is not only your home, your business and workers deserve security as well. How many gun-toting lunatics have shot their colleagues dead in the last few years?

Not many firms can afford security personnel but you could get the next best thing, which is electronically monitored surveillance. There are various types of system available and most are flexible enough to be adaptable to any building. You could then monitor the system yourself during working hours by having a screen in the office or your home and send the signal to a security firm at other times of the day, at weekends and at night.

If you adopt this kind of system, you will be placing your home or office in the top echelon of secured properties and professional burglars will realize it and stay away from you and yours. Most people resent the monitoring fees, but the system falls down, if no-one is watching the image relayed by the cameras. You could try to reduce this cost by monitoring the images yourself for part of the day and relaying the image to professionals when you are unavailable. You could also ask your insurance company for a discount and ask your accountant to put the expense down against your taxes.

The good thing about a monitored system is that you know that help is at hand twenty-four hours every day. You may be living alone or prone to fits or a heart attack. You could get almost instant help in these instances by pressing the panic alarm. These panic buttons can be placed at the front and back door, in every room in the house or you could have a radio button on a necklace around your neck. These systems are quite common and are used by many care centres for the elderly or the infirm.

You will probably have to do some arithmetic to work out whether you need or can afford a monitored home security system, but there is no doubt that it is the most secure system available. However, not all home security monitoring companies are the same, so it is worth checking up with friends or with the companies’ governing body or even the local council to see if they have a good reputation.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with home security systems comparison. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

July 11, 2010

The Importance Of Home Security

People have always tried to protect themselves and their families, just like most animals do. In very early days, cavemen protected their caves by setting fires outside the opening to discourage interlopers and wild animals. Later on, man learned how to augment his security by training dogs to safeguard him and his family. Later still, houses and then doors were invented; bars and locks arrived soon after that.

However, until a few decades ago in the west, people lived in extended large families. A family could consist of six-to-ten children and the mother and the grandmother would often live there too. This made home security systems extraneous from the early 18th Century to the 1930′s, which were fairly peaceful times. After the Second World War, families were not so large and new families got their own house away from their parents.

Nowadays, both parents are likely to be working and the children are almost certainly at school. This means that many houses are left unoccupied during the day, making them easy plunder for burglars. In fact, the number of household burglaries has risen by almost 10% in the last five years according to American government figures. Furthermore, according to a survey, forty percent of home burglaries were carried out due to inappropriate locks and doors.

ANSI (American National Standard Institute) produced a standard for deadbolt locks for exterior doors which is very difficult to beat. If you are worried about your exterior doors, you should seek these ANSI deadbolts out, but be careful, there are many copies. However, regardless of the kind of lock, the quality of the door is just as crucial. Its thickness and composition can also be a deterrent. After all, why put an expensive deadbolt on a door made of cardboard?

There are about 14,000,000 home burglaries every year in the United States and many of them are preventable. The first stage that you should achieve in home security is well-built doors and sturdy locks. Deadbolts on exit doors is a good idea.

Once you have completed that, get some exterior security lighting that reacts to either motion or body heat. The former type are microwave and the latter passive infra red sensors. These sensors will also contain a daylight sensor so that they will only become active at night. The sensors will also save you money by activating the powerful halogen floodlights only when someone enters the scope of the sensor’s beam.

Once you have done that, you ought to think about a home security alarm system. This should include contact sensors on all exterior doors and windows, vibration sensors on all widows to alarm you in case of breakage and PIR or microwave motion sensors in the corridors and hallways.

Then, if you want to go even further in your home security system, you can fit surveillance cameras on each exterior wall of the house and maybe one in the interior too. You do not have to take all these precautionary measures at once, if you are short of cash, but they should be taken in that sequence.

Owen Jones, the author of this writer, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with home security systems comparison. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

April 17, 2010

Wireless Home Security System

Nowadays a house or even an apartment is not thought of as complete without an adequate home security systems Not having one often has an effect on the market price of the property too – downwards if your home security system is found wanting or even non existent. People are just too worried about the rising levels of crime. One of the problems for home owners is that stores and other businesses have got their act together and are very well protected in general. This has forced the average burglar too turn his attention to houses.

The number of burglaries has risen by almost 10% over the last five years because of this fact so now every household should be considering upgrading, replacing or fitting a new home security system. It is a pity that the situation has come to this, but it is so. I myself was beaten in my home by burglars ten years ago. They tied me up and threatened me with a knife. They also threatened to skin my dog in front of me. It was not pleasant.

