Rekindle Online Blog

Do you still know the test for periodontal disease from the old TV commercial? To do this you bite heartily into a hard apple. If no blood adheres to the bite site, everything is fine: no bleeding gums, no inflammation of the gums, no receding gums. The periodontal disease prevention has worked. Fixed teeth into old age are guaranteed. At least that’s what the toothpaste advertisement suggested.

Of course, one can imagine that advertising simplifies things roughly. It starts with the terms: The apple testers in the toothpaste pot speak of periodontal disease, like most people – and by the way, I too often. But what is actually meant is periodontitis: an inflammation caused by certain bacteria and destruction of the periodontium.

It begins with an inflammation of the gums – called gingivitis by dentists. This is still quite harmless. If, however, nothing is done about it for a long time, the inflammation can spread to the bone wall of the teeth and their periodontal membrane and root cement. In the worst case, your teeth will eventually wobble and fall out.

The onset of gingivitis often goes unnoticed

This is how it can work, but it doesn’t have to. Some people suffer from severe periodontal disease without their gums bleeding – for example, diabetics or heavy smokers. The period of gingivitis is long behind you. Your walkers are in dire danger, but they don’t notice. The apple test is therefore a bad guide when it comes to assessing the risk of tooth loss.

It is extremely important for young adults to know the condition of their own gums. Because in the new, fifth German oral health study, there is a shocking number: In the age group of 35 to 44 year olds, one in two people already suffers from periodontitis. Around one in ten at this age is even suffering from a severe form. So it doesn’t just happen to people of retirement age that one’s teeth fall out. It starts early and increasingly.

When I read this, I knew I had to blog about it.

In addition to my own research, I took advice from a specialized dentist, Dr. Claudio Cacaci brought in. He is a specialist dentist for oral surgery and implantology. With his colleague Dr. Peter Randelzhofer, he runs the Implant Competence Center in Munich . Several times a day, he repairs in his practice – mostly with the help of implants – the devastation that periodontitis has caused in the mouth.

There are three very good reasons for taking targeted care of the prevention (prophylaxis) of periodontal disease early in life:

1) Periodontal disease (periodontal disease) is a danger for families who want to have children

If a pregnant woman suffers from a bacterial disease of the gums, the risk of premature birth or miscarriage increases significantly. This is repeatedly confirmed in studies . It is assumed that, in industrialized nations, inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) or periodontal disease is responsible for around every fifth case in which a child is born prematurely or with underweight.

The cause: The same bacteria are found in the amniotic fluid as in the mouth of an expectant mother. Harmful germs can occasionally penetrate the placenta to the fetus. There they trigger stress and defense reactions. Possible consequences are a stoppage of growth in the unborn child or premature labor in the mother.

“We advise pregnant women to have their gums checked every four weeks as a precaution,” says Dr. Claudio Cacaci. With inflammation you can help in time. Many dentists consider this close monitoring for periodontitis prophylaxis to be useful even for women who have not previously had any gum problems. Because the hormonal change during pregnancy promotes inflammation of the gums.

“Under no circumstances should pregnant women ignore inflammation of the gums and bleeding gums,” warns Cacaci. With this you should immediately go to a dentist who is familiar with infections of the tooth bed.

2) Periodontal disease is jointly responsible for serious diseases such as heart attacks, strokes or inflammatory joint rheumatism (arthritis)

Every diabetes patient knows it: Periodontitis worsens blood sugar levels. The body tries to fight harmful bacteria in the mouth and starts a complex defense reaction. Inflammatory substances and chemical messengers enter the blood, which reduce the body’s cells’ sensitivity to insulin.

However, periodontal disease threatens the health of every person: some of the messenger substances and antibodies that the body generates against periodontal disease – germs, damage the inner walls of the blood vessels – including those in the heart. Therefore, people in whom periodontitis bacteria colonize the gum pockets for years have higher cardiovascular risks: Strokes affect periodontitis patients three times as often as people with healthy gums. The risk of a heart attack increases by 25 percent.

There is also a connection between inflammatory joint rheumatism and periodontitis. Besides other factors, a special periodontal bacterium, Porphyromonas gingivalis, plays an inglorious role. It changes blood proteins. Protein complexes arise and are deposited on joints such as the knees or hips. This can trigger or worsen rheumatic inflammation .

As if that weren’t enough, periodontal disease appears to be involved in many other diseases, including: smoker’s lung (COPD), pneumonia, osteoporosis (bone loss) or certain heart infections. “Preventing periodontitis from developing in the first place is an important preventive measure for health,” summarizes dentist and implant specialist Cacaci.

3) Treating periodontal disease properly costs a lot of money

Stopping severe periodontal disease is time-consuming. The dentist must completely remove the bacteria from the gingival pockets and the surrounding tissue. Sometimes the gums have to be cut open. Some patients need antibiotics. For others, existing implants must be removed or treated as well. In addition, there are preliminary examinations, germ determinations, multiple prophylaxis sessions, monitoring of success, etc .. The services of the statutory health insurances hardly cover this, as can be read, for example, between the lines of the information from the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Dentists in Berlin. In an emergency, a periodontitis patient can face a bill for EUR 6,000 or EUR 7,000.

And that’s just the money to treat the infection. Dentures are not included. After all, almost one in four people in Germany between the ages of 65 and 74 were toothless in 2016. Main cause: periodontal disease. These people need third teeth – above and below. Even on the simplest variant, the bit for the water glass, a person concerned has to add between 500 and 900 euros.

The trend is towards implants

But the trend is towards implants . In Germany around one million are placed every year. Anchored in the jawbone, they act as artificial tooth roots. Individual teeth can be attached to it (costs start at 4,000 euros) or entire dentures (from around 15,000 euros per jaw). The advantage: These teeth are comfortable, almost like the real ones. If properly implanted and properly treated by the wearer, they will last a long time. The disadvantage: the costs, to which the statutory health insurance fund adds around 1000 euros at best.

To avoid these costs, you have only two options: Either a suitable supplementary dental insurance, or you prevent periodontitis so well that your own teeth will last a lifetime. Finding additional dental insurance is not easy. You have to compare tariffs and services in detail. Finanztipp.de provides orientation, and Stiftung Warentest offers current information.

