Sebum, which is nothing but oil is produced by sebaceous glands which travel to the skin surface through hair follicles. But, skin cells block the follicles which results in oil also being blocked. When these hair follicles are blocked it results in the development of skin bacteria known as Propionibacterium Acnes within the follicles which in turn results in swelling of the skin called Acne. If the hair follicles are partially blocked it results in blackheads. If the follicles are completely blocked they result in whiteheads. But if these plugged follicles are not treated they ultimately burst causing the oil, bacteria and skin cells to spill all over the skin resulting in irritation and formation of pimples. Acne can be shallow as well as deep in various individuals depending on the nature of skin and amount of oil produced.

There can be various causes why Acne forms. Apart from rising hormone levels due to puberty it can also be attributed to certain other factors like intake of drugs which contain lithium, barbiturates and corticosteroids. Acne can also be caused due to excess grease and oil in the scalp, due to cooking oil and use of some cosmetics can actually alleviate the acne problem. Acne problem many times is inherited also. Acne problem is worsened if the pimples are squeezed or scrubbed too hard.

Acne can form at any place of the body but they most commonly form in the areas where there sebaceous glands are present in high proportions like face, chest, shoulders, neck and upper back. The symptoms may differ from person to person but commonly seen symptoms are: formation of blackheads, whiteheads, lesions filled with pus and which are very painful and lastly nodules. One may get confused sometimes as symptoms of acne may be like some other skin condition and it is always advised to consult a doctor in this scenario.

There are lots of treatments available today to treat acne. The primary goal of the treatment is to reduce scars and better appearance. There are various treatments and the doctor decides which specific treatment you need based on: the extent of acne problem, age, medical history, overall health, tolerance to specific medications and procedures, expectations and last but not the least what patients prefer.

Treatment of acne is classified into topical and systemic drug therapies which are given based on extent of severity. In some instances the combination of both the methods might be the way to go for acne treatment. Topical medication is nothing but creams, gels, lotions, solutions etc. prescribed to patients for acne treatment. Some of the examples of topical medication are: Benzoyl Peroxide which kills the Propionibacterium Acnes bacteria, antibiotics helps in stopping or slowing down the growth of the bacteria and also reduces inflammation, Tretinoin helps in stopping the formation of new acne lesions and Adapalene reduces formation of comedo.

Systemic drug therapies involve prescription of systemic antibiotics primarily for the treatment of acne problem which is moderate to severe in nature. The examples of antibiotics prescribed are Doxycycline, erythromycin and tetracycline. In some cases an oral drug called Isotretinoin is prescribed for teenagers with severe acne problem which shrinks down the sebaceous glands that produce oil. The results are pretty good and almost ninety percent of the adolescents have success with this oral drug. But the drug has some serious side-affects and thus it is very important that one consults a doctor before use.

Technorati Tags: Acne, Adolescents

Viruses and bacteria are main reason behind abdominal pain due to infections. Gastroenteritis and stomach flu are some of the examples of infections that can cause stomach aches. Gastroenteritis is the inflammation and irritation of stomach and the gastrointestinal passage. Extra care must be taken by travelers, as the food and drinks can be contaminated at new locations and can lead to traveler’s getting diarrhea. Stomach pain due to viral infections ward off quickly, but bacterial infections demand the intake of antibiotics. In both the cases, some children recover very fast by vomiting and excreting. In case of diarrhea, excess drinking fluids should be given to the kid to avoid dehydration.

Food related stomach aches can be caused because of food poisoning, gas production, excess food ingestion and food allergies. Problems because of food poisoning are temporary and can cause bloating. Symptoms of food poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and nausea. Usually these symptoms surface within two days of consumption of contaminated food. Depending on the severity chill, fever, bloody stools, or damage to the nervous system can follow. In case of a group of people who consumed the contaminated food, this situation is known as an outbreak. Over two hundred diseases are known to be transmitted via food. Food can be poisoned because of toxic agents or infective agents. Infective agents are parasites, bacteria, and viruses. Toxic agents are uncooked food, exotic foods, and poisonous mushrooms. Food can get contaminated because of handling by unclean workers at the local restaurant, too. Parents should check out the cleanliness and should visit a trusted restaurant.

