The History of the Outer Banks

The Outer Banks has a rich history and has been the source invention and innovation for many years now. Carolina Designs Realty & Vacation Rentals has put together the history of the Outer Banks in order to expand the knowledge of this island to the wider world. Defined as barrier islands, these sit just off the coast of North Carolina. It’s a popular holiday destination, due to its beautiful beaches, state parks and not forgetting home to many shipwreck diving sites. With a 200-mile stretch, the Outer Banks have hundreds of shipwrecks that give it’s surrounding seas the nickname - Graveyard of the Atlantic. The Wright brother’s first flight took off from here on December 17, 1903, and has since had a monument erected of the brothers to commemorate their achievements. 

Outer Banks has quite the colorful history, but not everyone knows much about the island and what it has seen over the years, whether it be entertaining feared pirates like Blackbeard by throwing parties to the first moments where the human race took to the sky. With a population now of 57,755 residents, this island sees over 5 million visitors each year. It’s also hosted a considerable amount of weddings on the island too! There is so much that needs to be learned when it comes to this wonderful piece of land. 

The below infographic gives an extensive and detailed history of the Outer Banks, so enjoy learning all about this wonderful island. You’ll likely find a lot of the below surprising, as it’s quite significant to the rest of the world.
Infographic Design By Carolina Designs Realty & Vacation Rentals

Hearing Loss Signs To Watch Out For

 

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There are a number of different reasons why people experience hearing loss. Sometimes, hearing loss can happen suddenly, but often it tends to happen gradually over time, and so you may not even notice it at first.

Hearing loss does usually happen because of old age, yet there are a number of other reasons why people end up suffering some form of hearing impairment. This can include the following:

• Diabetes

• Meningitis

• Ototoxic drugs

• Shingles

• Viral infections

• Excessive noise exposure

• Injury 

Hearing loss can also be temporary or it can be permanent. You may notice that you have other symptoms, for example, an earache, a spinning sensation, which is known as vertigo, or unusual noises in your ear, which is known as tinnitus. An audiologist will be able to help you with tinnitus management should have you have this condition. They will be able to do a test on your hearing to determine whether you have any hearing loss, and if you do, they will be able to measure the extent of it. If they recommend hearing aids, Blue Angels Hearing is one of the top brands that offer high-quality and affordable hearing aids today.

In this blog post, we are going to take you through some of the different signs that you may be experiencing hearing loss at the moment. If you notice any of the signs that we mention, the important thing to do is book a hearing test with an audiologist as soon as possible. They will be able to do a test on your hearing to determine whether you have any hearing loss, and if you do, they will be able to measure the extent of it.

So, what are some of the indicators that you could have hearing loss?

One of the first signs that someone has hearing loss is when they are not able to hear what other people are saying clearly and they often misunderstand them. This tends to happen in noisy places. But as the hearing loss gets worse, it can happen at any time and any place.

You may also be experiencing hearing loss if you find that you need to ask people to repeat themselves all of the time. Have you started to notice that people have been commenting on how loud you have the television or how loud you listen to music? This is another indicator that you could have some form of hearing loss. When people are struggling to hear as effectively as they usually would, they often notice that the level of volume on their devices has started to creep up higher and higher.

You also need to pay attention to your conversations on the telephone. If you are struggling to have a conversation with the person on the other end, and you often ask them to repeat themselves, then this could be an indication that need to have your hearing checked.

If you are feeling stressed and tired because you have to concentrate on listening so heavily, we definitely recommend that you see an audiologist as soon as possible. When we have to go the extra mile to do tasks that should be easy and come naturally to us, this can end up causing a lot of stress. This can take its toll on other areas of your life, and so the sooner you get it dealt with, the better! 

Signs of hearing loss in one ear

It can be more difficult to tell if you have hearing loss in only one ear. However, there are a number of signs and indicators that you can look out for. This includes the following:

• Finding it difficult to hear in places that are noisy or over long distances

• Finding speech unclear

• Finding it difficult to tell different sounds apart or to ignore background noise

• Finding it difficult to determine where a sound is coming from

• All sounds seem quieter than usual in general

• Your hearing is worse when sound comes from one side

These are some of the signs that you may have hearing loss in one year. This tends to be caused because of an ear infection or earwax. If you are unsure, the best thing to do is book an appointment and have an ear test so that you can get to the bottom of the issue and have peace of mind. It may simply be that you need to have a piece of impacted earwax removed from your ear!

