Decode your body’s secret language

Unlike certain boyfriends and bosses, your body is actually pretty good at communicating what it needs. Below, your personal translation guide

TRANSLATION Your ears are saying, “Turn down those tunes.” Blasting J.Lo’s “Get Right” through your earphones at a level so loud you can’t hear outside noise can damage your inner ear and cause temporary hearing loss.
WHAT TO DO Keep the volume below 70 percent of the maximum, and consider using noise-reduction headphones, which go over your ears instead of inside. They help block out background sounds.

TRANSLATION Your stomach is saying, “Pace yourself.” When you eat or drink too quickly, you end up swallowing air, says Erica Brownfield, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Emory University in Atlanta. It has to come out somehow.
WHAT TO DO Chew slowly, skip straws and forgo gum. But if you burp excessively and experience heartburn or indigestion often, see your doc. A more serious problem, such as an ulcer, could be to blame.

THE SOUND Ah-choo!
TRANSLATION Your nose is saying, “Only doing my job.” A sneeze can rush out as fast as 100 mph, which helps clear allergens, says Michael Setzen, M.D., chief of rhinology at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York.

WHAT TO DO If sneezing persists, try an antihistamine or saline nasal spray. If it lasts more than a week, visit your M.D.; you may need an Rx.

THE SOUND Click, click
TRANSLATION Your jaw is saying, “Relax.” Stress can make you clench your teeth—which may trigger spasms in the jaw muscle (one of the body’s strongest). The tension can harm the joint that joins the lower jaw to the skull, causing the click.
WHAT TO DO Avoid gum and chewy foods. If your jaw continues to ache and click for more than a few weeks, ask your dentist about a special night mouth guard. Sexy? No. But it’s worth it to stop grinding.

TRANSLATION Your intestines are saying, “Thanks for the fiber!” Hard-to-digest fare, like the notorious beans, ends up in the large intestine, where it meets your body’s natural bacteria. When the two get together, they make…music.

WHAT TO DO Experiment with eating smaller amounts of gas-producing cruciferous veggies, such as broccoli, and fructose-rich foods, such as grapes. Or try Beano, which makes them easier to digest.

THE SOUND Pop, pop!
TRANSLATION Your knees are saying, “Stre-e-tch me.” Sitting for hours can leave your knees stiff. What you hear when you get up is the harmless sound of the supporting tendons or ligaments snapping back into position.

WHAT TO DO Build the strength and flexibility of hamstrings, quads and calves to protect your knees. Feeling pain with the pop? Your, er, knee-jerk reaction, as always, should be to ring your physician.

Thayer Allyson Gowdy
KEYWORDS: body,Happiness,natural health
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