Crossing your legs is an extremely common habit. While you may find it comfortable to sit with one knee crossed over the other, it might be causing health problems that you are not aware of.

A study published in Blood Pressure Monitoring stated that sitting with your legs crossed can increase your blood pressure. The reason this happens is because the blood in your legs has to work against gravity to be pumped back to your heart, crossing one leg over the other increases resistance, making it even harder for the blood to circulate.   You won’t feel any immediate effects, but if you sit for long periods of time it’s important that you shouldn’t have your legs crossed for more than 15 minutes, and it’s important that you get up and walk around at least once every hour.

Crossing your legs can also lead to neck and back pain. Ideally, it’s best for our bodies to sit with our feet planted flat, hip width apart, on the floor. When you sit with your legs crossed your hips are in a twisted position, which can cause one of your pelvic bones(盆骨) to rotate. Since your pelvic bone supports your neck and spine（脊椎）, this can cause pressure on your lower and middle back and neck.

When you sit with your legs crossed for long periods of time your feet and legs get painful. This is because when one leg sits on top of the other it causes pressure on the veins and nerves in your legs and feet. It can cause numbness and/or temporary paralysis（瘫痪） in the legs, ankles, or feet. While the feeling of discomfort may only last a minute or two, repeatedly crossing your legs until they feel numb can cause permanent nerve damage.

Protecting your eyesight is one of the most important things you can do to help maintain your quality of life. 【小题1】 Consider these simple guidelines:

Protect your eyes from harmful UV(紫外线的) light. When you stay outdoors during daytime, always wear sunglasses that protect your eyes from 100 percent of the sun’s harmful UV rays. 【小题2】

Look for warning signs of changes in your vision. 【小题3】Some trouble signs to look for are double vision, hazy (模糊的) vision and having difficulty seeing in low light conditions. Other signs and symptoms of potentially serious eye problems that require immediate attention include red eyes, frequent flashes of light, eye pain and swelling.

【小题4】 A comprehensive eye exam, including enlarging your pupils (瞳孔), can determine your risk for major eye diseases that have no early warning signs or symptoms. An eye exam also can make sure that your prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses (隐形眼镜) is up to date.

【小题5】 But keeping a healthy lifestyle and having regular eye exams will certainly decrease your risk of developing a sight-stealing eye problem that otherwise might have prevented.

Hair Loss (Alopecia)

Information about male pattern baldness(秃顶) causes, triggers and treatment in the UK

In contrary to popular belief, hair loss—or alopecia—can start at any age. While it is associated with mature males, and statistics show it does mainly affect men above 40, the reality is you can notice symptoms in your 30s, or even 20s and teen years. The NHS statistics state that 25% of men start losing their hair by the time they reach 30. The most common form of hair loss is male pattern baldness—also known as androgenic alopecia—that affects more than half of men around the world.

One option many men seek is treatment to avoid further hair loss, especially early on in the process. With treatments, such as Propecia, that specifically target male pattern baldness, it is possible to stop hair loss completely and even encourage fresh new hair growth.

What is alopecia?

Alopecia is the medical term for hair loss. Most commonly affecting males, hair loss in men is caused by an increased sensitivity to the male sex hormones (androgens). The type of alopecia you have (as well as hereditary and external factors) can influence levels of hair loss. The most common type of hair loss (alopecia) is male and female pattern baldness. Other types include：

* Alopecia areata (patches of baldness, usually on the scalp)

* Scarring alopecia (hair loss directly affecting the hair follicles)

* Telogen effluvium (hair thinning over a larger area on the top of the head, rather than bald patches)

* Anagen effluvium(most commonly caused by cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy)