Entries Tagged 'Health' ↓
May 15th, 2008 — Health
Just as there are countless “well-known” but totally incorrect “causes” for acne, so there are countless equally accepted “cures.” They too are nearly all wrong. Let us touch on just a few.
Camphor Is a Sure Cure for Acne:
Camphor is a volatile compound derived from an Asian evergreen tree. It is used in some cosmetic compounds because it makes the skin feel warm, and it helps to relieve itching to some extent because it has a slight numbing effect.
Camphor is touted by many aestheticians and so-called skin specialists (who are not, however, physicians) as a product that can quickly alleviate sudden skin outbreaks. “A camphor mask will work wonders,” they will assure the unsuspecting beauty parlor client. And sometimes it works-but no more often than doing nothing!
The truth is that camphor does nothing for any known skin rash or for acne. The best that can be said for it is that it does no known harm.
Sun Exposure Cures Acne:
As we have stressed throughout this book, unprotected sun exposure is bad for your skin. In addition to the long-term damage it undoubtedly does, leading to a higher risk of skin cancer and inevitably to earlier, more severe wrinkling, sun can dry the stratum corneum and thus give rise to increased flaking-and an increased probability of clogged pores and hence acne.
In addition, sun exposure can also cause or aggravate certain drug-related reactions. For example, if you take sulfa drugs, anti-inflammatory drugs such as piroxicam, certain members of the tetracycline family, St. John’s wort, and a common antifungal product called grisefulvin, those chemicals are distributed throughout your body, including in your skin. Then, when too much ultraviolet light falls on the skin’s surface, it may react with the chemicals to cause a rash. Clearly, this is not acne, but it can cause redness and itching. The answer, of course, is to use a sunblock if you are on any medication and even if you are not!
By all means, go into the sun. But make certain you always use a sunblock-and reapply it often enough if the sunlight is strong and direct. Wearing a hat on especially sunny days is a pretty good idea too. The sun will not cure your acne, but by protecting your skin from ultraviolet light damage, you will help it remain healthier and wrinkle-free. In the long run, you may even make it more resistant to acne.
Alcohol Dries Away Acne:
This myth applies to vodka that, applied to the skin, will dry away your acne in no time. Or so the old wives assure us.
But, as we have stressed before, this is very wrong indeed. Alcohol will, on occasion, reduce the secondary infection from an open wound. But acne is a very different matter.
The only way that alcohol might help acne (provided its use is sensibly controlled) is by letting you relax happily over a cocktail after a tough day at the office. A nice, cold martini may lessen stress, and less stress may inhibit acne. The poet Robert Browning explained that a “stiffish cocktail, taken in time, is better for a bruise than arnica.” He might have added that, similarly taken in time, it can also work wonders for stress- induced acne!
So never apply that alcohol to your skin’s surface. If you do, it will certainly dry things up and thus generate more dry skin cells. But the sebum emerging from your pores will continue unabated. The result, after the first few minutes, will be that clogs are more, not less, likely to form and lead to acne.
Don’t use alcohol or alcohol-based products on your skin.
May 8th, 2008 — Health
If you are overweight then finding an easy weight loss program that suits you is probably high on your agenda; many good methods do exist but it will depend on the user as to how effective any of these will ultimately be. Apart from the medical issues that surround obesity, feelings of self-worth can be damaged as well as an inability to carry out even basic physical activities if you are overweight.
You only have to look online to see the number of easy weight loss systems available but what most people forget to mention is how important the individual losing the weight is! Before you decide on how you intend to lose weight you need to decide if it is for your benefit; i.e. to remain healthy, or is it because someone else wants you to lose weight.
Many factors affect how well your weight loss program will go including how much physical activity you have during a normal day, the type of food you eat, how many meals you have and when those meals are eaten. Don’t be too ambitious and set yourself impossible tasks like losing 30 pounds in less than a month; this is not sensible because it can have a vast impact on the entire body bringing about other health problems like anemia or heartburn.
To keep things simple it is easier to consider that one pound lost per week is realistically the equivalent to around 3,500 calories which breaks down to losing 500 calories a day, every day whether through dieting, exercise or both. Too many people are consuming large amounts of unhealthy food because they enjoy eating but there is no need to force-feed yourself just because you enjoy particular foodstuffs.