Particular foods can cause the irritation, such as diary products can cause lactose intolerance. If this is the case, the child is allergic to certain food or drinks and swallowing even a small amount can cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, cramping, and skin rash. Since these items are harmless otherwise, such kind of allergic reactions are known as hypersensitivity reaction. Sometimes the symptoms can be life threatening and are known as anaphylactic shock or anaphylaxis.

Poisoning can also be due to overdose of medicines and even due to eating non-food stuffs. Insect bites such as black widow spider bite can also lead to pain in the abdomen. It can be accompanied with muscle cramps, weakness, nausea, tremor, vomiting and in severe case it can cause dizziness, faintness, respiratory problems, and chest pain. Also, the heart rate and blood pressure increases.

In very rare cases, abdominal pain can be due to appendicitis. This is a result of blockage and inflammation of tissues. Young kids have a higher rate if complications are considered and should be immediately rushed to the hospital. The pain starts slowly in the abdomen, specifically near the belly button. The pain shifts slowly to the right side of the lower abdomen within a time period of over twenty four hours. Clear symptoms are abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, fever and loss of appetite. Diabetes can also be a reason of abdominal pain. Small children usually curl up, cry and express pain through facial expression. Some kids will be reluctant to talk, but the parent should try to get clear explanation of the problem. Along with close monitoring of the symptoms, studying the location of pain, pain duration, nature of vomiting, and urinary problems will help. After that a pediatric should be consulted who can further refer to a gastroenterologist. Until help is reached, the child should be made to relax.

Often, lying with face in downward direction can relieve pain due to gas. Incase of vomiting and diarrhea, fluids should be given constantly. Solid food should only be given when the child is comfortable about eating it.

Technorati Tags: Abdominal, pain, virus

Cardio training is the best to maintain the health.

What Is Cardio Training?

Cardio training is activity that requires the use of our large muscle groups of the body in a regular and uninterrupted manner. It elevates the heart rate between 60 to 85 percent of the fastest heart rate you could get.

Some of the cardio training activities are jogging, running, walking, aerobics, swimming, cycling and rowing. Cardio training is an aerobic exercise because one is required to move from one exercise to another.

What Are the Benefits of Training?

1. Prevents Diseases
One could prevent heart diseases with regular cardio training. It is also helpful in preventing other variety of diseases like diabetes, obesity and even high cholesterol. The cardiovascular training strengthens the heart and the lungs. The low to moderated type of cardio exercises are required for people seeking to prevent diseases. Examples of these are walking, brisk walking or jogging.

2. Gives Energy to the Body
You can expect more energy and higher endurance after some time of regular cardio training.

3. Keep Your Weight Under control
With cardio training, you are able to burn more calories. This will help one who needs to lose weight. While those who already achieved their ideal body mass, the training will make it easier to control the weight.

Cardio training burn calories. However this generally depends on our current weight and the kind of cardio training you are undergoing. Better consult this matter with your physician or trainer, to know the proper type of training for your needs.

4. Get Rid of Boredom
Cardio training is fun. It pumps up your system. You will definitely feel more energized and on the go.

5. Reduce Body Fats
Some people do not have problem with their weights. However, there may be some excess fats that keep bothering. Cardio training will help in getting rid of those. The activities involve the movements of large muscle groups. Regularly doing the training will make you leaner.

Technorati Tags: Cardio Training, Fats, Weight

Gaining weight may not be quite as complicated as wedding planning, but it still requires the same effort. Below is a list of a few things you need to plan for when you are getting ready to gain weight:

• When you are going to start
• When and for how long you are going to exercise
• What types of exercise you are going to do
• How many calories to ingest per day
• What you are going to eat for each meal
• What you are going to have for snacks each day
• What weight gain diet will you have in place

These are just a few of the plans you need to be making now and throughout the weight gain process. Of course, you may also want to plan how you will deal with temptations, how you will reward yourself for meeting goals, and other things that may come up throughout your weight gain journey. You know what they say. When it comes to wanting to accomplish something, if you fail to plan from the beginning, you are planning to fail. It may sound cliche, but it’s very true.

Technorati Tags: Weight, Gain Weight

Among the highest risk factors are male sex, age over 35, cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, high levels of certain blood fats, and a family history of cardiovascular disorders.

Other researchers have added to this list another risk factor: the compulsive, hard-driving, highly anxious personality. The greater the number of severity, the greater the person’s overall risk.

