Dec
1
Ringworm Disease – The Facts
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Ringworms” refers to fungal infections that are on the surface of the skin. Ringworm is a skin infection caused by a fungus. Ringworm can affect skin on your body (tinea corporis), scalp (tinea capitis), groin area (tinea cruris, also called jock itch), or feet. Ringworm is a skin and scalp disease caused by several different kinds of fungi. Ringworm on the scalp usually makes a bald patch of scaly skin. People with ringworm on other parts of their skin can have a ring-shaped rash that is reddish and may be itchy. The rash can be dry and scaly or wet and crusty. Ringworm is easily transmitted to humans. About 50% of people living with a ringworm-infected cat will develop the infection. Children and young animals are most susceptible to infections. Ringworm in animals usually appears as a rapidly growing circular patch of broken hair. A ‘cigarette ash’ dandruff appears on the lesion and sometimes the patch has an inflamed margin. The infection is more common in young animals. In kittens, the patches usually occur on the head and feet. Ringworm of the body appears as flat, spreading ring-shaped areas. The edge is reddish and may be either dry and scaly or moist and crusted.
The term ringworm is a misnomer. It has nothing to do with worms. It is a fungus, or more correctly, one of several fungi that can affect animals and humans. Today, many children, and pet owners get ringworm through direct or indirect contact with the infected hairs or skin of pets. Ringworm of the scalp usually begins as a small pimple which becomes larger in s
ize and leaves scaly patches of temporary baldness. Infected hairs become brittle and break off easily. Occasionally, yellowish cuplike crusty areas are seen. With ringworm of the nails, the affected nails become thicker, discolored and brittle, or they become chalky and disintegrate. Ringworm of the body appears as flat, spreading ring-shaped areas. Heat and moisture help fungi grow and thrive, which makes them more common in skin folds such as those in the groin or between the toes. This also accounts for their reputation as being caught from showers, locker rooms, and swimming pools. Topical shampoo therapy is used in almost every case, especially in longer haired pets. It is common to clip some or all of the hair in some pets to make it more effective. Specific anti fungal cremes are also used when a pet is infected in an area that already has sparse hair growth, or there are small, discrete lesions.
Ringworm Treatment Tips
1. Keep your skin clean and dry.
2. Apply over-the-counter antifungal or drying powders, lotions, or creams.
3. Wash sheets and nightclothes every day while infected.
4. Topical shampoo therapy is used in almost every case, especially in longer haired pets.
5. Do not share clothing, towels, hairbrushes, combs, headgear, or other personal care items.
6. Wear sandals or shoes at gyms, lockers, and pools.
7. Avoid touching pets with bald spots.
8. Antifungal creams are readily available and may be efficient for small lesions.
Dec
1
Do you enjoy the outdoors? Do you love pets? What if you had to choose between these things and your ability to breathe?
Unfortunately, for many asthma sufferers, that choice is one they make every day. Asthma affects millions of Americans, many of them children. Asthma is a serious condition that restricts airways and causes breathing difficulties which result in approximately 5,000 deaths annually.
So, how can asthma sufferers do the things they love without suffering? Knowing asthma triggers and how to manage them are the first steps to a fuller, happier life.
Here are a few asthma triggers and ways to manage them, as recommended by the Consumer Federation of America:
* Secondhand smoke. Tobacco smoke, whether exhaled by a smoker or emitted from the end of a burning tobacco product, irritates air passageways.
To keep secondhand smoke from triggering an asthma attack, asthmatics should politely ask friends and guests in their home to refrain from smoking.
Parents with asthmatic children should prohibit smoking in their homes and automobiles.
* Dust mites. These microscopic animals are in every home. They survive on skin flakes and usually live in mattresses, pillows, carpets, upholstered furniture, bedcovers, clothes, stuffed toys and other fabric-covered items.
To keep dust mites at bay, wash sheets, bedcovers and blankets at least once a week in hot water; cover mattresses and pillows in dust-proof covers and maintain low indoor humidity.
* Pets. To keep pets around and avoid asthma problems, pets should be kept out of bedrooms and any other areas where people sleep. They should also be kept away from fabric-covered surfaces, which can collect hair.
