1st Health Articles

Lice seem like such a dirty little secret and come across as a problem that only people who are unclean have. Nothing could be further from the truth as lice can infest anyone from any ethnic or socioeconomic group. Lice are little insects with no wings which can easily hop from one human host to another through shared hair brushes, clothing and plain old body contact. There are three basic types of lice and they come in different sizes from barely discernible to the naked eye up to around 1/8 of an inch which is huge in lice terms.

Types of Lice

Three types of lice are possible to contract and they are head lice, pubic lice and body lice. With head lice, the most common form, these guys infest the hair on your head. This type is the kind spread through shared brushes, combs and hats. School children get this all the time and it spreads like wildfire. Many kids will get sent home every year from school to get treated for lice. Up to several years ago, school nurses still checked each child’s head for lice.

Body lice are common in people who have poor hygienic practices. In addition, you can also live in crowded areas with others or even wear clothing that another person with body lice had. In rare instances, you may even get body lice from sleeping on a mattress in a hotel room, especially if the facility is not the kind to put a mint on your pillow. Lice in the pubic area aka crabs are irritating and you are most likely to catch this from a sexual partner. These “crabs” can also spread to your armpit hair, chest hair, eyelashes, eye brows and even a moustache or beard.

Symptoms and Treatment Options for Lice

The first thing you are going to notice with a lice infestation is severe itching. If not careful, scratching excessively can break the skin, which could then lead to bacterial infections. Some children will have mild itching with their head lice while others may do nothing but scratch. You can bet that the body lice and pubic lice are huge irritants to the skin.

The lice, by themselves, can be hard to detect. However, their eggs are quite easy to spot. These eggs are called nits and are a shiny dull white color which looks like little gobs of foreign material on your hair near the scalp. When someone does not completely treat the lice, a chronic infestation occurs. Therefore, occasionally in these circumstances, you will discover the lice eggs a bit further away from the scalp due to hair growth.

These nits are easy to spot and are quite distinguishable from other things because they adhere so strongly to the hair. You may find adult lice as well as the eggs they lay in seams of a mattress or even infested clothing. They will nestle into a hat or brush until a human host comes along.

There are a number of over the counter as well as prescription lice treatments that can help eradicate these little pests. Shampoos and creams can be effective but are best when repeated several times to ensure that both the adult lice as well as their many nits are killed. For more stubborn cases, there are stronger medications but doctors have to be careful with them as some can cause side effects in children or fetuses in pregnant women.

It is important to not only treat the body but also the clothing, bedding, furniture, grooming brushes and more which may have come in contact with the lice. If these are not treated to kill lice, you could get them again and the process starts over. Always follow the product directions as well as that of your doctor to ensure that the lice are gone for good.

Healthy eating requires you to eat 40 different nutrients every day to keep your body healthy. You can break down all of these nutrients into small categories in order to understand them and make sure you get all of the foods you need.

First, everyone needs water to live a healthy life. Without water, we become dehydrated, and will eventually die. You lose water when you sweat and through daily bodily functions, so water must constantly be replenished. Drinking 8 glasses a day is recommended. Water is found in foods, not just drinks, so you can get some of your 8 glasses by eating certain foods, such as watermelon.

Of course, we need much more than water each day to survive. Another group of nutrients we can’t do without is proteins. Proteins are found in foods such as meat, eggs and soy products. They provide the amino acids needed to build muscle tissue, as well as help produce some of the hormones in our bodies. Red blood cells and hair are also made from protein.

The body also needs adequate amounts of fats and carbohydrates to have enough energy during the day. Fats are primarily used for energy during intense activity, like exercising, while carbohydrates are mostly used for energy during less intense activities, like standing and sitting.

Both the fats and the carbohydrates that we eat in a day can be stored as fat for later use, so it is important to eat enough for energy, but also important to regulate our intake so we  stay slim and healthy. In the event that you are not eating enough fats and carbohydrates, your body can also supply itself with fuel from proteins.

Vitamins and minerals are also important nutrients for our daily lives. We get these from fruits, vegetables, milk and most other natural sources of food. Some of our foods, such as bread products, can even be enriched so that we get more vitamins and minerals in our bodies.