Convinced that you should take care of the health of your gums before they get infected?

Then the following question arises: How do you prevent periodontal disease?

In periodontitis prophylaxis there are 5 factors that everyone can influence:

1. personal oral hygiene, especially in the interdental spaces
2. regular professional teeth cleaning
3. cigarette consumption
4. the contagion of infants
5. recognize the symptoms of periodontal disease early

Why oral hygiene is so important can be better understood if you understand the causes of periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease is an infectious disease. Different bacteria live in each mouth. The mixture gives the oral flora. Usually it is dominated by harmless types of bacteria that even suppress pathogens. In a healthy oral flora, the types of bacteria are in harmony; they are indispensable for the entire digestive tract.

It gets bad when the germ spectrum in the oral cavity has changed permanently. Aggressive bacteria predominate in the mouths of patients with periodontal disease – especially gram-negative anaerobes. Because they do not require oxygen, they can lodge deep in the gingival pockets and even penetrate the surrounding soft tissue.

 

A severe periodontal disease does not develop overnight. Before the destructive periodontal pathogens prevail, the oral flora goes through many changes. So-called bridge germs, which are themselves only moderately harmful, prepare the way for the infection. During this phase, patients often suffer from bleeding gums, swollen or dark red discolored gums.

This gingivitis, the inflammation of the gums, can still be easily combated. “The problem is that many patients react incorrectly to these warning signals,” explains dentist Dr. Claudio Cacaci, “or you don’t even notice.”

If periodontal pathogens have lodged themselves, they produce certain substances that cause the body to have a permanent inflammatory reaction. In addition, they produce real toxins that break down the tooth bed in batches – and can also trigger many other diseases. At this stage, well-meaning people could protect them from worse with an honest reference to existing bad breath: Bad breath is typical for periodontal disease and very unpleasant for the other person, reports Cacaci.

How do the harmful bacteria get into a healthy mouth in the first place?

Certainly not about food. Periodontal pathogens are contracted through contact with saliva in infected people. For example when kissing. In a healthy mouth and with a good immune system, however, the harmful germs have no chance of settling. They cannot find the right conditions to multiply strongly.

This is why 1) floss oral hygiene is so crucial.

A clean tooth doesn’t get sick. Clean means: free of plaque and tartar. “With the toothbrush you can only reach about 70 percent of the tooth surface,” reports Cacaci. To get to the rest – namely the interdental spaces – you have to use dental floss – or if there are larger spaces, interdental brushes. And that every day!

Because flossing actually seems to be an important factor in preventing gingivitis and plaque build-up .

The brushing technique, length and frequency of brushing, toothbrush and toothpaste naturally also play a role in the success of oral hygiene. But experts see the most pent-up demand in cleaning the spaces between the teeth. Because: Theoretically, every German citizen would have to use 180 meters of dental floss a year. The German Society for Dental Preservation, however, assumes only about 10 meters. So dental floss is used far too rarely.

2) Regular professional tooth cleaning (PZR) is important because even the best brushing is not enough in the long term to prevent periodontitis.

In the meantime, some statutory health insurance companies contribute to the costs of professional teeth cleaning. These are between 50 and 140 euros. The reason for this care: It is assumed that people who regularly use these prevention offers will develop periodontitis less often – or if so, then less severely.

It is often recommended to have the teeth cleaned by specially trained staff in the dental practice twice a year. Basically, that’s too general. “It is partly genetic how susceptible someone is to periodontal disease,” explains Cacaci. In people with a certain genetic makeup, the supporting structures of the teeth are naturally more at risk. You may need professional teeth cleaning more often than twice a year: “Patients who, for example, have already lost teeth due to periodontitis and have been provided with implants, are among the high-risk patients. We would like to see them up to 6 times a year, ”reports Dr. Cacaci. “Depending on how well you manage yourself with the necessary oral hygiene.”

On the other hand, for people with great gums and perfect oral hygiene, professional teeth cleaning once a year can be sufficient. However, this can only be found out if you go to the dentist regularly – and explicitly talk to them about periodontitis. Such a service is also offered by Dr. Cacaci in his specialized practice in Munich, because he not only cares about the treatment of diseases of the tooth supporting apparatus. Preventing them is just as important to him. It is crucial that it is a professional teeth cleaning and not just a cosmetic procedure.

3) During a conversation like this one learns, for example, that smoking is one of the greatest risk factors for periodontal disease.

“Smoking is particularly fatal for people with a genetic predisposition,” reports expert Cacaci. Patients who only have individual teeth in their mouth by the age of 30 are not uncommon in the specialist’s practice. It is not tooth-brushing refusers that such aggressive periodontitis affects, but people who were unlucky with their genetic makeup and were poorly informed. Because: A particularly aggressive form of periodontitis can occur in childhood after the eruption of the first permanent teeth and must be recognized early, reports Cacaci.

4) Anyone who deals with infants and young children can contribute to reducing periodontal disease as a contagious disease:

“Under no circumstances should you lick a pacifier or a bottle before putting it in the child’s mouth,” emphasizes Cacaci. Parents or grandparents who are infected with periodontal pathogens pass the disease on to babies via the saliva on the pacifier and thus lay the foundation for fatal dentition development – and a strong spread, at the latest when the infected offspring smooch with others.

5) Everyone should know the symptoms and warning signs of periodontal disease – and do the right thing.

The warning signals include bleeding gums – when brushing your teeth but also when eating – and bad breath. “In many cases I can tell the disease by its smell,” reports Dr. Cacaci. Bad breath is an alarm signal that should be taken seriously. Swollen, dark red discolored gums are also suspicious. At first it is usually just a harmless inflammation of the gums. The best way to get rid of this is to brush your teeth particularly carefully and clean the spaces between them well. “However, a lot of people react completely wrongly,” explains Cacaci. “You save the inflamed region when you brush or don’t brush at all.” Perhaps behind this is the concern of rubbing germs into sore gums. Or you want to avoid pain or keep bleeding. But that’s wrong. Brushing your teeth reduces germs!

Untreated gingivitis can pave the way for severe periodontal disease. Later the gums stop bleeding, but the destruction continues. Until you lose a tooth….

