Welcome to Your Maximized Life! - Dr. James JUDGE

Smoking While Pregnant

Smoking while pregnant is harmful and this truth is well known to everybody. But everyone does not fully understand about the important concerns of smoking.

Every mother discloses herself and her unborn and growing baby of the uterine to vast health risks when she starts smoking. We may now try to outline and understand the main concerns about smoking while pregnant.

Smoking and pregnancy are the two different words that when forms or unite it makes very serious effects on the mother and the growing baby of the uterine.

It is again a well known fact that everybody knows that cigarette is containing thousands of harmful toxins like nicotine, carbon monoxide and cyanide (More or less 4000).

When one smokes while early pregnancy symptoms start, every inhale reaches baby through placenta of the mother who smokes and thus the toxic effect reaches both the mother and the baby. Most of these toxins are reaching the baby without any stop and the ill effects accumulating on the baby is not brought to the notice of the mother.

While smoking, every time the toxins affect the circulatory system of the mother and slowly it harms the placenta which is supplying blood to the baby and eventually it reaches baby’s circulation and begin damaging and narrowing of the blood vessels of the baby. The damage goes on in the baby’s blood vessels that carry nutrient and oxygen as she continues the smoking. Generally the smoking is the main cause for narrowing of the blood vessels and it causes heart attacks and strokes. This ill effect of smoking affects the baby by starving for food and oxygen. Continuous starvation of the baby may result in stressed and smaller size baby and even cause premature babies. The main concerning effect of smoking during pregnancy is “restricted fetal growth”. The new born baby weighs only up to 200gms as against the average weight of the baby of the non-smoking mothers. This is attributed to the restricted nutrient and oxygen supply of the baby by narrowing of important blood vessels by smoking toxins. The quantity of the toxins of smoking is having the direct effect and impact on the baby’s weight and general health.

Most of the perinatal infant deaths (just before the right period of delivery) are linked with heavy smoking. Heavy smoking is able to cause placental detachment from the uterine which causes the death of the baby. It is estimated that about 12% of the prenatal infant death occurs only by having heavy smoking habit from the beginning and as soon as early pregnancy symptoms start. This is also most dangerous to the life of the mother and saving the mother’s life becomes more risky while prenatal infant death occur.

The brain begins to develop in the growing baby of the mother’s uterine occurs in the third trimester. As the baby’s body receives the nicotine without break, the brain of the baby also becomes addictive to nicotine which causes the disorder of attention deficit and learning disability. Though this link is not proved fully, it is wise to avoid nicotine addict to the brain of the baby in the uterine itself and the let the baby in the safer side. Though the mother and her baby do not have any serious problems immediately after the birth of the baby, the baby will definitely have the furious and disturbed attitude. The new born baby may have irritation and this may be continued for few weeks. This may be due to the withdrawal of nicotine after birth. This is the challenge for a new mother with her new baby and she has to face and manage the baby from this problem. Stopping the habit of smoking is the only answer for every mother to avoid this problem of irritation in newly born baby. Though quitting of smoking is very difficult for every mother who is pregnant, it is worth if quitted for the sake of the mother and new born baby.

Researches so far conducted reveal the truth about the malformation of organs in the growing baby of the uterine. They express their view that some of the babies are having higher risk of having cleft of the lips, palate, abnormalities of growth in bowel, spinal cord, eyes and ear. But they also emphasize the risk of having respiratory problems that the baby have after birth and thus it is imperative for every mother and understand that the effects of smoking goes in its way even after the birth of the baby. It is also true that the health benefits are vast by quitting smoking during pregnancy.

Putting down the cigarette smoking is the only choice to have relieved from the risk of having serious ill effects on mother and baby. About 20% of the pregnant women are smoking and 50% of them are heavy smokers. And it is true about 5% of the pregnant smokers completely quit from this habit almost in the first trimester of pregnancy. It is also true those pregnant smokers who quit smoking increases the chances of having their new born baby at normal weight as in the case of non-smoking mothers. But this does not mean that quitting in first trimester of pregnancy is enough to have normal baby and it is very definite that any degree of toxins by smoking will increase the risk of the baby to have growth abnormalities. It is important that every pregnant mother should have in their mind that “more smoking makes more effects and less smoking makes less effects on baby”. It is quite sure that any level of smoking is not safe and complete quit is the only recommended advice to avoid the risk of having any ill effect in both mother and baby.

Smoking during pregnancy not only affects the baby but also causes the complications on mother by having hypertension, tachycardia and depression. It is quite obvious it causes lung infection and blood clotting disorder. It also increases the risk of having ectopic pregnancy, stillbirths, miscarriages and placental malformations. In several occasions scientists reveal that smoking women undergo menopause and increased menopause bleeding at younger age than nonsmokers.

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Health Industry Insights (HII), an IDC Company, recently published a report called “Technology Selection: The Evolving Care Management Model to Address the Healthcare Crisis.” In essence the report looks at how care management technologies must evolve to accommodate the changing market, namely, “the mounting disease burden” brought on by the increase of chronic conditions in our aging population. Among its many worthwhile findings, the report suggests that integrated technologies such as payer-based electronic health records and those that provide a single source of comprehensive patient information are those that will enable health care payers to best meet the demands of their employer customers while also helping payers themselves maintain costs and improve care. I felt the following quote from the study summed things up rather nicely: “The increasing prevalence of chronic conditions and an aging population is driving a more holistic approach that contemplates the whole person and not one specific disease state or acute episode…”

 
The HII report resonated deeply with us here at MEDecision because it validated a philosophy we have held for some time. We have long promoted the notion that the next logical step for health information technology is to create a complete and comprehensive view of the individual patient that each stakeholder can both access and contribute to in real-time. It must provide actionable data with up-to-date clinical decision support and gaps in care information to furnish users with a streamlined and simplified resource for managing both populations and individual patients. And it must interface easily with existing systems so the best possible clinical information can get into the hands of those who need it, when they need it and in the format that best suits them.