There are dozens of vitamins and minerals that you need regularly, such as iron, thiamine, vitamin C and vitamin D. If you are eating a healthy diet, chances are you get enough vitamins and minerals from your foods, but taking vitamin supplements to make sure that you are getting the right amounts is also a good idea. Supplements may be available to help with other nutrients, too, so if you are worried, talk to your doctor about how you can be sure you’re getting a healthy amount of nutrients.

If the uniformity of acute diseases be a fact in Nature, then it follows that it must be possible to treat all acute diseases by uniform methods.

That it is possible to treat all acute diseases most successfully by natural methods, which anybody possessed of ordinary intelligence can apply, has been demonstrated for more than seventy years by the Nature Cure practitioners in Germany, and by myself during the last ten years in an extensive practice.

One of the many advantages of natural treatment is that it may be applied right from the beginning, as soon as the first symptoms of acute febrile conditions manifest themselves. It is not necessary to wait for a correct diagnosis of the case.

The cause of snoring will vary from person to person as will the frequency and volume of the snore. One thing is for sure though – snoring can be a huge problem for the snorer and everyone else living in the same household.

Ironically, many people do not question the fact that they or a partner snores. If they lived next door to neighbours who made the same amount of noise every night you can bet that they would have a great deal to say, but because the noise and disturbance is generated by snoring, it is accepted as a fact of life.

There is no doubt that snoring can place enormous strain on relationships with the sleepless partner becoming more irritable and resentful as night after night they are denied the sleep they need. In fact, snoring need not be tolerated. It need not be endured and a good night’s sleep should be available to everyone.

The first step in reducing or stopping snoring is to get a medical check up to ensure there is no potentially serious medical condition underlying the complaint.

Having established that, the next step is to take a critical look at yourself and your lifestyle. Are you truly an ideal weight for your height? If not, it could simply be the excess weight that is causing the snoring. Lose the weight and you will lose your snore.

Have you ever had an allergic reaction to anything? Have you ever had hayfever, asthma or eczema? If so, there may be some kind of allergic response that is causing inflammation of your mucous membranes which in turn will lead to snoring. Ask your partner if your snoring is worse some times than others and see if you can find a link perhaps between a time of year or a food stuff and your snoring.

Mucous will restrict airways and dairy products can be very mucous forming. It is worth eliminating milk and cheese from your diet for a month to see if your snoring improves.

Sleep on your back rather than your front, especially if you have a lot of excess weight around your neck.

Exercise will improve your oxygen uptake levels, increase your metabolism, help reduce any excess weight you carry and generally make you feel better. If you don’t believe me try it for a month and see if I’m not right!

If you are still snoring after trying all of the above you may like to consider being tested for Candida overgrowth. This naturally occurring fungus can run wild inside and outside the body. It thrives in warm moist conditions – so mucous membranes are ideal. You may like to experiment with the anti-Candida diet to see if your snoring improves – it simply requires you to avoid anything containing yeast or that has fermented or has any association with mould or fungi. This means you eliminate bread, alcohol, cheese, mushrooms and fruit.

Still snoring? Well surgery remains an option –although this can be expensive, is very painful and does not have a 100% success rate. The other option of course, is ear plugs.

Acne is not life threatening, although its presence can undermine not only your confidence and self esteem but also how others perceive you as well. You cannot put your best face forward is it is covered in acne. There are plenty of treatments out on the market as well as home remedies which are aimed at treating and eradicating acne for good. The problem is that it rarely happens. Plus, each person’s body chemistry and skin condition is different so what may work for one may not work for another.

The primary goal of treating acne is to reduce the number of outbreaks as well as prevent scarring from them. But what if over the counter medications and even prescribed ones are not effective enough? Sometimes, you have to consider alternative forms of treatment in order to get a handle on your acne. Do you know what constitutes alternative? Basically it is a treatment you have not tried yet that is not prescribed by your doctor, although they may say that these alternative treatments could be beneficial.

Diet and Nutritional Supplements

Some people believe that the food they eat can cause acne. There is no definitive link however of this. Nevertheless, some people will experiment with food and eliminate some of them from their diet. You could simply add a zinc supplement as it has shown possibilities in reducing acne, especially the kind that is inflammatory.