Perhaps you feel the same way as me: When it comes to dental health, I’ve mainly thought of tooth decay. I was always as proud as Bolle when the dentist found nothing to drill during the annual examination. In the meantime I know: Caries is already an important issue in milk teeth and the course for dental health is set early in every respect.

Do you want to extend your life? Nothing easier than that! There is a key to long life. Doctors, sex therapists and nutrition experts reveal their best health tips here.

D ie foundations for a healthy lifestyle, you may be familiar with: a balanced diet, plenty of exercise and avoiding smoking again. These are the basics, but health is like muscle training: In addition to the basics, the fine-tuning must also be right, because that is just as important. Here are the 10 best health tips for everyday life:

Healthier Living Tip 1: Masturbate regularly

Take your health into your own hands: When you feel stressed, masturbating can help you come down, says American psychotherapist Paul Hokemeyer. Because during orgasm, many feel-good hormones such as oxytocin are released, which are particularly good at relaxing us. Nice side effect: Regular masturbation also lowers the risk of prostate cancer.

Healthier living tip 2: breathe more consciously

For your next cardio or strength training, try to breathe through your nose for the first 10 minutes, advises Nathan Helmig, head coach at  therunexperience.com . The reduced oxygen supply forces you to use your diaphragm to the full and to breathe deeper than usual. This technique also works great when you’re stressed: consciously slow your breathing and focus on how your body relaxes and you slowly come back down.

Healthier living tip 3: talk openly about illnesses

4 out of 5 men do not talk to others about their sexual health or any other health problem. As a result, many do not (want to) know which diseases they may have or which they are susceptible to for genetic reasons. But US urologist Jamin Brahmbhatt knows that it is important to have these discussions: Inquire about hereditary diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure or cancer in the family. Talk to your partner about sexually transmitted diseases they may both have or have had. You can only take effective preventive measures and react in good time if you have an overview of your health and the risks to be reckoned with.

Healthier living tip 4: Let your heart beat faster

Your heart needs regular care and training so that it can do its job for as long and as fit as possible. 30 to 40 minutes of exercise most days of the week is ideal, says US cardiologist Prediman K. Shah of the University of California at Los Angeles. You should also do strength training with weights twice a week. If you want to relieve your stress on top of that, try yoga. This not only trains the body, but has also been shown to reduce stress, which is still complicit in the six most common causes of death.

Healthier Living Tip 5: Eat More Fiber

On average, men consume less than half of the recommended fiber per day (30 to 38 grams), which can be a health problem because fiber helps keep blood sugar and cholesterol levels under control. They also protect us from heart disease, obesity and diabetes. The gastroenterologist Akash Goel of the Presbyterian Hospital in New York therefore advises urgently to bring more fiber to the table. His tip: In the supermarket, simply put more vegetables, whole grain products and legumes such as beans, peas and lentils in the trolley. Because once the food is at home, it is more likely that it will be eaten.

Healthier living tip 6: take a vacation

Performance is like a muscle: if you keep it tense for too long, it gets weaker and weaker. This is exactly why we need regular vacations: It improves sleep and creativity, reduces stress and inflammation in the body, supports the immune system and brings us back into contact with family or close friends. There is no better drug in the world that can change every fiber of our body so dramatically for the better than Urlaub, says psychologist and behavioral scientist Murali Doraiswamy of Duke University in Durham, USA.

Healthier living tip 7: have a lot of sex

Sex is good for us – for a variety of reasons, including health: For example, a study by the British Medical Journal found that men who orgasm twice a week live healthier and longer. Having sex at least three times a week cuts a man’s risk of heart attack in half. Also, having sex and having good orgasms improves the bond with the partner. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that couples have to have sex every day to be happy. Surprisingly, couples who do it several times a week are no happier than those who only copulate once a week.

Healthier living tip 8: take regular walks

Best every day after a meal for 30-60 minutes, because this keeps the blood sugar level in check and helps to keep the weight, says US doctor Spencer Nadolsky, who specializes in the fight against obesity. Studies also show that walking curbs appetite, improves sleep, and even helps relieve stress. Even if it’s not a big workout, walking naturally burns more calories than sitting on the couch. And who knows, maybe walking will eventually turn into jogging?

Healthier Living Tip 9: Eat a handful of walnuts

Small snacks throughout the day are perfect for maintaining strength, getting essential nutrients and avoiding food cravings, says US physiologist and fitness expert Jim White from Virginia Beach, USA. His advice: Take a snack of around 100 to 200 calories two to three times a day and make sure you have a good mix between protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats. Walnuts, for example, are ideal: 30 grams contain a whopping 4 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber and the highest number of vegetable omega-3 fatty acids compared to other nuts.

Healthier Living Tip 10: Cultivate Relationships

Canadian relationship expert Sarah Hunter Murray knows that well-maintained friendships and relationships are the be-all and end-all of a happy life. Because when a relationship is going well, it works like a kind of buffer for our everyday stress. On the other hand, if it runs poorly, the opposite effect occurs. Murray therefore recommends talking openly and often about personal problems. Regardless of whether it is about family, friendships or partnership. However, you shouldn’t make an elephant out of a mosquito. Leave it to the big, really serious worries. Whoever speaks of burdens immediately, immediately feels lighter, less stressed and generally better.

Build these 10 simple tips into your everyday routine and you will feel better quickly and in the long term. But above all, it is good for your health. So no reason to wait any longer. It’s best to start right away!

You actually sleep quite well, but are you often tired during the day? With these 5 tips you will sleep more effectively and wake up more relaxed.

D u sleep quickly and lie at night not awake. You rarely have a nightmare and no pauses in breathing while snoring. In short: you sleep wonderfully.

And yet you don’t get out of bed in the morning, are rarely really awake during the day – regardless of how long you slept during the night? The case is clear: you sleep ineffectively! We explain how you can get more out of less sleep for your well-being.

In this article:

• Can you sleep wrong?
• Why is deep sleep so important?
• How do you use sleep cycles for better sleep?
• When does the deep sleep phase take place?
• 5 tips to extend the deep sleep phase

Can you sleep “wrong”?