* Mold. Mold can grow on wood, paper, carpet and foods. Mold can best be controlled by controlling moisture in your home. To do so, fix leaks in pipes and make sure moisture-filled areas, like kitchens and bathrooms, are well ventilated.
* Cockroaches. Droppings or body parts of cockroaches can be asthma triggers. To manage them, free your home of places for them to hide and be sure not to leave out food or garbage.
Dec
1
Symptoms, problems that can appear and treatment for strep throat
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Strep throat is a bacterial throat infection caused by Group A streptococcus bacteria. This infection can show several symptoms. There can appear decreased appetite, swollen lymph glands in the neck, fever, chills, and sometimes symptoms of stomach distress like nausea and vomiting. However, an important sign that might show there is a strep throat is swelling and extreme soreness of the back of the throat.
It is good to know that viruses cause most sore throats, and in what concerns bacteria, only 10% of sore throats are strep infections.
When a child comes to the doctor, the symptoms are very important clues. But, in order to be sure is dealing with a strep infection, the doctor will collect a sample of cells from the back by using a cotton swab. The result can be given quickly with the help of a rapid antigen detection test. If the test proves to be negative, the doctor may want to send for a culture. With a culture, there are needed 24 hours, time in which the bacteria will multiply enough to be seen.
The streptococcal infection can develop in rare cases serious complications if it is not treated. There can appear an abscess, which is a pocket of pus, and usually it requires surgery. There can also appear rheumatic fever, which affects the heart and joints, causing permanent damage to the heart valves. Another complication that may occur is the situation in which, the immune system, being sensitized by the streptococcal bacteria will start to attack its own organs.
If it proves the child has strep, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics. These will help the immune system get rid of the bacteria faster and more efficient, and in the same time, complications will be avoided. Usually, the antibiotics must be taken for a 10-days period. It is very important not to interrupt the treatment, because the remaining bacteria can develop resistance and a worse infection may appear.
In order to ease the symptoms, there can also be taken vitamin C, throat lozenges, Echinacea and acetaminophen.
The first choice for strep is penicillin, and this can be taken orally or as an injection. There can be taken also a form of penicillin, which is called amoxicillin, and an important notice here is that amoxicillin is also available as a chewable, which is an advantage because children will accept it easier.
Depending on the situation, if it is necessary, the doctor can prescribe erythromycin or another antibiotic.
It is important to know that strep throat is very contagious, and after starting antibiotic treatment, the child should stay at home for 24 hours.
Scientists say that we mustn’t overuse antibiotics, because there appears the risk that bacteria will develop resistance.
Dec
1
“The Social Killer”
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Scared to go out to a meeting to speak to a client? Need to deliver a speech but feel like fainting at the thought of going in front of the class to present? Scared to attend a social gathering for no apparent reason? You might be suffering from social anxiety disorder.
Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is a kind of mental disorder where the sufferer experiences a severe or unreasonable fear of social gatherings where there is a possibility that one may get embarrassed or ridiculed. Most of the time, these anxieties arise from an intense fear of being closely watched or scrutinized – from the simple things like the way they dress, talk or act; to important job functions like performing in front of a crowd, giving a presentation, or finishing an interview for a job application. This kind of phobia gives sufferers a feeling of being trapped or shut away from the world.
They say social anxiety disorder is closely related to shyness. However social phobia differs in the sense that this disrupts normal socializing functions. It is true that everyone goes through a stage of shyness in their life, overcoming it is a different thing. When it becomes too much that it interrupts your daily life and relationships to the point where you are sick with worry, it is time to seek counsel. It is good to know the signs and symptoms of social anxiety disorder to be able to determine and treat this said condition before it worsens.
People with social phobia manifest 2 basic kinds of symptoms: emotional and physical. The emotional symptoms include: an intense fear of being in situations in which you don’t know people, fear of situations in which you may be judged, worrying about embarrassing or humiliating yourself, fear that others will notice that you look anxious, anxiety that disrupts your daily routine, work, school or other activities, avoiding doing things or speaking to people out of fear of embarrassment, avoiding situations where you might be the center of attention. The physi
cal symptoms include: Blushing, profuse sweating, trembling or shaking, nausea, stomach upset, difficulty talking, shaky voice, muscle tension, confusion, palpitations, diarrhea, cold and clammy hands, and difficulty making eye contact.