Certain herbs have properties which can reduce inflammation, especially in acne. Calendula and flaxseed are popular and more known herbs which are safe to use either in an ointment or a pill form. Witch hazel, licorice root and chamomile are other herbs which can reduce the swelling. Tea tree oil is a great alternative treatment for acne as it has some antimicrobial properties. This means that if the acne is caused by bacterial or you have picked on them to create an infection, the tea tree oil can be applied on the area to reduce the inflammation as well as get to the root of the infection.

Acupuncture is an alternative treatment that has shown some promise at reducing acne lesions from forming. Homeopathy is another avenue to pursue in other types of acne treatment. A homeopath takes into account your health and constitution before devising a treatment whereas a doctor may prescribe a one size fits all type of medication and hope it works.

Biofeedback is another type of alternative treatment that can be investigated. Stress is often said to trigger acne outbreaks or make your acne prone skin more volatile. Biofeedback uses guided imagery to relax you and teaches you the techniques so that you can do them yourself at any time. Hypnosis is another area which can be used to guide you to a state of relaxation so your worries don’t show up in the form of acne on your face and body.

Just remember – your own body and chemical make-up is different from everyone else’s. Therefore, the latest alternative treatment that works for your friend may do absolutely nothing for you and vice versa. Unfortunately, it takes time and effort and a lot of experimenting to find an alternative solution that could work for you.

Protein is part of every diet particularly those who are active in bodybuilding.  However, proteins are known as the culprit behind gout attack because it contains Purine that produces uric acid crystal. 

Gout is the most painful type of arthritis that is usually caused by the increase of the uric acid crystals on the body joints.  Symptoms include swelling, redness and inflammation of the affected joints.  Uric acid level elevates because of the increase of purine intake, obesity and the fast weigh loss program.  Other causes of gout are the increase of uric production by the body or the less elimination of the kidney therefore increases of purines in the blood.

The gout has several stages and can be detected in the blood by doctors.  To avoid gout, diets will be modified to reduce the uric acid present in the body using the uric acid diet. 

In uric acid diet the foods recommended should contain fibers that can be derived from whole grains, vegetables and fruits, low fat foods and low protein content.  More than six glasses a day is encouraged to take during the uric acid diet to flush out the uric acid crystals deposited in the body joints. 

Although protein is the main source of purines, the uric acid diet does not completely remove purine on the diet.  There are purine rich foods that are still allowed to be eaten such as asparagus, spinach and mushrooms.  They do not trigger gout attacks.  Alcohol should be avoided since it can increase the purines in the body but coffee, soda and tea are allowed and do not contribute to the gout attacks.

Modification of your diet should be done upon consultation with a doctor so that you will not be removing food nutrients from your diet.  Gout, when detected does not necessarily implies that uric acid crystal are deposited in the joints.  There are gout cases called Asymptomatic gout where there are increase on uric acid in the blood but do not show any symptoms therefore does not need any medications.  Undergoing a diet should be under the supervision of a medical doctor to ensure that you are on the right track.  But if recommended to do so, following religiously the dietary restriction will retard the progress of the gout into another stage that might lead to chronic gout.  Chronic gout can damage the joints and even the kidneys. 

Poison ivy is an itchy, annoying skin condition that could turn into something much worse if you scratch and break the skin. There are different types of poison ivy throughout the world and also in the family is poison sumac and poison oak. You can find these plants around the base of trees and bushes and they can also hide in brush and weeds. Many people do not realize they have gotten into poison ivy or the others until they get the telltale rash.

This rash is caused when your skin comes into contact with the sap found in the branches and leaves. The toxic substance in the sap is called toxicodendrol and if you are allergic to this sap, you are likely to break out in the rash anywhere from 12 hours to 3 days after contact. Only in the areas where the skin touched the sap will you break out. The resulting rash is a type of dermatitis that becomes red and raised and may also blister.

Contrary to popular belief, the rupturing blister fluid does not spread the rash to other areas of the body. In actuality, you likely have the sap somewhere else maybe clothing or something you rubbed against that still has the resin from the poison ivy. Some of the things that may continue to have traces of the poison ivy sap are pet fur, shoelaces, gardening equipment and even furniture.