 
This is precisely what we have designed our Alineo™ and Nexalign™ products to do, so the HII report indeed corroborates our vision for the future of the industry. It’s no wonder that these products gained so much attention and enthusiasm when we showcased them at the recent AHIP Institute and HIMSS conference. Potential partners and potential users alike have begun to see the value in technologies that can integrate, automate and collaborate. With health care reform poised to kick into high gear in the coming months and the patient centered medical home model continuously gaining traction, I think we’ll see what we once considered the future of health IT become reality a lot sooner than we once anticipated.

Health Health, IT, and the, Evolving Health Care Market

Staphylococcal can cause various types of infection like changes in skin, infection in internal organs and blood poisoning or sepsis. These are all included in symptoms of staph infection. It is important for few diseases cause by these bacteria, to focus on the signs of staph infection and get it cured before it threatens the life. At the same time some type of infection would be cured naturally.

What is Staph?

Staph (pronounced as ‘Staff’)  is a gram-positive spherical parasitic bacterium. Some of them cause infections or septicemia by forming the irregular colonies.

What Is Staphylococcal (Staph) Infection?

Caused by Staphylococcal bacteria and their toxin production, Staph infection is an irritation of the skin or internal organs. The bacteria generally enter the body with an open cut and it can be life-threatening as well.

Symptoms of Staph Skin Infection

One may get Staph skin infection through the cut or scratch or by skin-to-skin contact with the infected person. It is wise to keep wound clean and dry, to avoid the infections transmission. Symptoms and signs of staph infection in skin can be as listed below:

•Red rashes or blisters with pus
•Skin bumps and eyelid swelling
•Impetigo – the small red blister which gets crust and erode.
•Paronychia – Infected tissue adjacent to nails.
•Cellulitis –Inflammation of body tissues with fever and swelling.
•Staphylococcal scalding skin syndrome -Scaling of skin
•Infected acne
•Staphylococcal lymphangitis -lymphatic vessels infection

Various Types of Staph and their Symptoms:

Staph Mastitis symptoms
Staph mastitis is an inflammation of breast tissues which occur mainly to breastfeeding mothers. The possible time period of its occurrence is within 6 weeks of child’s birth. Symptoms of staph mastitis are:

•Red painful lump in the breast with swelling.
•Itchiness of breast skin and nipple
•Nipple discharge
•Fever
•Lymph nodes close to armpit.

Staph Food Poisoning Symptoms
Staph food poisoning can occur by eating infected food with toxins produced by the bacteria of Staphylococcal. Symptoms of staph food poisoning are:

•Nausea or vomiting within 8 hours of food intake.
•Diarrhea and fever can follow nausea and vomiting sometimes.
•Generally the sickness remains for 1 to 3 days and get cured naturally.

Bacterial Parotitis symptoms
It is an inflammation in the area of parotid gland caused by staph bacteria. Symptoms of Bacterial Parotitis are:

•Pain and swelling beneath the ear.
•Trismus- trouble in opening the mouth
•Dysphagia- trouble in swallowing
•Discharge in the mouth
•Fever with chills

Bacterial Sinusitis Symptoms
The inflammation of in the inner surface of sinuses is called Bacterial Sinusitis.  It is generally caused by the staph bacteria. Symptoms of Bacterial Sinusitis are:

•Aching teeth, head and face
•Cough and nasal blockage
•Greenish to yellowish nasal discharge
•Fever and swelling in face
•Kids may feel confusion and unable to concentrate on studies
While bacterial sinusitis will trouble the patient for more than 10 days; viral sinusitis can get cured naturally in few days.

Staph Vaginitis Symptoms
Symptoms of Staph Vaginitis are:

•Discharge of pus and sometimes with presence of blood
•Odor
•Pain while urinating and at the time of sexual intercourse
•Itchiness

Bacterial Epiglottitis Symptoms
An epiglottis is a tissue flap that covers the larynx and windpipe while swallowing the food. The rare disease of bacterial Epiglottitis is the infection of the epiglottis which can block the air flow to the windpipe.  It is generally seen in children. The symptoms of Bacterial Epiglottitis are:

•Extreme pain in throat especially while swallowing food.
•Painful swallowing
•Excessive flow of saliva
•Difficulty in breathing
•Fever

Symptoms of Bacterial Urinary Infection in Men

Staphylococci bacteria can cause infection in men Urinary system. The main symptoms are buringin and pain during urination with the increased frequency and inability to control the urine for longer time.

Symptoms of Bacterial Prostatits:
•Fever, paining groin, muscles, testicles or lower abdomen along with cloudy urine and sometimes blood in semen.
Kidney and Bladder Infections:

Symptoms of this disease are pain in kidney and bladder with cloudy urine and fever.

Staph Bone Infection (Osteomyelitis) Symptoms

It is an inflammation of bone caused by staph bacteria and there are no clear symptoms of it except affected mobility of limb, pain and sometimes lymph nodes. The infection is likely to get spread to the contiguous joint. If the infection has spread with blood then the swelling and redness is visible.

Life Threatening Staph Infections Symptoms

Staph Pneumonia Symptoms
Staphylococcal bacteria can cause pneumonia especially to the patients who are suffering from lung diseases, venous drug addict or a person with internal prosthetic tool. The symptoms like high fever, chills, increased heartbeats, cough and breathing problem are same as the regular Pneumonia

Bacterial (Staph) Endocarditis Symptoms
Symptoms of Bacterial Endocarditis are:

•Fever
•Weakness with paleness
•Exhaustion, joint pains
•Red nodes on the fingers, Petechiae, red skin spots

Staph Meningitis Symptoms
The bacterium attacks patients with the brain surgery or skin infections.

Symptoms of Staph Meningitis are mild fever, tiredness, headache, lethargy, loss of orientation.

Staph Sepsis
Staph sepsis generally occurs when the staph bacteria enters the blood and can be fatal.