Stress can be a large determining factor in how much food is consumed and many women will eat more because they feel low or insecure and when they put on weight they feel worse which continues the cycle. The problem is that being overweight is the cause of many life threatening medical conditions including diabetes, heart problems, joint trouble and cancer. When dealing with an overweight person, you cannot rely solely on any easy weight loss diet to be a ?cure-all’ when the psychological factor has not been considered.
All that said it has been shown that it is actually beneficial for the person using a weight loss program to be light-hearted about it as the mental attitude makes losing weight more likely. The one thing that has shown to be true no matter what you do in life is that being positive about something is more likely to make it happen. Together with the loss of extra pounds comes a boost in energy and vitality as well as a sense of well being that is directly related to an improving self-esteem.
Once the effects of an easy weight loss program are felt by the dieter, they feel more positive about the future and realize the result they want to achieve is possible.
April 30th, 2008 — Health
If you eat correctly and keep moving, you have everything you need to know about how to prevent being overweight using a natural weight loss program; however, most ignore this recommendation. This should be an easy concept for the many overweight people around the world; with the number of overweight American citizens increasing, this advice obviously doesn’t work. There are many reasons why you would want to lose weight once you have put it on, but what reason is strong enough to actually encourage you to do it, good health or looks?
What most people do not realize is keeping at the right weight is much, much easier than losing it. Nevertheless weight maintenance is something that has to be worked on and planned otherwise we will put on extra pounds.
Studies have shown that it is more likely a person who has lost weight using a calorie controlled diet, even if they actually enjoyed it, are more likely to go back to their old eating habits at some point. It is not actually difficult controlling your weight using natural weight loss methods and reasons not to put on extra weight are many although not all revolve around health and beauty.
Most health experts contend that the significance of excess weight is more than cosmetic as it takes a huge toll on a person’s physical health. The basics of eating correctly whilst maintaining a healthy weight is not all that complicated, in fact most people know pretty well what is best and that is losing weight naturally.
A reasonable approach to natural weight loss is to stick to a diet that is high in complex carbohydrates and fiber, moderate in protein, and low in fat. If you were looking at a meal then this would be a baked potato (carbohydrate), the vegetables would be the fiber and a little meat, is the protein.
Dietary fat is a problem because it is full of calories which will be converted into body fat unlike calories that are consumed in food from other sources. Another problem is the obsession with fat free or low fat foods that food manufactures are stacking the shelves with which despite their popularity are not stopping the problem of obesity.
The misconception is if you are eating something fat-free then you won’t be adding extra fat to your body but all food contains calories, just not always in the form of fat. The term fat-free can be a trap if you start to believe that you can eat any amount of fat-free food when it is far better to respond to hunger with healthy snacks.
Schools of thought differ on this subject but many nutritionists agree that eating smaller meals with a snack every 3 to four hours or between meals could be beneficial providing main meals are not missed. The lifestyle you want really is possible if you just remember that natural weight loss is a way of living and not just some fashion.
April 23rd, 2008 — Health
Once an injury to the spine has occurred, regular, often persistent back pain can follow; for most people, their only concern is to receive back pain relief medication to dull the pain. Whilst prescription pain relief pills may in fact dull the pain to a manageable degree, they do not treat the root cause of the problem. Many people with spinal problems become addicted to the medication that relieves the back pain but this should really be the responsibility of a doctor.
The back is under a constant strain throughout our lives and whilst it is very strong, it can be injured without to much difficulty; once spinal injury has occurred it can be a permanent condition. However, back pain is usually caused by a lifting accident or from lifting incorrectly and it is normally the lower back that suffers. Many people are now turning to other methods of gaining back pain relief which do not include the use of drugs.
An easy, inexpensive method to treat pain and bring relief is stretching; it actually relaxes the back muscles which can become knotted and tight, causing discomfort. Reflexology, an ancient type of alternative medical treatment, uses the concept that areas of the body have corresponding regions on the feet that can benefit from massage; it is a very old natural therapy which helps to relieve many chronic ailments in addition to back pain. Relaxing muscles and increasing the effectiveness of the circulatory system are two other reasons to use reflexology.