In order not to re-infect yourself with the poison ivy, you have to retrace your steps to determine what exactly you touched so that the sap can be eliminated.  The thing about the resin from poison ivy as well as the poison sumac and poison oak is that it can stay active months later. Therefore it is important to clean everything that the poison ivy has made contact with. Washing items with detergent in the washing machine is effective for clothing, sheets and other linen items. For surfaces like gardening tools, you may have to wash them down with soap. Pets that have rolled in it will need a bath.

Some people who realize that they got into poison ivy or one of its relatives have a slight chance of avoiding the rash altogether is they wash with soap and water immediately. This does not always work but there is a chance that even if you do get the rash, it will be much less severe. Typically, once you get the rash, it will last anywhere from one week to a month, depending on the severity of the condition. The most important part of any poison ivy treatment is to reduce the itch because if you scratch and break the skin, you could be courting a bacterial infection and then the recovery time is a whole lot longer.

There are different types of antihistamines that will help you reduce the itch and swelling from the rash. The oral medications work best but you should be careful as some do cause drowsiness. Because the rash may be oozing, you will want to apply some lotion like a calamine lotion which serves to not only soothe the itching but also dry up the weeping rash.

For particularly bad cases, there are anesthetics you can apply right on the rash to numb the itch temporarily but these require constant reapplication. Soaking in a warm tub filled with oatmeal or baking soda bath can also help soothe the itch drastically. Hydrocortisone cream is the best bet for reducing the swelling and inflammation.

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When presented with a diagnosis of Restless leg syndrome the treatment and/or self care can vary greatly depending on the severity of the symptoms and the person themselves. 

Before beginning treatment it must be determined as to whether the RLS is a primary or secondary condition.  This information and diagnosis of RLS  is important for proper treatment. 

Primary RLS is diagnosed as a genetic disorder, as there seems to be no underlying reason for the symptoms other than family history.  Secondary RLS, however, can be more complicated to diagnose or for some to understand.  It is believed, first and foremost, that secondary RLS is caused by an iron deficiency.  Studies have shown that patients with RLS had low iron levels often had more severe cases of RLS.  Also cited in possibly causing RLS symptoms are pregnancy, the use of certain medications and some neurologic conditions. 

When it comes to diagnosing RLS it can be difficult as doctors are not often told about the symptoms directly, or be part of the initial visit.  Diagnosis is most commonly made from family history and an explanation of symptoms; physical exams are not often useful for diagnosis but can help in finding a secondary cause for the symptoms.  It is important than for the doctor, when doing an examination, to ask general sleep and/or RLS related questions.  Often complaints of insomnia and the inability to relax are triggers that there may be something more happening. If the answers seem to indicate the possibility of RLS, further examination can be made to properly diagnosis the symptoms.  Therefore making it vital that primary care doctors need to be aware of the causes and conditions related to RLS and use the information available to them. 

Once the causes for the RLS are found the next step can then be treatment and the best way to relieve or eliminate symptoms all together, if possible.  Since the severity will vary from person to person, no one treatment is best.  Doctors must find the best course of action for each individual.  Should the symptoms be mild, medication may not be needed, but can often be controlled by lifestyle changes.  If lifestyle changes bring some relief, but something more is needed, work with your doctor to find the right combination of medication, therapy and natural remedies that will work with your body and level of discomfort. 

When medications are needed, there are several that are now approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA).  The frequency and severity of the RLS symptoms will dictate what medication(s) and how often they are taken.  For instance, if symptoms occur occasionally, a doctor may prescribe a single dose of opioids to be taken only as needed.  To the other extreme, more severe cases may need regular doses of medication such as Requip and Mirapex, both now approved by the FDA. 

As with any medical condition and prescription medication, be sure you are aware of the side effects and risks of the medication, including how it may continue to affect them in the future. 

Aloe Vera is a house plant that has a long history of being a multipurpose folk remedy. The plant can be divided into two products that have a medicinal property, the gel and latex. Aloe Vera gel is the pulp or mucilage that is clear and jelly-like in consistency that you can get from inside the leaf. The gel contains polymers of carbohydrates such as peptic acid and various other compounds, both organic and inorganic.