Symptoms of staph sepsis are:

•Sudden fever or hypothermia
•The patient can feel extremely weak and suffer from diarrhea or vomiting and nausea.
•Increased heartbeat and hyperventilation
•Symptoms of other already affected organs become intense.
The other symptoms of sepsis can also be blood clothing, low breathing, and limited urination.

Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections
Caused by Staphylococci bacteria, Necrotizing means premature death of cells and tissues. However, few other bacteria can also cause this disease.

Symptoms can be a red bump or red spot which gets transferred into painful black patch with the fluid pus. Interestingly, it can develop within an hour. The other general symptoms are similar to sepsis. It does get cured naturally and one needs to visit the doctor to avoid any fatal complications.

Toxic Shock Syndrome
It is a rare but fatal disease caused by staphylococcus bacteria.

Symptoms of toxic shock syndrome are:

•Fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting
•Skin rash and skin peel off
•Muscle pains

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What is armpit odor?

Armpit odor, the most common form of body odor is the unpleasant smell that is linked to stale perspiration under the arms. When the perspiration is exposed for some time to the atmosphere, chemical changes take place due to the active bacteria present on the skin’s surface. This can result in odor though initially the perspiration is odorless. Armpit odor is not truly the smell of perspiration as commonly assumed since the sweat secreted by the body is odorless. It is in fact the chemical changes caused by the bacteria while they break down the protein into acids.

An average person has about 3-4 million sweat glands in the body that are responsible for secreting perspiration. These can be classified into two types:

• Eccrine Glands — These glands are the source for most perspiration. They secrete salts and water that reach the skin through coiled ducts or tubes when the nervous system senses the body heat. These glands are responsible for controlling the body temperature. The sweat produced by these glands is high in salt content and thus bacteria find it harder to break down the protein.
• Apocrine Glands — These glands secrete sweat through the hair follicles and are present in large numbers in armpits. The sweat secreted by these glands contains organic substance (fatty substance) also known as sebum. The sweat contains high amount of protein which the bacteria finds easier to break. The breaking down of protein in sweat by the bacteria present on the armpit results in underarm odor. Thus, it can be assumed that the apocrine glands are more responsible for the armpit body odor.

Smelly armpit usually starts being evident when reaching puberty as the apocrine glands begins to develop at the age of 13 to 15. However, even in children, armpit odor is noticed in case of hyperhydrosis.

The only symptom for armpit odor is the unpleasant smell given out by the body.

Causes of Armpit Odor

The bacterial activity of breaking down of proteins into acids exudes foul smell from underarms. More than 30 chemicals were found contributing to body odor, the main one being 3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid.

Let’s have a look at what causes armpit odor:
Sweating is the main cause for body odor as it contains organic substances and the bacteria present on the skin surface start breaking these down into acids. Overactive bacteria present in the underarms causes the odor. Poor hygienic habits result in foul smelling armpits.

Intake of spicy foods involving garlic, onions, curries also result in temporary change in smell. Deficiency of zinc, toxins and cavities along with other dietary imbalances bring alterations in the natural body smell.

Stress and anxiety, at times, result in underarm odor since the body sweats profusely in case of stress.

Armpit odor can be hereditary as family members are generally found to have related smells.

Diseases like kidney or liver illness and diabetes are also among armpit odor causes. Liver patients smell like ammonia in case of armpit odor while diabetics smell similar to a nail polish. Taking strong medicines too affect the body smell at times. Individuals taking drugs and toxins like pericyasine and topiramate also complain about smelly armpits.

Gastrointestinal problems, skin problems, bacterial growth, fungal infection, fever and prolonged intestines too are some of the causes of armpit odor.

Armpit odor in women is noticed following menopause as excessive sweating is noticed during this period.

Armpit odor in men is stronger as they are more physical in general compared to women.

Personal habits like tobacco, smoking, alcohol and caffeine also cause underarm odor.

Good hygiene involves not just maintaining a clean body but also good clean clothes. Fabrics like cotton can easily absorb foul odors. Non-breathing fabrics cause more sweating and also prevents the perspiration from vaporizing thereby increasing the smell.

Decrease in male hormones’ levels, low blood sugar, weak metabolism and hyperthyroidism too cause foul-smell in perspiration.

Armpit Odor Treatment

Being unbearable at times and a cause of embarrassment, individuals with foul-smelling underarms keep wondering on how to get rid of armpit odor.

Given below are a few armpit odor remedies and ways to minimize the bad smell:

Armpits have the apocrine glands in large numbers causing unpleasant smell on perspiration. To avoid odor, the underarms should be washed regularly with anti-bacterial soap to keep the number of bacteria minimum. Take a shower or bath at least once a day. Warm water is quite effective in killing bacteria present on the skin and thus stop armpit odor.

Armpits should be shaved regularly as the hair prevents evaporation of sweat giving time enough for the bacteria to break the protein into smelly acids.

Deodorants help to eliminate armpit odor by making the skin more acidic. This creates difficulties for bacteria to carry out their activities. Antiperspirants work by blocking the sweat glands and thereby resulting in less perspiration. However, excessive use of deodorants and antiperspirants should be avoided as these can cause breast cancer or prostate cancer.

Natural fibers like cotton, wool and silk allow the skin to breathe and thus helping in quicker evaporation of sweat.

Spicy foods like garlic, curry and also red meat has the potential to turn sweat more unpleasant.

A suitable drug that contains aluminum chloride is prescribed by the doctors to help reduce armpit odor.

Individuals with armpit odors are being treated with Botulinum toxin injections in the armpits. About 12 injections are used in this procedure that is done in about 45 minutes. This toxin helps in reducing perspiration by blocking the signals from the brain to underarm sweat glands.

Most of the cases of unpleasant smelling underarms are related to hygiene. Therefore, cultivating clean habits work almost every time in fighting body odor.  Never hesitate to consult a doctor if the underarm stench persists as the home remedies for armpit odor may not always work.

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Thyroid Stimulating Hormone

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone or TSH or Thyrotropin is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland, a small organ located below the brain and behind the sinus cavities. It is responsible for stimulating the thyroid gland. The TSH levels are measured for diagnosing any thyroid disorders.

