Tag: Health Care

5 Common Mistakes When Looking After Teeth

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There are many obvious ways to mistreat our teeth such as eating the wrong foods and failing to brush enough. However, many of us could be neglecting our gnashers without even realising. Here are a few all too common – but not obvious – mistakes when looking after teeth.

Relying on tooth whitening products

Whitening chewing gums and special whitening toothpastes and whitening strips can help to brighten our teeth. In fact, some premium products as supplied by http://www.iwhiteinstant.com/en/iwhite-instant could help brighten your teeth in a matter of days. However, they won’t stop tooth decay caused by bad habits like eating too much sugar and smoking. To fully protect the health of our teeth, we ought to all cut down on these unhealthy habits first and then start using the tooth whitening products.

Rinsing your mouth after brushing teeth

This is something a lot of us are guilty of – especially those that don’t like the taste of toothpaste. However, rising your mouth out with water after brushing your teeth could be undoing all your tooth-brushing work. You should spit out any excess toothpaste, but keep some on your teeth, as it will allow the fluoride to sit on the enamel and break away at any plaque that was missed whilst brushing.

Brushing too hard

It’s possible to brush too hard and start stripping off the enamel from your teeth. If your bristles on your brush get easily damaged after only a few weeks, this is clear sign that you’re brushing too hard. Brush in light circles with the toothbrush tilted up towards the root, rather than scrubbing back and forward vigorously – this will have a much healthier impact.

Ignoring a tooth-ache

You should see a doctor or dentist as soon as a toothache sets in. If it’s an infection, it could spread to other teeth if left untreated causing more pain and causing more damage. Some people may be afraid to go to the dentist due to a bad experience or costs. However, treatments like root canal procedures have come a long way making them far more precise, whilst getting these treatments early can deter extra costs of having to get more work dental done. Sites such as https://www.southviewdentistrycharlotte.com/service/root-canal/ can offer more information on such procedures. It’s worth always booking an appointment for advice – you may find such treatment isn’t needed if you catch the problem early and anti-biotics may suffice.

Opening things with your teeth

If you often open packaging with your teeth, or worse have a party trick of opening bottles with your mouth, you may want to stop now. This could be causing your enamel to chip as your teeth aren’t supposed to be dealing with such tough materials. Start using scissors and bottle openers and save your teeth.

 

Healthy For Life: Medical Checks You Need To Be Having as You Age

It is inevitable that we are all going to age. But how well we age will be dependant on a number of things. Some things in our life we have inherited and may or may happen as a result. Other things can happen through incidents in our life, or how we treat our body. But there are some things that can occur as we get older than can be dealt with pretty quickly. We just need to be getting them checked in time. So has never been more important to have regular doctor’s appointments as we age. Throughout our life we should aim for at least a yearly physical unless we have any conditions that need to be seen to. But what are some checks we should be having as we get older? Here are a few suggestions. If you have yet to have one of these and are reaching a certain point in your life, then it might be time to schedule an appointment. I hope this helps!

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Hearing Test

Hearing tests should be done from a young age. But unlike eyesight, it doesn’t need to be done too often. Once every five years or so should suffice, as long as you aren’t noticing any problems in the meantime, of course. But as we get older, our hearing can deteriorate quite quickly. So more often than not is recommended for hearing tests. But don’t worry, if there are any issues, it can be easily dealt with. Just take a look at a site like hearingaidbuyertoday.com, and you’ll see the variety of hearing aids that are available. There are many that look like you’re not even wearing one, so you don’t have to make it obvious, if that is something that you’re worried about.

Eye Tests

Throughout our lives, our eyes should be tested around every two years. Again, this should be done sooner if you are noticing problems with the quality of your vision. The number of people, especially women, that wear glasses later in their lives is quite high. So you might want to consider having eye tests annually, rather than every two years. Having good vision can impact your health and life in general greatly, so it is worth looking into.