The aloe latex which is the yellow sap found at the bottom of the leaf is also known as “bitter aloe” and is commonly used in aloe vera diet because of its laxative properties. This bitter aloe contains anthraquinone glycosides aloe A and B which gives it that laxative effect. The way to get this sap is by cutting the leaves transversally at the base and collecting the sap that oozes from the cut. You use this by drying out the sap and mixing it in other food, like juices or tea.

 
The most common usage of aloe vera is for the treatment of burns, cuts, and other skin disorders. The clear gel speeds up the healing process and protects the skin from infections. The presence of aloectin B in the gel acts as a stimulating agent to the immune system. Few people know of the benefits of an aloe vera diet much less how it affects our body’s system.

People with irritable bowel syndrome or IBS can benefit from aloe vera diet through the aloe juice concentrate. It is recommended that 1 tablespoon of the juice concentrate be mixed with water and taken before every meal. This will help stimulate the digestive glands and help with the regulation of bowel movement. Those with peptic ulcers can also benefit from an aloe vera diet because the juice made from the gel of the aloe leaf helps neutralize stomach acidity.

Reports and animal testing have also indicated that drinking aloe vera juice can help in reducing inflammation and swelling of joints therefore give comfort to those suffering from arthritis. It can also help asthmatic patients who don’t want to depend on corticosteroids in treating their asthma.

Although many illnesses can benefit from an aloe vera diet, it is advisable to consult your physicians before implementing any type of diet. Over dosage especially of the bitter aloe can cause more irritation than help.

There are several types of psoriasis, each type unique in its own way. Doctors look for signs during a physical exam so they are better able to distinguish one type of psoriasis from another. Signs of psoriasis include descriptions of the location and shape of the lesions. Typical symptoms of psoriasis include itching, pain, and increased sensitivity of the affected skin. Plaque psoriasis is the most common form of psoriasis and is named for the lesions that are characteristic of this type of psoriasis. Plaques tend to grow slower and are more stable as they may remain unchanged for long periods of time.

Signs and symptoms of plaque psoriasis include, but are not limited to, red and raised skin patches topped by silvery-white scales. Outbreaks most commonly occur on the elbows, knees, buttocks, scalp, and lower back; The affected areas often have pain, itching, and cracking and the patches may join together to form large affected areas on the back and chest. Another type of psoriasis is Guttate psoriasis which is most often triggered by bacterial infections and are most common in childhood or young adulthood. The signs and symptoms of Guttate psoriasis include small, drop-like lesions on the limbs, trunk, and scalp. The most significant risk factor for psoriasis is having a family history of the disease. About one in three people with psoriasis have a close relative with the condition.

The least common form of psoriasis is Erythrodermic Psoriasis and may be triggered by use of certain drugs, severe sunburn, or abrupt withdrawal of oral steroids. Signs and symptoms include, but are not limited to, widespread redness of the skin, swelling of the affected areas, and severe itching and pain. Most commonly found in the skin fold areas of the body, Inverse Psoriasis is found in the armpits, groin, and genital areas. Inverse Psoriasis is also known as flexural psoriasis. The symptoms and signs include pain and itchiness in the affected area, smooth and moist patches without a scaly surface, and sensitivity to friction and sweating.

The of psoriasis is related to the immune system and a type of white blood cell called a T-lymphocyte or T-cell. Normally T-cells travel throughout the body to detect and fight off foreign substances, such as bacteria or viruses. In people with psoriasis, however, the T-cells attack the healthy skin cells by mistake as if they are to fight an infection or heal a wound. Overactive T-cells trigger other immune responses that can cause an increased production of both healthy skin cells and more T-cells. The result is an ongoing cycle in which new skin cells move to the outer layer of skin too quickly. Dead skin and white blood cells are unable to slough off quickly and build up in thick and scaly patches on the skin’s surface. This cycle does not stop unless treatment is administered. Psoriasis typically starts or worsens because a trigger that may be identified including stress, smoking, cold weather, heavy alcohol consumption, or certain medications.