These threats to the heart can be divided into two main categories: those beyond individual control, such as age, sex, and heredity, and those that can be controlled, avoided, or even eliminated. Among those in the second category are what cardiologists call “the triple threat.” These are the high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, and high cholesterol levels in the blood.

If you smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, your risk of having a heart attack is twice that of a nonsmoker. If you smoke, have hypertension, and eat a diet high in fats without any exercise at all, your risk is five times greater than normal.

The Healthy Heart

If these risk factors endanger the heart’s health, what enhances its well-being and improves its odds of working long and well?

Obviously, quitting cigarettes and eating a low-fat diet will help. The next best thing you can do for your heart’s sake is to give it what it needs: regular exercise or a complete cardio interval training.

The heart is a muscle, or, more accurately, a group or “package” of muscles, similar in many ways to the muscles of the arms and legs. And just as exercise strengthens and improves limb muscles, it enhances the health of the heart muscles as well.

Since World War II, several large-scale statistical studies have evaluated the relationship between physical activity and cardiovascular disease. One well-known survey compared 31,000 drivers and conductors of some bus companies. The more sedentary drivers had a significantly higher rate of heart disease than the conductors, who walked around the buses and climbed stairs to the upper level.

The why and how behind these statistics were bet explained by classic experiments with dogs whose coronary arteries were surgically narrowed to resemble those of humans with arteriosclerosis. Dogs who were exercised were had much better blood flow than those kept inactive.

The exercise seemed to stimulate the development of new connections between the impaired and the nearly normal blood vessels, so exercised dogs had a better blood supply to all the muscle tissue of the heart. The human heart reacts in the same way to provide blood to the portion that was damaged by the heart attack.

To enable the damaged heart muscle to heal, the heart relies on new small blood vessels for what is called collateral circulation. These new branches on the arterial tress can develop long before a heart attack — and can prevent a heart attack if the new network takes on enough of the function of the narrowed vessels.

With all these facts, it is now boiled down to a single question: What should be done in order to prevent such dilemmas?

Some studies showed that moderate exercise several times a week is more effective in building up these auxiliary pathways than extremely vigorous exercise done twice often.

The general rule is that exercise helps reduce the risk of harm to the heart. Some researches further attested the link between exercise and healthy heart based from the findings that the non-exercisers had a 49% greater risk of heart attack than the other people included in the study. The study attributed a third of that risk to sedentary lifestyle alone.

Hence, with employing the cardio interval training, you can absolutely expect positive results not only on areas that concerns your cardiovascular system but on the overall status of your health as well.

This particular activity that is definitely good for the heart is a cycle of “repeated segments” that is of intense nature. In this process, there is an interchange periods of recuperation. It can both be comprehensive activity and moderate motion.

Consequently, the benefits of merely engaging into this kind of activity can bring you more results that you have ever expected. These are:

1. The threats of heart attack are lessened, if not eliminated

2. Enhanced heart task

3. Increase metabolism, increase the chance of burning calories, therefore, assist you in losing weight

4. Improves lung capacity

5. Helps lessen or eliminate the cases of stress

Indeed, cardio interval training is the modern way of creating a healthy, happy heart and body.

Technorati Tags: Health, Cardio, Lung, Heart

• Eat more often but smaller amounts. Try not to go more than four hours between eating.
• Get out of bed slowly
• Keep biscuits handy to eat before getting out of bed
• Avoid large meals
• Rest as much as you can as feeling tiredness makes the feeling worse
• Try to avoid smells and food that make you feel worse
• Clean, lemony smells may make you feel better
• Avoid eating spicy or fatty foods
• Try to wear loose clothes that don’t put pressure on your stomach

Tips to prevent heartburn

• Try putting a pillow between your knees to help ease the strain on hips and knees.
• Decrease your fluid intake in the evenings (but not during the day) and avoid caffeine to avoid heartburn.
• Eat little and often. Drink milk or herbal teas with chamomile or fennel after eating.
• Also eat peppermints after eating.