Modern technology makes it easy to fit a very good home security system, without having to spend a great deal of money. Often when you have work done on your home or your car, the labour element of the cost is more than that of the parts you wanted. It can be the same with the installation of a home security system. However, a wireless home security system can be fitted by any reasonably capable person, which allows you to save money or just get a better system.

If you can run a wire from a fuse box and climb a ladder you can fit a home security system yourself. With older wired systems, it was tricky to hide the wires that ran to the sensors. You had to insert them behind coving and skirting boards an chase them into the plaster. It is a lot of work to do it correctly, but it is simpler with a wireless system.

If you go wireless, the only thing you will have to do or have done is wire the central control box directly to the fuse box and wire up the external siren too. After that you can just fix the proper sensors in the proper places and you are done. All of this is explained in the instructions, which I suggest you scan while you are in the shop in case they are in badly translated Chinese.

You can take the basic home security system as far as you like. Modern wireless technology permits many extras and varieties. A basic system would consist of the control box, the external siren and all the sensors, but you ought to add outside security lights to this as a necessity. They can be wirelessly linked to the control box too.

Then you could add surveillance cameras and a speaker-phone on the front door. All of these things can relay information to your control box and from there to a PC, if required. The Internet can be used as an interface to control your system as well, if you want – even from work or while on holiday!

A wireless home security system is a very adaptable piece of equipment, but is not that complicated to fit, go to the mall as soon as you have time to get some leaflets.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with home security systems comparison. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

categories: alarm systems,security,home,business,family,home business,home accessories,consumer electronics,elderly care,other,uncategorized,happiness,retirement,interior design

April 15, 2010

Security Bars: Are They Worth The Risks?

There are many things that families and businesses do in order to secure their property. One measure that is often taken in the name of security is the addition of security bars to doors and windows. Despite the inherent benefits of securing property, these bars often present risks of endangering the people inside.

One thing remains accurate, most burglars will keep moving rather than try entering into a home that has security bars on doors and windows. Home protection is the only security that these bars supply however for many, the risks involved in having these bars on windows is not worth the small degree of security that is provided. In other words, the good of these bars is greatly outweighed by the negatives.

A lot of people do not purchase new security bars but rather rely on the same bars that have covered the windows of the home or business for many years. Some of these are rusted and virtually impossible to take away. In emergency situations, every second matters and these bars can be the very things that trap people inside a burning or flooding structure.

Security bars are no longer the cheap alternative to traditional alarm systems and monitoring services that they were touted to be in the past. In fact, more often than not the pose a greater risk than they are a benefit to business and homeowners. Many larger businesses offer free fitting of alarm systems and alarms as well as monthly monitoring services at reasonable rates. More significantly not only are these monitoring services available for breaks-in, but also for fire and smoke as well as panic button services.

Security bars may have had a time and place, but they have been replaced by something that is much more effectual at deterring criminals as well as something that offers a greater degree of protection for the most precious assets of any home or business – the people inside. The costs concerned in monthly monitoring seem great but most will find that the value this service provides if and when it is ever called upon is well worth every penny.

Options to burglar bars that are not terribly expensive include planting thorny bushes below windows and keeping them trimmed back just enough that they do not block a view of the windows. Most burglars do not want a difficult entry point and they certainly do not want to be wounded during the process by prickly plants. Lighting is another option that is essentially less expensive than it would be to install burglar bars. Intruders do not want to be seen. If the area surrounding your home and business is well lit, it will serve as a deterrent. Investigate options such as this before resorting to security bars.

To answer the question of whether or not security bars are worth the risks for home or business protection the answer would be a loud “No!”. There are other preventative measures that can be taken in order to deter intruders that present far less risk to family members and employees. These alternatives should be implemented rather than those that pose further risks to those you are trying to look after.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with home security systems comparison. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

April 4, 2010

Safes At Home And In Business

These days information is one of the most valuable commodities. Personal information such as your social security number, tax identification numbers, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, passwords and PIN’s are precious assets and must be highly guarded, because if this information gets into the wrong hands, thieves could cause havoc in your financial and personal life.

Some companies, especially those that have high and rapid employee turnover rates are often targeted specifically for their employee details. This information in the right hands is worth far more than the one-off theft of money or merchandise and is much more tough to trace.

One way that most companies and some homes are protecting this valuable information is by buying large safes in which to store the information that they have on paper and disk. Some businesses go one step further however and buy hidden or disguised safes. This adds still another layer of protection and security for employees who may be concerned about identity theft.

