Side Effects of Laser Treatment of Nevus of Ota

Lasers have revolutionized the treatment of nevus of Ota and other dermal melanocytoses. The Q-switched ruby (694 nm), Q-switched alexandrite (755 nm), and Q-switched Nd:YAG (1064 nm) lasers have all been shown to effectively treat nevus of Ota. As with many new treatments, adverse effects accompany the benefits, and this long-term, large study from a Japanese hospital proves that these treatments are no exception.
More than 400 patients with nevus of Ota were treated over 16 years; 101 of these patients were treated with the Q-switched ruby laser and evaluated 1 year after the last treatment. Long-standing hypopigmentation was the most common side effect, affecting almost 17 percent of patients. Almost 6 percent of patients had hyperpigmentation. One patient whose nevus of Ota had cleared completely developed a recurrence.
Comment: Rates of clearing nevus of Ota with the Q-switched ruby and other short-pulsed lasers approach 100 percent. Although recurrences are very uncommon, side effects -- unfortunately -- are not. Hyperpigmentation was relatively rare and most often temporary, but hypopigmentation was relatively common and permanent in almost 17 percent of patients. Given the similar wavelength and the resulting similarity in melanin-absorption spectra, it is likely that the Q-switched alexandrite laser would produce the same kind of pigmentary side effects as the ruby laser. Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers, however, are less likely to produce such changes, because at 1064 nm, their light is less well absorbed by melanin pigment. Only long-term evaluation of the other Q-switched lasers will determine their actual side-effect profiles, but theoretical analysis leads to the prediction that the Nd:YAG laser will become the laser of choice for this condition.

Timothy Brown - Man "cured" AIDS

Inspired by the only person ever to be cured of HIV, the International AIDS Society has launched a new research strategy aimed at ridding patients of the deadly virus.
When Timothy Brown took the stage, awe descended over delegates gathered at the 2012 International Cord Blood Symposium in San Francisco last month. It is not, after all, everyday they are addressed by someone sounique: Brown is the only person in the world to have been apparently cured of HIV infection. A donor for a 2007 haemopoietic stem cell transplant to treat his leukaemia was also carefully chosen to confer a rare genetic mutation, which protects those with it from contracting HIV.The natural mutation-a short deletion in both copies of the CCR5 gene-is present in less than 1% of the population. Also known as the Berlin patient after the Berlin-based clinical team that treated him, he made headlines around the world when details of his case were published in February, 2009. Brown is now both free of leukaemia and HIV. "After 5 years without HIV medications, I still have no trace of HIV in my body", he tells the audience. "[And] I have been poked and biopsied from head to toe."
Brown's case has energised HIV researchers and helped inspire a new global scientific strategy aimed at finding an HIV cure for the 34 million people infected with the virus worldwide (the strategy does not cover the development of a prophylactic vaccine or preventive approaches). Unveiled on July 19 by a working group of the International AIDS Society (IAS) ahead of the 2012 International AIDS Conference in Washington, DC, USA (July 22-27), Towards an HIV Cure, aims to provide a road map for scientists, governments, funders, and industry to get the job done.
"There is widespread acceptance that we need a fundamentally different way of approaching HIV infection", says Steven Deeks, an HIV researcher at the University of California, San Franciso, USA, who co-chairs the working group, along with IAS President Françoise Barré-Sinoussi who co-discovered HIV. Right now, Deeks explains, there are more than 20 antiretroviral drugs that are quite good at suppressing the virus and can grant decades of healthy life. But there are "limitations to the approach". In order for the drugs to work people have to take them every day, they have side-effects, are expensive, and access is not universal. "The Berlin patient...demonstrated to the field that a cure, which most people thought was impossible, could be done."
The new strategy outlines seven main priorities for research straddling basic, translational, and clinical science (panel) if either a "sterilising cure", which permanently removes the virus, or a "functional cure", which controls it for years without drugs, is to be found. It also outlines several potential routes for the eradication of HIV: use of aggressive drug regimens; early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART); use of virus-purging agents; enhancement of anti-HIV immunity; better understanding of basic HIV science; modification of host genetics; and use of HIV-specific killing agents.The report also highlights ethical challenges of the work, including the problem of undertaking clinical trials when the effectiveness of ART means that there is little benefit to volunteers from participating.
Panel
Seven main priority areas for research into an HIV cure *Cellular and viral mechanisms involved in HIV persistence at a molecular level *Anatomical compartments and cellular sources of HIV reservoirs *Immune activation and dysfunction in the presence of antiretroviral therapy *Natural models of HIV/simian immunodeficiency virus control *Assays to measure persistent infection *Therapeutic and immunological approaches for eliminating persistent HIV infection *Enhancement of immune response to control viral replication
A particular focus is on developing drugs to kill the infected cells. "One of the major barriers to a cure is that the virus persists [during long-term ART] in this latent state", says Deeks. A theoretical approach to a cure could be a four part assault. A drug like vorinostat, which causes the latent virus to be expressed, along with an anti-inflammatory drug to diminish the number of infectable cells, a therapeutic vaccine to enhance the capacity of the immune system to kill those infected cells that are now making virus, and intensified ART to prevent any new cells from becoming infected.
But it is "impossible to guess" how far away that is, says Deeks.Scientists still have much to learn first about the basic biology of HIV including, for example, how the virus persists during long-term ART and how the so-called "elite controllers"-the small group of people who, unlike those with the double CCR5 mutation, acquire the infection but can control it-actually do so. Deeks says that research in this area might reveal a mechanism to allow any patient with HIV to become an elite controller.
Also highlighted in the strategy is gene therapy for HIV, which consists of taking cells from the patient, altering them so that they contain the CCR5 mutation and then expanding the number and re-infusing them into the patient with the hope that they will work as well as a naturally occurring CCR5 mutation.Yet the most immediate hope for a cure in the clinic likely lies in the stem cell transplantation approach used on Brown. "The second patient who is going to be truly cured is probably going to be somebody who gets another stem cell transplant of some kind or another", says Deeks.
Unfortunately, however, the expensive technique is applicable to very few patients with HIV: those with haematological malignancies that require a stem cell transplant, though there is some interest in also possibly using it for the few patients who do not respond to ART. For most patients with HIV, for whom antiretroviral drugs prolong life for many decades, it simply is not worth undergoing a risky transplant procedure, making the technique unsuitable for mass application. "If you want to change the global nature of this epidemic, then you are going to need something that is going to be applicable to everybody-and that is probably going to have to be through other mechanisms", says Deeks.
Yet questions about scalability are not stopping transplant scientists from pushing the frontiers. Following Brown's appearance, delegates at the Cord Blood Symposium heard how transplants from stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood could be the next step in curing patients who have HIV and a haematological malignancy.
Leading the discussion was Lawrence Petz, the chief medical officer at the cord blood therapeutics company, StemCyte. "Since [Brown's] transplant was so successful why hasn't it been done again for other patients?" Petz asks. The answer is that Brown was extremely lucky: it is hard enough in the case of normal stem cell transplants to find a donor who is immunologically compatible with the recipient, and even more difficult if that donor also needs to have a double copy of a rare CCR5 mutation. The Berlin team, led by Gero Hütter, has failed to repeat its success not for want of trying but because it has not proved possible to find a donor who is the right match.
Petz's solution is to do the same transplant with stem cells from cryopreserved cord blood. Because cord blood stem cells are regarded as naive, the compatibility between the donor and the patient does not have to be as exact. For a given patient, it is easier to find a suitable cord blood unit with the CCR5 mutation. StemCyte began collaborations with cord blood banks worldwide to systematically screen samples for the CCR5 mutation in 2011. Thus far, of the 17 000 samples screened, it has found 102. The plan is to screen another 30 000 samples in the hope of the inventory reaching at least 300. That is the number, Petz predicts, at which it will be possible to find a good match for about 28% of adult Caucasian patients and 74% for children with a standard cell dose. And, notes Petz, the chance could rise to 82% and 86%, respectively, if the cell dose is lowered by combining stem cells from a half-matched family member to provide a bridge while the cord blood stem cells engraft.
This May, another patient with both HIV and leukaemia underwent a stem cell transplant in the Netherlands using cord blood stem cells from a unit with a double CCR5 mutation. It is too early to know if it has worked yet and there could be additional complications for patients with HIV/AIDS, says Jürgen Kuball of the UMC Utrecht team overseeing the research, but he expects to be able to say more in December (a similar transplant due to take place in Spain in June was aborted because of inadequate viability of the stem cells in the cord blood). If successful, the Utrecht patient would be the second after Brown to be cured of HIV.
Meanwhile, the new cure strategy is problematic for some researchers. Daniel Halperin, an HIV prevention and behaviour change expert at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, worries the focus on only two options-medication with ART or a cure-could lead people to think that other, preventive approaches, which have been shown to work in the real world and require vastly less money, are not as important. "If you talk a lot about a cure and you get all this hype and excitement going it could make it harder for behaviour change to happen on the ground", he told The Lancet.
Other experts, however, see it as a milestone. This is the first consortium to lay out a pathway for a cure, says Bruce Walker, an HIV researcher at Harvard University and director of the Ragon Institute in Massachusetts-a collaboration which is working to accelerate the discovery of an HIV/AIDS vaccine. There are still many unknowns and challenges, but stating the goal is the "first step" towards achieving it. "We have to set a high bar for ourselves", he says. "And once we figure out how to [cure the virus] we can turn our attention to doing it in a way that is going to be cheaper and more deliverable."