The Chinese medical art of acupuncture can also be used to help bring back pain relief, something which has only been recognized a short while in the West. The Chinese believe all humans have an energy force that flows through us called qi which is affected by our health. By inserting needles in specific parts of the body, it can help to unblock qi and restore the flow. Many sufferers swear by the use of acupuncture and results from many tests often back this claim; indications are the patient does receive pain relief by using this method.
Relief can also come from another Chinese treatment like tai chi which is a form of yoga but not so strenuous. This method uses breathing control as the main source of relief with some stretching involved. It is so easy to learn by the young and old alike. Regular exercise is also one of the best preventative medicines available and can help with back pain relief; it not only helps to ensure the back is more flexible but can prevent spinal problems as well.
April 9th, 2008 — Health
In today’s world where being overweight is becoming a commonplace condition; the problem has now extended to younger and younger children who are affected, with the fear they will grow into overweight adults. Often extreme measures are used to control this problem including surgery but others decide that dieting combined with an increase in physical activity is preferable. The problem is that many people are impatient and want instant results so they resort to taking weight loss drugs instead of living a healthy lifestyle.
These drugs work in a variety of ways but mainly they try to fool the brain into thinking the stomach is full and increase the person’s metabolism. That was all well and good until the point where more research had concluded that there was an increased risk of heart valve disease and as a consequence the drugs were withdrawn. More recently, new drugs have been developed and prescribed by doctors; many of which are still waiting for FDA approval.
You may in fact know someone who has used these pills at some time and has first hand experience of how effective they can be. It is a tempting proposition, to lose weight while still maintaining the same diet; who would say no? As a result of this, consumers everywhere have spent untold millions on these supposed wonderful weight loss drugs.
The more recent weight control pills can be prescribed by your doctor, dietitian or purchased in a drug store and despite the advances made in the drug manufacture, there are still dangers including vomiting and stomach problems. Surprisingly more dangerous side effects exist including stroke, heart attack, renal failure to name only a few, so these drugs are still far from safe to use.
Of course, many factors can affect the type and severity of problems like family history, weight, age and lifestyle; this is why it is so important to see the doctor before starting a course of pills; should you decide to stop taking the treatment, other side effects can occur as a result. These effects can be equally unpleasant as the side effects occurring as a result of taking weight control pills.
Whilst the effectiveness of these weight loss drugs is not in question, they are more effective if they are used alongside a controlled diet and exercise regime. The type of balanced food groups would be oats, cereals, rice, potatoes with fruit and vegetables as the best source of minerals, fiber and vitamins.
As far as the exercise is concerned, this needs to be worked out in advance after a physical examination by your doctor. By choosing a cardiovascular routine, the heart will be exercised and will benefit from the use of weights which in turn should help to speed up the person’s metabolism so that calories are used up more quickly.
December 21st, 2007 — Health
Braces are the most common form of cosmetic surgery. They are available in many different types. Before buying them they should consult the dentist to use the type of braces they need.
The most common type of braces is traditional type of braces, which is used by almost everybody. Because of its ease and durability this is mostly used in children. The braces are coming different types of designing which includes ceramic, gold and metal.
Invisalign braces are the next type of braces. But it is invisible. This consists of string made from plastic. Align corp. is the makers of this braces. The best advantage by using this brace is it is adjustability and removes ability, which can be done in twice in a week. But the main thing is the dentist does it.
Ligual braces are the trendiest from of braces, which is invisible because it is fixed installed behind the teeth.
December 21st, 2007 — Health
Back pain mostly affects in all the persons. Back pain can be quite annoying. Many people take pills to get relief from the back pain suddenly. If the back pain is not more severe taking pills will be effective and it will prevent from the back pain at the earliest.
First of all the people should find out what type of back pain, according to that only they should undergo the treatment of back pain relief. Some of the simple thing is by doing exercise and start walking will be the most effective.
Jacuzzis is the great place to treat the simple type of back pains. The less expensive treatment is keeping a heating pad. Pilates is the great way to treat for the back pain. Back pain affects the day-to-day life. Pilates is the most fantastic remedy to find out the proper alignment.
With the help of professional therapist the back pain can be treated.