“Yes, you can actually sleep too long and at the wrong times,” says Professor Jürgen Zulley from the University of Regensburg, author and director of the “Sleep School”. Either way, you may have had enough sleep and still feel mushy.

Because it is not the number of hours spent in bed that ensures a really restful sleep. Rather, you have to follow your individual sleep rhythm. To find out, you have to know the architecture of sleep. It consists of different cycles that differ in the activity of the brain:

1. During the sleep phase, the body relaxes, breathing becomes calmer, but sleep is still so light that you can easily be awakened from it.
2. In the following light sleep phase, brain activity sinks to a low frequency, consciousness is switched off. When the body has reached the first deep sleep phase after around 20 to 30 minutes, and also the longest, which lasts around an hour , the body and mind are maximally relaxed.
3. After a while you emerge from deep sleep and experience dreamy REM sleep (rapid eye movement). The brain activity accelerates considerably. Sleep researchers assume that information and emotional impressions from the waking time are processed during REM sleep.

Then it goes down again. During the night, deep sleep and REM phases alternate about 4 to 6 times, with the deep sleep phases becoming shorter and shorter and the REM phases longer. A sleep cycle is the cycle through all sleep stages, each of which lasts about 90 minutes. Our expert explains below how you can use these cycles optimally for your well-being.

Why is deep sleep so important?

The muscles are maximally relaxed in deep sleep. The EEG curve, which shows brain activity, is characterized by a calm wave pattern with deep valleys. The body also releases growth hormones, which stimulate the regeneration of all body cells and strengthen the immune system.

How can you use the sleep cycles for better sleep?

The most important requirement for getting up effortlessly: Let your alarm go off at the end of a cycle. Because if he brings you out of deeper sleep, the day becomes difficult. A cycle usually lasts about 90 minutes, but because the first is a little shorter, you will reach the most light sleep waking stages in five and a half, seven and eight and a half hours (plus approximate time to fall asleep) . If you’re still in the middle of vivid dreams when the alarm goes off, add a few more minutes to your sleep time the next day.

Tip: Do not use the snooze button on the alarm clock. You are just repeating the agony of being awakened and falling into a restless sleep that costs more energy than it brings.

When does the deep sleep phase take place?

Do you sleep in accordance with your cycles? Well! It’s even better if the rhythm is right. Your internal clock controls all biological rhythms. At night she pushes the release of the sleep hormone melatonin, at morning that of the wakefulness cortisol. In addition, it regulates the body temperature so that the lowest value is reached around three o’clock at night. “Biologically speaking, it’s the witching hour, that’s when you feel most uncomfortable when you’re awake,” says Zulley.

” The particularly restful deep sleep takes place in the first 5 hours and before 3 o’clock .” So if you stay up until well after midnight, you can forget the best quality sleep, even if you sleep until noon.

But don’t make the mistake of going to bed too early because you have to get out earlier or want to be particularly fit. This only works if you fall asleep straight away due to lack of sleep. More likely, you will lie awake, brooding, and sleep tense and restless. Because pre-sleeping doesn’t work anyway, you should go to bed at the usual time (note the cycle!) And make up for lost sleep by going to bed earlier the next night and taking a nap.

How do I extend my deep sleep?

What exactly can you do now to improve the quality of your sleep? With these 5 strategies you can get more rest with less sleep:

1. Make sure you sleep regularly : If you want to make the most of the hours in bed, you have to go to bed and – more importantly – get up at about the same time each day. Sounds stuffy, but unfortunately deep sleep in particular reacts sensitively to an unsteady life. The internal clock loves fixed habits because it is imprecise itself. This is not a design flaw, but necessary in order to adapt to changed conditions (longer summer days, new time zones).

Background: For most people, the internal day would be 25 hours long if sunlight did not keep the internal clock in rhythm. In the evening and morning types (technical jargon: owls and larks), the sleep-wake rhythm is up to 2 hours longer (owls) or shorter than 25 hours. In order to stay in time, your internal clock is even more dependent on external timers, especially bright light, contacts and regularity.

Even if you could manage your time freely, that can’t be brushed aside. Clocking sleeping and waking up to 24 hours is less of a social obligation than the strict 24-hour rhythm of body temperature.

If you see too little sun and live unsteadily, the two most important inner rhythms can diverge. The result: At some point you want to be active when it is witching hour for the body temperature. You freeze, feel energized and ill-tempered. Later on, you’ll be in bed when the temperature is on and you won’t get a good night’s sleep. On the other hand, a little regularity looks like the lesser evil, doesn’t it?

2. Take a nap on the weekend: on weekdays you are consistent, but on the weekend you don’t get out of bed. The internal clock reacts quickly to such a shift backwards. The harder it is for you to get up, the earlier you have to get out and the longer you stay in bed on the weekend, the harder you will pay for it on Monday. Better: Get up at about the same time on the weekend, treat yourself to a little nap as a luxury or go to bed earlier if you lack sleep. This is how you can have a relaxing power nap.

3. Make sure there is enough sunlight: Some can afford a little more irregularity with impunity if they expose themselves to bright light at the right time. However, normal lighting with a maximum of 400 lux does not work. The sun creates 1,500 to 100,000 lux. “Anyone who spends an hour outdoors before work is livelier during the day,” says chronobiologist Zulley.

If that doesn’t work, you can have artificial sunlight at the breakfast table or in the office after getting up . “For a positive effect, 10,000 lux must work for half an hour or 2,500 lux for two hours,” says sleep doctor Hans-Günter Weeß . You can also use it to move your favorite bedtime in small steps. If you want to hold out longer in the evening, you have to expose yourself to the light in the evening.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to iron out all the abuse of the internal clock with the artificial sun. If the system is overused (shift and night work), the bright light helps, but sleep and liveliness will still suffer.

4. Give in to your genes : The fact that there are 3 optimal wake-up times, as mentioned, does not mean that you can choose one. Only real short sleepers get by with 5.5 hours, late risers need 8.5 hours. Most people get along well with 7. It’s genetically determined – you can’t screw it up without paying. “Hardly anyone knows what it is like to be wide awake,” complains Thomas Wehr of the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda.

