Month: July 2014

Protect yourself from skin problems this monsoon

Protect yourself from skin problems this monsoon

We all love the good things that monsoon brings, be it the cloudy weather, the cool breeze gently caressing you, the rain drops or the hot tea. But, don’t just get lost in all this and also devote your attention towards the downside of this humid weather.

Though rain showers keep the scorching heat at bay, but due to constant dampness and humidity they can also lead to various fungal and bacterial infections. During the monsoon season, the air is full of infections so additional care is needed to keep our skin healthy and revitalised.

Here are a few common skin problems that occur during the monsoon season and their treatment.

-Nail infection: Try not to keep your nails long during the monsoon season as long nails attract muck and bacteria thereby leading to fungal infection in the feet.

Tip: If one notices red or itchy skin near the nails, it is a sign of nail infection. One can go for either oral medication as prescribed by the doctor or use anti-fungal cream or powder.

-Prickly heat: It is very common in this season. Prickly heat rash is a red pimply eruption. It is caused by sweating that leads to skin pores to clog and as a result, prickly heat rash pops up.

Tip: The best way to deal with it is to use anti-bacterial soaps and talcum powders to keep your skin dry. Also, try wearing cotton clothes as they absorb sweat and try not to expose your skin in the harsh sun rays without at least using a good sunscreen with a high SPF factor.

-Athlete’s foot: The common symptoms of Athlete’s foot are itchy patches on the feet that are well defined, scaly, and itchy.

Tip: To avoid it one should not wear plastic shoes, leather or canvas ones and instead wear slippers and flip-flops as they let your feet breathe. Or if you are wearing shoes, then apply anti-fungal powder to avoid bacterial infection.

-Eczema: Eczema is a chronic skin condition in which red patches start appearing on the skin with blisters which cause itching and bleeding.

Tip: The best way to deal with it is by using anti-bacterial soaps, talcum powders and face washes to keep your skin dry and also to wear clothes that do not irritate your skin in this weather.

-Ringworm infection: Ringworm infection starts as a small portion and spreads in a ring form. It commonly occurs in the sole of the feet, armpits and behind the ears.

Tip: To avoid it one must use anti-fungal powder and wear full-sleeved clothes to protect body parts from insect bites or stings. Also, never wear wet clothes as they immediately lead to fungal infection.

So, follow these tips and enjoy the blissful rainy season.

Source: Zee news

Oral cancer claims one life every six hours in India

Oral cancer claims one life every six hours in India

One person dies every six hours due to oral cancer in the country, signalling an alarming rise in the incidence of the disease, according to a top orthodontist.

The situation could be still graver as many cases of the disease went unreported, Secretary-General of the Indian Dental Association Dr Ashok Dhoble told PTI from Mumbai.

“Cases of the disease and deaths resulting from it in rural areas and among the poorer sections of society are hardly registered,” he noted.

He pointed out that with the high prevalence of smokers and widespread use of other chewable tobacco products, India has seen a steep growth in the number of oral cancer patients in the past decade.

In fact, Dr Dhoble said, oral cancer approximated to 40 per cent of all cancer-related disease in the country with the Northeastern states mostly affected.

“All Northeastern states are badly affected by the disease. The states like West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu are also affected,” he said, adding every third person in these states used tobacco-related products.

Talking about measures to curb the prevalence of the deadly disease, he said that nothing short of a total ban on the use of tobacco was the only way.

“There is no other way to curb oral cancer… You have to ban tobacco in its every form,” Dr Dhoble said, pointing out that it was the nicotine present in the tobacco which made it addictive and difficult to kick the habit.

“Our government also understands the problem… But the huge number of people employed with the tobacco industry is the problem… The government has to provide them with an alternative livelihood and then ban tobacco totally,” he said.

He said a dentist was the first person to diagnose it since oral cancer was not just limited to teeth, but mouth, tongue and integral part of pharynx and gums as well.

The orthodontist explained that oral cancer was 100 per cent curable only if it was reported in the first stage. But once it slips into the second stage, the patient is left with a life span of just five years.

“I will advise people to visit a dentist and not to ignore even if there is a slight problem in the mouth… But above all they have to give up using tobacco in every form. That’s the best medicine,” Dr Dhoble said Stressing the need to educate people on the disease, he said that the Indian Dental Association, which will hold the FDI Annual World Dental Congress in Delhi in September, had been conducting awareness camps and counselling people for the last five years.