The level of thyroid hormones in the blood depends and is controlled by the pituitary gland and the TSH levels. The TSH is secreted by thyrotrope cells in the front pituitary gland which is responsible for regulating the endocrine function of the thyroid gland. The TSH level is directly related to the level of thyroid hormones.

The TSH is responsible for the secretion of the following hormones by the thyroid gland:

•Triiodothyronine or T3
•Thyroxine or T4
Ironically, T3 and T4 restrain the production and secretion of TSH similar to another hormone somatostatin that inhibits TSH production.

Thyroid Gland

The thyroid gland is located at the anterior part of the throat just below the Adam’s apple. This butterfly-shaped gland produces hormones that can affect and regulate nearly every bodily function. Along with these, Triiodothyronine (T3) and Thyroxine (T4) are also necessary for the normal development of the human brain. In case of any thyroid disorders in the early years of a child resulting in insufficient thyroid hormone production, the child may become mentally retarded.

These hormones control various functions of the body including memory, heart rate, cholesterol levels, metabolism and organ function, weight loss or gain, energy levels and skin condition.

Thyroid Gland Disorders

When the thyroid gland is producing less thyroid hormone, the pituitary gland produces increased TSH levels to stimulate the thyroid forcing it to increase its production of thyroid hormones. This condition is called hypothyroidism. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include tiredness, dry skin, slow growth, constipation and delayed pubertal development.

When the thyroid gland produces more thyroid hormone than required, the pituitary gland decreases its level of TSH production so as to decrease the level of thyroid hormones produced by the thyroid. This condition, hyperthyroidism, results in unexpected weight loss, irregular heartbeat, excessive sweating, irritability and nervousness.

TSH Test

Thyroid stimulating hormone test or TSH testing is used to diagnose and observe the treatment of a thyroid disorder and also to help evaluate pituitary gland function.  A TSH test may also be ordered in case of enlarged thyroid gland, hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. In addition to this, TSH tests are usually done for newborns to check any case of congenital hypothyroidism. Asymptomatic pregnant women are not tested generally but in case of any symptoms of thyroid disorder, the TSH blood levels are checked to detect and evaluate hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. It is usually done along with other thyroid tests like T4 test, T3 test and thyroid antibodies. This procedure is followed because the TSH is not the secretion of thyroid gland but of pituitary gland. So, if there is some problem with the pituitary gland itself, then the test results may not be of any use.

TSH test is a common blood test used to detect any problems affecting the thyroid gland. Involving a simple procedure, it can provide an accurate TSH level. A blood sample is collected using a special lancet to break the skin and make a lesion on the nick of the finger. A few drops of blood are collected into a special collection device and send for analysis. There’s no need to fast or limit any activity before the test. No special preparations are required for this test. However, some medications may affect test results, so tell the doctor about any drugs that are being taken. Any kind of extreme stress and acute or chronic illness can also affect the TSH test results.

TSH TEST Results

Normal TSH Level

Though the levels of TSH in the blood vary, the normal TSH levels for a newborn are generally 3-20mIU/L and for an adult 0.4-4.5mIU/L.

Normal ranges vary depending on the lab but are usually close to each other. Any value below 0.3mIU/L though is considered as hyperthyroid TSH level.

AACE set the new normal range to 0.3-3.0mIU/L a few years back while some doctors believe that TSH level over 2.0mIU/L is not normal and 3.5mIU/L is a hypothyroid TSH level.

If the TSH level is blood is normal, then the other thyroid tests like T3 test and T4 test are carried out. The thyroid is considered to be functioning normally if the T3 and T4 levels are also normal.

High TSH Level

A high TSH level indicates that the pituitary gland is producing excess amounts of TSH and a disorder of thyroid gland. This condition is called hypothyroidism. TSH levels above 4.0mIU/L are considered high and occur when pituitary gland produces more than normal amounts of TSH as the thyroid does not secrete enough T4 and T3. Hence, the T4 and T3 tests are carried out along with the TSH blood test.

If the TSH levels are high but the T4 and T3 tests show normal levels then it is considered as a case of mild hypothyroidism or sub-clinical hypothyroidism. Patients usually suffer from fatigue and mild depression.

If the T3 and T4 levels drop down considerably with a high TSH level then it is a condition of hypothyroidism. Patient may suffer from memory loss, weakness, fatigue, and difficulty waking up, rough hair and skin, difficulty in losing or gaining weight, intolerance to cold, mood swings, depression, constipation, abnormal menstruation and decreased sex drive.

During pregnancy, the thyroid levels change greatly and hence the hypothyroidism is often diagnosed. TSH levels during pregnancy are also necessarily determined as even sub-clinical hypothyroidism can cause pre-eclampsia, anemia, postpartum hemorrhage, fetal cardiac dysfunction and low birth weight. It even involves high risk of miscarriage or impaired development of brain function of the child.

Low TSH Levels

A low TSH level is an indication of either an overactive thyroid gland or damaged pituitary gland as a result of which it produces less Thyroid-stimulating hormone. This condition is called hyperthyroidism. It can also indicate an under-active thyroid gland which is receiving increased amount of TSH. The standard scale for determining the normal TSH levels vary around the world, but usually a TSH level below 0.3mIU/L is considered as low TSH level.

The T3 and T4 tests may vary even when the TSH test shows low values. If the thyroid hormones tests are normal, then it may be a case of mild hyperthyroidism or sub-clinical hyperthyroidism.

If the T3 and T4 levels are high along with low levels of TSH, then it is an indication of increased hyperthyroidism. The symptoms for these include fatigue, palpitations, insomnia, nervousness, hair loss, muscle weakness, trembling limbs, increased bowel movements and weight loss.

In some cases of low TSH levels, the T3 and T4 tests too show low levels of the thyroid hormones. This interprets a non-thyroidal illness or a rare pituitary hypothyroidism.