In many experiments, the subjects’ sleep did not level off until they had caught up to 25 hours of sleep. To optimize your sleep, go to bed 1.5 hours earlier every evening for a while – as long as you lack sleep, it will not be difficult for you to fall asleep. Afterwards, always allow yourself as much sleep as you need if possible. Whoever sleeps too little over the long term carries a higher risk of becoming fat, forgetful and sick. After just 14 days with a daily sleep deficit of 2 hours you are as off the track as after a completely awake night.

5. Don’t sleep too much: Those who exceed their personal optimum will only get shallow, restless sleep. “If you oversleep for a very long time, you even fall asleep again in the morning,” says Weeß. “That totally upsets the internal clock, you wake up exhausted.” If, on the other hand, you keep the time in bed short, you will be awake longer, and this will extend the restful deep sleep at the beginning of the night. Not only are you fitter, but you also have more time. What more do you want

Regular bedtime, matching your individual biological rhythm, is the key to relaxed sleep that optimally regenerates the body. Try to compensate for a lack of sleep not by sleeping longer in the morning but by napping at noon. It is not the number of hours that makes healthy sleep, but the optimal sleep rhythm.

Do you feel the same? I always find the last days before Christmas Eve to be the most stressful of the whole year. So many projects that have yet to be completed, Christmas parties, parents’ evenings, gifts that are still missing … I need energy! And now I always have them at hand in the form of these delicious balls. You don’t even have to light up the stove!

The delicious chocolate-cherry crispy balls are part 2 of our baking special with Eva Reinstadler – they are definitely vegan and sugar-free, if you like you can still opt for the gluten-free version. The crispy balls have saved me from some afternoon low in the last few days. Here is the recipe:

Chocolate and cherry crispy balls

Superfood snack for more energy 

INGREDIENTS

30 g pumpkin seeds

40 g dark chocolate (at least 70%)

40 g sour cherries (I’ll take a little more next time, then the balls will be more juicy)

125 g almond butter

3 tbsp honey or agave syrup

125 g oat flakes (for the gluten-free variant, simply use gluten-free adhesive flakes)

4 tbsp raw cocoa nibs (these are broken cocoa beans, you can get them in organic markets – you can read more about cocoa nibs at Project Healthy Living )

60 g spelled bran (also available in well-stocked conventional supermarkets)

pinch of salt

HOW TO DO IT

Chop the pumpkin seeds, chocolate and sour cherries into small pieces with a knife. You can also quickly throw pumpkin seeds and chocolate into the electric chopper🙂

Mix the almond butter and honey together and mix with the remaining ingredients.

Knead everything well with your hands!

Shape the mixture into small balls with your hands – this works better if the dough is a little more moist, so I would use more cherries next time. Caution: the dough is difficult to roll, it worked best for me to press individual pieces together firmly.

Then put it in the fridge and enjoy it at short intervals. Six-year-olds also taste surprisingly good – or do I only have a six-year-old here with a special preference for superfood?

Get through the last days of Christmas well, don’t let yourself be stressed and remember not to raise your expectations for Christmas too high – that saves energy!

Aphthae are painful and annoying. We explain how they are created and how you can quickly get rid of those annoying bubbles in your mouth.

A phthae often come out of nowhere and usually disappear without a trace after a few days. Meanwhile, the nasty little spots in your mouth can make eating and everyday life a pain. This is usually not dangerous, but quite annoying. Our experts explain what you can do with an ulcer in the mouth and when you should see a doctor with it.

What is an aphtha?

An aphtha feels like a painful sore in the mouth. “Actually, it is not a blister, but rather a small, deepened crater in the oral mucosa,” explains dentist Dr. Alexander Engel . This damage to the mucous membrane or ulceration causes the nerve endings to be exposed underneath. That’s why the spot hurts so much when you hit it with your tongue. Because there are a lot of bacteria in the mouth, there can also be a so-called superinfection on the spot, in which bacteria attach themselves to the aphtha and inflame.

In addition to the normal aphthous ulcers, there is also the so-called oral rot , also called herpetic gingivostomatitis in technical terms. The herpes infection causes similar blisters in the mouth and is often associated with a fever. Almost everyone carries the virus, but the disease only breaks out in young children.

When do aphthae heal?

An aphtha hurts a lot, especially when eating. But it is not dangerous and usually goes away on its own. “It is said that aphthae usually come 3 days and go 3 days, after 2 weeks at the latest they have completely disappeared”, explains Engel. During this time you can sometimes see a white point on the spot, this is tissue that is healing again over the aphtha. So don’t worry if you suddenly discover a white, rough spot in your mouth, it’s neither bacteria nor a fungal disease, it’s a good sign.

What causes the damage to the oral mucosa?

It is not yet clear why some people get canker sores every now and then. “They are not contagious, and injuries to the oral mucous membrane area do not cause aphthae”, emphasizes the dermatologist Dr. Erik Senger . However, the dermatologist names some favorable circumstances, such as stress or a lack of B vitamins, folic acid, iron or zinc. If you have celiac disease, gluten can also cause the painful areas in your mouth. But just because you have an aphtha does not necessarily mean that you are missing something and vice versa not every deficiency leads to an ulceration in the mouth. 

There are also connections between aphthae and vascular diseases or autoimmune disorders. People with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, arthritis, or HIV are often prone to painful blisters in their mouth. But don’t panic, having an aphtha every now and then is quite normal and is by no means a sign of a more serious illness.

Are aphthous ulcers contagious?

No, aphthae are not contagious. Unlike herpes, which is triggered by viruses and is therefore highly contagious, aphthae are damage to the oral mucosa and cannot be transmitted.

Are there also dangerous aphthae?