Source; hindustan times

New method for stimulating ovulation may make IVF safer, study says

New method for stimulating ovulation may make IVF safer study says

British scientists have observed a new process of stimulating ovulation that may possibly offer a safer and much more helpful solution for women going through in vitro fertilization (IVF).

In a new review revealed in the Journal of Scientific Investigation, researchers discovered that the hormone kisspeptin can be applied to induce ovulation in IVF treatment method, with out the facet results of currently made use of procedures.

Ordinarily, medical practitioners use HCG, which is also a in a natural way transpiring hormone, to stimulate ovulation throughout IVF. On the other hand, mainly because the hormone immediately targets the ovaries, use of HCG places females at risk for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) and perhaps lifestyle-threatening aspect outcomes. OHSS can lead to agonizing and swollen ovaries and side outcomes can involve vomiting, rapid fat obtain and kidney failure.

“One of the major difficulties in IVF is excessive stimulation of ovaries,” review author Waljit Dhillo, a professor in endocrinology and metabolism at Imperial Higher education London, informed FoxNews.com. “Each calendar year, balanced gals finish up in the clinic and there are a quantity of deaths each yr.”

Researchers at Imperial Faculty London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Believe in in London examined a team of fifty three ladies, just about every of whom underwent a solitary injection of kisspeptin to induce ovulation. Experienced eggs made in 51 out of 53 contributors and 49 women of all ages had just one or two fertilized embryos transferred to the uterus.

From that team, twelve balanced babies were being born, which researchers deemed to be a excellent outcome when compared to standard IVF therapy.

Key infertility— when a pair has been unable to conceive for at minimum a single year— influences about six.one million people in the United States. In accordance to the Culture for Assisted Reproductive Technology, medical practitioners executed more than one hundred sixty five,172 IVF methods in 2012.

Kisspeptin is a hormone ordinarily present in the overall body and is identified to enjoy a crucial job in puberty and reproduction. It works to market copy by triggering the release of woman sex hormones and stimulating egg development. Large concentrations of kisspeptin are generally present in a healthy pregnancy, so researchers had little problem about the hormone on fetus progress, Dhillo stated.

Scientists mentioned that a profit of utilizing kisspeptin in its place of the typical HCG hormone is that kisspeptin does not specifically goal the ovaries, even though HCG does. Also, they did not notice any unfavorable side outcomes amid participants.

“If you give HCG, the hormone goes straight to the ovary and does its work. But there is no regulation,” Dhillo mentioned. “So the similar dose can have different effects for the reason that some girls may be a lot more sensitive to it.”

Dhillo and his group now approach to check the success of kisspeptin in females with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a subpopulation in particular vulnerable to OHSS.

Source: daily news

New drug therapy cures hepatitis C in patients with HIV: Study

New drug therapy cures hepatitis C in patients with HIV

Scientists have revealed that a combination drug therapy cures chronic hepatitis C in the majority of patients co-infected with both HIV and hepatitis C.

In a phase III clinical trial, doctors administered ‘sofosbuvir’ and ‘ribavirin’ to a total of 223 HIV-1 patients chronically co-infected with hepatitis C (genotypes 1, 2 or 3) either for 12 weeks (for treatment-naive patients with genotype 2 or 3) or for 24 weeks (for treatment-naive patents with genotype 1 or treatment-experienced patents with genotype 2 or 3).

It was found that for treatment-naive patients, 76 percent with genotype 1, 88 percent with genotype 2 and 67 percent with genotype 3 were cured.

Researchers said that have always termed this to be ‘sustained virologic response but they now know that means hepatitis C has been cured.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Source: dna

Consuming probiotics reduce liver fat: Study

Consuming probiotics reduce liver fat

A study has revealed that consuming probiotics for a month helps in diminishing fat accumulation in the liver.

Scientists at the University of Granada have demonstrated that the administration of three probiotic strains diminishes the accumulation of fat in the liver of obese rats.

The authors have described that the administration of probiotics led to an accumulation of lipids (most of them triacylglycerides) in the liver which was significantly lower than that occurring in rats fed with a placebo.

Probiotics, the microorganisms (bacteria or yeasts) with healthy effects upon individuals that consume them in adequate doses, were traditionally considered to be living microorganisms, but the concept was widened since some dead microorganisms, or even their components, can display probiotic properties.

According to these researchers these microorganisms can certainly be used as support therapy in joint use with other treatment.

This study is published by the journal PLOS ONE.