Basically, this phobia manifests a symptom of being overly anxious around other people. Sufferers think that other people are more confident that they are, that other people are better them. They feel uncomfortable being around people that it makes it difficult for them to eat, drink, work, asking questions, asking for dates, even going to the toilet, when other people are around.
The good news is that there is a cure for this condition. For the past 20 years, a combination of talk therapy and medications has proven most helpful to limit the effects, if not cure, this mental condition. Certain anti-depressants (Paroxetine, Sertraline and Venlafaxine), anti-anxiety medications, and beta blockers are used to help Socio-phobic people to balance certain chemicals in the brain and minimize panic attacks during periods of heightened anxiety. Talk therapy teaches people with social anxiety disorder to react differently to situations that trigger their anxiety. The therapist helps the patient confront the negative feelings about social situations and the fear about being judged by others. Patients learn how their thinking patterns add to the symptoms of social anxiety disorder and how to change their thinking so the symptoms begin to lessen.
To be shy is quite normal, everybody has gone through a similar phase. Getting past that stage is the difficult part. Ultimately, it ends up to building your confidence to a certain level for you to be comfortable enough to move normally. In case you’ve been diagnosed as a socio-phobic, it is nothing to be ashamed of. With a little bit of therapy, proper medication, and enough support from people who believe in you, you’ll slowly be able to do socialize and function normally within a group without being too anxious.
Dec
1
According to a recent study, car accidents ranked ninth out of the top ten causes of death world wide. It also ranked first among the top ten accident-caused deaths. Over 40,000 Americans die in car crashes every year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, someone is involved in a car accident every ten seconds. It is estimated that every 12 minutes, a person dies in a car crash. Car accidents are the leading cause of death for Americans 35 years old and younger. In 2002 alone, there has been a reported 43,005 deaths caused by car accidents.
What are the leading causes of car accidents?
Car accidents can often be attributed to driver recklessness or negligence, the vehicles involved in an accident, and road and weather conditions at the time of the accident.
Driver Negligence.
Driver negligence may manifest in many forms. It may be because of rubbernecking, driving under the influence of alcohol, the driver’s lack of experience, or an aggressive driving behavior.
Under driver negligence, rubbernecking had been reported as the top cause of car accidents. This happens when motorists stop to look at other accidents they pass by and lose concentration on the road ahead. This distraction ends up in a chain of accidents that could have been avoided. Driving under the influence of alcohol is strictly prohibited in the US. This is considered as a criminal offense and is not taken lightly. A reported forty percent of all traffic-related deaths have been attributed to driving while intoxicated. Inexperienced drivers who aren’t accompanied by an adult with a valid driving license also contribute to car accidents. One quarter of reported car accidents involved teenage drivers. Aggressive driving behaviour like challenging other drivers to a street race i
n the middle of the road, forcing to cut into a lane, not giving way to other cars also contribute to the growing statistics of car accidents.
Vehicles.
Defective auto parts, vehicle design, and/or car maintenance are also major causes of car accidents. Defective door latches, seat belts, airbags, seat backs, roofs, ignition systems, and fuel systems are all contributing factors in the damage caused in vehicular accidents. The overall faulty design of a car makes accidents and damages more likely. SUV designs make a car less stable on the road and four times more likely to rollover in an accident as compared to passenger cars.
Road and weather conditions.
It is understandable that this cause isn’t really something man can have any control of. However choosing to come out on the road without first taking into consideration the weather and road condition may also be considered negligence on the part of the driver.
How can I avoid car accidents?
Responsible driving is the key to avoid getting yourself involved in a car accident. For teenage drivers, don’t go out driving unsupervised. Avoid ingesting too much alcohol when you’re driving, not only will you be able to see the road clearer, your concentration will be better, too. Concentrate on the road, disregard any distractions while driving. If it is really necessary that you take a moment to acknowledge any distractions, park your car on a safe area and then attend to what ever needs your immediate attention. Drive defensively instead of being aggressive on the road. Always keep yourself abreast to weather conditions before going out. Make sure and check your vehicle for any problems even before you hit the road. It is better to be prepared and safe than getting into an accident on the road.
