Tips for Managing Post-Holiday Finances Effectively

Holidays are the right moment for refreshing after being busy with daily routines. Therefore, many try to spend the holidays with their families to the fullest. Even though this year’s holiday takes place in the midst of a pandemic, holiday activities with family can still be spent by visiting relatives or tourist destinations in the city. When the holidays are over, you not only have to return to your routine, but you also need to review your financial budget after the holidays. It needs wise management so that post-holiday finances will return to stability and can still meet needs. Here are tips that can be done to manage post-holiday finances:

1. Recalculate expenses during the holidays

The most important thing to do first is to review financial records and recalculate expenses during the holidays. Starting from transportation costs, accommodations, meals, tourist destination tickets, to costs incurred to buy souvenirs or gifts to relatives. This is important so that you can find out whether vacation expenses are in accordance with the prepared budget, or if you have to take from monthly budget that is actually prepared for daily needs. By calculating and re-recording expenses, it can also be seen if the remaining budget can be used until the next payday or not.

2. Shop for basic necessities and pay off debts.

The remaining budget should be allocated immediately for various basic needs that must be met. If you spend your vacation using a credit card facility, pay off the bill immediately. No need to close the credit card, just pay the bill so you don’t mess around with the upcoming instalments. In addition, the credit card can be used if there is an urgent need at a later date, for example if the vehicle suddenly breaks down or there is a part of the house that needs repair.

3. Tighten the budget and cut unnecessary needs.

During holidays, the amount of expenses will be difficult to predict. Therefore, you need to save more when the holidays are over. Reduce shopping for things that are less important than the main needs. It is better if you check again whether there is a budget that needs to be prepared in the near future, for example, to pay home installments or vehicle insurance renewal. Hold off on buying new things, or hang out on weekends. Apart from being able to implement the health protocol, it is better to save the remaining money.

4. Take advantage of discounts and promos.

To reduce expenses after the holidays, there’s nothing wrong with taking advantage of discounts and promos. Usually, many discounts and promos are offered on weekends or certain special moments. For example, take advantage of credit card points to get a discount. In addition to getting a discount, you can also take advantage of promos that provide more benefits than what is usually given. Find out as much information as possible about the discounts and promos that you can take advantage of.

Too excited on vacation to cause spending to swell is usually happen. Managing the financial budget after the holidays is very important. So you don’t get confused if there are needs to be met, especially the one that is urgent and cannot be avoided. Discounts and promos can help facilitate budget management after the holidays, if the benefits provided can lighten your financial load.

For some people, especially women, having protruding veins on their calves is something to be dreaded as it is considered a nuisance. Varicose veins are not just a beauty problem, but a disease that you need to be aware of.

Causes of Varicose Veins

For women, wearing high heels is considered the cause of varicose veins. You need to know, when using high heels, foot movement is limited because the position of the foot is forced to tiptoe. If left for a long period, varicose veins can develop. From a medical perspective, varicose veins are caused by damage to the valves of the veins that carry dirty blood from the body back to the heart. As a result of this valve damage, the blood cannot be channeled back to the heart properly. Because of this, there is a widening of the superficial return veins which is characterized by the appearance of prominent ‘veins’ on the surface of the skin in the calf area. This often makes women, in particular, insecure because of the bulging veins in the calves. However, wearing high heels is not the only factor that causes varicose veins. There are several conditions such as obesity, pregnancy, hormonal factors, prolonged standing, and heredity that can increase a person’s risk factor for varicose veins.

Varicose Veins and Associated Symptoms

Varicose vein patients generally complain of aching legs, heaviness, cramps, swelling, bluish veins, and pain and wounds that are difficult to heal. These signs are symptoms of someone having varicose veins. If you experience them, consult a vascular surgeon immediately. The examination will be carried out comprehensively by the surgeon by knowing the medical history, physical examination, and supporting examination using Doppler ultrasound to get the right treatment.

Varicose Vein Treatment

Treating varicose veins is seen from the level of the disease which is non-invasive and invasive (surgery). For non-invasive varicose veins can be treated using compression stockings and varicose veins using sclerosant agents. For invasive varicose veins, surgical binding (ligation) is required.

This article is a collaboration between OONA and EMC Hospital Tangerang

Understanding Varicose Veins: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention

Varicose veins are a chronic disorder of the veins in the lower limbs (legs) that lasts for a long time. This condition occurs as a result of a disruption of the venous valves, weakness of the venous wall or a combination of both.

What are the symptoms of varicose veins?

Symptoms may include soreness or swelling of the legs when walking, then progress to discoloration of the blackened skin of the legs. Ultimately, ulcers can form on the legs that are difficult to heal. The next risk if not treated properly can cause bleeding due to rupture of the veins in the legs.

What is the treatment for it?

Therapy in varicose veins cases varies, depending on the severity of it in the patient itself. Starting from support therapy using special stockings, oral medication, and sclerotic agent injections to open surgery with the stripping method. In severe cases that require stripping surgery, it can be replaced with endovascular in the form of EVLA (endovenous laser ablation) / EVLT (endovenous laser therapy) using laser or heat energy. This results in a shorter duration of action, minimal pain, and is cosmetically pleasing as there are no incisions.

How to prevent it?

Prevention of varicose veins can be done by doing regular exercises such as walking, bicycling or swimming, then avoiding shoes with high heels. Take short breaks when doing long-standing or sitting activities. If needed, you can use special stockings to prevent .

This article is a collaboration between OONA and PERMATA CIBUBUR HOSPITAL

What is the definition of Pinched Nerves?

Pinched Nerves, or in medical terms it is called HNP (Herniated Nucleus Pulposus), is a condition in which the spinal joint pads protrude, this can cause a pinched nerve condition. There are many causes of pinched nerves such as injury, doing sports activities that are too heavy, excessive weight, or obesity is also one of the causes of pinched nerves because it can compress the nerves contained in the body.

Symptoms felt by people with HNP

There are several locations where HNP most often occurs, such as in the waist (lumbar), neck (cervical) and the least affected part of HNP is the back (thoracal). The following are the symptoms experienced by people with HNP:

-Tingling that spreads to the hands or feet
-Neck or low back pain
-Limb weakness/paralysis
-Difficulty holding defecation or urination

Do people with HNP have to undergo surgery?

80-85% of HNP cases can be treated without surgery, but 15-20% of them require surgery. Patients are often concerned about the risk of collection in spinal surgery including the lumbar section. Please note that the levels that are often affected by HNP in the lumbar region are the L45 and L5SI levels. At the L45 and L5S1 levels of surgery, there are no nerves that move the thigh and knee muscles, so theoretically it is almost impossible to have paralysis of the lower half of the body as feared by patients in general. With the right indication and good working techniques, the success rate of PELD surgery can reach 98%.

This article is a collaboration between OONA and EMC Hospital Tangerang