Being able to identify the warning signs of a stroke and take appropriate and immediate action is vital to increase the chances of recovery and even survival for a stroke victim. The problem is for the person suffering the stroke they are usually debilitated and unable to call the emergency services.

The emergency services are aggressively promoting the impact of stroke on a persons well being, in an attempt to help people better recognise stroke symptoms and take appropriate action where necessary.

The more common warning signs of stroke include the following symptoms:

Sudden weakness or numbness in face, arm or leg on one side of the body.

Sudden dimness or loss of vision, particularly in one eye.

Difficulty in talking and in understanding when being spoken to, or even complete loss of speech. A lot of stroke victims report that they are aware that something (quite frightening) is happening to them, but they either can't manage to speak to tell anyone about it, or when they do speak, their words are undistinguishable and mumbled.

Intense and sudden headaches for no apparent reason.

Unexplained dizziness, unsteadiness or sudden falls, especially with any of the other symptoms mentioned above.

Fortunately, the EMS is being packaged as a complete support system, which will ultimately lead to a better response and increased chance of recovery for all stroke victims. The package includes roles at all levels of support from medical researchers, through to the people handling the emergency calls and the medical dispatchers and paramedics.

A recent study by the Central New York EMS program found the average person who had a stroke waited nearly 2 hours before calling for assistance. EMS has attempted to fight this delay by becoming more aggressive with public education on stroke warning signs and symptoms and urging patients to call 911 or the their EMS for assistance at the first signs of stroke.

Once they receive the call for help, the EMS have a very streamlined system in place to ensure that the victim gets the support and medical attention very quickly, but they are unable to put any of this into practise until they are made aware of the case.

They are able to assess patients on the spot and make informed judgements due to their knowledge of stroke symptoms, and are able to make detailed reports to physicians and medical departments on route to hospital. The end result is a very streamlined and efficient service for identifying signs of a stroke, managing the stroke symptoms and increasing the odds of survival and recovery for the victim.

The survival of stroke patients is dependent on a team approach to care. Stroke care starts with the patient recognizing the warning signs and symptoms of a stroke and activating the EMS system as soon as possible. It really is critical that a stroke victim receive medical attention as quickly as possible to increase their chances of survival.

Cheap and discounted contact lenses - they're probably one of the most mistreated items we own, yet they're vital to healthy eyes. But with a few simple care tips we can really turn things around. With so many discounted contact lens suppliers it's not even a major financial issue any more. Would you believe a recent survey discovered that lots of people clean their contact lens by licking or sucking them clean. Many people wear them for several days at a time without removing them; we sleep in them, swim in them and lean them with tap water (which has high levels of bacteria).

Cheap contact lenses often get less care and attention than most people devote to their shoes. The small slips of plastic that make glasses unnecessary have become so popular - and comfortable - that it's easy to forget they're a medical device. That's a problem, because they carry a risk of serious complications if mistreated. Contact lenses and dry eyes is just one of the early symptoms to be aware of.

If you get a bacterial infection in your eyes it can create very serious problems and painful inflammation. I know we all believe tap water is healthy and safe, but that's not quite true. Organisms that live in tap water can grow and build colonies in your eyes, and even resist most drugs. I don't want to be a scaremonger, but in serious cases people have gone blind or needed to have cornea transplants. Over the past 24 months there have been increased incidences of infections of a protozoan known as Acanthamoeba.

Just recently, a young man in his early twenties (Rocco) had only been a contact lens wearer for a matter of months when got an infection that gave him throbbing pain in his left eye, which was also very inflamed and angry red inside. Unfortunately he was diagnosed with having Acanthamoeba.

The doctors tried various drugs and medications, but after 6 months of nothing working he was sent for a cornea transplant as the only way to save his sight in that eye. The Acanthamoeba had colonized his eye, and caused scar tissue which was now blurring his vision.

Now Rocco is facing a second transplant in his other eye. "I'd hate to see this happen to anyone else," Rocco said. "Tell the people to keep those things clean." All it takes is an effective contact lens cleaner and some contact lens cases and you're set.

But don't panic - Acanthamoeba is still relatively rare, and doctors believe it only affects about one or two contact lens wearers in every one million. However, bacterial infections are much more common, affecting about 1 in 2500 wearers every year.

The eye has natural defense mechanisms, but contact lenses counteract them. When you blink, your eyelid acts like a windshield wiper to spread tears across the top layer of the eye, or epithelium, washing away any bacteria or foreign bodies (like dust). A contact lens puts a barrier between your eye and your eyelid, so your eyes natural defense is interrupted. So it's vital that you keep your lenses clean with a good contact lens cleaner kit.

Our bodies have a built in natural detox system all of their own, but it never hurts to help detox your body with foods that will also promote your health. I've compiled a list of the top ten body detox foods which you can use to create recipes for your detox diet. You can eat them as part of a raw food detox diet, or juice them for a range of delicious detox drinks.

When buying fruit and vegetables, organic produce is always better for you that non organic if your budget can stretch that far. If not, non organic will be OK, as these foods can be used for a very healthy 7 day detox program and as part of your ongoing detoxification regime.

1. The Power of Apples

Here's something you may not know - scientists in the Ukraine have used apples to purify the area around Chernobyl after the nuclear leak in 1986. So they must be good. Apples contain vitamin C and quercetin - an antioxidant nutrient that lowers fat and cholesterol levels.

Apples also have a compound called pectin, which is a fiber present in citrus fruits and berries. Pectin has chelation properties as it binds to heavy metals such as mercury and lead, and helps your body excrete them. It is also good for helping your body get rid of various food additives and toxins like tartrazine. This toxin has been shown to be linked to conditions and diseases like asthma, migraine and hyperactivity, especially in children.

2. Avocados - My Favorite

Avocados are a real powerhouse of nutrients - rich in folate, fiber, potassium, vitamin E and the carotenoid lutein, beta-carotene and gluthathione. Lutein may be linked to maintaining healthy eyes and vision. An avo is one of a small minority of fruits that actually contain monounsaturated fat.

Avocados are a personal favourite of mine - they're great eaten straight from the skin. Avos contain something called glutathione, which is a very powerful antioxidant. Its main benefit is that it binds with fat-soluble toxins like alcohol rendering them water-soluble and therefore easier for the body to excrete them.

3. Artichokes - A Natural Liver Detoxer

Artichokes help increase the production of bile in the liver. Bile is used to transport toxins to the bowel where they are excreted. So greater bile production helps eliminate more toxins. Research shows that eating artichokes can increase the amount of bile produced by up to 127% within as little as 30 minutes of eating it.

Artichokes are also full of antioxidant nutrients, and play an important role in liver detox. Studies in Germany have shown that liver damage, caused by free radicals, is dramatically reduced when artichoke extracts are present within the body.

4. Beetroot

Beetroot is another fat-free vegetable, with very low calorific content and very high fiber content. Throughout Europe, beetroot is seen as a powerful anti-carcinogen, and can help increase the amount of oxygen our bodies can absorb by up to 400%.

You can eat beetroot as part of a raw food detox diet, though personally I prefer to juice them with carrots, apples and oranges. It has a low GL so it is digested and converted into "useable energy" very slowly which helps to stabilize your blood sugar levels.

5. Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous Vegetables are a powerful group of plants that offer powerful cancer fighting benefits. Many studies have shown that these vegetables contain a phytochemical compound called isothiocyanates. Isothiocyanates encourage our bodies to attack and destroy many carcinogenic compounds. They do this by preventing normal healthy cells from transforming into cancerous cells.

A perfect example is broccoli, which contains sulforaphane - a phytochemical that stimulates our body to produce specific enzymes which attack and destroy carcinogenic substances. Many of the cruciferous veggies also contain a substance known as indole-3-carbinal. This is believed to reduce the risk of specific hormone dependent cancers like ovarian, breast and prostate cancer.

You have shopped until you are about to drop and are waiting your turn at the register, it has been a long wait, and there is only a sole customer linking you to the cashier. When all of a sudden that familiar sensation begins to build within you, it begins by the tightening of both your throat and your chest as you feel short of breath and a bit dizzy when your heart skips its familiar beat - you recognise these familiar panic attack symptoms all too well. You wish you were somewhere else besides right here, right now.

A quick scan of the territory - is it threatening? Four unfriendly faces queue behind, one person in front. Pins and needles seem to prick you through your left arm, you feel slightly dizzy, and then the explosion of fear as you dread the worst. You are about to have a panic attack.

Your breath catches as in your mind you are now contemplating this being the big one you have feared. Stop, now focus: Calm down and remember what you have learned, you should apply these coping procedures right now. As your physician has advised, begin with your deep breathing, your mind and body needs air. In through the nose and out through the mouth.

