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New Voice with Surgery
Forget facelifts, “voice lifts” are the new fashion surgery amongst the rich and famous. The surgical enhancement of the vocal cords is designed to restore or create a more powerful or youthful voice.

There are two kinds of voice lift surgery. One uses injections of fat or collagen to plump up the vocal cords, making them move more easily so that the voice sounds younger. The other uses neck incisions to insert implants which bring the vocal folds closer together.

Why are people interested in changing their voice? Besides the search for eternal youth, some people wish to make their voice more effective in business. Experts say the voice is one of the key tools in the modern worker's skill set. Whether dealing with customers or chairing regular meetings, a strong, confident speaking voice can make a difference to success.

I’d like to point out that surgery shouldn’t be considered the only option for improving your voice; a few simple exercises can help a speaker come across more confidently. Practice reading out loud. Consciously breathe in before speaking on the out-breath. Slow down when speaking under pressure rather than the reverse. And perhaps most importantly, do your homework. When you're confident of what you're saying, you're more likely to be confident in how you say it.

Voice Lift operations are not without risk. In some cases the vocal cords can be made too close together and the voice can actually turn out worse.

 Quote

Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be."
-Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

"If something comes to life in others because of you,
then you have made an approach to immortality."
-Norman Cousins (1912-1990)

 2mins with Hippocrates

Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy
This condition is only relevant to men, but it occurs in nearly all men over a certain age.
BPH is the excessive growth of cells in the prostate. The prostate is a gland found behind the scrotum and surrounds the urethra – the tube that goes from the bladder into the penis.

If the prostate expands too much it can interfere with the passage of urine. 50% of men over the age of 60 years, experience some interference with the passing of urine from BPH and 90% of men over 80 years of age.

The symptoms include difficulty passing urine so that it may be hard to start or finish, and the stream may be slow and weak. It can be difficult to completely empty the bladder giving the sensation of needing to urinate, but not having much to pass. Occasionally there is blood in the urine and bladder infections become more common because the slow flow doesn’t flush out the system as well.

A doctor will usually check for the condition by inserting a gloved finger into the back passage as well as performing a blood test for prostate specific antigen (PSA). There are some drugs which can be prescribed. In many cases the doctor will ‘watch and wait’ before considering any surgical options. In most people the symptoms stay the same or fluctuate, but in some people the symptoms get worse and the flow of urine can become completely blocked. This requires urgent medical help.

Some tips which can ease the symptoms.

• Avoid or cut down alcohol
• Don’t drink anything for three hours before bedtime
• Always go to the toilet immediately when you feel the urge
• Ensure you empty your bladder completely
• Regular ejaculations may help

 Your Health

Olympic Drinking Tips
With the Olympics just around the corner we thought we would give you some tips used by the athletes to improve their performance that you may like to try too. The first one we will cover is the importance of fluid replacement.

Recreational athletes can sweat as much as an elite athlete, so fluid replacement is essential to prevent fatigue and improve performance. Some people can lose as much of 2.5 liters of sweat in a single basketball session. Men sweat more and high temperatures and wind can increase fluid loss.

Try and drink regularly through the day, then 300 to 600 milliliters of water before working out. Try to drink during it, especially if exercising for 30 minutes or more. If it's more than an hour, have a sports drink. Apart from providing extra carbohydrates, the extra flavor and dash of sodium encourages you to drink more.

Everyone loses a different amount of fluid when they exercises. Professional athletes get an accurate estimate of their fluid needs by weighing themselves. Every kilogram of weight lost equals a liter of fluid you need to replace. If you've lost a kilo and drunk a liter of water during the session, drink two liters in a similar exercise session next time around.

As for water temperature, studies show athletes drink more fluid when it's cool (tap water temperature) rather than cold.

 Lifestyle Tip

Don't Try To Compete With Your Neighbours
Most of us share a common tendency. It is that we compare ourselves with other people and their status or compare our accomplishments with those of others. When we feel short of successes, we work harder and push ourselves beyond the limit. Life thus begins and ends as a struggle to "prove ourselves". Jealousy takes a heavy toll on us. It hurts, confuses, angers, depresses, humiliates, builds up stress, and leaves us feeling inadequate and inferior.

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