Here are this week’s 5 more things you should know.
01. How to reduce tinnitus
Place the palms of your hands over your ears with fingers resting gently on the back of your head. Your middle fingers should point toward one another just above the base of your skull. Place your index fingers on top of you middle fingers and snap them (the index fingers) onto the skull making a loud, drumming noise. Repeat 40-50 times. Some people experience immediate relief with this method. Repeat several times a day for as long as necessary to reduce tinnitus.
Constant tapping turns off the overworked muscles at the base of your skull that are a common source of pain for people with tinnitus and headaches.
02. About Texidor’s Twinge
If you sometimes get “a very intense, sharp pain, typically at the left side of the chest, which is worse when taking breaths” it is probably Texidor’s Twinge and not dangerous.
Also known as precordial catch syndrome, it is a common cause of chest pain complaints in children and adolescents. It also occurs, though less frequently, in adults. Patients often think that they are having a heart attack which causes them to panic. This typically lasts 30 seconds to 3 minutes, though some episodes last only a few breaths and in rare cases can last up to 30 minutes. In all cases the pain is resolved quickly and completely.
It is speculated that it could be caused by the pinching of a nerve and may be due to spasm of intercostal muscles fibers. There is also a correlation of PCS to stress and anxiety. PCS is often seen to occur during rest or a sudden change in posture.
There is no known cure for PCS. However PCS is also not believed to be dangerous. Therefore PCS is generally not seen as a problem. Perhaps the worst part about PCS is the fear that this chest pain is an indicator of a heart attack or other dangerous condition, so therefore a correct diagnosis of PCS is a relief. PCS should only occasionally interfere with normal activity, and there is no reason to use any form of medication.
03. How to counteract a kick to the groin
My Dad taught me this after I took a penalty kick square to the groin during a soccer game. It sometimes surprises me that more guys don’t know about it.
The pain of a kick to the groin is caused by everything down there contracting very quickly and very violently in what I assume is a misguided attempt to make it a smaller target. You can counteract this by lying on the ground and having a friend lift you by the belt or waistband. This will stretch the muscles of the area and reverse the painful cramping. If you are by yourself or are not comfortable with this, lie down and lift your groin upwards as though you were going to assume the crab-walking position.
I have seen this turn labored breathing and teary eyes into walking around normally in a minute flat. Spread the word.
04. Credit card purchases bestow a warranty on the item that you purchased
Most credit card companies automatically provide a short (30-90 days) warranty period for items that you purchase with the card. So if the merchant refuses to allow you to return a defective item for a refund, your credit card company will buy the item back from you. Check the terms and conditions of your cards.
Discover is very good for this. They will warranty any item you purchase with a Discover card for double the original warranty length up to one year.
American Express provides coverage for products if they are lost, stolen, or damaged, even accidentally on your part (up to 90 days from date of purchase), in addition to an added year of coverage to the manufacturer’s warranty.
05. Your rights as a consumer
It’s important to know your rights when you’re trying to resolve a dispute with a retailer. The law is often on your side when you do battle with a retailer. But people often make the wrong assumptions about what the laws allow, or they rely on misinformation from friends, family, or merchants. Here are some common scenarios, the laws that apply, and advice on how to get satisfaction. This link is for US laws. Here are links for some other countries: Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, European Union, New Zealand, Ireland, Germany, Brazil.
It is often of literally no importance to know the law when it comes to a retail situation in the UK unless you are willing to drop a court letter on the companies door. I cannot tell you how many times companies have just point blank refused to comply with the law when it is pointed out to them. MCOL is a government online service that will send out a court letter notifying the retailer (or anyone else, up to a £5000 dispute) on your behalf for £25 AND you can claim your costs back at the same time, so they end up paying the £25. Usually this bypasses the often commission based retail staff (including shop managers) and goes to the managing directors and/or legal staff. Be polite, state your case in a level and even manner without being antagonistic. They do not want their name dragged through the mud and know that if they fight your case, your costs (hence their costs) will only go up from there.
If you are legally right and they still refuse you, try MCOL. It took me 8 months of arguing with Groupon for a mattress that was never delivered before I found that out. I got them to pay out for the mattress, the court letter, the stamps and paper, my time and 8% PA statutory interest (compound on a month by month basis). I assume it would have cost them more to tie up one of their in house lawyers for a day and will likely end up losing.