Stepping on the Scales

Knowing how much we weigh is important for weight maintenance. As we get older, our metabolism can slow down; we tend to be a little less active than we have been before, so weight gain can be quite likely if we’re not careful. So keep an eye on how much you weigh. Being overweight can lead to many issues later in life, but being a reasonable weight can reduce your chances quite significantly.

Cholesterol Testing

Do you know what levels of cholesterol are in your blood? It isn’t something that we tend to know. But having it checked every so often can be really important for our overall health. If you have high cholesterol, it can lead to problems with your heart, and even problems with your blood pressure. So having it checked regularly is important. This can be done with your doctor, especially if you are concerned about it or are overweight. Then you can adjust your lifestyle accordingly, to help improve the results.

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Blood Pressure

Similar to cholesterol levels, our blood pressure can have a big impact on our health, but it isn’t something that we get checked all that often. Untreated high blood pressure can be a killer, as it can lead to things like heart attacks or stroke. So don’t let it sneak up on you. You could check out symptoms at webmd.com if you’re unsure. Get your blood pressure checked regularly and then you can make some changes, as well as take prescribed medication, to help with it.

Mammogram

For women over a certain age, and some men, a mammogram regularly is a great way to detect something like breast cancer before it happens. As well as an annual check, you should look for changes in your body, especially your breasts, and have any changes checked. Yes, it isn’t ideal and can be uncomfortable. But staying on top of it all will help you to deal with anything that might arise, prolonging your health and your life.

Checking Shots

Things like the flu vaccine are available for many of us, especially when the winter months roll around. So if you think you would like one or want to know about it, then speak to your doctor. It can be a lifesaver in winter months when the flu is doing the rounds!

 

 

5 Ways To Avoid Health Issues As You Grow Older

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Everyone ages and everyone will encounter health decline at one stage or another in their lives. However, to prepare ourselves for the race against time, practicing good health care and a balanced lifestyle the only way to slow down the ticking clock. Keeping our body, mind, and soul healthy and happy is the true secret to living a long life.

Diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are aggressive beasts, taking many people unaware and stealing their health away. But these diseases are preventable to a certain extent. Even though the genes for these conditions may already lay dormant in your veins, conducting a better lifestyle can halt them from ever manifesting destructively. Today we are going to talk about how you can reduce your risk for health issues and stay healthy for longer.

Stay Active

It’s no surprise that an active lifestyle is good for your health. It can help you lose excess fat surrounding your organs, let you build muscles and even assist in the fight against common illnesses, as it boosts your immune system. Exercising for 30 minutes a day is good for your heart, helps you to digest food more easily and allows you to sleep better. It’s a no brainer.

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Feel Stress-Free

Stress is one of the primary causes of premature health issues. It is linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, obesity and even asthma. Calming your mind and body at the end of the day is as essential as eating your greens. Not only does your body need to stay healthy, but your mind also does too. Consider meditation. Wake up five minutes earlier in the morning and meditate before you start your day, there are loads of meditation apps which allow you to do this easily.

Avoid Harmful Triggers

There are many dangerous triggers in the world which can cause or aggravate health issues. Smoking is one of them, and if you are struggling to quit altogether, consider moving to a nicotine only substitute such as Mount Baker Vapor. Because it doesn’t contain the harmful chemicals which a cigarette does, it is the safer option for those who want to make a healthy change. Alcohol is another trigger which is linked to liver failure and weight problems. However, you don’t have to stop drinking altogether, just practice moderation.

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Eat A Balanced Diet

Being overweight or obese can lead to a number of different health problems:

  • type 2 diabetes
  • high blood pressure
  • heart disease and strokes
  • certain types of cancer
  • sleep apnea

But you can easily prevent the risk of becoming overweight by following a balanced, healthy diet. That’s not to say you have to swear off Dominos Pizza for life; it’s all about moderation. You can cheat every now and again as long as you maintain a healthy diet in between.

Don’t Ignore The Doctor

Finally, if you have a recurring cough, you need to urinate more than normal, or your stomach hurts when you eat: visit the doctor. A trained medical professional will help you with whatever the issue may be and will be able to give you advice on how to prevent it in the future.