When it comes to security for homes, safes offer a great means to safeguard not only important papers but also jewelry, letters and gold. Another great thing about safes for protecting valuables in the home is that most safes are also virtually fire proof. This means that the valuables held in the safe are likely to survive in the event that a fire damages your home. Not only will a safe offer the security of ‘safe guarding” your possessions but also your peace of mind by allowing you to know that your important documents and information (including insurance papers) are kept safe from prying eyes.

Some safe manufacturers concentrate in making safes discreet so that the casual observer would not realize that you had a safe in your home at all. In fact, a professional installer can make them almost completely unnoticeable. This can be done so well that not even your friends and family would know.

Other types of safes that offer security to your home and/or business, depending on what kind of business you are in, of course are gun safes. Quite frankly, having guns out in the open and freely accessible to anyone who walks in the door is not only foolish but should be against the law too. It is wise, for those who own guns to have a gun safe in which to store those weapons. Ammunition should be stored elsewhere. Guns do not provide sufficient defense for homes or business. In many cases, those who attempt to use their guns for home security, are only managing to provide another weapon to the intruder rather than managing to safeguard their belongings or protect their families.

Safes offer good protection and security for homes and businesses when properly used and guarded. Safes offer little protection however if everyone and their brother knows the location and/or the combination to the safe. You should keep that information closely guarded in order to receive the maximum security that owning a safe can provide.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with home security systems comparison. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

March 22, 2010

Home Security – 10 Tips To Protect Yourself And Your Family

When people think of home security, they are inclined to think of electronic surveillance systems. However, there are other methods to protect yourself and your family from harm and burglars. I will give you my top ten tips for home security.

1] Windows are actually the key to home security. Window-stays become loose or sloppy as they become older and sometimes you can get a window-stay to jump off its peg by thumping the outside window frame. Fit window stay locks

2] Doors must be robust, well-hung on strong hinges and have secure locks. Fit deadlocks, especially on exterior doors.

3] Spare keys should not be secreted near the door under a mat, a flower pot or a stone. If you want to leave a key with a neighbour, select the neighbour cautiously. Be wary of those with teenage kids, their friends may become aware that the spare key in the fruit bowl is to your house.

4] Tools that can help a burglar must be locked away. Keep your shed and garage doors locked and if you have a ladder, chain and lock it to a fixed point like a wall.

5] Dogs are useful for home security, but they cannot be relied on. Some thieves will poison a dog to get in. If you leave your dog in the house, get a box to fit inside your door to collect whatever comes in, lock the letter box closed or seal it off for good. If you leave the dog in the garden, try to get a neighbour to check up on it from time to time.

6] Plants and bushes should not be permitted to grow big enough to block anyone’s view of windows and doors. Passers-by and ‘nosy neighbours’ are a big deterrent to thieves, but if no one can see a ground floor widow, the burglar can gain access unobserved. if you do want bushes under your windows, make them tough, thorny ones.

7] Boundary walls or fences are your first line of protection. They can be a good disincentive, if you get the style right. Some people embed broken glass into the top of the wall, but this may be illegal and can hurt unsuspecting cats. The best thing to do is nail carpet-gripper just below the top, inside lip of the wall. Anyone putting their hands over the wall to pull themselves up will get a very horrible shock and leave DNA.

8] Valuables should not be put on show near windows. Your house is your home not a presentation case. Put your TV, DVD player and video recorder in a cabinet, maybe get a safe for your valuables but conceal that too.

9] External lighting is a key part of night-time security. Get exterior lights that are activated by motion (microwave) or heat (passive infra red), put at least one on each outside wall of your house.

10] Electronic surveillance systems are a necessity these days. You do not need cameras, but they are helpful for identifying intruders. Your home security system can be wired or wireless, monitored or not.

These top ten home security tips should prevent your home from becoming an easy target for burglars.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with wired home security systems. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

categories: alarm systems,security,home,business,family,home business,home accessories,consumer electronics,elderly care,other,uncategorized,happiness,retirement,interior design

March 20, 2010

Home Security Tips – How To Make Your Home Unappealing To Burglars

These days everybody is concerned about the security of their homes and justly so! According to official American government statistics, the number of house burglaries has increased by nearly ten percent in the last five years to about fourteen million per annum.

That is a lot of homes. I was burgled ten years ago and I have studied and done my best to never be one of those statistics again. In this piece, I will pass on some of my home security tips on how to make your home unappealing to thieves.