Travel tips

• The second trimester is the best time to travel. At this time, you are probably over the sick and nauseous feelings of the first trimester. The miscarriage risk is also minimum at this time.
• On the road or in the air, avoid sitting for extended periods of time, try to walk around at least every hour or two. On a plane or train, even a trip up and down the aisles can help get your circulation going. Also make frequent trips to the toilet.
• Carry light snacks so that you do not go without food for long periods of time. Keep munching a carrot, an apple or a sandwich every hour or so.
• In the sultry heat of India, keep water handy all the time ot prevent dehydration and cramping.
• Use travel sickness bands - these work by massaging your pressure points.

Miscellaneous

• If you suffer with piles during pregnancy ice packs covered with a soft cloth on the area can provide relief.
• To relieve backache, place a warm hot water bottle on the relevant area. Press your spine against a wall and keep in that position for a few seconds.
• For cramps, gentle exercise will help - swimming is particularly good. Raise your feet on a pillow when lying in bed.

Pain relief during labour

• Having your back rubbed during labour helps with the pain.
• When you are in labour, try and walk around or at least stay in an upright position for as long as possible. This speeds up the process.
• Squatting, hands and knees or standing during delivery increases the pelvis size by over 30% giving you a faster, easier and safer delivery.
• Eating and drinking fluids during labour is the best natural remedy for labour pain.
• You can help your baby move into the optimal position for birth in your third trimester by making sure that your knees are lower than your hips when driving, sitting or relaxing.

From bee stings and sunburn to splinters and poison ivy, kiddie injuries and illnesses can ruin your summer. Read on for the easiest — and most effective — ways to treat ‘em fast.

So here are 2 ideas I eventually came up with and now they’re staples that my kids beg for in the morning! They haven’t asked for either cheerios or soy milk in quite awhile.

Idea 1:
Fruit smoothie - blend a few ripe bananas with water, add another fruit - strawberry, mango, date… the possibility is endless. A plain banana based smoothie is actually more delicious than one would think. You don’t *have* to add yogurt or soy or dairy or protein powders in there! It’s good all by itself. (I would argue, that it’s BETTER all by itself).

Idea 2:
Banana milk and fruit cereal bowl. Blend 2-3 bananas with enough water to make a milk-like consistency, pour into a bowl of diced fruit pieces and little berries. You can add a few nuts too if you want, but fruit alone digests better in your stomach. It looks VERY attractive because the banana milk is light yellow and the fruit pieces are very colorful! My kids’ favorite fruits to go in their cereal are the berries - blueberries, raspberries, blackberries. ]]> http://healthndietsblog.com/diet/two-all-natural-breakfast-ideas/18/feed/ http://healthndietsblog.com/uncategorized/heart-attack-procedure-this-is-not-a-joke/17/ http://healthndietsblog.com/uncategorized/heart-attack-procedure-this-is-not-a-joke/17/#comments Sat, 12 May 2007 22:52:43 +0000 Rahul Uncategorized http://healthndietsblog.com/uncategorized/heart-attack-procedure-this-is-not-a-joke/17/ HEART ATTACK PROCEDURE”: (THIS IS NOT A JOKE!)

Men should know that not every heart
attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting.
Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.

You may never have the first chest pain during
the course of a heart attack.

Nausea and intense sweating
are also common symptoms.

60% of people who have a heart attack
while they are asleep do not wake up.

Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep.
Let’s be careful and be aware.
The more we know, the better chance
we could survive…
A cardiologist says if everyone
who gets this mail sends it to 10
people, you can be sure that
we’ll save at least one life. Read this…
It could save your life!!

Let’s say it’s 6.15 pm and you’re driving home .

Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain
in your chest that starts to radiate out
into your arm and up into your jaw.
You are only about five
miles from the hospital nearest your home.
Unfortunately you don’t know if you’ll be
able to make it that far.
You have been trained in CPR, but the guy that
taught the course did not tell you
how to perform it on yourself.

“HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK
WHEN ALONE”:

Since many people are alone
when they suffer a heart attack, without help, the person whose heart is beating
improperly and who begins to
feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left
before losing consciousness.
However, these victims can help themselves
by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously.
A deep breath should be taken before each cough,
deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum
from deep inside the chest.
A breath and a cough must be repeated
about every two seconds
without let-up until help arrives, or until the heart
is felt to be beating normally again.
Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs
and coughing movements squeeze
the heart and keep the blood circulating
The squeezing pressure on the heart
also helps it regain normal rhythm.
In this way, heart attack victims
can get to a hospital. Tell as many
other people as possible about this.
It could save their lives!! “