Dec
1
Ahava products and Mineral Care are two of the leading brands of the Dead Sea Cosmetics. With their unique characteristics, these products reveal the secrets of the revitalizing effects of minerals to your skin. What makes them so special is that they function exclusively on the natural secrets of the resources of a magic region.
The Dead Sea has been a source of fascination since ancient times. Its waters and mud have the highest concentration of natural elements (magnesium, calcium, potassium, strontium, boron and iron) in the world. These are essential for your skin beauty and health. Despite its name, the Dead Sea contains many life-enhancing ingredients that help regenerate your skin.
Ahava products and Mineral Care are remarkably effective. They help you stay young for a longer time and feel good about yourself. They also try to create a relationship with that magic place called the Dead Sea, without causing any damage to the environment. Using these products will facilitate you to get in touch with the nature, feeling its power and revitalizing effect.
The easiest way to purchase Ahava products and Mineral Care is through our online store. We can deliver them easily and quickly all over the world, without you fearing that the products are not genuine. The delivery is very prompt and all the products arrive safely to the client. Another benefit of ordering online is that you can receive samples of the newest products and you can try something new.
The variety of cosmetics is very large, all enriched with minerals and aromatic essences for regeneration and therapy. You can find facial creams suitabl
e for all kinds of skins, body oils and creams, which make your skin softer and suppler. You can order soaps, gels, bath salts, and perfumes. A special skincare line was created specifically for men, as their skin follows different metabolic patterns and requires a distinct approach.
Therefore, if you are looking for the perfect present for your friends and relatives, you have found it. Anybody enjoys a cheap and effective anti-aging treatment from the Earth’s largest spa or a nourishing and refreshing body cream or oil. The everyday stress, pollution and noise damage our body and spirit, but imagine how it would be like to go home and find a piece of that magic place, surrounding you with the smells and beauty of the nature.
Dead Sea cosmetics have great curative qualities. They work marvelously. You will be able to see the improvements only a few days after starting to use them. Even the driest skin will regain its vitality and smoothness.
So do not wait any longer. It is time to have the skin you have always wanted. Order now our Mineral Care and Ahava products. If you are not yet sure, you can read the testimonials of the people who used the products and are very satisfied. Undoubtedly, the positive appreciations offered by our customers will place even more focus on the beneficial influences of Dead Sea cosmetics.
Dead Sea products abound with the renewing power of nature, taken from its mystical waters. They have been able to develop the most effective relation between nature and technology, creating unique products that will help you resist the aging process and maintain your well-being.
Dec
1
Find your beauty with Ahava
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Appearance is important whether you want to make a good impression on your first day at work, whether you meet your fiancé’s parents or simply whether you have a big day ahead. In such occasions, we are happy that cosmetics exist and we do our best to look more astonishing than ever.
The Dead Sea is a continuous natural source of beauty, vitality and health, due to the unique composition of its water. The Dead Sea is the richest mineral source in the world, having a concentration of 30 percent of dissolved minerals. These minerals are beneficial for the human health and human skin. Minerals have the capacity of restoring moisture to the skin and, if absorbed into the skin cells, they enhance intracellular water capacity. The skin absorbs the minerals rapidly. In this manner, they participate in the skin’s balance cycle.
Ahava is an international skin care line, created by the Dead Sea Laboratories. Ahava offers a series of superior skin care products, due to their mineral abundance. This line of Dead Sea cosmetics does its best to meet its customers’ expectations for high quality and efficiency. The minerals that can be found in the Dead Sea have a high capacity of improving ones’ skin. The ingredients of the Ahava products are pure minerals and mineral mud. These minerals combine in the Dead Sea products with plant extracts, thus obtaining high quality cosmetics, suitable for all skin types.
Ahava is a plant found near Dead Sea surroundings and used in creams, lotions and other Ahava products. The most amazing thing about these products is that they are natural and that they suit all skin types. T
hese products help you discover the secrets of the rejuvenating minerals and herbs. The minerals found in the composition of Ahava products revitalize and rejuvenate your skin.