Source: business standard

Common cholesterol drug linked to death risk

Common cholesterol drug linked to death risk

Niacin, a common cholesterol drug for 50 years, should no longer be prescribed owing to potential increased risk of death, dangerous side effects and no benefit in reducing heart attacks and strokes, researchers said.

“There might be one excess death for every 200 people we put on Niacin. With that kind of signal, this is an unacceptable therapy for the vast majority of patients,” said cardiologist Donald Lloyd-Jones from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

Niacin should be reserved only for patients at very high risk for a heart attack and stroke who cannot take statins, Lloyd-Jones added.

Lloyd-Jones’s research was based on a large new study that looked at adults, aged 50 to 80, with cardiovascular disease who took niacin (vitamin B3) to see if it reduced heart attack and stroke compared to a placebo over four years.

All patients in the trial were already being treated with a statin medication. Researchers found that Niacin did not reduce heart attacks and stroke rates compared with a placebo.

More concerning, Niacin was associated with an increased trend towards death from all causes as well as significant increases in serious side effects.

These included liver problems, excess infections, excess bleeding, gout and loss of control of blood sugar for diabetics.

“For the reduction of heart disease and stroke risk, statins remain the most important drug-based strategy,” Lloyd-Jones said.

The research appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Source: Times of India

Caffeine powder dangers in spotlight after teen’s death

Logan Stiner

A few weeks before their prom king’s death, students at an Ohio high school had attended an assembly on narcotics that warned about the dangers of heroin and prescription painkillers.

But it was one of the world’s most widely accepted drugs that killed Logan Stiner – a powdered form of caffeine so potent that as little as a single teaspoon can be fatal.

The teen’s sudden death in May has focused attention on the unregulated powder and drawn a warning from federal health authorities urging consumers to avoid it.

“I don’t think any of us really knew that this stuff was out there,” said Jay Arbaugh, superintendent of the Keystone Local Schools.

The federal Food and Drug Administration said Friday that it’s investigating caffeine powder and will consider taking regulatory action. The agency cautioned parents that young people could be drawn to it.

An autopsy found that Stiner had a lethal amount of caffeine in his system when he died May 27 at his home in LaGrange, Ohio, southwest of Cleveland.

Stiner, a wrestler, had more than 70 micrograms of caffeine per milliliter of blood in his system, as much as 23 times the amount found in a typical coffee or soda drinker, according to the county coroner.

His mother has said she was unaware her son took caffeine powder. He was just days away from graduation and had planned to study at the University of Toledo.

Caffeine powder is sold as a dietary supplement, so it’s not subject to the same federal regulations as certain caffeinated foods. Users add it to drinks for a pick-me-up before workouts or to control weight gain.

A minuscule amount packs a punch.

A mere one-sixteenth of a teaspoon can contain about 200 milligrams of caffeine, roughly the equivalent of two large cups of coffee. That means a heaping teaspoon could kill, said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.

The powder is almost impossible to measure with common kitchen tools, the FDA said.

“The difference between a safe amount and a lethal dose of caffeine in these powdered products is very small,” FDA spokeswoman Jennifer Dooren said.

Glatter said he has seen several younger patients experience complications from caffeine in the last few months. Some arrive with rapid heart rates.

“They’re starting to latch onto the powders more because they see it as a more potent way to lose weight,” Glatter said.

Health officials worry about caffeine powder’s potential popularity among exercise enthusiasts and young people seeking an energy boost.

Dr. Henry Spiller directs a poison control center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Over a week or so this month, the center took reports of three people hospitalized for misusing caffeine powder.

“I can’t believe you can buy this,” Spiller said. “Honestly, I mean, it’s frightening. It makes no sense to me.”

Federal investigations have recently prompted some companies to pull products with added caffeine.

Last year, Wrigley halted sales and marketing of Alert caffeinated gum after discussions with the FDA. In 2010, the agency forced manufacturers of alcoholic caffeinated beverages to cease production of those drinks.

Authorities have also pledged to take action if they are able to link deaths to consumption of energy drinks. Hospitalizations from those drinks have been on the rise.

The number of emergency department visits involving energy drinks doubled – from 10,068 visits in 2007 to 20,783 visits in 2011, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Most of the cases involved teens or young adults.

A full teaspoon of caffeine powder could contain 3,200 milligrams of caffeine.

In that concentrated amount, a person can experience adverse effects in a matter of minutes, said Dr. Bob Hoffman, a New York University medical toxicologist.

The brain becomes alert, then agitated and confused. The heartbeat picks up and can become dangerously irregular. A person can suffer nausea, vomiting and potentially a seizure.

