Can Anyone Help Cure What Ails Me?

[ianwuk]

This is my first post to the health section on TV. As mentioned in the topic title I have three main problems.

1 - I am tired all the time. I get up on weekdays at 4:50am and go to sleep at 8:30pm most nights. I just want to feel active and right now I feel as if I have no energy at all.

2 - I drool a lot when I sleep (drives my girlfriend insane because she has to wash pillow/bed sheet) yet when I sleep I sleep on my back (used to sleep on my front, drooled, switched to sleeping on my back) but I have a fan on me which makes stops me from sweating yet I cover my top half with a blanket because I hate the feeling of the air on me when I sleep. I also sleep wearing an eye mask because my girlfriend is a student and stays up late studying.

3 - I have severe cracked heels on both my feet which despite hospital visits and regular moistrising does not seem to be going away.

Can anyone on here give me some useful advice so that I can hopefully beat these?

Many thanks.

Ian

[soloman]

1. It doesn't sound like you are getting quality sleep. Sometimes we have to adjust the conditions to perfection to improve our sleep. E.G. GF studying in same room? Not good, and will be disturbing you from deep sleep. Wearing eye mask - not all that comfortable. I suggest a bigger apartment. Also getting exercise improves your energy level - strange but true. Also have a sleep test through your doctor, you could have sleep apnoea.

2. Aircond. get room temp to comfortable level where you can sleep with the security of a light cotton blanket.

3. Cracked heels - wear shoes and socks, not thongs or sandles, and use vitamin E oil - from Chemist.

[Mobi]

If you can afford it, my advice is to go to a good hospital, such as Bumrungrad, see a clinical physician and have him to arrange a thorough check up, (blood tests etc) with particular emphasis on the likely reasons for your symptoms, such as testing for a thyroid deficiency.

With regard to you sleeping problems, ask your girl friend if you snore, and/or stop breathing for a few seconds when you are asleep. If either of these are affirmative, then you should probably have a sleep apnea test.

Good luck

[soic]

If you don't have atheletes foot or some other type of fungus... you can slather some thick moisturizing lotion on your feet and then wrap them in plastic bags or saran wrap overnight. If you do that for a few nights it will moisturize the heck out of those heels.

[moe666]

For the heels soak for about 30 mins. in a combination of one cup listerine and one cup vinegar diluted with enough water to cover your feet. Do this once a day for about a week this should kill any fungus also use a good moisture cream after soak.

This worked for me and my cracked heels.

[soloman]

.................2 - I drool a lot when I sleep (drives my girlfriend insane because she has to wash pillow/bed sheet) yet when I sleep I sleep on my back (used to sleep on my front, drooled, switched to sleeping on my back) ...................... (part quote)

Another thought - this time on the drool. If you sleep with your mouth open, you will drool (remember the dentist chair)

Maybe you are sleeping with your mouth open due to blocking up of nose/sinus. Saline sinus rinses are great to keep from this (best I have found is the sachets and bottle and you make it up yourself).

And by the way for good back care, Chiros and physios recommend sleeping on the back - so well done!

[ianwuk]

Thanks for all the replies

With regards to 1. there is not a lot I can do if my girlfriend has to study. Last night I went to bed at 8:30pm, still awake at 11pm, tossing and turning, tried two different types of eye mask and both stopped me from actually sleeping. Went to bed around 11:30pm at the same time as my GF and I do not feel tired except my eyes are a little sore, is this good or not?

2. I try and sleep on my back but apparently move a lot whilst I sleep. I also apparently talk in my sleep too which is also scary, how can I stop that?

3. I use Vaseline mosturing cream that I bought from 7-11 and I moisturise with it three times a day. I also have a scraping tool which I use to scrape off the dry skin. Some days my feet look a lot better but then after a day of work I can actually feel that they have dry skin and when I look at the end of the day they do and the whole process starts again. It used to be so bad that the cracks would bleed and in 2007 I was in hospital in the UK because of it but the doctors could not find the cause of what was wrong.

I thought about going for a battery of hospital tests but they seem expensive. I have insurance with Lad Prao General Hospital. Can they do a sleep apnea test? I just read a bit about it on Wikipedia and it mentions learning difficulties and memory problems. Recently my memory has been terrible and I have trouble remembering the simplest things.

Thanks.

Ian

Edited September 21, 2009 by ianwuk

[soloman]

Insomnia is complicated. After exhausting all other avenues I have resorted to medication. Good reading is http://www.lighttherapy.com.au/insomniacircadian.php especially the section on 'How We Fall Asleep'. Your GP should be able to refer you for sleep apnoea tests. As you would have read, it is crucial to eliminate it as a reason for some of your problems.

[femi fan]

My answers may seem a bit simple, but i'll leave your reactions to you!