The first thing to think about is whether you have anything in your garden, shed or garage that will help a thief get into your house. Things like ladders, crow-bars, screwdrivers, sledge hammers. If you do, then lock them away. Keep the shed and garage doors locked at all times. If you have a ladder that will not fit in the shed or garage, chain and padlock it to a brick wall, so that nobody can use it to get in.

Never believe that your home is less at risk just because you or someone else is inside it. Some thieves are crazy and it is simpler to ask someone where the money is than to try to find it yourself. It is easier to demand the keys to the safe than to pick the lock. I know. thieves came into my house while I was at work. They saw my safe, but could not get into it, so they came back three nights later when I was at home. It was truly not pleasant.

Do not put a spare front or back door key under the mat, a flower vase or near-by rock. Burglars expect people to do that and it is the first place they look. If you are thinking about leaving a key with a neighbour, choose your neighbour well. In fact choose the family well. Does the family have teenage kids? If so, could their friends find out that that ‘spare key’ is to your home? Do you trust all the friends of that neighbour’s children? Do you even know them?

Beware of people you do not know. I do not mean be fearful, but someone asking to make an urgent call because of a ‘breakdown’, could be casing your house or sizing you up. If you want to help, make the call for them or direct them to the nearest public telephone booth or a shop.

Keep all your doors and windows locked. If reasonable locked shut, when you are away from the house, but you can get window-stay locks so that you can lock a fanlight window ajar a few inches too. This is very helpful in the summer or if you have animals. Lock upstairs windows too – your neighbour may have a loose ladder that a thief can use.

Do not display your valuables needlessly. Video recorders, DVD players and even the TV can be put in cabinets. Jewellery should be put in a box or a safe. Cash likewise. Your house is a home, not a presentation case to would be thieves.

My last home security tip to make your home unappealing to thieves is to stay alert and to warn your neighbours of any slip-ups they are making too. If you can elevate the general awareness of crime in the people around you, everyone will be a lot safer.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with wired home security systems. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

categories: alarm systems,security,home,business,family,home business,home accessories,consumer electronics,elderly care,other,uncategorized,happiness,retirement,interior design

March 19, 2010

Exterior Security Lighting

It is entirely natural that we all want to keep our homes and businesses safe and well protected, but there are many ways in which this can be accomplished. The cheapest and most cost effective way is exterior security lighting

It truly is a no brainer, poor lighting can make a home or business a much more appealing target than the house next door because it has less satisfactory exterior security lighting. Burglars look for dimly lit points of entry into premises that appear to contain riches, so when you are designing the security system for your home or business you should try to think like a thief.

Look at your buildings from the outside, or look at someone else’s first and ask yourself, how you would get in there if you had to. Pretend that you forgot your keys or that there is a crucial problem in your property. How would you get in? This is where chummy gets in and you must find out how to obstruct his every move.

Ten years ago, I lived in a bungalow on my own with my small, knee-high dog and armed robbers attacked me in my home, despite the fact that I had a decent home security system. Do not let it happen to you. My blunder was that I had insufficient exterior security lighting.

They had cut my phone line during the day and because I used a cell phone for most of my calls, I did not notice. Also my dog was sick, but I did not appreciate that she had been poisoned too. At eleven o’clock at night there was a ring on the front door and I opened it, thinking that it was a neighbour in trouble.

A man charged in and over-powered me and the rest was not nice. However, the whole regrettable issue could have been avoided, if I had thought like them..

I was in the habit of pulling the curtains when I got home, so I did not notice that they had taken the lamps from my exterior security lighting too.

My advice is to check your exterior security lighting every night when you get home and keep the bushes or shrubs cut low around your front and back doors. Make sure that your exterior security lighting is working every evening and make sure that you can see who is ringing your door bell.

Provide your garden and your doors with lots of light. Let them be on motion sensors and check who is at your door from a side window that looks out onto the front door. I had a gorgeous frosted glass pane in my front door, but that is no use. I could not recognize anyone through it.

Get a panic button fitted by your doors, a big one, so that if you are surprised you can lash out and still hit it and above all make your next door neighbours aware that if your external siren sounds, that you are in danger and that you need assistance immediately. If you are not in trouble, you can always say sorry later.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with home security systems comparison. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

categories: alarm systems,security,home,business,family,home business,home accessories,consumer electronics,elderly care,other,uncategorized,happiness,retirement,interior design

March 17, 2010

Garden Security Lighting

One of the most basic steps you can take when building your home security system, is the setting up of garden security lighting. Garden security lighting is also one of the most effective ways of discouraging criminals and it is one of the cheapest techniques too. All in all the installation of garden security lighting is the most effective and cost-effective method of home security

Other outdoor security gadgets such as security cameras are much more expensive and only serve one purpose, that is the security of your home. On the other hand, garden security lighting can be used to supply a welcoming light to guide the way to your front door to your visitors or to light up your backyard if you want to sit outside or admire a particularly beautiful group of flowers. They are also good for illuminating a fountain on a pond.