What is metastatic cancer (Definition)

Metastatic cancer is a cancer that has spread from the part of the body where it started (the primary site) to other parts of the body. When cancer cells break away from a tumor, they can travel to other areas of the body through either the bloodstream or the lymph system (a collection of vessels that carry fluid and immune system cells).

The Lymph System

If the cells travel through the lymph system, they may end up in the lymph nodes (small, bean-sized collections of immune cells) or spread to other organs. If the cells travel through the bloodstream they can go to any part of the body. Most often, the cancer cells break off and travel in the bloodstream. Many of these cells die, but some settle in a new area, begin to grow, and form new tumors. This spread of cancer to a new part of the body is called metastasis.
In order for cancer cells to spread to new parts of the body, they have to go through several changes. They have to be able to break away from the original tumor and enter the bloodstream or lymph system, which can carry them to another part of the body. At some point they need to attach to the wall of a blood or lymph vessel and move through it into a new organ. They then need to be able to grow and thrive in their new location. All the while, they need to be able to avoid attacks from the body's immune system. Going through all these steps means the cells that start new tumors may no longer be exactly the same as the ones in the tumor they started in. This may make treatment more difficult.
Even when cancer has spread to a new area, it is still named after the part of the body where it started. For example, if prostate cancer spreads to the bones, it is still called prostate cancer (not bone cancer). Likewise, breast cancer that has spread to the lungs it is still called breast cancer, not lung cancer.
Sometimes the metastatic tumors have already begun to grow when the cancer is first found and diagnosed. And in some cases, a metastasis may be found before the original (primary) tumor is found. If a cancer has already spread to many places before it is found, it may be hard to figure out where it started. If this happens the cancer is called cancer of unknown primary.

The Dukan Diet

The Dukan Diet is a protein based nutritional approach designed by Pierre Dukan, a French nutritionist and dietician. The Dukan Diet, or Dukan method proposes a healthy eating plan which is based on how primitive man used to eat when we were hunter-gatherers. It includes 100 foods, of which 72 are animal sourced and 28 come from plants. And you can eat as much as you like, as long as you stick to those 100 foods. The Dukan Diet has four specific ground pillars or phases, which are called:

1) Attack phase

The aim here is to lose weight rapidly - two to three kg (4.4 to 6.6 lbs) within two to ten days. It is said to be a way of kick-starting the metabolism.