Take Action on These Tummy Troubles

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The unfortunate thing about stomach pain is that it can often be difficult to work out exactly what is going on in there and whether it’s just an average stomach upset or something more serious. This can lead to many people ignoring their tummy troubles when they really shouldn’t

If you’ve been experiencing stomach pains recently, check out these stomach complaints and they’re symptoms, to ensure you get the help you need:

Acid Reflux

Acid reflux occurs when the stomach acid finds its way back up your digestive system to your throat. Symptoms of this very common stomach complaint include a burning just below the breastbone, which tends to rear its head after eating and is often worse when you’re in a reclined position.

Take Action: To solve the acid reflux situation, simply take some antacids, such as tums when the pain hits. Even better, try to determine the foods that cause your issues and avoid them. If your reflux is really bad, it might even be worth seeing a Gastroenterologist to rule out GERD. The good think about acid reflux is that it is usually pretty easy to treat!

Appendicitis

Appendicitis is a condition where the appendix becomes inflamed. If the area around your belly button starts to feel uncomfortable, and the pain spreads to the lower part of your right abdomen, and that pain is worse when you walk, there is a good chance you could be suffering from appendicitis.

Take Action: Should you experience these symptoms, you should get yourself to the emergency room right away. An inflamed appendix needs to be removed quickly, or you could risk it rupturing or introducing lots of life-threatening bacteria into your body.

Gallstones

Gallstones are one of the most painful tummy conditions of all, and all of the trouble is caused by small stones of hardened bile and cholesterol that form in the gallbladder and which are usually caused by a diet that is very high in fat. Symptoms of gallstones include a sharp, searing pain in the upper mid-abdomen area, which spreads to the right side. You may also suffer from diarrhea and sickness if you have gallstones.In serious cases, fever may also be present.
Take Action: When gallbladder pain hits, take an over the counter pain medication to relieve the symptoms. If it doesn’t work, or if the pain goes on for more than two hours, and definitely if you’re vomiting with a fever, you will should get yourself to a doctor. Chances are you will need to have your gallbladder removed.

Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that usually affects the colon and small intestine. Symptoms of crohn’s include persistent pain in the abdominal area, weight loss, and diarrhea.

Take Action: There is currently no treatment for this particular disease, but if you think you may have it, it is essential that you see a doctor who can prescribe things like steroids and anti-inflammatories to help manage the condition.

If you think you have any of the illnesses discussed here, it’s always a good idea to seek the further assistance of your doctor, who is the best person to help you.

Curing Back Pain The Natural Way

As we get older and age, back pain will seem to be an everyday occurrence. Sure, there are certain medications that can greatly ease the pain and, if the need be, your doctor might even refer you for surgery. However, some people try to stay away from these options as they prefer to take the more natural route. Not sure how you can heal your back pain naturally? Here are some great methods.

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See A Back Expert

It’s a good idea to get some medical attention if you do experience regular back pain. Don’t worry, though, they won’t insist that you take medication or have surgery. Find a chiropractor near you if you want to chat about your various options. Let them know that you would prefer some natural remedies. They will be able to incorporate this into their treatment method. If they are unable to, they will be able to refer you to a local acupuncture specialist or other holistic practitioners.

Take Yoga Or Pilates Classes

Lots of people swear by Yoga and Pilates when it comes to back pain. So, it’s worth looking for a local class to see if there are any classes at times that suit you. After a few weeks of practicing Yoga or Pilates, you will certainly find a big improvement in your back. If you don’t have time to go to a full hour class, you can check online guides such as this one for stretches you can do on your own at home and also do some dumbbell neck exercises

Work Your Core

One reason why some people suffer from constant back pain is that their core is quite weak. Thankfully, this is very easy to change as you just need to start doing some exercises and workouts that will help strengthen it. If you are going to Yoga or Pilates, this should help, but there are also some other workouts that are great for core strengthening. These include Metafit and Piloxing.