Drink plenty of water throughout the day, including when you wake up, and before meals. Tea, coffee, fruit juices don't count even though there's water in them.

Get regular exercise, even if it's an hour or so every other day.

After a week of this that should bring about immediate improvements in your sleep. It is also excellent general health insurance for the future as well as for improved energy and positive thinking for today.

And if you really want to turn things around, radically analyse and overhaul, if necessary, your diet. Too many meats and dairy foods at the expense of not enough fruits and vegetables leads to all kinds of niggling body complaints, that at older ages covert themselves into much nastier problems.

[BigBadSeattleLad]

This is my first post to the health section on TV. As mentioned in the topic title I have three main problems.

1 - I am tired all the time. I get up on weekdays at 4:50am and go to sleep at 8:30pm most nights. I just want to feel active and right now I feel as if I have no energy at all.

2 - I drool a lot when I sleep (drives my girlfriend insane because she has to wash pillow/bed sheet) yet when I sleep I sleep on my back (used to sleep on my front, drooled, switched to sleeping on my back) but I have a fan on me which makes stops me from sweating yet I cover my top half with a blanket because I hate the feeling of the air on me when I sleep. I also sleep wearing an eye mask because my girlfriend is a student and stays up late studying.

3 - I have severe cracked heels on both my feet which despite hospital visits and regular moistrising does not seem to be going away.

Can anyone on here give me some useful advice so that I can hopefully beat these?

Many thanks.

Ian

Ian... pills, creams, and magic potions might give you temporary relief - at best. You need to focus on the actual cause of these problems if you care about lasting relief. Fatigue, skin problems, drooling, etc. sound like sluggish adrenals, possible thyroid imbalance, allergies to excess dairy (especially in hot Thailand) and similar issues kicked off by probable metabolic acidosis (a common systemic imbalance involving pH and acid/alkaline imbalance). This is best remedied by finding ways to minimize the excessive dairy and processed foods (acidic) which you've almost certainly been living on in favor of maximizing the fresh fruit & vegetable % of your diet (alkaline). At the same time, weave some regular exercise into your weekly routine, and look for ways to minimize stress. A recent book which does a great job of describing the crux of a problem affecting millions (metabolic acidosis) is 'The UltraMind Solution ["Fix your broken brain by healing your body first]' by Dr. Mark Hyman. You can find several clips by the doctor on youtube addressing related issues.

[MrHammer]

Can I ask why you're getting up so early? I dont believe its natural. Maybe thats why you cant sleep until 11.30 which is normal time to go to bed. Unless you're doing hard physical labor all day, 20.30 is too early to go to bed. Thats my opionon. Can you get up later?

[dumball]

I would sincerly suggest you pay a visit to a member of the MEDICAL proffession and get a true report of the conditions attributed to or causing your current state of disfunction , then you will know WHAT you are to treat and how to do it(Hopefully) , other than that , your 'Guess' is as good as anybodies(Practically) .

[ianwuk]

Lots of replies, again, thanks everyone.

Okay.

1 - Why do I get up so early?

I live in Salaya, I work in Lad Prao, Bangkok has lots of traffic which I do not want to be part of. I would like to be able to get home whilst it is still daylight.

2 - Drink more water

I am indeed doing that and now I drink nothing but water every day. I used to just drink tea with the occasional coffee but not any more.

3 - Eat more fresh fruit

I will start eating fresh pineapple for breakfast instead of what I usually have (bread).

Thanks everyone.

Ian

[filingaccount]

This is my first post to the health section on TV. As mentioned in the topic title I have three main problems.

<snipit>

Many thanks.

Ian

You notice there are several very different suggestions below. This is because it is nearly impossible to know the cause with the information you have given. The below suggestions are exactly that, suggestions. Do not try any of them based on somebody's say so on an internet forum. Health is serious, and if you have problems VISIT A DOCTOR. There as many causes as there are cures.....

Could be sleep apnea.

It could also be as simple as low oxygen / high CO2 levels in the bedroom. Try to get as much ventilation as possible.

It could also be that your circadian rhythm is not in line with your waking hours. To reset your circadian rhythm it is suggested that you do not eat anything for 12-16 hours before the time you need to wake up. Then just eat breakfast at the time you wake up.

It could also be that you are overweight and/or your mattress is not supporting your body well enough.

It could be depression. Is anything bothering you at work/home? Any nagging issues you have not addressed?

Could be sinus issues. Washing your sinuses out with a netipot filled with a saline solution helps (youtube can show you how).

More: http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleep_disorders.htm

Drool: http://www.ehow.com/how_2364061_stop-drool...ring-sleep.html

Cracked heels: http://www.epodiatry.com/cracked_heels.htm

Good luck.

Edited September 22, 2009 by filingaccount

[ianwuk]

Thanks for all the information.

Ian