The dieters can eat nothing but lean protein, and unlimited amounts, there is no calorie counting. It is important that the protein is low in fat. Protein could be all kinds of beef, fish, chicken, eggs, soy, and cottage cheese. The dieter is told to be careful to avoid meats with added sugars.

The dieter also consumes at least 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran, the only carbohydrate source allowed in this phase. Pierre Dukan explains that oat bran is very high in fiber, meaning that a large proportion of the carbs cannot be broken down and digested, making oat bran less carbohydrate-rich than they thought. Oat bran also helps suppress hunger because it grows to up to twenty times its size in the stomach.

At least 1.5 liters of water has to be consumed each day.

2) Cruise phase

28 specific vegetables are added to the diet. Fruit is not allowed. The aim is to help the dieters achieve their target bodyweight more gradually. Although based on specific personal conditions, the length of the Cruise phase generally lasts 1 kg (2.2 lb) weight loss per week. So, if a person needs to lose 15 kg, this phase lasts 15 weeks. The program allows some tolerated foods. However, if there is any weight gain, some of them will be banned.

Vegetables can be consumed in unlimited amounts as long as they are not starchy - so, carrots, corn, and peas are out, and spinach, okra, lettuce and green beans are OK. The dieter can also eat unlimited amounts of low fat protein sources included during the first phase. The 1.5 liters of water and oat bran consumption continues.

In this phase the dieter alternates as far as lean protein and vegetables. E.g. on one day the individual eats just lean protein, and the next lean proteins combined with unlimited low-starch vegetables. This alternation persists throughout this stage.

3) Consolidation phase

The aim here is to prevent the person from putting lots of weigh back on. The individual can consume unlimited quantities of protein and vegetables daily, as well as one piece of low-sugar fruit, one portion of cheese, and 2 slices of whole-grain bread. The dieter is allowed to have one or two servings of starchy food and one or two celebration meals each week. In a celebration meal, people can eat whatever they want.

During the Consolidation phase, the dieter starts eating the core diet of pure protein one day each week, preferably on the same day of each week.

4) Stabilization phase

This is, in effect, the long-term maintenance part of the plan. People can eat whatever they want, as long as they follow some simple rules:

1. One day each week they must have an all-protein day, as in the Attack phase.

2. Eat three tablespoons of oat bran each day.

3. Go for a 20 minute walk each day.

4. Never take escalators or elevators.

In order to succeed long-term the dieters need to follow this Dukan stabilization phase for the rest of their lives. It must become part of their lifestyle.

Dieters are allowed to consume artificial sweeteners, vinegars, sugar-free gum, and spices; they are also advised to take multivitamins with minerals.

Various celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez, Gisele Bundchen and Kate Middleton say they have used the Dukan Diet successfully. Lopez and Bundchen to recover their normal bodyweight after giving birth, and Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge, before marrying Prince William, Duke of Cambridge.

7 Tips to control your hunger

You are what you eat.

Our fitness trainers try to force us on a diet; our doctors warn us to control our food intake thanks to our high cholesterol levels; our wives and girlfriends have warned us they will walk out on us because of that excess baggage pouring over our belts!
It is not as if we haven't tried. But it is just so darned hard to control our hunger!
Sound familiar? Stay tuned. Rediff offers you tips to control that darn hunger so that you can go ahead and finally be successful in your attempts to stop overeating.
1. Eat small frequent meals.
Want to lose weight? Eat more -- frequently, that is.
Your body needs food to provide energy, repair damaged muscle tissue, and to carry out various other functions.
But there are only so many nutrients it can draw from each meal. Large meals mean more nutrients than your body can handle, thus causing an 'overflow effect'.
Thus, go for smaller, more frequent meals. They provide just the right amount of nutrients every few hours, without causing that overflow effect. They also maintain blood sugar levels, thus keeping your appetite and energy levels in control.
2. Don't skip meals!
Skipping meals and going too long without food can turn hunger pangs into irresistible cravings.
To start with, don't skip breakfast!
It is amazing how so many people skip this meal. If you are one of those, change that nasty food habit. NOW!
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Your first meal of the day helps replenish all those nutrients lost during that all-night fast. It raises those early morning low blood sugar levels.
Missing out on this meal means setting you up for low blood sugar levels and, thus, low energy levels and irresistible hunger pangs and cravings at lunchtime.
3. Eat your veggies!
Vegetables are healthy. They are chockfull with nutrients that can boost your health.
They are also rich in fibre, the dieters' secret weapon to control hunger.
While all vegetables are beneficial as far as good health and hunger control go, certain veggies, like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach and mushrooms, are super-high in fibre and have a negligible amount of calories.
They can fill your stomach and control your hunger while filling you with a small amount of calories.
4. Eat more whole grains and less refined carbohydrates.
Whole grains, besides being healthier than their 'nutrient-stripped' refined counterparts, are also higher in fibre.
Thus they are more filling and satisfying.
While refined carbs -- like idlis, dosas, white bread, white rice -- may be low in fat, they are higher in fibre. You may run the risk of over-consuming calories.
5. Eat slowly!
Give it a shot. It actually works.
The brain actually takes ten minutes longer than the stomach to receive the message that it is full. Thus, eating too fast might cause you to eat beyond the point of fullness without even realising.
6. Sleep and shed those pounds!
Studies have found that people who sleep only five hours every night were 50 per cent more likely to be obese than those who sleep seven to nine hours.
Researchers believe lack of sleep affects hormones related to appetite, causing you to gain pounds.
7. Drink more water!
Water is the healthiest, cheapest and most easily available appetite suppressant around.
Thirst is often mistaken as hunger. Also, foods with high water content can fill you up easily. They naturally pack fewer calories for their volume.
Toss together a salad of lettuce, cucumbers, celery and tomatoes, or a fruit cup with watermelon, strawberries and orange slices for a watery hunger-satisfying snack.