“If you get a canker sore in your mouth a couple of times a year but it goes away after 14 days, you don’t have to worry,” the dermatologist warned. In very rare cases, however, they can indicate another disease. Therefore, pay attention to the following warning signs in the case of aphthae and, if in doubt, have them examined by a dentist or dermatologist:

• The aphthous ulcers are very large: Usually the area is only a few millimeters in size, but in some cases it can become significantly larger or they do not heal within 14 days. The pain often severely restricts everyday life, which is why many people go to the doctor with it.
• You very often get aphthous ulcers: If you are constantly struggling with the painful areas in your mouth, you should have a blood count, because you may have a deficiency or another systemic disease.
• You have ancestors from Asia: “People with roots from the area of ​​the historic Silk Road, that is, the Near and Middle East and East Asia, have a higher risk of what is known as Behçet’s disease,” explains Senger. This is an autoimmune disease of the blood vessels and manifests itself primarily in recurring aphthous ulcers, but can later affect other areas such as the gastric mucosa or the eyes and have dangerous consequences. Behçet’s disease should therefore definitely be treated.
• The spots are on the gums: A normal aphtha is usually in the front of the mouth, i.e. on the lips, tongue, in the cheeks or sometimes on the roof of the mouth. “However, there are also mucosal necrosis on the gums or between the teeth, which can be a sign of HIV,” says dentist Dr. Angel. So these are not normal canker sores and you should get them tested by a doctor quickly.

What can you do about aphthae?

Since the cause is not really clear, it is difficult to treat, and the healing itself is difficult to accelerate. However, there are some remedies that can alleviate the annoying pain a little. To help alleviate the symptoms of aphthous ulcers, doctors recommend these things:

1. Leave the area alone: yes, it is tempting to run your tongue over the area every few seconds to see if it really still hurts. However, if it is constantly irritated, the tissue cannot grow back together as quickly. So pull yourself together and leave the ulcer alone, and it will be gone in a few days. 
2. Pain Relieving Home Remedies: There are some natural medicinal herbs that can relieve pain and soothe sore spots, such as sage, chamomile, and myrrh. There are special tinctures that you can smear on the affected area, or you can slowly drink a (cooled) tea made from these plants.
3. Cool foods: Cold can numb the pain a bit, so eat a cool yogurt and drink a cold drink, for example. “You shouldn’t suck on ice cubes, they are so cold that afterwards the blood circulation and thus the pain only increase”, warns Engel.
4. Medicines: In the pharmacy there are numbing pastes, for example with lidocaine, or the anti-inflammatory cortisone. But first talk to your doctor, who can prescribe this for you in an emergency.
5. Avoid irritation: If you have a canker sore, you will quickly find that acidic, hot or hard food and also alcohol hurts quite a bit because it irritates the area. Therefore, it is better to switch to soft foods such as soup or rice. “Cigarettes are particularly irritating to the damaged mucous membrane and disrupt the body’s healing processes, so be sure to shift down a gear,” advises Engel.  

 

Twisted? Put your foot up, cool down and train! You read that correctly: from the 10th day you can actively help your foot on the jumps again. All you need for this is a long elastic band.

1. Band pull forward
S tarten about 10 days after spraining with these exercises (see above Section: “Walking the tightrope”): elastic band – 2 meters or longer – a little above the ankle attach to a rigid object like Radiators or railings. Place the other end around the sound ankle. For fastening, move your back so far forward that the band is slightly taut. Then move the injured foot forward 50 to 100 centimeters. Bend your knees a little, dig your toes into the ground, lift your heels. Now pull the healthy, tied foot forward until it is 5 to 10 centimeters in front of the free one. Slowly back to the starting position. 3 sets of 15 repetitions.

2. Pull the elastic backwards.
Stand with your face on the injured foot to secure it, your knees slightly bent, your toes pressed into the ground, your heel lifted a little. Place the tied, healthy foot 3 to 10 centimeters in front of the free one, then pull it back 50 to 100 centimeters. Slowly return to the starting position. Repeat as in exercise 1.

3. Cross from both sides
with the uninjured side for attachment, feet a little more than shoulder width, hips and knees slightly bend. Leave the injured foot on the ground, cross in front of the body with a healthy foot tied. Toe level with the outside of the other foot touch the ground. Back to the beginning. Repeat like exercise 1 on the other side.

Not only falls and collisions endanger the health of a skier.

E in unnoticed progressive wear in the joints painful forms may take a few years. Well-developed muscles as well as sports such as swimming, cycling and running stimulate the build-up of cartilage material in joints such as the knee and thus provide the best protection against damage.

 

Osteoarthritis: Anyone who still suffers from osteoarthritis should try preparations such as collagen hydrolyzate (available in pharmacies as CH-Alpha drinking ampoules, for example). After absorption, it accumulates in the joints and stimulates cells to perform at their best when building cartilage mass. According to a study by the University of Tübingen, osteoarthritis-related pain decreases by more than half within 24 weeks if patients take 10 grams of collagen hydrolyzate every day.

 

Nothing is lost: In the case of severe joint damage, the cartilage is so badly damaged that it is no longer possible to regenerate it on its own or with preparations. But nobody has to end up being a sports invalid. “The surgical methods are now so good that any kind of winter sport is still possible,” says DSV sports medicine specialist Hocketer.

It doesn’t matter whether you prefer snowboarding, cross-country skiing or carving skis. The surgeon even sends patients with artificial joints back to the slopes after the operation. A knee prosthesis has an average shelf life of 16 to 17 years. As long as you avoid icy mogul slopes, the risk of another injury is low.

You lie awake at night and cannot fall asleep? We put twelve myths under the microscope so that you can sleep better in the end. Good night!

“I can still sleep when I’m dead.” With this quote from the director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, some people emphasize that they could do much more productive things than lounging unconscious under cozy blankets for hours.

However, Fassbinder died at 37, so maybe he should have paid a little more attention to his night’s rest. Because sleep is anything but unproductive. One of the nightly jobs is to consolidate what has been learned and learned from the day in the long-term memory, to produce growth hormones for cell renewal and wound healing and to heat up the immune system to hunt viruses and bacteria.

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“Contrary to what many people think, the body’s energy consumption during sleep is almost as high as during the day – the difference is exactly the equivalent of a slice of toast,” says Professor Jürgen Zulley, head of the Sleep Medicine Center at the University of Regensburg. Let an expert tell you about sleep – so that you can distinguish fairy tales from real bedtime stories.

Sleep Myth 1: Morning Sleep

“Good sleep, all splendor unfolds before midnight”

Correct! However, only if you really mean the “middle of the night” by this – which is closer to around 3 o’clock.