If hypothyroidism is left untreated, it can cause myxedema coma, a dangerous condition that may result in loss of normal brain function and even death. Though, this is a rare condition, it is most common in women and aged hypothyroid patients whose thyroid condition is left untreated for a long period. It is commonly noticed during winter months and in extremely cold places.

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Ingrown Toenail(s) Infection

An ingrown toenail occurs when the nail grows down and into the skin of the toe. It is caused by abnormal growth of the toenails, usually the big toes, and the surrounding tissues. When the lateral edges of the nail grow into the flesh of the toe, the small piece of nail or the whole nail applies pressure on the skin resulting in pain, swelling and redness. If the condition persists, it also results in infection and inflammation. Patients with ingrown toenails are among the most common visitors to chiropodists or podiatrists.

The condition of ingrown toenails is known by various terms like toe infection, nail infection, ingrown nail or onychocryptosis. Infected ingrown toenail is a very common problem affecting primarily the big toenails. Most people develop an ingrown toenail big toe during their 20s and 30s, but it is also seen in teenagers in case of a tearing in the corners of their toenails.

The sideways growth of the nail edges into the skin of the toe causing discomfort. The abnormally growing nail acts like a foreign body and causes a break in the skin due to the constant poking. The ingrown nail can also apply pressure in the nail fold area without any skin penetration causing pain though it isn’t considered as ingrown toenail. In some cases, a corn/callus is also noticed down the side of the nail as a reaction to the pressure instead of the nail actually penetrating the skin.

Ingrown Toenail Symptoms
Symptoms of ingrown toenail include sore and painful nail folds with redness and swelling of the surrounding skin. Infection of tissue and tenderness in toe along the sides of the nail and pain is observed along with increased warmth. In a few cases where the condition is chronic, repeated episodes of pain and infection or one of these occur. An infection may be present if the skin is red, painful or swollen on the sides of the nail. This infection may cause complications for diabetics or other patients due to poor circulation of blood on their feet. If left untreated, the nail can go under the skin causing more severe ingrown toenail infections.

An examination of the infected foot may show skin which is swollen, firm, red, or tender to touch. Presence of pus in ingrown toenails is also reported in some cases. Skin along the edge of the nail appears to be growing over the nail.

Ingrown Toenail Causes
An ingrown toenail can develop due to various reasons like poorly fitting shoes and toenails that are not trimmed the right way. Cutting the toenails incorrectly, too short or not straight across causes them to re-grow into the skin. Tight hosiery or footwear with narrow toe boxes makes it even worse.

Injuries to the toenail and deformities of the foot or toes like unusually thick toenails and curve toenails are also the factors for an ingrown toenail. It can also be hereditary in some cases.

Ingrown Toenail Risk Factors
The risk factors for ingrown toenails include poor fitted footwear, poor foot hygiene, athletic adolescents and children, toenail infections, diabetes, obesity, naturally short nails, congenital foot deformity and congenital toenail malformation. Repeated injuries to foot, prior nail surgery, poor posture and gait, fungal nail disease, abnormal nail growths, arthritis and excessive foot sweating are also some of the other risk factors.

Persons with very long toes and also those born with curved nails that tend to grow downward are also prone to ingrown toenails. Anyone can develop this condition but adults are more prone to suffer as the nails tend to thicken with age.

Ingrown Toenail Remedies
How to get rid of an ingrown toenail?
This condition can be resolved without medical treatment unless it’s a complicated case where a physician is required for treatment. An ingrown toenail can be unpleasant and painful. Hence, here are a few ingrown toenail home remedies:

Soak your foot for approximately 15 minutes in warm water with a tablespoon of common salt added to it. Warm water in the presence of common salt acts as a natural disinfectant preventing infections by cleansing away dirt particles and destroying breeding germs. It also softens and heals the skin tissue of the infected toe. After soaking for 15 minutes, dry the foot with a soft towel and twist a small cotton wool ball into a thin thread and wedge it under the ingrown nail. If this process is repeated for a few days before bed, the nail will start growing outwards.

Tying up a lemon slice around the affected toe before bed can heal the infection. The acidic lemon juice fights against microbial growth and prevents the spread of the infection.

Cleaning the area with water and a solution of hydrogen peroxide is also a remedy for toenail infection. Peroxide is capable of healing minor infections.

Infusion of iodine also helps in healing an ingrown toenail. It is also potent in inhibiting bacterial growth. However, this method should not be used on a deeper wound.

Gently massage the skin surrounding the ingrown toenail with some tree oil as it softens the tissues of the nail and relieves pain. It also eases out the pressure created by the nail on the surrounding skin.

These home remedies for ingrown toenail, however, work only as long as a  infection doesn’t develop. When a  infection is observed, consulting a podiatrist at the earliest becomes necessary as complications may result if the wound goes deeper. Those who are suffering from diabetes or other conditions affecting blood circulation should never treat the ingrown toenails on their own and should consult a doctor.

Ingrown Toenail Treatment
When an ingrown toenail infection is found, immediate treatment is necessary otherwise it may lead to other infections. Here are a few tips on how to treat ingrown toenail?

In an early stage, as part of ingrown toenail home treatment, the pain and swelling can be relieved by soaking the foot in warm water and adding some Epsom salt to it. Epsom salt, being an antiseptic, will heal any signs of mild infection.

Tight socks, hose or shoes should be avoided as these tend to put pressure on the toenails.

Shoes that are broad at the base should be preferred as they are comfortable to wear. In case of an infection, open-toed sandals are the best. Try to wear socks so as to keep your feet covered to prevent infection.

Avoid painting the toenails while they are in-grown as unnecessary chemicals near the site may cause infection.

For cutting the nails, the toenail clippers should be used. Toenails should not be kept too short.

Always trim the toenails in a perfectly straight line. Do not ever try shaping them because that makes them more likely to become ingrown.

For fast pain relief, ibuprofen or acetaminophen can be used.

Placing a small cotton ball under the ingrown nail will work to keep the affected area safe. This will also help in nail grow and reaching over the skin. The cotton should be changed daily so as to keep a check on infectious growth.