Adding motion sensor lighting controls to your garden security lighting also increases its effectiveness. The passive infra red motion sensors will pick up body heat automatically and switch the light on framing the moving object in a powerful beam. Microwave sensors provide a similar function but work on motion. They extend the length of time the bulb will last and reduce electrical use, while making sure you get light when you need it.

However, if you sit behind closed curtains in your home at night, you may not see the warning of the lights coming on. Therefore, some of these garden security lighting systems have a built-in bell or buzzer which makes a sound when the light comes on. You can also have them send a signal to your main indoor alarm system control box, which will beep and let you know where the light is that was triggered (front, rear or side of the house).

Garden security lighting can also be solar powered. This makes them slightly more expensive to purchase but very much cheaper to install and to run. Some of these lights are permanently fixed to the house’s fascia boards while others are just pressed into the ground. This latter sort are ideal for garden parties that go on into the night, as long as you remember to put them back where they belong before going in.

It is a good idea to aim the motion sensors of the lights some four feet above ground level or they will be switched on by every cat that comes over your wall in the middle of the night. Likewise, you can turn down the sensitivity of the PIR or microwave sensors so that the sensors do not pick up birds like pigeons.

The lights have daylight sensors on them too so that the motion sensors only activate the light at night. Some of these sensors will still register movement in the daytime and report it back to the main unit if you want that.

So, all in all, there are plenty of different options when you are considering home security, but garden security lighting has to come at the top of your list, if you want an effective, reassuring home security system.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with home security systems comparison. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

March 12, 2010

Panic Alarms For Home And Business Alarm Systems

In all probability, every home and every business would benefit from the protection of a panic alarm. Breaks-in are common enough, but with people living longer the probability of stroke or heart attack have risen too. If you were living alone it would be dreadful to be lying on the ground incapacitated for hours. Panic alarms are the solution. They can be placed in a handy location or worn around your neck.

These are not the sort of personal alarms that emit a high pitched whistle or siren sound. Those alarms are meant to deter criminals on the street or to draw attention to the user. No, I mean a device that starts off your home security system. it does not create a noise of its own, but communicates with the main security control box by some sort of radio signal.

Some of these panic alarms do not activate the main security siren, but instead send a message to a monitoring security company. These so-called silent panic alarms are most often used in banks, firearms shops and places that handle lots of ready money. However, any business could use a silent panic alarm. Household alarm systems usually activate the external siren in order to alert your neighbours that you are having problems.

Panic buttons are especially helpful to the elderly or and infirm. Sometimes, people fall and cannot get up. You could also have a heart attack or stroke and not be able to make it to the phone. A panic button on a card around your neck would solve this problem. Some of these panic buttons are monitored too and others even have a microphone and speaker so that you can speak to an operator and explain your situation.

Some of these panic buttons have a keypad so that you can send codes to the operator. Other means have been built into watches and brooches in order to make them easier to carry. If you wear your panic alarm, it is much less easy to forget to take it with you when you go upstairs or into the garden.

If you can afford security, you really ought to have a system, as good as you can afford, installed into your home and business. A panic alarm is a useful extra item for home and office use too, but it is especially comforting to the elderly. Many older people are frightened of falling when they are in the house alone and fear of burglars or worse is a constant worry. A panic alarm linked to the main home siren is also a reassurance to women living alone.

If you do get a home security alarm with a panic button, make certain that you keep a spare battery near at hand and check that the battery in the equipment has not become depleted. You should also warn the neighbours you get on best with that you have a home security system and that they should come to your assistance or phone the police, if they hear your home security siren and see the flashing light.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with home security systems comparison. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

categories: alarm systems,security,home,business,family,home business,home accessories,consumer electronics,elderly care,other,uncategorized,happiness,retirement,interior design

March 10, 2010

Issues Of Home Security

Home security is a mammoth issue, but this is nothing new – it always has been an issue for parents and home owners. The problem is that family structure has altered. Not so long ago, people had much larger families and mothers or grandmothers were at home to look after the kids. With six, eight or even ten kids in a family, the house was never empty so burglars did not have a lot of opportunity. There was more social cohesion too, so criminals were loath to steal from their neighbours. So they attacked shops instead.