“This is the real witching hour of the biorhythm,” says Zulley. Those who then have to be awake are restless, frozen and in a bad mood to the point of sadness – one of the reasons why you should never wallow in problems at night. In the particularly restful deep sleep phases, you almost only dive into the first 4 hours of sleep and before biological midnight. You will collect most of the deep sleep when you regularly go to bed at 11 p.m. “The body can catch up on missed deep sleep the following night,” says Zulley. So take it easy!

Sleep myth 2: morning grouch

“Who is tired and weak in the morning and slept badly at night?”

Not correct! Often the alarm clock just went off at the wrong time. “In fact, the state of awakening does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about the quality of sleep,” explains Zulley.

This is because the night’s rest is divided into stages in which you sleep at different depths. Those who are torn from deep sleep are completely off the trail, while getting up is easy when they are naturally on the threshold of awakening. Neither of these says anything about whether you have already recharged enough energy for the next day. Sleep researchers therefore assess whether someone sleeps too little or even suffers from a sleep disorder based on whether they are fresh most of the day or nod off immediately when it gets boring or comfortable. If you want to get out of bed more easily in the morning, you should let the alarm go off in a light sleep phase.

You can calculate it as follows: The 1st cycle takes about 60 minutes, the following about 90 minutes. Added to this is the time it takes to fall asleep, most of them around 15 minutes. The optimal wake-up times are 5:45, 7:15 and 8:45 hours after “lights off”.

Sleep myth 3: A bit of sleep

“A couple of hours every night made everyone fresh”

Not correct! Ignore people like Thomas Edison, inventor of the lightbulb, who boast of getting by on 4 hours of sleep a night. Because these people often supplement their sleep with various naps during the day and thus achieve completely normal sleep amounts overall. Even if not, how much sleep you need to be relaxed and stay healthy in the long term is largely genetically determined.

“Most people need 7 to 8 hours of sleep,” says Zulley. You can find your own optimum by going to bed at the same time for a while (not too late!) And getting up in the morning as soon as you are awake. Make a note of the hours you slept, then after a while you will recognize your personal average.

Sleep Myth 4: Sleep Disorder

“Who always wakes up at night is not really ticking under the roof”

Not correct! “Not sleeping through the night is not a sleep disorder; it is completely normal,” says Zulley. Anyone who sleeps 7 hours wakes up about 28 times a night, but in most cases they don’t remember because they fall asleep again immediately.

Sleep research has shown that you only become aware of the waking phase (and stay in your memory) if it lasts longer than 3 minutes. However, according to Zulley, conscious awakening only becomes problematic if the person concerned is annoyed or worried about it: “In this case, stress hormones are released that actually rob you of sleep.”

Those who cannot fall asleep again should check whether they are still physically relaxed. Then it is advisable to lie still and concentrate on your breath. Consciously breathe in deeply and slowly and then exhale even more slowly. If, on the other hand, you are only tossing restlessly from side to side, then you’d better get up. Make sure that your body does not get cold and do some quiet activity that arouses positive thoughts in you and that you can stop at any time when the heaviness of bed returns.

Sleep myth 5: bedtime ritual

Whether migraines or sports injuries: the needle treatment works for numerous complaints – without any side effects.

K Headache

It is not always the ideal solution to throw in a tablet to silence the headache. Especially in the case of long-lasting, severe pain, it can be more beneficial to tackle the symptoms with needles. “Acupuncture can reduce both the intensity and the frequency of headaches,” says expert Tepp. There is very little fat under the scalp. Therefore the needles are inserted very carefully from the side. The acupuncture points are directly on the surface. “This is how headache is treated preventively and in acute cases,” says complementary medicine specialist Linde. “Usually the patient receives six to 15 treatments.”

The chance of recovery is great. “In the case of migraine and tension headaches, the results are at least as good as those achieved through the use of medication,” says Dominik Irnich, senior physician and head of the interdisciplinary pain clinic at the Ludwig Maximilian University Hospital in Munich.

asthma

During an attack, the muscles in the airways cramp and the mucous membranes swell. The patient gasps and panic. There are different causes, for example allergies or stress. But smoking or a dragged on cold can also trigger asthma. Whether asthma can be cured by acupuncture always depends on the form of the disease and the overall condition of the patient.

“Asthma is often treated supportively with acupuncture,” says senior physician Irnich. The swimming professional Thomas Rupprath also had severe asthma and got it under control with the help of acupuncture. Before that, his bronchi were narrowed and his breathing function was restricted as a result. “Thanks to acupuncture, I’m doing very well again. I have been drug-free for two to three years,” says Rupprath. “I took the acupuncture sessions as needed – depending on how high the athletic stress was and how good I was breathing.”

At first he was skeptical, but when it began to work, he believed in it. Rupprath: “Immediately afterwards you don’t feel like you have been reborn; the effect only sets in when you go to meetings more often. It helped me in any case.” In addition to the belief in self-healing powers, other components are important, such as the way in which the practitioner asks you, how intensively he turns to you. Pain specialist Irnich recommends: “Make sure that he takes as much time as possible for you.” This is another hallmark of a good acupuncturist.

Stress and depression

Imagine you have to give a presentation to the entire team. Many stress such a situation. Have you ever had the idea to get a prick beforehand? Probably not, but it’s worth a try. “When there is high tension, acupuncture helps to loosen up and improve concentration,” says alternative practitioner Ansuhenne. “You work more effectively, have more energy.”

The same applies if you feel down or something is troubling you, such as losing your job or having an accident. “You can also try acupuncture for mildly depressed moods,” says Ansuhenne.

In the case of depression, needle treatments alone are not enough; talk therapy is then indispensable! Acupuncture makes the patient more open, however, it is easier for him to think positively. Ansuhenne: “By stimulating certain points, happiness hormones such as serotonin are released.”

stomach problems

The small needle pricks can also release basic tension in the body. This plays an important role in the treatment of gastrointestinal complaints. “Heartburn is often due to stress and poor nutrition,” says alternative practitioner Ansuhenne. “In these cases, acupuncture tries to prevent overproduction of gastric acid.” It can also restore balance in the case of irritable bowel syndrome.