Slowly now, remembering to think relaxing thoughts and again, while inhaling, tell yourself to relax then exhale. However, it seems that you may be feeling very self-conscious of concentrating on breathing and even more stressed than before.

Okay, coping technique 2: Gradual muscle relaxation. Tense both shoulders, hold for 10 seconds, then release. Try it again. No; still no difference. The anxiety is getting worse and the very fact that you are out of coping techniques worsens your panic. If only you were surrounded by your family, or a close friend were beside you so you could feel more confident in dealing with this situation.

Now, the adrenaline is really pumping through your system, your body is tingling with uncomfortable sensations, and now the dreaded feeling of losing complete control engulfs your emotions. No one around you has any idea of the sheer terror you are experiencing. For them, it's just a regular day and another frustratingly slow queue in the supermarket.

You are out of options. Time for Plan C. The most basic coping skill of all is "fleeing." Excuse yourself from the queue; you are slightly embarrassed as it is now that it is your turn to pay. The cashier is looking bewildered as you leave your shopping behind and stroll towards the door. There is no time for excuses - you need to be alone. You leave the supermarket and get into your car to ride it out alone. Could this be the big one? The one you fear will push you over the edge mentally and physically. Ten minutes later the panic subsides. It's still only 10:30 a.m. How are you going to make it through the rest of the day?

To someone who suffers from panic attack the scenario above can seen alarmingly familiar. In fact, it is possible just reading this article that the feelings of panic and anxiety are triggered. Everyone is different; therefore, it is normal that their triggers for attacks may differ. A panic attack can occur anywhere at any time.

If you have ever had what has become known as a "panic attack," take comfort in the fact that you are by no means alone. A panic attack always comes with the acute sense of impending doom. You feel you are either about to lose your mind or one of your vital bodily functions is about to cease functioning and you will end your days right there among the canned goods and frozen food.

Did you know that in America alone, estimation has it that nearly five percent of the population suffers from one sort of anxiety disorder or another? This means you are not alone at all. For some, inconsistent anxiety attacks are triggered when having to address a crowd. While there are others who suffer from attacks so frequently, that it keeps them homebound. Physicians refer to frequent panic attacks as an anxiety disorder.

However, not all is lost, as the beginning of your road to recovery starts right here. Here you will learn that there is a good chance that you are about to learn something that will end your cycle of panic attacks. Not only will you learn to gain new confidence in life, but also you will be able to regain your lifestyle. Here you will find an answer to living panic or anxiety attack free.

First you must realize that key to avoiding panic attacks is to want to have one as this will naturally push it away from you. For example, give it a try right this minute. Are you able to have a panic attack? No. The reason is that what ever you choose to refuse to go along with will refuse to go away. This fact also includes the feeling of fear. That is to say that if you resist a fearful situation, that fear will continue. The way you stop an anxiety attack is to embrace it as you move directly in its path, doing so will discourage the attack.

The heart of this technique is that by trying to have a panic attack you will not be able to have one. If you try to have a panic attack I assure you, you will not be able to trigger an episode. Whether you realize it or not, you have always made a choice to have a panic attack. You make such a choice by thinking that any scenario you are experiencing is out of your control.

The good news is, in all reality you cannot be harmed by a panic attack. Even though your heart is racing, you will not be harmed. You are perfectly safe and you can control your emotions.

I recently saw a television program advertising tax lien certificates as a way to get higher interest rates. They made the area of investing in property tax liens appear very lucrative, and fairly easy to get into.

As I have some experience in this area, it's not as easy and stress free as they make out on the TV – and definitely not good for your health if you can't handle a lot of stress and anxiety that goes with it.

So here's my take on it…

Purchasing tax lien certificates is not for the amateur. It is a complicated process and will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Let me outline my past experience with this. A community, after attempting to collect real-estate taxes, would have a tax lien certificate sale, whereby you would pay the taxes on the property to be secured by that lien. A reverse auction would be held; for example, I might say 12 percent and you would underbid at 11 percent, 10 percent and so forth, even down to negative numbers.

What's more, in certain states you have to get tax liens for three consecutive years. If someone else bought it for two years and you managed to get the third, you would be obliged to negotiate with the other person, because without all three liens you could not foreclose.

In addition, there is the matter of existing mortgages, which could present some difficulties depending on the laws of the jurisdiction and the person who is first in line.

In short, most of the get-rich pitches on television infomercials (and tax lien investment pitches like this one) will likely only make you poorer. If you wish to pursue this, spend some time in the nearest library researching what is involved.