Once affected, there is a great possibility that it will happen again so preventive measure should be taken.

For treating ingrown toenail, the cotton method should always be applied along with antibiotics as antibiotics only reduce the infection and don’t help in growing the nail back out.

Toenail is very susceptible to infections when it is in-grown, so the best should be done to keep it covered and clean for ingrown toenail relief.

Ingrown Toenail Surgery
If the ingrown toenail condition is not cured by home remedies or treatments and it keeps recurring, surgery becomes mandatory as the final ingrown toenail treatment. An ingrown toenail surgery is minor and involves a simple procedure.

A local anesthesia will be administered before the surgery and then the toe will be cleaned with an antiseptic to avoid infection. The nail will be removed after loosening it using a scalpel.

In mild cases, only an edge of the nail may be removed without disturbing the nail bed. However, in  cases, entire nail will be removed and the nail bed cells are killed by liquefied phenol or a laser or else a surgical debriding. But the nail won’t ever grow back in case of killing the nail bed cells.

Dressing will be done using a non-stick paraffin gauze and crepe bandage. The foot should be kept elevated and rest should be taken for 2-3 days. In case of an ingrown toenail removal, 3-4 months are required for the nail to grow again.

Ingrown toenail surgery isn’t much costlier and varies according to the time required and severity.

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Yoga and Weight Loss
Yoga is the custom of mental and physical disciplines that originate in India. Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism have their meditative practices and the word yoga is associated with it.

Raja yoga, Karma yoga, Jnana yoga, Bhakti yoga and Hatha yoga are the most important branches of Yoga. Yoga is the word derived from Sanskrit and it has several meanings like” to control, to unite, joining, uniting,” and so on.

When a person is strictly following and practicing yoga to a high level is termed as yogi or yogini. The vedic Samhitas have the reference to ascetics and tapas(ascetic practices) are referred in the Brahmadas(900 to 500BBCE). In Bhagavad Gita the word yoga is used deeply and chapter 6 is dedicated only to traditional yoga practice which includes meditation and it explains clearly about three major types of yoga. 1. Karma yoga, 2.Bhakti yoga, 3. Gnana yoga. These are the three yogas that deal with yoga of action, yoga of devotion and yoga of knowledge respectively.

Tantrism is a practice that alters the practitioner’s relation to the ordinary religious, social and logical reality in which they live. By tantric practice, one practitioner may perceive reality as maya. The general goals of yoga followed by all religions are varying but at the same time have a common goal from yoga and weight loss, yoga and health and ends in attaining moksha. Moksha is one stage of yoga in which stage one is liberated from all worldly sufferings, cycle of birth and death.

Now days, the life style is going on changing including in food habits and the food we take is high in calories and are more liberal and eventually resulting in extra weight or weight gain. This is not only by today’s food pattern containing high calories but by reduced physical activities. To day we and our children are very interested in sitting before T.V. rather than running and exercising. These are key factors which causes obesity and excess weight gain in all of us or in some of us. Not only sedentary life but stress, taking high calorie food, junk and unhealthy food, total lack of exercise, some hormone problems like hypothyroidism also cause excess weight gain.

Sudden diet control, rapid exercises are very tedious and though it gives us results in losing our weight, they are not permanent and they may have side effects also. A gradual and permanent weight reduction can not be easily achieved by these above practices. But yoga and weight loss is the practice which is a permanent solution to keep our body flexible. We may plan our weight reduction in natural ways of cleansing techniques.

1.kunjal kriya means washing of lung and stomach.
2.basti means cleansing of colon
3.laghu shankha prakshalan means cleansing technique adopted to clean digestive system.
4.baghi means tiger exercise
5.yoga asans means postures.
Hydrotherapy is one by which diseases are treated with water. Cold shower is taken after dry friction of the body and it dissolves the excess fat. Steam and hot foot bath also helps in removing excess fat of the body. Enema helps in cleaning the intestine. Taking about 12 glasses of water and fasting helps in reducing our toxins and body fat gradually. These techniques are also coming under yoga and weight loss practice.

Taking much carbohydrate is the main cause for weight gain and we should plan our break fast food with protein and fat, the lunch should contain more carbohydrate and the dinner should contain more proteins. Vegetables and fruits are helpful in having vitamins and minerals and it reduces fat. Wheat and oats may help in reducing our fat. This is called dicto-therapy.

Yoga and weight loss is the best way to make your body very flexible. But yoga is not the best way if you want to lose your weight fastly and shortly. It is achieved by exercises. But yoga is the best option to have your body well framed and toned with flexibility. Yoga and weight loss means that losing weight that stays off and if we practice yoga regularly after losing weight.

Yoga is not a new technique and new types of yoga are geared to weight gain and obesity problems and yoga can be applied to solve this problem of obesity. Focusing on yoga postures helps in losing weight and it helps in burning the calories but at the same time it relaxes the mind and thereby stress is reduced. Yoga practices generally burn fewer calories than other exercises and it should be practiced with in a framed mind and thus we may achieve the goal “yoga and weight loss”.

It becomes necessary to use the spiritual and mental side of the yoga when we try our best to lose weight. The mentality change and gearing up our mind towards success is very important while practicing yoga to attain weight loss. Bikram and Astanga are the main two yogas that are very powerful in reducing our body weight.

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Overcome Stroke
The American Stroke Association is running an awareness campaign called Power to End Stroke, to celebrate the lifestyle and culture of America.

You would be pleased to know that there are ways by which you can overcome stroke.

The most important thing you need to do is speak to the doctor in charge, who is treating the stroke patient.

After understanding the extent of the brain damage and the resulting disability, you would be in a better position to care for the patient.

Coping is difficult, not just for the patient but also for those around him who are caring for him. Some patients have memory loss, some suffer facial damage, some suffer vision impairment, and some even become completely paralyzed. The extent of the damage depends upon the severity and type of the stroke.

Remember that a stroke is not just about physical damage. To overcome the effects of the patient’s stroke, you should be prepared to make a huge amount of mental and emotional effort. The important thing that you need to realize is that in most cases, a patient never completely recovers from a stroke.