14 Steps to a healthy summer diet !

Here are some other useful lifestyle tips you can follow to beat the summer heat.
1. Water is the best option to quench thirst.
It is a key ingredient in keeping the body cool. With high humidity levels, sweat will not evaporate quickly. This prevents the body from releasing heat in an efficient manner. This is why it is necessary to hydrate and drink water, even when you are not thirsty. Increase water intake regardless of your activity levels.
2. Avoid caffeinated or carbonated beverages, alcoholic beverages, and those high in sugar.
All these drinks contain preservatives, colours and sugars. They are acidic in nature and act as diuretics. They cause loss of fluids through urine.
Many soft drinks contain diluted phosphoric acid, which damages the inner linning of the digestive tract and, therefore, affects its functions.
An excessive intake of soft drinks increases phosphorous levels in the blood. This separates calcium from the bones and moves it into the blood.
This calcium displacement from the bones makes them porous and brittle. It also causes plaque on the teeth, kidney stones, arthritis and bone spur.
Soft drinks also reduce mineral levels in the body to such an extent that enzymes are unable to function well, resulting in indigestion.
3. Do not drink very chilled liquids.
They do not really help cool you down in summers, though they make you cool for some time. Drinking really cold liquids when feeling hot may lead to a slight constriction of the blood vessels in the skin and decrease heat loss, which is not advisable when trying to cool down.
4. Limit all strenuous activity.
5. Eat light, nutritious and non-fatty meals.
6. Reduce intake of heaty vegetables and fruits, like spinach, radish, hot peppers, onions, garlic, beetroot, pineapple, grapefruit and ripe mangoes (if you cannot resist mangoes, soak them overnight in water).
7. Minimise the intake of dried fruits. Increase the intake of fresh fruit.
8. Use sabza (tulsi seeds) in your drinks -- this has very cooling effect on the body.
9. Include lots of fruits and vegetables in the form of salads and fresh juices, preferably without sugar, in your diet.
10. Drink lemon juice, coconut water and thin buttermilk, to replenish the fluids that are lost in sweat.
11. Avoid sugary foods, especially honey and molasses, and stick to natural sugars available from fruits and veggies.
12. Minimise the intake of hot, spicy foods and extremely salty foods. The body retains salt in the organic form found in fruits and veggies; the inorganic salt, meanwhile, is digested and needs to be thrown out of the body. And this is why you need to drink water!
13. Cut the intake of fried foods, like vadas, samosas, chips, bhajias, farsans, etc. Fat has a thermal effect.
14. Maintain good hygiene levels.
Since the sultry heat of summer increases with each degree rise in the mercury, by rooting ourselves to nature's provision of healthful food choices we can experience the bloom of our health and vitality.

What causes hair loss in men and women

 

It is normal to lose between 50-100 hairs a day, this is part of the hair renewal process. However most people suffer from excessive hair loss at one time in their life. There are many reasons for this including medication, radiation, chemotherapy, exposure to chemicals, hormonal and nutritional factors, thyroid disease, generalized or local skin disease, and stress.

Many of these causes are temporary and a few are permanent. These are some of the more common reason for hair loss.

HORMONAL

Since hormones both stimulate hair growth and cause hair loss, hormonal changes by far have the biggest impact on hair loss. These can affect both men and women in the following ways:
This is the most common cause of thinning and affects both men and women. Men generally have hair loss concentrated in a specific pattern from the front through to the crown. Women tend to have thinning throughout their head without being in any specific pattern. This type of hair loss is caused by the androgen DHT, or Dihydrotestosterone. Since everyone has DHT that is produced by their bodies and only some people suffer from hair loss there has to be another factor involved. This other factor is having follicles that have a greater number of Androgen receptors for the DHT to attach to. This is the component that is inherited through the genes. To date the most effective preventative treatments are anti androgens, drugs that prevent the creation of DHT. In the future gene therapy will one day be able to alter the genes to prevent the follicles from being affected by DHT.

Childbirth
After pregnancy many women experience a loss of hair, this is caused many hair simultaneously entering the resting (telogen) phase. Within two to three months after giving birth, some women will notice large amounts of hair coming out in their brushes and combs. This can last one to six months, but resolves completely in most cases. This condition is caused by the hormonal changes that take place after a woman's body recovers from her pregnancy.

Birth control pills
Women who have a genetic predisposition to suffer from Androgenic Alopecia can have it occur at a much younger age by taking birth control pills. The hormonal changes that occur trigger the onset of the Androgenic Alopecia. If a woman has a history of female pattern loss in her family she should advise her doctor before going on the pill. After the discontinuation of the pill the woman may notice that her hair begins shedding two or three months later. This may continue for six months when it usually stops. In some cases the process cannot be reversed and the woman may not regrow some of the hair that was lost.

