Have you ever pondered over the connection between your allergies and your sinus problems? You might have heard about this from your doctor but have you ever given a thought about the possible complications? Well, the truth is they are very much related. Sinuses are deep hollow pockets in the skull that are linked to the nasal passages. When certain allergens produce swelling in the mucus membranes, it can block off the sinuses. As a result of this, the air and the mucus have no way of release, and soon pressure starts building inside them. This eventually leads to pain and pressure. Over a period, this can result in chronic symptoms and can cause long term damages to the sinus cavities.

In spite of all its complications, people do not treat their allergies with all the care that they require. Almost 80% of the population still treats the allergies as a passive disease- something which they are accustomed to. This can be very harmful in the long run. Sometimes people get so habituated to it that they don't even try medication. Only in some cases when the symptoms turn hard they might end up getting the sinus allergy medicines. Doctors, however, do not advise this method of treatment and recommend that you get evaluated and treated in the best possible way. In most of the cases, living with such allergies can develop into far more unhealthy complications. If you feel that your symptoms are getting worse and are taking time to dissolve, then do get a check-up with your doctor at the earliest. Let us look at a few medicines that can be used best for sinus allergies.

Nasal Sprays: These drugs and medications can be very beneficial in reducing the swelling in the nasal cavities. These are undoubtedly the doctor's preference as they can be used almost by anyone. They are one of the best sinus allergy relief medicines available in the market.

OTC medicine: Apart from nasal sprays, over-the-counter (OTC) medications can be used if the symptoms are mild. These medications do not need prescriptions and can be available easily. However, if the problems persist it would be best to consult your physician.

Decongestants: If your symptoms do not go away after the initial precautions, then trying an oral decongestant can be the best option. However, do consult with your physician before taking them. Also, do not take them for more than 3 to 4 days at a time as they might have a reverse effect in some patients.

Depending on your other symptoms there are other types of medications and treatments available like eye drops and oral steroids. 

Irrespective of whether you are trying to lose weight or are working hard to manage your health, just know that enjoying healthy low carb snacks is not a crime. In fact, most dieticians advice that many small meals are better for the body than gorging on three solid meals a day. Here is a list of tasty low carb snacks that you can choose to buy from the grocery store shelves or make at home and enjoy anytime.

• Pickled okra, Jalapeno, cucumbers or bell peppers
• Dry roasted nuts: chickpeas, cashew nuts, almonds, macadamia, peanuts, walnuts, pecan nuts, brazil nuts, pistachios
• Dry roasted seeds: flax seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin or sunflower seeds
• Dry roasted edamame beans
• Pimiento-stuffed olives
• Moon cheese
• Frozen berries: blueberries, strawberries, golden raspberry, black raspberry, dewberry, gooseberry, huckleberry, elderberry, lingonberry, cloudberry
• Hard-boiled eggs with crushed rock salt and a dash of freshly crushed black pepper
• Healthy guacamole or hummus dip with fresh crisp baby carrots
• Fresh green celery sticks with almond butter
• Fresh Kale, lettuce or cabbage leaves stuffed with Cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of sea salt
• Any raw or parboiled vegetable like tomato, broccoli, cucumber, cabbage, lettuce, cauliflower, zucchini, or bell pepper with a Greek yogurt dip or cream cheese
• Salad of cherry tomatoes with fresh mozzarella cheese cubes, basil leaves and a dash of olive oil with sea salt and black pepper
• Fresh avocado fruit
• Quest protein chips
• Baked kale chips, plain or seasoned with spices
• String cheese with mixed Italian seasoning
• Dark chocolate
• Homemade popcorn with a hint of garlic butter or grated cheddar cheese
• Grated coconut and dry jaggery powder mixed together with a hint of freshly powdered green cardamom powder
• Red or purple grapes with Ricotta cheese
• Crisp whole wheat bread sticks with guacamole
• Cottage cheese lightly roasted in melted butter with a hint of Indian chat masala
• Protein bars made with crushed mixed nuts and layered with dark chocolate
• Oven roasted zucchini chips
• Garlic butter roasted mushrooms
• Tomato, avocado, cucumber and bell peppers cut into fine bits and drizzled with olive oil and sea salt
• Toasted seaweed in a variety of flavors
• Oven roasted broccoli coated with fresh pesto sauce
• Green or red apple slices with slivered almonds

Make sure you have at least a few of these low card food on hand readily available whether at home or at work, so you can quickly satiate your hunger cravings and stay healthy at the same time.