However it is essential to remain patient and positive. Provide as much support as possible, remember that the process of rehabilitation is long and difficult; you need to provide optimum care and comfort. You should also be prepared to see post-stroke psychological trauma in the stroke patient, he might also suffer from anxiety attacks, depression, and would definitely find it hard to adapt to life after the stroke. So you need to stay supportive and help him overcome his stroke. Most stroke patients need a lot of reassurance and patience – so you should be prepared with an abundant supply of that! Remember that with care and love, it is easy to overcome stroke.

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Treatment of Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea is a disease that is transmitted through sexual contact from one person to another person.

The cause of the disease is by bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. These bacteria can infect the genital tract, mouth, and rectum of both men and women.

This bacterium is also called by alternative name as GC. Likewise the disease is also having another name “clap”. It is the fact that if this disease is not well treated, the infection rapidly spread in to the other parts of the body causing damage to internal organs like heart valves and particularly joints. Generally it is not spread from bathrooms and toilets used by already infected one.

The disease is transmitted by sexual contacts of vaginal, anal or oral. Transmission of the disease by ‘safe sex’ is very rare.

Body fluids are the routes by which the bacterium finds its way to spread. Thus like semen and vaginal secretions are causing the infectious process from person to person. The general onset of the symptoms occurs in 4 to 6 days after infection. The incubation period varies from 2 to 30 days. Very rarely the people affected by this disease show no symptoms at all during their life time. More or less 30 to 60 % of the people affected by gonorrhea are asymptomatic or they may have sub clinical disease.

The affected men have yellow or green discharges from the penis. This symptom is common among men. There is a painful and frequent urination. Fever and pain is caused by the further spread of the disease in to prostate,epididymis and seminal vesicle.and causes inflammation of the other organs. Swelling is very common in the regions of groin and testis. Penis may also turn to red in color. Men are eventually affected by infertility if untreated. Hence, the treatment of gonorrhea is to be started at the earlier stage itself to avoid complications and permanent damage to other parts of the body. The affected women generally have vaginal discharge in yellow or green color. They also suffer from frequent and painful urination. Women have bleeding inbetween menstrual periods and they have bleeding after sexual intercourse. The normal color of the vagina changes to red by inflammation associated with burning sensation of vagina. Normally the long time infection causes pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) with abdominal discomfort and pain. Eventually, the cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries are worst affected if this condition is not treated in advance. This causes infertility in women also. Hence, earlier diagnosis and treatment of gonorrhea is to be started at the onset of the disease.

Usually, the rectum is the common place where the infection affects badly. The infected rectum has discharge, anal itching and painful bowel movement with blood in faecal matter.

Generally, the records show that women have highest rate of infection in between the age of 15 to 19 and between 20 to 24 in men. Earlier treatment of gonorrhea is possible in this age group and the disease is fully recovered by antibiotic regimen.

Diagnosis is made by various techniques and three are most important techniques in diagnosing the disease.

•Directly staining the samples for the bacterium.
•Deducting the DNA and genes of the bacteria in urine.
•Culture test in which bacteria is grown in laboratory

Accurate diagnosis is made by doing more than one diagnostic tests. Generally staining is done from the discharge of the penis and discharge of the vagina or cervix. The taken discharge is smeared in the slide and put under the microscope for seeing the bacteria in the slide. An accurate result is obtained by this method. But however, this diagnostic method is less valuable since they may not have clear results. Detecting the genes of the bacteria is more reliable one and it is done by using urine or cervical swabs. Culture test is reliable one but the sensitivity of the test depends upon the site from which the sample is taken. In this test, the discharge collected from the infected site is placed in a culture plate and the growth of the bacteria is allowed even up to 2 days. Culture also finds about the drugs to be used as per the sensitivity of the drug to the particular bacteria. The non sensitive drugs to this particular bacteria is also revealed by this culture test.

Usually treatment is given with antibiotic and the some of the antibiotics are given herewith.

Ceftriaxone, cefixime, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin. These drugs are usually administered orally. There are some contraindications like pregnancy and lactation and under this conditions the suitable alternative antibiotics are used.

Chlamydia, is another form of STD always affect the people who have already in gonorrheal infection. In this condition, the patient is given with multi antibiotic to combat both Chlamydia and gonorrhea. Treatment of gonorrhea and treatment of Chlamydia are carried out in the same time. Usually the other sexual partner is tested for gonorrhea if one of them is infected with this disease and both of them undergo the treatment of gonorrhea if both are found positive.

Prevention is sure if when one does not have sexual activity with the one who is diagnosed positive for the disease. Using the latex condoms in vaginal and rectal sexual activity reduces the risk of having the infection.

There are more complications arise if this is not treated well even in the earlier days of the disease. The infection spreads even in to blood stream causing joint pain and  heart valve problems. The ectopic pregnancy is a condition  in which the pregnancy happens even in the fallopian tubes and it is caused by the affection of gonorrhea. This is a serious complication and it may result in miscarriage and death of the mother. In men, gonorrhea is causing epididymitis, a painful condition of the testicles. In both sexes, it causes infection in joints and damage to heart valves. Getting HIV infection is a possible one in the case of the individuals who already have gonorrhea infection. Hence, it is very important to take earlier treatment as soon as the symptoms arise for gonorrhea.

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The liver is situated on the right side of the abdomen just below the ribs and the diaphragm which separates the chest and the abdomen. It’s not only the largest gland but also the detoxifier of the human body. The various functions of liver include break down of food (including fats and nutrients), conversion of glucose to glycogen, producing urea, purifying blood from harmful substances, producing amino acids, storing vitamins and minerals and maintaining the glucose level in blood.

The liver acts as a detoxifier by filtering the wastes of the human body. Apart from various other reasons, any underlying condition can result in the non-functioning or poor-functioning of the liver usually causing pain in the liver. Moreover, liver pains are observed and in fact play a major role in a variety of conditions like Wilson’s disease, Gilbert’s syndrome and Hepatitis A, B or C.