DISEASE OR ILLNESS

Since the follicle is a very sensitive it does respond to imbalances in the body. Most hair loss causes by disease or illness is temporary and resolves itself after the body has returned to a healthy condition.
High fever, severe infection, severe flu
Sometimes one to three months after a high fever, severe infection or flu, a person may experience hair loss, this is usually temporary and corrects itself.
Thyroid disease.
Both an overactive thyroid and an underactive thyroid can cause hair loss. Thyroid disease can be diagnosed by your physician with laboratory tests. Hair loss associated with thyroid disease can be reversed with proper treatment.
Deficient diet
Some people who go on low protein diets, or have severely abnormal eating habits, may develop protein malnutrition. To help save protein the body shifts growing hair into the resting phase. If this happens massive amounts of hair shedding can occur two to three months later. A sign of this is if the hair can be pulled out by the roots fairly easily. This condition can be reversed and prevented by eating the proper amount of protein. Its very important when dieting to maintain an adequate protein intake.
Medications
Some prescription drugs may cause temporary hair shedding in a small percentage of people. Examples of such drugs include some of the medicines used for the following: gout, arthritis, depression, heart problems, high blood pressure, or blood thinner. High doses of vitamin A may also cause hair shedding.
Cancer treatments.
Chemotherapy and radiation treatment will cause hair loss because it stops hair cells from dividing. Hairs become thin and break off as they exit the scalp. This occurs one to three weeks after the treatment. Patients can lose up to 90 percent of their scalp hair. The hair will regrow after treatment ends and patients may want to get wigs before treatment. There are some drugs in development to help prevent this hair loss from occurring.
Low serum iron
Iron deficiency occasionally produces hair loss. Some people don't have enough iron in their diets or may not fully absorb iron in their diets. Women who have heavy menstrual periods may develop iron deficiency. Low iron can be detected by laboratory tests and can be corrected by taking iron pills.
Major surgery/chronic illness
Anyone who has a major operation - a tremendous shock to the system - may notice increased hair shedding within one to three months afterwards. The condition reverses itself within a few months but people who have a severe chronic illness may shed hair indefinitely. A relatively unknown fact is that hair transplantation surgery can actually cause additional hair loss or "shock fallout". Hairs lost from shock fallout usually don't regrow.
Alopecia Areata
This type of hair loss is believed to be caused by the immune system reacting to hair follicles as if they were antibodies and shutting them down. The hair loss is usually limited to a coin sized area and all the hair in the area is lost leaving a totally smooth round patch. In a more severe rarer condition called Alopecia Totalis, all hair on the entire body is lost, including the eyelashes. Treatments include topical medications, a special kind of light treatment, or in some cases drugs.
Fungus Infection (Ringworm) of the scalp
Caused by a fungus infection, ringworm (which has nothing to do with worms) begins with small patches of scaling that can spread and result in broken hair, redness, swelling, and even oozing. This contagious disease is most common in children and oral medication will cure it.
Stress
Stress can cause hair loss is some people. Usually it occurs 3 months after the stressful event has occured and it may take 3 months after the stress period has ended for the hair growth to resume. In most cases it is temporary if the person is not predisposed to genetic or Androgenic Alopecia, if they are stress may trigger the onset of genetic hair loss or may worsen existing Androgenic hair loss.

MECHANICAL DAMAGE

Damage to the hair can be self inflicted either by intentional or unintentional means. Some people going through stress continuously pull at their hair until it comes out. Styling hair by bleaching, braiding and straightening can also cause damage and results in hair being lost.
Trichotillomania or Hair Pulling
Some children and less often adults play with their hair by pulling on it or twisting it. This can be part of a behavioral problem or a bad habit that is often done unconsciously. If the behavior is not stopped permanent hair loss can result from the constant stress on the hair. Its best to seek the help of a mental health professional to solve this problem.
Hair Styling Treatments
Many people change the appearance of their hair by using chemical treatments like dyes, tints, bleaches, straighteners, relaxers and permanent waves. If correctly done and done using reputable products, its rare to have any damage. However, hair can become weak and break if any of these chemicals are used too often. Hair can also break if the solution is left on too long, if two procedures are done on the same day, or if bleach is applied to previously bleached hair. Some chemical relaxers do contain powerful chemicals and there have been instances of people get chemical burns from these products resulting in permanent hair loss. Only go to qualified hair stylists and if doing it yourself make sure you only use reputable products and follow the product directions.
Hair Braids/Weaves
Many black women and some black men braid their hair or wear hair weaves. Under normal conditions these cause no problems. However if the weave is attached too tight or the braids are wrapped too tight, they put a constant strain on the hair follicle. If this is done for an extended period of time permanent hair loss can result. This is known as Traction Alopecia and is fairly common among people who braid or weave their hair. Make sure the person applying the braids or weave is qualified to do so and don't wear braids or weaves continuously for extended periods of time.

Do You Know Where Your Medicine Came From?

Headaches. Insomnia. Anxiety. American medicine cabinets are packed with remedies for these common maladies. And up to 40 percent of them are manufactured overseas (along with 80 percent of active ingredients for pharmaceuticals). But a recent report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office estimated that in fiscal year 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration visited just 11 percent of the 3,765 foreign factories it is responsible for inspecting — compared to 40 percent of domestic factories. In 2008, the GAO found that the FDA took two to five years to follow up with foreign plants it cited for safety issues — if it followed up at all. 

In 2008, 30 products made by a single Indian company were banned by the FDA, and a tainted batch of the blood thinner heparin from one of many hundreds of Chinese pharmaceutical plants was linked to 81 U.S. deaths.

The good news is, the low rate of inspection should soon change: under an agreement reached in August between the generic drug industry and the FDA (expected to win congressional approval in 2012) the generic drug companies would pay $299 million in annual fees to help the FDA inspect their overseas operations. Inspections would happen once every two years, the same rate as at U.S. facilities.

And yet, over-the-counter drugs remain outside the scope of the new agreement. (Nearly all the aspirin and vitamin C consumed in the U.S. is made in Chinese plants that never see an inspector.)

Here's a look a look at where the stuff in your medicine cabinet comes from.

The Rules of Sunbathing

1. How to sunbath?

• We must understand our body, to know our skin, our skin type and our sensitivity!
• Put enough beta carotene into our system, consuming fresh carrot is a good way.
• Pay a visit to your cosmetologist prior vacation! Have your skin cleaned to remove and address acne, pimples, “black head” so those will not get burned.
• Have general body massages connected with deep skin cleansing free ourselves for peeling dead skin..
• Ease into sunbathing by exposing your system gradually. Start with early morning spring sunshine, maybe start with 15-20 minutes daily gradually increasing sun exposure.
• Apply good sun screen at home prior going out to the sun in advance maybe 30 minutes before the actual exposure!.
• Don’t expose yourself to midday sun! Have a nice time in the “TIKI BAR” under the umbrella having a nice lunch, refreshing salads, etc..
• Consume enough delicious fruits, fruit drinks, ample of water to keep your body well hydrated. Stay away from heavy, greasy foods!
• Always you soothing sun tonics, lotions and natural anti-inflammatory agents derived from natural herbs and substances.