So there you have it: some of the signs and indications that you may be experiencing hearing loss at the moment. If you have noticed any of the indicators that we have discussed in this blog post, we recommend you see an audiologist as soon as possible. Yes, it can be worrying to do so, but the sooner the issue is dealt with, the more chance you have of it not having such a massive impact on your life.

4 Ways To Build Self-Esteem That Lasts

 

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Nobody wakes up in the morning and thinks, "I'm going to hate myself today." Everyone has the intention of loving themselves because a high level of self-esteem is an incredibly powerful thing. Whether it's bouncing back quickly from defeats or not allowing rejection to ruin your day, you're bound to be happier and more content if you love yourself.

However, it's not as simple as clicking your fingers and eliminating the tension. Anxiety doesn't work like that as, if it did, there would be no such thing in the first place. The key is to build up your confidence so that knocks, no matter how big or small, don't have a lasting impact, but also so that you don't love yourself to the point that you become a narcissist.

If it appears like a tough balance to strike, it isn't as long as you understand the basics, four of which you can find underneath.

Focus On Your Strong Points

To begin with, it's vital to concentrate on your strengths rather than focusing on your weaknesses. Everybody has weak points, yet your lack of self-esteem magnifies them, and they transform into huge negatives. Thankfully, the way to forget about your weaknesses is to dive headfirst into your strengths.

Please don't assume that you don't have any because everyone has talents - you need to figure out what they are. Once you realize that you're a skillful cook, for instance, you can decide to prepare meals more often, finishing with a dinner party. When it goes well, you'll start to see your real value. The same goes for everything from sports to crossword puzzles.

Whatever it is, do more of it to enhance your skills and reinforce the fact that you do have strong points that you can fall back on when the negative thoughts creep into your mind.

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Lean On Technology

Often, it is a habit or a feature that makes your confidence plummet. Physical and mental attributes are debilitating as they make you feel as if you're not normal. The worst thing is that it can be something as basic as having poor hearing. When you can't hear properly, you'll always fret about trying to be involved in the conversation.

Sure, hearing aids help, but it's not as if they are discrete. Well, they weren't, but technological advancements mean that software and hardware are ten times more subtle. As a result, you can rely on invisible hearing aids to help you keep your secret while enhancing your lifestyle. This is pretty much the case for a host of defects that can play on your mind, so there's no reason to suffer in silence.

Right now, invisible braces are among the most common forms of orthodontic devices for this very reason.

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Accept Compliments

A telltale sign that your esteem is at an all-time low is when you can't accept a compliment. Unfortunately, the negative thoughts are ingrained in your brain so much that you can't compute them, which forces you to reject them entirely. Even worse, you need positive comments more than ever when you're struggling because they help you to see the light.

Therefore, it's essential not to resist them, even if they make you uncomfortable. All it takes is a simple "thank you." With an everyday phrase such as this, you won't automatically shut down the person providing a compliment, and in time, you'll learn to accept them more. As well as expressing your gratitude, you can defer to other people and share the credit.

"I got it from my mama" is more than a will.i.am song!

Address The Triggers

You shouldn't expect to go through life without experiencing rejection as it's a common feature for everybody, regardless of success. However, rejection makes you feel bad about yourself, so what are you supposed to do when it rears its ugly head? The answer is to reaffirm your value once it has taken a hit.

For example, rather than focusing on the reasons why you didn't get your dream job, you should write down the attributes that make you a valuable employee. That way, you'll have the confidence to continue applying for roles and putting yourself in a position to be successful. You'll appreciate the way this tactic makes you feel inside, especially after you've suffered a blow.

Again, you can do it for a variety of issues. If you go through a breakup, for instance, you can jot down the features that make you a great life partner. 

It's hard work, but feeling good about yourself is worth the effort.

Helping Your Family Survive The Common Cold

 Let’s be honest, when you become a parent, feeling under the weather is not how it used to be. Gone are the days where you can call in sick from the day job, snuggle up on the sofa, box of tissues, energy drinks and your favorite TV show to help you ease yourself back to health. No! These days there is no sign of a day off and sometimes even the common cold can make you feel like you have been run over by a big truck. However, because we have no choice but to carry on instead of nursing ourselves back to health. Right now we are more conscious than ever of flu like symptoms because of COVID-19 and we need to do all that we can to keep ourselves feeling well or nurse ourselves back to health should we have to self-isolate because the symptoms are so similar. With that in mind, here are some of the ways that you can survive the symptoms of a common cold, and hopefully fight whatever virus it may be. 