Costco has a hearing aid center with a dedicated and skilled team. The team well-trained to carry out hearing tests, do product demos, and provide hearing aids. The centers make use of a soundproof booth to conduct hearing tests. Read on to know more about Costco hearing test, the various hearing aid brands available at Costco, and the benefits of buying hearing aids from Costco. Costco Hearing test Every local hearing aid center at Costco recommends a hearing test to new customers. It takes around one hour to complete the test. The test is done in a private room. After completing the tests, the staff will discuss the hearing test results with the customer and recommend several Costco hearing aids. Once the hearing aid is recommended, the staff will show various demos and discuss the different Costco hearing aids available in the store. Hearing aid brands are available at Costco Kirkland The Kirkland Signature 7.0 are RIC hearing aids and are available in 12 different colors. They are convenient and have customized volume settings. They work by reducing whistling and offer a natural-sound experience. Rexton There are three different types of Rexton hearing aids. these are as follows:

• Legato MB BTE: It's unique feature includes rechargeability of the batteries.
• Legato Custom: One of the significant features of this hearing aid is flexible fit and good listening experience.
• Legato IX: This is  CIC device, which does not require an impression or earmold.

Resound The Resound Cala is available only at Costco and offers clarity, automatic sound adjustments based on location, apps to personalize the experience along with individual style preferences and customizations. Phonak The following are different hearing aids offered by the Phonak at Costco:

• Phonak Brio 2 R
• Phonak Brio 2 B
• Phonak Brio 2 P
• Phonak Brio 2 I

Bernafon Bernafon offers Suite range in Costco, which consists of the BTE, RIC and ITE models. Their essential features include Bernafon’s Audio Efficiency technology that offers premium sound experience in difficult listening environments. Benefits of buying Costco hearing aids

• There are various benefits of buying Costco hearing aids. The major reason is the convenience to have everything done at once. This includes a hearing test (if applicable), product demos by skilled staff, and consultations to find the hearing aid that works for each customer.
• There is  a 180-day money back guarantee also. If a customer is not satisfied with Costco, the hearing aid can be returned within 6 months.
• Costco also offers free of cost checkups after initial purchasing to make sure the hearing aids:
  • Fit properly
  • Work as intended
  • Or need fine-tuning
• Costco hearing aids have affordable prices and good customer service.

Not many people know this but high cholesterol level is also known as the silent killer since there are no obvious signs or symptoms of the disease to look out for. Unlike other health related problems which will have a number of easy-to-notice and get-it-under-control symptoms, cholesterol levels in your body may change owing to a number of reasons.

Cholesterol is normally divided into two parts, high density lipoprotein (HDL) which is the good cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) which is bad for your overall health. In simple terms, cholesterol is that fatty substance which is present in your bloodstream and oddly enough is essential for maintaining structural and membrane integrity of every cell in the body.

But the same fat content can be very harmful since high LDL levels increase the chances of arteries congestion which leads to reduce blood flow and a number of heart problems. LDL is the bad cholesterol which gets pumped inside the body through all major arteries and blood flow routes essential for everyday functioning of organs, clogging them at the same time thus reducing the flow and pressure.

Severe signs and symptoms of high levels of cholesterol include:

• Pain while walking: Arteries which carry blood to the leg muscles affecting movement can get clogged due to high levels of LDL and thus cause pain while walking, which is an indicator that cholesterol levels are high.
• Stroke: Stroke is caused when the main neck veins and arteries that pump blood to the brain gets blocked, which is a caused of high cholesterol.
• Heart attack: There couldn't be a more evident indicator than shooting pains on your left side which is a clear sign that you just might be suffering from a heart attack, which is again a result of blocked arteries that carry blood to and from the heart to all the essential vital organs.
• Angina: Angina is another heart-related disorder which is caused due to blockage of vital arteries that carry blood to the heart, with symptoms that are easily identified.

There are mild symptoms and indicators of high cholesterol in your body which can be looked up online on major medical websites.