“The thing about caffeine is just because you see it every day, just because it’s naturally occurring – it comes from a plant – doesn’t mean that it’s safe,” Hoffman said.

Source: Albuquerque journal

9 Foods to Help You Sleep

9 Foods to Help You Sleep

Adding these foods to your diet may help to increase your odds of a successful slumber.
Some people have trouble falling asleep. Others can’t stay asleep. And then there are the people who have trouble turning life “off” and tucking into bed at a reasonable hour.

Whatever the reason, we’re not alone—more than 50 million Americans don’t get enough shut-eye. Yet the health benefits of a good night’s rest are countless: sleep helps keep you happy, your brain sharp, your immune system strong, your waistline trim, your skin looking youthful—and lowers your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease

Here’s the good news: Adding these foods to your diet may help to increase your odds of a successful slumber.

1. Fish
Most fish—and especially salmon, halibut and tuna—boast vitamin B6, which is needed to make melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone triggered by darkness), according to an article published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

2. Jasmine Rice
When healthy sleepers ate carbohydrate-rich suppers of veggies and tomato sauce over rice, they fell asleep significantly faster at bedtime if the meal included high-glycemic-index (GI) jasmine rice rather than lower-GI long-grain rice, in a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. While the authors aren’t sure how it happened, they speculated that the greater amounts of insulin triggered by the high-GI meals increased the ratio of sleep-inducing tryptophan relative to other amino acids in the blood, allowing proportionately more to get into the brain.

3. Tart Cherry Juice
In a small study, melatonin-rich tart cherry juice was shown to aid sleep. When adults with chronic insomnia drank a cup of tart cherry juice twice a day they experienced some relief in the severity of their insomnia.

4. Yogurt
Dairy products like yogurt and milk boast healthy doses of calcium—and there’s research that suggests being calcium-deficient may make it difficult to fall asleep.

5. Whole Grains
Bulgur, barley and other whole grains are rick in magnesium—and consuming too little magnesium may make it harder to stay asleep, reported the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine.

6. Kale
Dairy products are well-known calcium-rich foods. But green leafy vegetables, such as including kale and collards, also boast healthy doses of calcium. And research suggests that being calcium deficient may make it difficult to fall asleep.

7. Bananas
Bananas, well-known for being rich in potassium, are also a good source of Vitamin B6, which is needed to make melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone triggered by darkness), according to an article published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

8. Chickpeas
Chickpeas boast vitamin B6, which is needed to make melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone triggered by darkness), according to an article published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

9. Fortified Cereals
Fortified cereals also boast vitamin B6, which is needed to make melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone triggered by darkness), according to an article published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

Source: eating well

Importance of pure drinking water and reccommendations to optimize hydration

Importance of pure drinking water and reccommendations to optimize hydration

The importance of high quality drinking water is vastly understated. Compromising approximately 75 percent of the body, water is found both inside and outside the cells and is the basis of all body fluids including blood, lymph, saliva, digestive juices, urine, and perspiration. Therefore, an unadulterated source of pure drinking water and learning how to optimize hydration is one of the most fundamentally important things one can do for their health.Water’s role in the body

Since water is the regulator of all the body’s functions, it is equated with life. It is the main source of energy transport for every cell in the body, conducting electrical and magnetic energy that supplies the power to live.

Water also facilitates energizing the skin’s many photo-sensitive and energy-sensitive nerve endings that receive and transmit signals, making them more responsive and enhancing the skin’s vitality. It also protects both the skin and mucous membrane barrier functions and acts as an antioxidant by flushing oxidants and other toxins out through the kidneys. In addition, the sinuses drain better when they are well hydrated and their mucous membrane is more resistant to infection.

One must also consider that the brain is made up of 80 percent water. Severe dehydration can lead to the inability to think clearly, and in severe cases, mental derangement.

Conditions and habits related to dehydration

According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, author of Your Body’s Many Cries For Water, most people unknowingly suffer from chronic dehydration. This condition contributes to toxic overload in the body, which can lead to a hyperactive immune system and cause or contribute to a variety of diseases, including:

• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Colitis
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Dyspeptic ulcer
• Duodenitis
• Gastritis
• Heartburn
• Headaches
• High blood pressure
• High Cholesterol
• Low back pain
• Neck pain
• Osteoporosis
• Kidney problems

Instead of water, most people drink alcohol, coffee, non-herbal teas, soda, and other caffeine-containing beverages. These liquids tend to further exacerbate the dehydration, making it much worse.