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Use Heat Therapy

If you need some instant relief from your back pain, you should consider heat therapy. This is very easy to apply yourself at home – you just need a hot water bottle or a bag of frozen peas! Place the bag of frozen peas on any area of pain if you also want to reduce any inflammation. The cold temperature will also shut down the nerves, so you shouldn’t feel quite as much pain. Applying heat also acts as a painkiller, and it also increases the blood flow which can help to bring more nutrients to the affected area.

Work Your Brain

Some back experts believe that you won’t feel quite as much pain if your brain is stimulated and busy. So, it’s worth trying to occupy yourself to see if you can distract your brain away from the pain. Why not give it a try next time your back hurts?!

So, as you can see, there are many alternatives to medicine and surgery when it comes to back pain. Hopefully, this blog post will help you manage any uncomfortable aches and pains!

Not a Day Older: The Best Exercise For Aging Muscles

Growing old takes a toll on your body. Although most of us will change as we age, and looking in the mirror is more of a surprise than anything else, nothing is as affected as much our muscles. If you’re thinking that the amount you exercised back in the days is what you’re living off now and that the muscles you built in your twenties have served you well, you’re quite right – but that doesn’t mean you should stop caring about your body.

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Those sweaty circles of Pilates for seniors can be a bit underwhelming, though, if this is the only exercise your older parents are doing. Use science instead, to find the best type of workout to slow down the aging process and see them enjoy many more years of activity and sports.

The mitochondria

The mitochondria in our bodies are considered the cell’s power generator; it produces energy and converts it into forms that are usable by our cells. As we age, our cells stops to regenerate as easily as it did before, and are simultaneously affected by the mitochondria diminishing in both number and vigor.

We’d like to keep it as a generator for as long as we can, and certain types of exercise have actually proven to undo some of what aging has done to our cell’s power producer.

We’ll lose muscles, in other words, and will struggle with keeping our bodies as light and energized as we used to. It will keep them independent and happy for as long as possible, and they can get much more out of their golden years – and a lot more out of their Medicare Supplement plans. While there’s no decent alternative to growing old, by taking care of yourself and your older family members, you’ll be able to enjoy active years as a senior citizen and leap from one Pilates class to the next one.

Interval Exercise

The type of exercise that produced the biggest change in people’s genes in a study from this year was intense exercise – or interval training. There are a lot of different ways to incorporate this into your regular routine, although it’s usually associated with running or jogging. How well your aging family member is able to cope with running, you know better than any, but consider similar options if this is difficult due to their knees or other immobilities.

Cycling, for example, is excellent interval exercise and can be done in nature as well as on a stationary bike at the gym. If you think the gym is a better option as they’ll have assistants around at all time, remember that time spent in nature is wonderful news for their health as well. Try to compensate by walking outside together and enjoying nature in other ways – with less speed, perhaps.

To get the kind of benefits that will reduce aging in their muscles, it needs to be intense – and to manage this on a bicycle, you’re going to need speed. The gym may be the best option, in other words, unless they’re still relatively young.

While any type of exercise is good for your body, you should treat your family to the best kind of exercise for their age – especially now that you know the science behind it all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back Up Your Back!

Your back is such an important body part, and yet the amount of people that neglect it is ridiculous. Taking the time to strengthen your back and keep it as healthy as possible is absolutely crucial to your long-term health and mobility. Are you doing what it takes to back up your back, or are you neglecting it like the majority of people out there? Read on to get a good idea…

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Exercise Your Back

Exercising your back will keep it strong in the long run, and help you to stay healthy and mobile. You don’t need to do anything too drastic either; walking, swimming, and weightlifting are all great exercises for the back. Doing these things regularly will help to reduce pain. Even if you currently have back pain, exercising your back is a very good move.

Never Lift With Your Back

Make sure you always use the correct lifting technique; you should never hunch over and lift with your back if you’re picking something up. You should hinge at the hips and use your legs to take the majority of the weight.

Maintain A Good Posture At All Times

Keeping a good posture at all times is a must for your back. Whether you’re sitting or standing, you should aim to have your shoulders pulled back and chest up. It can take some getting used to, but there are even harnesses you can wear if you struggle with this. If you don’t ensure this sooner rather than later, you could end up with huge problems later on down the line.