2. When is sunbathing prohibited?

1. When taking any photo-allergen medication! Check the label! Certain heart medications, steroids, contraceptives, anti-allergens will definitely prohibit!
2. Don’t go out to the sun at least for 24 hours after waxing!
3. Recent surgery, with healing skin!
4. Using cosmetics that contains alcohol.
5. Some synthetic perfumes will cause skin cancer when wearing them and while exposed to intense sun.
6. Having a fever.
7. While intoxicated due to excessive alcohol consumption.
8. Under influence of drugs.
9. Any rash due to infections.
10. Immediately after coloring your hair
11. Any deodorant product containing aluminum. (Potentially could develop breast cancer or endocrinal cancer.
12. Check your sun-screen for content of “octyl-methoxycinnamat” Potentially skin cancer causing.
13. Immediately after consumption of a  large meal, full stomach. (Rest in the shade after eating, dont’t go out to the sun!
14. Sudden increase the number of freckles.

Medical Wallpapers 2

Medical Wallpapers hd

Erectile dysfunction is a strong predictor of death in men with cardiovascular disease

Men with cardiovascular disease and ED were twice as likely to die from all causes than men who did not have erectile dysfunction. And those with ED were 1.6 times more likely to suffer from a serious cardiovascular problem such as a heart attack or stroke.

Erectile dysfunction is something that regularly should be addressed in the medical history of patients; it might be a symptom of early atherosclerosis.

Men with ED who are going to a general practitioner or a urologist need to be referred for a cardiology workup to determine existing cardiovascular disease and proper treatment. ED is an early predictor of cardiovascular disease.

References:
Study: Erectile dysfunction may indicate heart disease, death risk - CNN.com.

Unfaithfulness in men may be associated with higher risk of cardiovascular events

How common is unfaithfulness in men?

As expected the results were variable. Some surveys reported that 1.5–4% of married men had extramarital coitus in any given year, others that 23.2% of men have cheated during their current relationship.

Lifetime prevalence of unfaithfulness was between 15% and 50%.

What are the factors related to unfaithfulness?

Men with extramarital affairs more frequently have a dysfunctional primary relationship.

Parenthood and conflicts within the family are associated with a higher risk of having an affair.

Unfaithful men display a higher androgenization, larger testis volume, higher sexual desire, and better sexual functioning.

What are the clinical implications of unfaithfulness in men?

Some studies have suggested that having an extramarital affair could have a negative impact on cardiac morbidity and mortality. Unfaithfulness in men seems to be associated with a higher risk of major cardiovascular events.

References

Fisher AD, Bandini E, Rastrelli G, Corona G, Monami M, Mannucci E, and Maggi M. Sexual and cardiovascular correlates of male unfaithfulness.

Wallpaper And Images

The Importance of Vitamin D

Physicians have long understood the role of vitamin D in bone growth. Recently, though, new attention has focused on the role of vitamin D in many other body processes, including the functioning of immune and neural cells. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with an increased susceptibility to influenza and tuberculosis infections; cardiovascular, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative diseases; and multiple cancers, including colon, breast, ovary, and prostate. Given the importance of this vitamin to overall health and the role of ultraviolet sunlight in producing it, strategies to raise vitamin D levels – without harmful sun exposure – has been the subject of recent controversy. Vitamin D is a steroid hormone that is produced in humans in a series of steps. There are several forms of vitamin D found in nature, labeled D1–D5. The human body generates the D3 form of the vitamin; some plants and other organisms produce alternative forms of the vitamin (D1–D2, D4–D5). In humans, the first step in vitamin D3 production occurs in the outermost layer of skin (the epidermis) in response to exposure to ultraviolet light (UVB, specifically). This results in the formation of an inactive vitamin D3 precursor, which must travel through the bloodstream to the liver, where the next step occurs. After a second chemical reaction, an additional precursor is formed that travels through the bloodstream to the kidneys, where the final conversion step takes place. The end result is the production of the biologically active form of the hormone called 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol. Thus, the pathway to generation of the active hormone is a complex interaction between 3 organ systems (the skin, the liver, and the kidneys) and exposure to ultraviolet light.
The intensity and type of ultraviolet exposure (ie, the appropriate wavelengths) are key factors that influence the first step involving the skin. The intensity of ultraviolet light is related to the distance from the equator and the time of year of the exposure. Additionally, the amount of natural melanin (pigment) in the skin determines how much ultraviolet light can penetrate. Individuals with darker skin require a longer exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays to produce the same amount of vitamin D3 precursors that are produced in individuals with lighter skin. Along with melanin, one of the body’s natural filters for ultraviolet light, sunscreens and sun blocks can also influence the amount of vitamin D3 precursor that is produced. Maintaining adequate levels of the biologically active form of the vitamin also requires normal functioning of the liver and kidneys, as they are also critical sites in the production of the vitamin.
In addition to sun exposure, increasing vitamin D levels can also be achieved through dietary souces – the richest include fatty fish, such as herring, catfish, mackerel, and tuna. Additionally, many foods are now fortified with vitamin D, including milk, yogurt, cereals, and bread. Because the human body can use both D3 and D2 forms of the vitamin, taking an over-the-counter daily multivitamin tablet that contains vitamin D2 is an easy way to increase the body’s vitamin D level. Given the risks of long-term sun exposure, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends that we raise levels of vitamin D through use of dietary sources and supplements rather than increasing time in the sun or refraining from sunscreen use. 

Difference Between Sadness and Depression

Depression is generally associated with the condition of being in an extreme state of sadness. But there is more to the condition of depression and it would be wrong to associate depression directly with sadness. There is a world’s difference between the two.

The Difference between Sadness and Depression:

Sadness is said to be an integral part of human life. All of us will and have experienced sadness at some point in time or the other. Depression, however, needn’t be a part of everyone’s life. Depression is more or less like a physical illness which is said to have a number of symptoms that go beyond just being in an unhappy state of mind.

Snap Out of It:

When a person suffers from clinical depression, it would indicate that he doesn’t find a logical reasoning behind the way these dark feelings engulf him. The fact that his family and friends will want him to snap out of it would be impossible for him to comply with. He cannot ‘snap out of it’ any more than a diabetic can force his pancreas to correct its production of insulin. It isn’t a matter that is in his hands anymore.