Recommendations for optimal hydration

According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, the body needs an absolute minimum of 6 to 8 glasses a day. Other sources suggest up to half your body weight in pounds should be consumed in ounces of water on a daily basis. For someone who weighs 160 pounds, that’s 80 ounces (10 glasses) of pure water on a daily basis.

The best time to drink water is first thing in the morning to wake up the digestive system from its dehydrated and contracted state, and 30 minutes before each meal. Water should be avoided during meals so as to not interfere with stomach acid and proper digestion. It should also be consumed around room temperature, save exceptionally hot days where extra cooling of the body may be required.

Since tap water all too often contains a variety of unhealthy contaminants, including microorganisms, heavy metals, chlorine, fluoride, and other impurities it is recommended that this water be filtered to remove these harmful impurities.

Water is available in a wide variety of formats. Some of the most common ways people consume it is through bottled water and filtering units such as reverse osmosis and alkaline water systems. Each of these ways has varying levels of convenience, purity, and minerals, and the benefits and drawbacks should be closely considered with each before choosing.

Source: natural news

The Common Causes of Severe Knee Pain

The Common Causes of Severe Knee Pain

Knee Pain and an Active Lifestyle

Most people experience knee pain at some point in their lives. Sports, exercise and other activities can cause muscle strains, tendinitis, and more serious injuries to ligaments and cartilage. For some, knee pain can be so severe that it limits daily activities. For others, mild knee pain may be a chronic hindrance to the active lifestyle they desire. In either case, chances are that you’re dealing with a knee problem that shouldn’t be ignored.

Knee Ligament Injuries

The ligaments are what connect your thigh bone to your lower leg bones. They hold your bones together and keep the knee stable. Knee ligament sprains and tears are very common sports injuries, and can occur to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), and medial collateral ligament (MCL). Any of these injuries can result in severe knee pain and could require surgery.

Knee Cartilage Tears

Other injuries, including tears, can take place in the cartilage of the knee. Cartilage is a semi-hard (tough, but flexible) tissue that covers the end of your bones. Knee cartilage comprises the two menisci on either side of the joint: the medial meniscus, located on the inside of the knee and the lateral meniscus, positioned on the outside of the knee. You’ve probably heard the phrase “meniscus tear”. A tear in the knee cartilage is a common injury, and typically requires surgery.

Arthritis of the Knee

Arthritis is a common cause of severe knee pain and disability. Unfortunately, arthritis is a chronic degenerative condition that can eventually require surgery. The three most common types of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis, post-traumatic arthritis, and osteoarthritis. In the case of any of these three, you may experience stiffness and swelling, and it may be hard to bend your knee

Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Knee

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes the tissue around the joint to become inflamed and thickened. Chronic inflammation often leads to damage and loss of cartilage. Rheumatoid arthritis represents only about 10 percent to 15 percent of all arthritis cases.

Post-Traumatic Arthritis

Post-traumatic arthritis can result after a serious knee injury, including bone fractures and ligament tears. These injuries can damage the cartilage in your knee over time and lead to pain, swelling, and stiffness.
Osteoarthritis of the Knee

The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which is a progressive wearing of the cartilage in the knee joint. It occurs more frequently in individuals 50 and older. After 50, the impact of osteoarthritis can worsen due to accumulated use and the wearing down of cartilage that occurs with age. Osteoarthritis of the knee causes pain, limited range of motion, stiffness of the knee, swelling of the joint, tenderness, deformity and weakness.

Causes of osteoarthritis include age, weight, genetics, previous injuries, infections, and illness (such as a tumor or gout). Osteoarthritis can also be caused by sports injuries and wear and tear resulting from physical work in occupations, such as construction and manufacturing.

Diagnosing Knee Pain

Doctors diagnose arthritis and other knee problems using x-rays and a physical evaluation. You will be asked about your pain level, knee flexibility and function, and general mobility. Medical professionals will also use special tests to identify the type of arthritis affecting your knee.

Treating Knee Pain from Arthritis

Knee pain usually becomes worse as arthritis progresses. Common treatments include: weight loss, strengthening exercises, wrapping, and pain relievers—such as acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

While osteoarthritis is the most common surgical patient diagnosis, those with severe pain from any type of arthritis may benefit from surgery, including a partial or total knee replacement. It’s crucial to discuss and explore all treatment options with your doctor before opting for surgery.

Source: healthline