However, shops and other businesses started using electronic burglar alarms as the prices fell. These security units were so effective that burglars turned to stealing from people’s homes, which is made easier by the fact that the kids are in school and the parents are at work all day. American federal statistics indicate that domestic burglaries are up nearly ten percent since 2004. So, what can you do to put off a burglar?

If your residence is left unoccupied for a large part of the day because your children are at school, nursery or a baby-sitters’ and you are at work, consider getting some home help or joining a neighbourhood watch scheme. If you had a cleaner coming and going, it would afford some activity to discourage thieves.

Becoming a member of a neighbourhood watch would convey to your neighbours that you are worried about security and they will keep an eye on your home while you are out. Get your self a dog too, although be conscious that they can be easily poisoned, if the crook has access to them..

Fit an electronic surveillance system. This could be a monitored or tape set-up. Monitored is the best. An added bonus to a surveillance set-up is that you can be certain what your baby sitter gets up to while you are out too. You can turn it off when you yourself are at home or just leave the outside cameras on.

Another additional benefit with a home security system is that you can get a panic button linked to the system’s main external siren and strobe light. If you are attacked or worried, you can trigger the alarm by pushing a button on a device that you can wear around your neck. They can also be built into watches and brooches. These personal panic buttons are a good idea for the elderly and single women offering peace of mind to those living alone.

A monitored surveillance system will also warn you if your house catches fire while you are asleep or out or if someone is mooching around your garden. Often the operator of the system will phone the emergency services too after they have alerted you.

A good surveillance system can be used as a bargaining chip with your insurance broker to obtain some hefty discounts on your premium. If you have a small business that you operate from home, you may be able to off-set some or all of the overheads against your business too and a good home surveillance system can boost the selling price of your house, because it makes it that one step more comprehensive, like having uPVC doors and windows and a wooden deck.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with home security systems comparison. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

categories: alarm systems,security,home,business,family,home business,home accessories,consumer electronics,elderly care,other,uncategorized,happiness,retirement,interior design

How To Protect Your Home And Family

Everybody worries about the security of their homes and families. The question is: how can you make your home secure without turning it into Fort Knox? The sad fact is that, if someone is resolute to get into your home, they can and will. Ten years ago, my home was ‘secure’, but I was tricked into opening the door and I let my attackers in. No home security system can safeguard against situation like that.

Burglars look for homes that seem vulnerable. Most crooks are opportunistic. In other words, if they see an open door or window or if it is evident that no one is at home and if there is no obvious security, then it is worth them trying to get in. Open gates are also an invitation. So are valuable possessions put on show in windows.

It only takes minutes to steal something, you would be astonished. I let two armed robbers into my house and they timed 15 minutes to take everything of value in my house and then a car stopped outside to pick them up. It was night time and I was tied up. It could have been a taxi, which would not have aroused my neighbours’ suspicion.

It is important to show people (opportunistic thieves) that you have a home security system of some type. If you cannot afford a proper, working alarm system, get a dummy siren box with a flashing light. It is not as good as a real system, but it would take a brave or desolate burglar to find out, which means that you cannot tell anyone at all, in case it gets out.

A home security system is well-worth the money you will spend on it. The anxiety of being burgled or even held up, like I was, will make you wish that you were more security conscious. But it does not stop when the burglars go away. Then the police come and I spent from midnight until 4AM at the police station. I had to go back at least a dozen times after that. My insurance company had dozens of queries and it took four months to get a payout.

I felt certain that the burglars knew me, and I felt threatened everywhere I went for months. I could not stop glaring into people’s eyes to see if I could recognize my intruders’ (they had masks on, but I saw one man’s eyes). My life has altered radically. I even moved out of my house the next day and never went back again.

As I said earlier, I had a decent system in place, but I had turned it off as soon as I got home and opened the front door to my intruders. My suggestion is to get a wired or wireless home security system and, if you can afford it, get a monitored home security system with at least one surveillance camera, but preferably one on each external wall and one inside in the hall.

Get contact sensors for all external doors and vibration sensors for every windows. Put a personal panic button by all external doors and have garden lights that are switched on by motion or body heat outside. Keep your system switched on and be very wary of who you open the door to.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with wired home security systems. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.

categories: alarm systems,security,home,business,family,home business,home accessories,consumer electronics,elderly care,other,uncategorized,happiness,retirement,interior design

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