Everyone wants to look good and fit in their best pair of jeans. But if you are overweight, it takes a lot of effort to shed those extra pounds. Along with a good workout session, you also need to eat healthy to lose weight effectively. When we talk about eating healthy, many people get confused about what to eat and what to avoid. A good diet plan called the Atkins Diet chalked out by a cardiologist, Dr. Robert C. Atkins helps to achieve our weight loss mission quickly. Overview of Atkins diet This diet has gained popularity over the years to work wonders for people who are finding it difficult to lose weight. This is one of the first diet plans that entered the market as the weight loss diet plan. This diet has low carbohydrates meal plan that makes you lose weight fast. Limiting your intake of carbohydrates changes the metabolism of the body. This process is called ketosis where the body stops metabolizing the glucose as energy and instead, starts converting the stored fat into energy. The main purpose of this diet plan is to change your eating habits, thereby helping you lose weight while improving your health conditions. The Atkins diet plan works in three phases. Phase 1 This phase is very strict. In this step, you eliminate almost all the carbohydrates from your diet. You will just eat 20 grams of carbohydrates in a day, that too in the form of vegetables. You are allowed to eat only 10% of foundation vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, celery, green beans, cucumber, and peppers. Your diet includes good portions of protein from fish, poultry, cheese, eggs, and meat. Your intake of sugar, fruits, grains, bread, alcohol, pasta, baked goods, and nuts is restricted. This phase is followed for 2 weeks before moving to the next phase. Phase 2 In this phase, you still continue to restrict your carbohydrates intake from foundation vegetables to minimum. Nutrient-rich fruits like berries, nuts, seeds, and vegetables are slowly added to the diet. You continue to eat like this until you are 10 pounds away from your target weight. Phase 3 When you enter the 3rd phase, you gradually start to eat a little of other foods like starchy vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. You are allowed to add 10 grams of carbohydrates every week. But if you see that you are gaining weight when you reintroduce carbohydrates to your diet, you need to stop eating them at once. You follow this diet until you reach your goal. Once you reach your target weight, you need to maintain that weight by continuing to eat light. If you stop eating healthy and switch back to your normal eating habits, you will start putting on those pounds again in no time.

Life insurance can fulfill a broad array of requirements, such as covering up the finite years of your mortgage or meeting the expenses of your children and spouse who require financial aid when you are gone. Approximately 63 percent of Americans regard life insurance as an absolute necessity, while 30 percent think that they aren't adequately covered. Unfortunately, 43 percent of Americans have no life insurance coverage at all, according to recent statistics. Here's a guide that will evaluate your situation, helping you determine whether you need life insurance. We've also explained which type would suit you best. Breadwinner Of The Family: In this case, you definitely should invest in life insurance. It offers people like you the benefit of income replacement. This will enable your family to continue paying for daily expenses. The term life insurance is the best way to cover your working years. Non-Working Parents: If you do not have any monthly income but execute daily chores, life insurance will cover the expenses for the services which you provide for free. This may include child care, cooking, performing household tasks, running errands and so on. You can choose term insurance cover for covering the years till your kids become self-reliant. Divorced Or Separated Parent: Investing in life insurance can offer support on payments made by the divorced parent. The term life insurance can provide coverage for the years of support payments. Parent Of A Child With Special Needs: Life insurance can give you the assurance that your child won't face financial trouble when you aren't around anymore. In this case, permanent life insurance can offer the payout regardless of when you die. A Homeowner With The Burden Of Mortgage: By investing in life insurance, you ensure that your mortgage is paid off. This will prevent your family from having to move after your death. You can buy term life insurance, keeping in mind the remaining years of mortgage payments. Individual With Cosigned Debt: If you are paying for a student loan or a credit card, life insurance would also cover for your debt. Here as well, the term life insurance can be chosen to end with your debt. People With A High Net Worth: You will need life insurance to providing funds to your heirs for paying inheritance and estate taxes. Opt for permanent life insurance if you have concerns regarding property revenues. Business Owner: Life insurance can also pay for your business debt upon your death. It may also fund a buy-sell agreement so that a business partner can buy your shares. You can choose any of the options on the basis of your unique situation. This guide, and a clear idea of your financial condition, will help you select the best option when it comes to life insurance.