Do not be surprised: in the case of gastrointestinal problems, needles are not only inserted into the trunk, but also into so-called distant points on the extremities. Often they even trigger a stronger reaction than on the stomach because there are more nerve endings in a small space. This also applies to stomach upsets. “Studies on nausea and vomiting show that acupuncture works well in these cases,” says senior physician Irnich.

Back pain

Athletes often swear by acupuncture, for example for meniscus damage or injuries to the foot that result from jogging. The treatment helps the body recover faster. “Acupuncture is increasingly being used in sports medicine and professional sport, including for broken bones,” says pain doctor Irnich. “There are points that stimulate the increased formation of bone substance”, explains alternative practitioner Ansuhenne.

According to the theory of acupuncture, increased blood and lymph fluid flows to an injured part of the body. This improves the supply of minerals, vitamins and hormones. The treatment also helps in preparation for competitions. “After I had tried acupuncture, I had very good results in the regeneration phase,” says swimming world champion Thomas Rupprath from Rostock. “Especially after a hard workout, my muscles were able to recover and relax better.”

Illnesses have their own daily rhythm. Those who know it can protect themselves from it at the right time.

4 a.m.: Asthma
In asthma, the bronchi are narrowed, making it difficult to breathe out. If the old air remains in the lungs, there is not enough space to inhale new air. The result is shortness of breath. Anyone who suffers from severe asthma is sick all day. However, most asthma attacks happen between two in the morning and six in the morning. The bronchi are particularly narrow at around 3 p.m. – at 3 p.m. their diameter is greatest.

If you are prone to asthma, it is best to do sports in the afternoon. To prevent asthma attacks, medication should be taken exactly as planned. Medicines that dilate the bronchi should usually be inhaled again before going to bed. The sometimes necessary cortisone works optimally if it is taken in the afternoon. In the case of typical asthma symptoms such as an insatiable dry cough, however, it cannot be avoided to see a doctor as soon as possible.

6 o’clock in the morning: Depression
Not everyone who gets out of bed in a bad mood and listless in the morning is immediately sick. However, as soon as this condition persists for more than 14 days, doctors speak of depression. Depressed people often wake up between four and six in the morning, lie brooding on their pillows and cannot go back to sleep. After getting up, they are often completely depressed for hours. Those who are depressed and still get fairly active through the day often feel more relaxed in the evening. But only to sag again the next morning. Waking up early can be used therapeutically: controlled sleep deprivation is one of the most successful treatment approaches for depression, along with modern psycho-therapeutic methods and the use of medication.

8.30 a.m.: Toothache
Pain is strongest at night and in the early hours of the morning. This is especially true for toothache. So wait a little longer – if possible – before fighting the hammer pain with a hammer tablet. In just a few hours, you may feel better on your own. The pain also has a daily rhythm. At noon and in the afternoon, the human sensation of pain is lowest. Painkillers also develop their greatest effect during this time. The desirable effect of local anesthesia then lasts for a particularly long time, around 30 minutes. In the morning you have to expect to feel pain again after just twelve minutes. So if you have to go to a dental treatment in the near future, then you should insist on an appointment at noon or in the afternoon.

10.30 am:
Heart problems According to statistics, most heart attacks in men happen between breakfast and lunch. Angina pectoris, the extremely painful, seizure-like precursor of the infarction, also occurs particularly frequently in the morning. Reason: At night the body is set to rest. However, that changes when you get up. This sudden switch to action can drive the blood pressure of heart patients so high that the risk of heart attack increases immediately. The expert tip: If the individual medical history allows, high blood pressure patients should take their medication before getting up.

3 p.m.: high blood pressure
At 3 p.m. the blood pressure has its highest values. In the vast majority of cases, it cannot be said why this is so. It is crucial for the diagnosis that the blood pressure is measured correctly: in a daily profile with several individual measurements, from which the mean value is calculated. If the blood pressure is too high during the day, it should drop to normal levels at night. Otherwise the blood vessels will become calcified and further medication will be required.

4 p.m.: Muscle injuries
It sounds paradoxical at first: At 3 a.m., your muscles show the highest endurance values. At the opposite time, at 4 p.m., you have a clear low in terms of your continuous output. Exactly the opposite is the case with the maximum strength of the muscles. For you that means: watch out! It has not been proven that muscle injuries occur particularly frequently around 4 p.m. But a connection is very likely. Incidentally, the endurance peak around 3 a.m. is a result of sleep. Without sufficient recovery, the muscles become slack. This rhythm is also the reason why night work is unusually stressful for us.

10 p.m. in the evening: Joint
inflammation Inflammation has its peak late in the evening and at night. The pain is then greatest. In the morning the joint is stiff and it is time for medication. With the exception of cortisone, which has a stronger effect when it enters your body after 3 p.m. Because the body’s own production of the anti-inflammatory is lowest between 6 p.m. and midnight.

11 p.m. in the evening: Colds
A cold that you have under control during the day robs you of sleep at night. Your nose is blocked, your breathing sounds like a steam engine, and you just can’t calm down. The main cause is your position. When lying down, the nasal mucosa swells for static reasons. Therefore: sleep with your upper body slightly elevated. The body temperature is also highest in the evening. You are only really healthy again when the temperature is normal in the evening. The morning measurement is by no means sufficient.

2 a.m.: stomach pain
After 9 p.m. the stomach produces most of the acid. Symptoms that point to a stomach ulcer often report at night. Light bed-treats such as yogurt buffer the excess acid. And don’t drink coffee or alcohol before going to bed. If you sleep with your upper body slightly elevated, stomach acid does not get into the esophagus.

3 a.m.: kidney stones
Kidney stones are also found in young people. Their formation depends on the specific weight of the urine, its acidity and the dissolved substances (for example uric acid, magnesium, calcium and phosphate). The more of these substances there are, the greater the likelihood that small kidney stones will form over time. The concentration is highest at three o’clock in the morning – and with it the risk of starting stone cultivation almost unnoticed. If you are prone to kidney stones, you should check the whole thing regularly: With special test strips, which you can get in every pharmacy, you can measure the crucial substances in your urine. To get correct values, however, you should set your alarm clock to three in the morning – and then pee straight away.