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Informing doctors 

Most of the time you would inform your doctor if you were ill, but with covid-19 it is important to stay at home or try and get tested for that virus. If it isn’t covid, then you can look at finding some over the counter treatments for your symptoms. If you have young children, getting them registered with a pediatrician is important so that you have that contact should temperatures rise or symptoms get worse. 

That raging headache

There is nothing worse than needing to take care of loud and energetic children when you have a headache brought on by a cold. It seems to center in your forehead and pound like it has it’s own heartbeat. It certainly isn't pleasant. Of course, taking painkillers can help but often placing a cold compress on your forehead can ease the pain. 

The nose that won’t stop running

A streaming nose is never attractive, but a sure fire symptom of the common cold. Keeping issues to had will be vital to making sure you keep it in check. Of course, it’s not always easy, but often sinus medication can help to dry out your nose. That or a menthol rub on your chest or droplets on your clothes can help you ease the tension. 

The blocked up ears making everything sound fuzzy

Block up ears can make everything sound fuzzy and quiet, and while that may be ideal to nurse some of the other symptoms you will be feeling, it’s not ideal when taking care of children or the family. Often this is another area causing a sinus blockage, and can be connected with your head and your nose. 

The aching bones and muscles

Feeling tired and having aching muscles is not the best feeling especially with energetic children. But keeping active can often help you rather than hinder your chances of feeling better. Too often sitting down can make us feel worse, so it may be worth getting out and about and keeping your body moving. 

The fluctuating temperature

Finally, controlling your temperature when you have a cold is not easy, so the best advice is to wear layers, enabling you to get warm or cool down as and when needed. It’s rather tempting to climb back under the duvet, but with a family to look after often this just isn’t possible. Try and maintain the same heat in your home and regulate your body temperature yourself. Water can also help with this. 

Let’s hope this helps you recover quickly. 

4 Things You Must Do If Your Car Insurer Won't Pay Out

 

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A silver lining of the Coronavirus pandemic has been that there have been fewer cars on the roads. As a result, there aren’t as many accidents, which means more motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians aren’t in undue danger.

However, the restrictions ease, the odds of being involved in an incident increase ten-fold. When another driver hits your vehicle, you rely on your insurance company to pick up the slack. Sadly, 18% of all insurance complaints are a result of a lack of cooperation from insurers.

So, what are you supposed to do if your claim is rejected and you’re left in the lurch?

Ask For A Detailed Explanation

Policy providers are skilled at using platitudes to pass off their decision-making process. Don’t let them do it because they’ll bury your application so that it never sees the light of day. As soon as an insurer says that they can’t payout, your first move should be to demand a thorough explanation. Not only do you want them to highlight the main reasons for the rejection, but you need it in writing too. That way, you have a codified copy that you can refer to should you have to take it further.

Reference Your Records

Your records can take various forms. For example, if you use a dashboard camera, that will be the critical evidence in any correspondence as it clearly shows you weren’t at fault. However, video footage isn’t the only type of information that you might need to present. A detailed history of your vehicle, from years of maintenance work to receipts for purchases, will be essential. Sometimes, an insurer might say that your plan is void because of unofficial products and services. In that case, proof of purchase should eliminate any suspicions and make the company change its mind.

Don’t Repair Your Vehicle

Photographic and video evidence of your car is essential, so please capture as much footage as possible. Still, the last thing you should do is fix your vehicle before the process has run its course. Unless an official from the insurance company analyzes the damage, there’s no way for the insurer to gauge what happened and who’s at fault. Plus, even a vehicle that appears totaled will get quick cash for junk cars and scrap metal if you use a junk removal firm. It might not be the money you thought you would get, but a little cash is better than none whatsoever.

Be Persistent

Insurance providers work slowly. Therefore, you won’t secure a quick solution. If anything, you’ll need to wait for a couple of months before you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Stay strong. Too many applicants file, receive a rejection letter and decide it’s not worth the hassle. Of course, it depends on your circumstances, yet most people can’t afford a new vehicle without a payout, not to mention the increase in their premiums.

Being persistent will clear your record so that you obtain the necessary fund to repair or replace your car. That’s how insurance should work.