The Feelings:

Sadness is said to be more like a transient feeling. It passes over each and every person as they try to deal with their own set of troubles. Depression, on the other hand, could last for a number of years.

Life comes to a Standstill:

In the case of a person grappling with sadness, he will feel bad about the situation that he is in currently, but that won’t stop him from moving on with life. In the case of a depressed person, however, there will be feelings of being hopeless and constantly overwhelmed with the life that he’s leading.

The Criteria for Major Depression:

If a person suffers from depressive mood disorders, it would mean that he would have a depressed mood all the time or might be disinterested in taking pleasure from daily activities. This kind of a frame of mind will generally last for two weeks and above in the case of a person inflicted by depression.
When the person’s mood begins to impair his daily life, it can be termed as depression.

Depression and Substance Abuse:

In some cases people might experience depression that is a direct result of alcohol, drugs or other medications. This will not result in a major depressive episode; but will, in fact, only cause for a temporary lull in their lives.

Bereavement and Depression:

When bereavement gets associated with depression, it could end up displaying symptoms which are displayed for longer than a 2 month period. This period will be marked by feelings of being constantly preoccupied with self-worthlessness, suicidal tendencies, psychomotor retardation, functional impairment and psychotic symptoms.
If all of these tips do not help you in distinguishing clearly between depression and sadness, and if you do doubt the existence of either in a friend or a family member, it would be advisable to take medical help and get evaluations done by a professional at the earliest.

Effect Of Sleep Deprivation

Sleep deprivation studies are uncovering something shocking: the physical effects of sleep deprivation appear to have their tentacles in at least 17 different health conditions.
It's scary.
That's why sleep should never be looked on as a nuisance or waste of time. It's an absolute necessity for human health and longevity. For example, you wouldn't say, "Gee, stopping to put gas in my car is a waste of time. I think I'll skip it." Or, "I never change the oil in my car. It takes too much time."
Your car will break down. Just as you will break down if you do not get enough sleep. Yet, in an attempt to get more done every day, millions of people cut back on sleep. They seem to take sleep for granted, almost like it's an afterthought.
Bad idea.
Sleep doctors have been sounding the alarm. Sleep must become a priority, an urgency in your life, just as much as the urgency you feel when your car is almost out of gas and you're driving on a dark, lonely stretch of road.
So if you need an incentive to get some sleep, take a look at this list of physical effects of sleep deprivation.

Effects of Sleep Deprivation

1. Sleep deprivation—alarming new studies on heart disease.
Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the United States. And to think that sleep deprivation plays some part in it boggles the mind. 2. Sleep deprivation and anger.
Research has shown a correlation between hostility and increased sleep disturbance. So don't blow your stack...sleep on it instead!
3. Sleep deprivation and fatigue.
Consider this—over 100,000 car accidents in North America occur every year due to sleep deprivation. 1,500 dead people. Sad, tragic, and unnecessary.
4. Physical effects of sleep deprivation and weight gain.
Sleep deprivation research shows a link between lack of sleep, weight gain, and obesity. So if you're trying to lose some weight, be sure to check out my articles below on weight loss.

Depression, stress, and anxiety

5. Sleep deprivation and anxiety.
Recent research suggests that sleep deprivation can cause anxiety, fear, and worry. 6. Physical effects of sleep deprivation on stress.
Stress is an ongoing part of life in our world today. And it can have a huge negative effect on your body and brain.
7. Sleep deprivation and depression.
Not getting enough sleep can actually cause depression in some people. And almost all people with depression have problems sleeping. Important note: If your mood, stress, and worries are what causes insomnia and sleep deprivation for you, natural help is available.

Diabetes and high blood pressure

8. Sleep deprivation and blood sugar.
Researchers have discovered a connection between sleep deprivation and diabetes, in particular, type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, one company has worked hard to create a formula that helps support the health of people with diabetes.
9. Sleep deprivation effects on high blood pressure.
Studies have shown that people who sleep less than five to six hours a night have a significantly higher risk for high blood pressure.
Below, you can read more about the effects of sleep deprivation on high blood pressure.

More Sleep Deprivation Effects

Physical effects of sleep deprivation also encompass all of the following:
10. Infections and weaker immune system
11. Frustration with life. Perhaps this is why alcohol and drug abuse are signs of sleep deprivation.
12. Irritability
13. Sleep deprivation and memory (includes reduced cognitive function, decreased mental sharpness, lack of focus and drive).
14. Blurred vision
15. Increased pain
16. May lead to a shortened life expectancy
17. Inflammation (a factor in numerous diseases, including certain types of cancer)
So there you have a quick overview of the physical effects of sleep deprivation. Who knew these things about sleep and health? Now think sleep is something you can skimp on?
By the way, it's interesting to note that studies are also showing that for adults, consistently sleeping more than nine hours a day may also lead to poor health. The magic target zone for health seems to be to consistently get seven to nine hours sleep daily for most adults.
Keep in mind though, as I pointed out in my article, 4 Essential Facts About Insomnia (see below), everyone is different in how much sleep they need for optimum health.
And as you continue to read through Sleep Passport, also keep in mind that there are ways for you to overcome most sleep disorders. In Sleep Passport, I will explore every avenue to helping you fight off the physical effects of sleep deprivation.