Pain in the liver can be a part of our life due to a couple of reasons like fatty liver pain, liver cancer pain, cirrhosis or other chronic or acute diseases of liver. The most common cause of cirrhosis disease is Alcoholic abuse. The basic means of the inflammation of liver is when liver cannot filter poisons, drugs, toxins and these types of other doses in order to recover the body by flushing them out. Additional cases of liver damage include autoimmune deficiency, hepatitis, and even overuse of acetaminophen (Tylenol).

Where is liver pain felt?
Oh, that’s so easy to answer!!  Isn’t it? The obvious answer would be ‘in the liver’. But there is more to it than just ‘in the liver’.

Liver pain location: Liver pain is usually confused with abdominal pain, kidney pain or back pain due to its location. It is felt in the upper-right quadrant underneath the rib cage. Usually felt as a dull ache, liver pains can be sharp and in some cases, experienced along with back pain.

Fatty Liver Pain
When there is an accumulation of a large amount of fat in the liver, it results in swelling. This condition of swollen liver is known as steatosis. In steatosis, only presence of large amount of fat is noticed without any inflammation. However, when fatty liver occurs along with inflammation, the liver cells are damaged and this condition is known as steatohepatitis.

Diabetes, obesity and over-consumption of alcohol are known to be the major factors for fatty liver pain.

Swollen liver pain is caused by the expansion of the liver. As the liver expands, its membrane is stretched and the organ gets heavier. This results in abdominal pain which intensifies slowly if left untreated.

Causes of Liver Pain
There causes for liver pain are as different as its symptoms.

Steatosis, also known as fatty liver causes liver pain. The presence of excessive fats causes the liver to swell and this result in liver pain.

Diabetes type-2, hypertension and metabolic syndrome are some other medical conditions that are responsible for the pain in liver.

Enlarged spleen presses the liver causing liver pain.

Liver pain is also observed after drinking alcohol and it is among the most common factors for it.

Patients in the last stage of liver cancer undergo intense liver pain along with other problems like weight reduction, tiredness and lack of energy.

Other possible causes of liver pain:
•Biliary obstruction
•Bearn-Kunkel syndrome – liver pain
•Cholangitis
•Congestive cardiac failure
•CMV
•EBV
•Dubin-Johnson Syndrome – liver tenderness
•Fatty liver of pregnancy
•Drugs
•Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome
•Gallstones
•Hepatic vein thrombosis
•Hepatitis causes swelling of the organs and thus results in pain in the right rib (liver pain in right side).
•Hepatic abscess
•Hydatid cyst
•Hodgkin’s disease
•Hepatocellular carcinoma
•Liver abscess – tender liver
•Leukemia – tender liver
•Metastatic carcinoma
•Lymphoma
•Pylephlebitis – tender liver
•Mononucleosis – liver tenderness
•Schistosomiasis japonica – tender liver
•Schistosomiasis – liver tenderness
•Toxins
•Schistosomiasis mansoni – tender liver
•Weil syndrome – liver tenderness
•Tuberculosis
•VLCAD deficiency – Liver pain

Liver Pain Symptoms

Other than numerous other symptoms and signs, the initial symptom of liver pain is a sharp and dull pain in the upper right abdomen underneath the rib cage accompanied by a skin rash. Liver pain symptoms also include itching, pain while inhaling or coughing, difficulty in breathing, swollen testes, nausea, vomiting, brownish blemishes and spots over skin, dark circles under the eyes and yellow discoloration of the eyes like in jaundice. Abdominal swelling is also noticed even though there is a weight loss.

Liver Pain Treatment

Treating a liver pain is possible only by initiating with elimination of the possible causes of the disease. Taking the example, an alcohol or drug addict should quit alcohol and drugs completely before starting the medications. There are some possible treatments to get relieve from pain of liver:

•Sufficient hydration and electrolyte repletion
•Therapy must be preponderantly preventive, good sanitation, relying on clean drinking water, and appropriate personal hygiene
•It’s only advisable for those patients to be hospitalized who are unable to maintain oral intake
•Flagyl
•Antiviral agents
•Interferon alpha II b
•3TC
•Entecavir
•Adefovir
Remedies and Alternative Cures for Liver Pain
•A few safer, simpler and easiest techniques to cure your liver -
•Water is very important for the human body and it helps to remove the toxins too, so it’s advisable to take at the least 8 glasses of water per day.
•Diet also plays a very significant role; try to switch your diet with some fresh fruits and pure juices, and fresh vegetables. Asparagus, plums, legumes, broccoli, and brown rice are also very effective particularly.
•Take supplementations of whole-food. As we all may already know that cirrhosis contains Vitamin B1 and it’s proven by almost all physicians that Vitamin B1 can be helpful to decrease glucose of blood levels found in the human body. Insufficiency of Vitamin A is also declared as the strong reason for the peoples who are suffering from the liver diseases, and Vitamin K is another proven advantageous thing as well.
•Linseed oil is very essential fatty acids helpful and required for the proper function of liver.
•To flush away the toxins from the body as quick as possible, Herbal detoxification can be a good way to do so.
•The above listed steps are practiced and recommended by a lot of doctors.
Liver Pain Do’s and Dont’s
Apart from the treatments and medications, there are some other things to be observed and avoided when suffering form liver pain.

A lot of people with damaged liver function have excessive protein in their body, which can build up extra-ordinary amount of ammonia in the body.

Alcoholic abusing is always said to be the one of the worst thing for the human body, don’t drink alcohol.

Do not take any type of medicines or drugs without the prescriptions of physician. Anything containing acetaminophen is hazardous for the liver patient, try to avoid it; it can be dangerous for the peoples suffering from such diseases.

Mostly, you can care your liver health by diet, supplements of whole-food, and through avoiding those things which can cause dysfunction of liver. Some of the conditions are non-reversible like cirrhosis and have a hopeless prognosis. Health is wealth, Take care of your health and liver now.

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