Visit A Back Care Professional

If you already have back problems, visiting a back care professional like Family Chiropractic Plus could be the way to go. Sometimes, a little professional advice and direction will help you to understand what’s going on and what you can do about it.

Get Up From Your Chair

If you work sitting down, aim to get up from your chair at least once every hour and stretch. Maybe even go for a short walk. This will not only help your back, but your mind and eyes too! Staring at a screen or sitting down all day is no good for anybody.

Lose Excess Weight

The more excess weight you carry, the more strain you put on your back. Making an effort to lose those excess pounds will help you to keep a healthy back, and other joints overall.

Manage Stress

Managing stress is so important – it can affect every area of your life, from your career to your relationships. It’s also usually a big factor in a person with back issues. How people manage their stress varies, but finding a way that suits you will no doubt make a huge difference.

Start backing up your back today and you’ll ensure you stay healthy and mobile in the long run. You’ll regret it later on down the line, so eat well, avoid bad habits, reduce stress and exercise! Do what you can to be the best version of yourself. It will pay off!

Medication :The Only Thing That Brings Relief For The Agony Back Pain?

Back pain is a common problem, with at least 10% of the world’s population experiencing it at any one time, and really can be agony. You can’t sit, or lie in any one position for long. Meaning it’s hard to get comfortable during the day or get a good sleep at night. Something that can serve to further intensify the pain. It is understandable then, why so many people turn to medication prescribed by their doctors to relieve this type of pain but does that mean it is the only thing that truly works? Read on to find out.

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Medication

There are a lot of different drugs that are prescribed for back pain. These include acetaminophen, NSAIDs and even epidural injections to numb the area. Many of these are quite helpful, and it is not the aim of this post is not to say that medication doesn’t work. As when you are in considerable pain, you get to the point when you are pretty much happy to try anything that has a chance of relieving your suffering.

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When dealing with medications, remember too that some need to tapered off gently and not stopped all in one go, and other cannot be used in conjunction with alternative therapies as it could be dangerous. So, do check with your medical team before making any changes to your medication regime. Even if you do think they are changes that should affect your back pain in a positive way.

Chiropractor

Something else that it is possible to try if you are suffering from back pain is a visit to a chiropractor. A chiropractor is a trained professional that use their knowledge of anatomy and physiology to manipulate the body. Working on areas of pressure and stress that can help to relieve back pain.

The really good ones also have access to acupuncture and new technological advances such as Solve™. A Noninvasive Targeted Neurostimulation (NTN), something that can also help to provide relief from the agony of back pain. As well as providing a less invasive alternative for back pain issue than the surgery options discussed below.

Surgery

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Lastly, an option that many people with back pain go for is surgery. Of course, this is only suitable in some cases. Such as where problems like a herniated disks and sciatica respond to surgery that well. It’s also something that folks may try to avoid wherever possible because of the time off work they have to take and the risk associated with the procedures.

Additionally, it’s also worth bearing in mind that you can go through the difficulties of a surgical procedure but still not be guaranteed that your pain will be eradicated. So it’s vital you weigh up your options and the probability of success before you consider surgery as a solution to your back pain

Containing The Threat: Controlling Sickness In The Home

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Modern homes can make the perfect breeding grounds for disease. You share a lot of the different parts of your home with your family, from the toilet to the tools you use to eat with. Along with this, being in close quarters with ill people will often result in the sickness spreading. But, with school and work being so important, most households can’t afford an epidemic. To help you in solving this issue, this post will be going through some of the ways you can work to protect your loved ones and yourself from getting poorly. It all starts within the home.

To begin, you first have to understand what you’re dealing with. Thankfully, there is a wealth of information surrounding the subject of sickness on the Internet. When someone in the house is sick, you just have to look up their symptoms on a website like www.webmd.com. Once you find something which matches all of the issues being had, you can rest assured that you have a good answer. Of course, nothing beats the diagnosis of a proper doctor. Using the resources online will simply give you an idea of how the illness your fighting will spread. Along with this, it can also help you to find good methods to accelerate the healing process making the illness go faster.