Dead Sea creams and lotions hold moisture in the skin. Specialists recommend them greatly for very dry skin types. These products maintain the proper pH balance of the skin, making it appear brighter and younger. The minerals contained in the Ahava products are not found in any other products, having unique properties of moistening and rejuvenating the skin.
The Ahava mud has a favorable prominence throughout the world for its multiple properties; it revives the skin, it regenerates the cells and it delays aging. Moreover, the type of black mud promotes the natural circulation, removing the toxins from your skin and toning skin tissues. This mud is unique and it is certainly worth trying. The salt extracted from this Dead Sea environment brings you relaxation and relief, having soothing effects and therapeutic benefits. This product is unrefined, being perfect for those of you who want to have a relaxing bath.
Having said all this, we hope we have convinced you to give Ahava products a shot. These products make wonders for your skin and they are available in a wide range and at fair prices. Moreover, some companies bring them straight from Israel without perceiving a transportation fee. If you use these natural and mineral-based products, you will not have to worry about any possible secondary effects, since all products have a natural composition. These cosmetics are the answer for a healthy, glowing skin and all you have to do is try them.
Dec
1
Understanding Mental Health Issues
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How would you feel when the whole world is crumbling
down before you and the people whom you consider to show concern for
you seem to be avoiding you or drifting away because of the unusual
behavior you may have been exhibiting?
The feeling of depression becomes more
intense and you will just continue to spiral down until you resort to
drugs or suicide in order to put a stop to the unresolved feeling.
Sometimes, we look at people suffering from mental
illness with disdain. We tend to be scared, as if the illness can
contaminate us. We isolate, reject, or even ridicule a person with
mental illness. Has it crossed your mind about how you would like to
be treated if it happened to you?
Mental health issues can be caused by a lot
of factors such biochemical imbalances in the brain, nutrient
deficiencies, as well as toxins. It can also be genetics, inability
to cope, poor social skills, or a reaction to a negative experience.
The anxiety and depression being felt are signs of
deeper psychological issues.
Psychiatrist Stanislav Grof used the term “Spiritual
emergency” in describing the state of mental illness while
psychiatrist Peter Breggin coined the term “psychospiritual
overwhelm”. Both phrases take the mystery out of the diagnosis by
describing a process. It connotes an experience, not a stigmatized
label that can last a lifetime.
If psychosis is not a life-long condition but a
temporary response similar to a runny nose when we have a cold, then
there is something we can do to empower those people who are
undergoing mental distress.
If we can learn to read the warning signs of an
impending cold, then we can learn to interpret the deeper cause and
meaning of psychological overwhelm. By taking time to explore our
feelings instead of reacting to them, we can definitely make some
headway.
There is nothing to be afraid of emotions. Feelings
shouldn’t be denied. There’s a reason why such feelings or emotions
exist. By deciphering them early on we have the chance to negate
their snowballing effect.
The body and the mind will always try to find
balance or regain equilibrium no matter how filled with emotion a
person is. But often we need prodding to grapple with uncomfortable
feelings, to get to their root. Deep emotion is not something we
understand well in this society. It is reserved for poets and
artists.
Parents of mentally ill patients often say that “she
was too sensitive” or “he gets so emotional”, implying as if
either of these qualities was a bad thing. However, the human mind
thrives on rhythm, imagination and metaphors. The subconscious feeds
on dreams to create, to solve problems, and to come to terms with
what is in the waking world.
In order to unravel the meaning of your emotions, an
extraordinary yet relatively simple process known as Tracking is
developed by psychologist Dr Vern Woolf which makes use of the
imagination and senses (sight, sound, colour, texture and smell) to
understand the positive intent of uncomfortable feelings. It can be
used to make decipher the “voices” heard in episodes of
schizophrenia.
When we are feeling down, or we had a bad day,
creative approaches, such as music, art, visualization or tracking
can help channel emotion and the senses into a realm we can easily
understand. Not only do they take the pressure off of a potentially
explosive and disempowering personal experience, but they can also be
used to discover our own uniqueness. They enable us to know ourselves
in ways we never thought possible and ultimately, to make us stronger
in what is often an alienating and stress-inducing world.