What you need to eat to remove cellulite

Do you in any way feel hesitant about trying out a cellulite diet because you feel like you have exhausted all possibilities in purging your cellulites but then to no avail? Well, perhaps you are focusing your attention on the wrong techniques of how to get rid of your cellulites.
First, it is important that you realize the role of having a good diet on your body, particularly on your cellulites. Knowing how to get rid of these fatty deposits underneath your skin layers is very crucial to be healthy and fit. The usual crash diets and anti-cellulite creams have been confirmed not to give very favorable results.  So why settle for them and waste your money in the first place? Why don’t you consider going on a cellulite diet and see for yourself whether it really works against cellulites or not? Here are just a few of the benefits you may obtain if you will decide to give Cellulite Diet a try:
Protein-Rich Foods: Prepare a nutritional plan and list down a lot of protein-rich foods in your list. Proteins are well known for toning up muscles and at the same time, evening out the fats. Increase your consumption of lean meats and steer clear of fatty meats like the ones you find in bacons and beef patties. Try boosting your protein intake by eating more chicken and fish meat. To really ensure getting rid of cellulites without resorting to liposuction or mesotherapy, consider the enumerated food items above so that you may know what you will need to include in your diet. In doing so, you will find your cellulites vanishing in no time.
Fish: Another very indispensable food item that you should not forget to include in your cellulite diet is the fatty fish and fish oils. They have been proven to contain a lot of essential fatty acids that you will need to help you get rid of your cellulites. They are also confirmed to be effective in strengthening the skin cells as well as improving the texture of lumpiness in your legs, thighs, hips and buttocks will surely be gone in no time.
Lean Meats:
Aside from fish, lean meats should also make a big part of your cellulite diet especially that they are very high in protein content. Poultry as well can be very useful in getting rid of your cellulites since they too, abound in protein that can strengthen your body necessary to flush out the toxins responsible for formation of cellulites.  This is why it is highly recommended that you follow the guide about what foods you will need to include in your Cellulite Diet as provided in this article. Make your move now. Change your diet and see your cellulites gone very soon.
Fruits & Vegetables: In addition, there are the fruits and vegetables that you must not forget. Go for the greener or brighter vegetables since color is associated with the amount of oxidants they have. In short, choose vegetables that have brighter colors. After all; the more antioxidants in your body, the fewer free radicals you will have. Simply put, the less cellulite will form in your body. It would also be good to drink a lot of fruit juices everyday. Try substituting these drinks to sodas which definitely have no nutritional value at all.

Water: Last but not least, there is also water to consider. Not too many are aware that water is another factor that plays a very important role in cellulite removal. Increasing intake of water has been proven to help get rid of cellulites in both men and women. This may be attributed to the fact that water is very good in flushing toxins out of the body which as you may know are the culprits for cellulite formation. By drinking more than the required amount of water, you can be certain that you are on your first step to guaranteed cellulite removal.
Using An Effective Guide For Cellulite Diet To Wipe Out Cellulites For Good
These diet options are all natural so there is no need to worry about your safety. They are all easily accessible so finding them should not be at all difficult.

You could be interested in : Ways to reduce cellulites
                                          Laser Treatment for cellulite

Laser Treatment For Cellulite

There are a lot of diseases which can be cured by the laser. It is a recommended treatment for it results to very little to no pain. Lasers are used in treating and improving the look of cellulite. What it does is stimulate the affected area to improve the circulation which will then allowing the body to start healing the damaged cells that made the little bumps and lumps we call cellulite. One of the most popular laser treatments is the TriActive. It combines massage as well as laser treatment to the affected areas.

Laser Cellulite Removal

Laser cellulite removal can be really effective, though different patients may respond at an unlike rate with the procedure. In line with its effectiveness is its cost. Obviously, everything that works good and well comes with a price. A single session of the laser treatment will cost you around $100. 10 to 15 consecutive sessions are needed before one finally gets rid all of the cellulite in the body.
Other than the risk on your wallet, there are no other dangers in laser treatment. The healing process might include some products to be used in order to make the skin look tighter and firm. That will make the entire treatment worth all the money you spend.
Cellulite is probably one of the most difficult skin conditions to treat. It is because the involvement of fats and more so because they are stranded underneath the layers of the skin. The laser cellulite removal will promote the burning off the fats in order for it to move away from the clusters of body fats in a certain area in the body. That way, we can start enjoying our bathing suits and the like attires. There is no more to hide after the laser for cellulite.
There are also remedies which you can use if the laser is not for you. There are products you can use as well as routines that you can perform that will help get rid of the cellulites. However, they are expected to be of slow results compared to the laser. They are still effective though.
The key to having a good looking body is to always stay healthy and stick to the things and routines that will keep your body fit.

Ways To Reduce Cellulite

Cellulite is an unfortunate reality for most women. About eight out of 10 women have this common condition that causes fat to appear as dimpled skin on the thighs, hips and buttocks, according to MayoClinic.com. While cellulite creams and massage techniques promise to rid the body of these unwanted markings, few actually produce noticeable results. Reducing cellulite may be possible with proper diet, exercise and some laser procedures.

Diet

Poor eating habits, fad diets and a lack of proper hydration may contribute to cellulite, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). Eating a nutritious diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables and fiber, along with keeping your body well-hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, may help minimize cellulite.

Exercise

An inactive lifestyle can add to the development of cellulite, according to the National Institutes of Health. Regular exercise encourages your body to build muscle, and helps it maintain skin texture and tone. Strengthening muscles in your legs, thighs and buttocks can improve the appearance of dimpled skin. A good rule of thumb is to get at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity--such as jogging, brisk walking or swimming--at least five days a week.
Keep in mind that you can't completely make cellulite disappear once you have it, no matter how much your exercise or how many pounds you shed, notes the UMMC. Although excess weight can encourage cellulite formation, the condition may still exist in in leaner individuals since everyone some degree of fat just under the surface of the skin.

Laser and Radiofrequency Treatments

Lasers and radiofrequency systems show great potential as remedies for cellulite reduction, according to MayoClinic.com. One system uses a combination of negative tissue massage, radiofrequency and infrared light to treat cellulite. The other procedure delivers tissue massage with diode laser energy to help smooth dimpled skin. A series of treatments performed twice a week is usually necessary. Results can last up to six months.

Don't Smoke

Smoking appears to increase the likelihood of cellulite, according to WomensHealth.gov. It may also accentuate its appearance once you have it. If you smoke, quitting may lower your risk of developing or worsening the condition.

References

• University of Maryland Medical Center: Cellulite
• WomensHealth.gov: Cellulite
• MayoClinic.com: Cellulite
• MayoClinic.com: Fitness
• BodyBuilding.com: Cellulit