Once you have a clear idea of what the illness is, you can start to look into ways of containing it. To start, the person suffering should have limited contact with others. Most diseases are airborne, waterborne, or passed by touch. This means that even close proximity can be dangerous. Of course, though, if you have kids, you can’t exactly leave them on their own when they’re ill. Instead, you need to find ways to protect yourself. Facemasks can provide you with an excellent defense against a lot of illnesses. By covering your mouth and nose, you limit the chances of breathing or swallowing anything dangerous, making it much harder to get sick. Along with this, you could also consider investing in some well-known remedies for common diseases, like flues and tummy bugs.

Finally, if the illness takes too long to clear or you feel worried about your ill family member, it might be worth taking them to the doctor. There are a lot of medical issues we can be solved easily, like head lice. But, you will still need an expert like liceclinicsbellevue.com to take care of it for you. Without immediate treatment, a condition like this one could easily get out of hand, spreading to different members of the household. A lot of diseases share this quality, the ability to spread with ease. Unfortunately, this means only a doctor will have access to the knowledge and resources to cure what ails you. So, it’s worth looking for the best option in your area.

Hopefully, this post will give you the help you need next time a member of your family is putting everyone in jeopardy with their illness. It may seem harsh to take measures like this. But, stopping a disease in its tracks is the very best way to handle it.

Why Every Woman Needs A Gynecologist

Ladies, it’s time to tackle the issue you’ve been avoiding. That’s right; we’re talking gynecology. None of us like the idea of a doctor poking around below, and as such, we often avoid that dreaded visit to the gyno. Some women don’t even realize that regular visits are necessary. Instead, they wait until there’s a problem.

If a problem arises, it’s obviously important not to hesitate. Sure signs you need to book an appointment include:

 

  • Increase in discharge
  • Unexplained cramps
  • Abnormal bleeding
  • Unidentified lumps

 

But, you shouldn’t wait for symptoms like those mentioned above. ‘Having a gynecologist’ may seem like something from the movies, but it’s a step every woman should take. Even if you’re worried about the exposure of your private parts, you’ll soon overcome the fear. In no time, you’ll feel the same going to the gyno as you do visiting the dentist. It may not be pleasant, but it’s necessary. If you aren’t convinced, we’re going to look at the two main benefits regular gynecology visits offer.

Peace Of Mind

One significant benefit of regular appointments is the peace of mind that comes with them. Often, we’re unsure of our bodies, especially when it comes to down there. As such, the smallest symptoms send us into a panic. Instantly, we head online and diagnose ourselves with the worst option possible. But still, embarrassment stops us getting the issue checked. As a result, we live out each day convinced it might be our last. Who wants to live like that?

When you have a regular gynecologist, you can rest easy in the knowledge that you can book up at any. And, you won’t have to get embarrassed. You’ll have formed a trusting relationship with the gynecologist you see. They’ll know the ins and outs of your body, and will be in a much better position to spot an issue if there is one. So, there won’t be any need to head online. You can get a diagnosis, or a clean bill of health before you get the chance to worry.

Gynecologists also deal with birth control and can put your mind at ease there, too. Together, you can work on finding a contraceptive which suits your lifestyle. Regular visits also ensure your gyno can spot changes, and adjust contraception accordingly.

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Gynecologists, like Max Izbicki, also specialize in pregnancy planning. So, they can help when the time comes to start a family. Having a plan in place, devised by someone who knows your lifestyle, is sure to help you relax.

Catch It Instead Of Cure It

The second benefit is the opportunity to spot issues before they escalate. Here, it’s worth returning to the dental comparison. We visit dentists to get on top of small holes and problems. Well, the same can be said for your gynecologist. Through breast and pelvic examinations, they’ll spot lumps, bumps, and worries as soon as they arise. Health checks like these will put your mind at ease, and could even save your life.