Myths and Facts Of Dieting for Weight Loss

Last Updated on: January 19, 2024
Edited By: Alfred

Dieting is must for the weight loss, but how it should be done is very important. There are many misconceptions about the dieting for weight loss that along with the weight loss deteriorates the health of the individual very badly. IN some cases of dieting serious problems are noted to arise due to the improper or wrong knowledge about the dieting. So, here is the information about the myths and facts about dieting for weight loss:  
1. Myth: Culminate the intake of fats and carbohydrates completely
Fact: It is absolutely wrong to cut down the intake of the fats and carbohydrates. Remember that fats and carbohydrates are the essential nutrients for the body through which it produces the necessary amount of the energy required for various body processes. Yes, certainly you need to reduce the intake of the fats and carbohydrates, but stopping their intake completely would lead to the health problems.  
2. Myth: Skipping breakfast helps to lose weight
Fact: This is another prominent dieting myth that is observed commonly among the people who want to lose weight. The breakfast is essential as your urge of hunger is maximal at this time. If you quit breakfast then your digestive system would function improperly and would have the excessive acidic juices in stomach that would give rise to acidity. Never to skip the breakfast, either way you can reduce the amount you eat but to quit it is not recommended.  
3. Myth: Fruit juice is better than eating entire Fruit in a dieting process
Fact: Yes, fruit juice is good in dieting process, but not better than whole fruit. If you eat the whole fruit then you would get the better and faster weight loss results than that of the fruit juice. Even your overall health status would be improved as fruits contain the necessary amount of the nutrients that are present in juice too but in lesser amounts. Even the weight loss process is better augmented by eating raw fruits than drinking the juice of the fruit.  
4. Myth: Fasting makes you lose weight
Fact: Fasting is not good for the health. Stopping the intake of the food completely will have a lot of adverse impact on the health of the individual. Rather than a dieting tip this looks out to be a punishment for the person. The fasting may sometimes results into severe health problems instead of losing weight. It is completely restricted to do the fasting to lose weight. Please don’t do fasting even any dietician suggests it, but this would make it clear that this particular dietitian is not perfect for you.  
5. Myth: Stop the meat intake completely
Fact: Stopping the meat intake completely is not recommended as it rich source of the proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Yes, you must not eat it regularly. It is recommended to eat it not more than once in a week. This way you would stay away from the adverse effect of eating meat. Also make it sure to eat it in a limited quantity so that your digestive system is not stressed out to digest it. So it is not necessary to give up the eating habit of meat completely as a pert of dieting.   The advice of the dietician and your family physician should be taken before you opt for any of the dieting procedure. The dietician may guide you best in making the perfect dieting plan. So, stick up the dieting plan and don’t follow any of myths about the dieting as they would help you to attain the weight loss.

Smokers are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s

Last Updated on: January 19, 2024
Edited By: Alfred

There is an endless list of the hazards of smoking, with a new one being added every now and then. One of the latest discoveries regarding these hazards has added to the woes of chronic smokers. As per studies, smokers are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s diseases and suffer from memory dysfunction as they age than people who keep away from cigarettes. As per this research, smokers between the ages of 30 ‘ 45 have double the risk pf developing brain disorders in their older days than non-smokers. Some of the other facts that were brought to light during this study are  

  • People who are chronic smokers (40 cigarettes a day) have 157 % chances of suffering from Alzheimer’s in the older days.
  • These people are 172 % more susceptible to vascular dementia which is also a form of Alzheimer’s.
  • The researchers evaluated the medical records of around 20,000 people for the past 23 years and came to the above conclusion. This occurred as a result of tissue inflammation as a result of smoking. Researchers believe that these inflammations can lead to Alzheimer’s disease. This highlights the fact that besides affecting the lungs, skin and eyes, smoking also makes the brain susceptible to various disorders.

More on Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common reasons for deterioration of intellectual faculties also known as dementia. This form of brain affection can interfere with the social and occupational functioning. This disease also takes a toll on the health economy of the country. In the United States, the cost of caring for patients with this disease reached $144 billion per year in 2009.  
Risk factors
The exact cause of this disease is unknown but there are certain risk factors which need to be taken into consideration.  

  • Smoking
  • Drug abuse
  • insulin resistance
  • obesity
  • vascular factors
  • dyslipidemia
  • hypertension
  • lipoprotein E epsilon 4 genotype
  • Genetic- this is a rare cause where only 7 % of Alzheimer’s patients have genetic history.

Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease

  • Inability to think straight: Patients who are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease are not able to solve even small problems. A simple case would be the inability to remember personal phone numbers, or the inability to fill checkbooks.
  • Disorientation: These people are not able to connect with realities where they are not able to find their way back from a certain place, forget their residential address, or may forget how they reached a certain place. They are also not conscious of the day, date and time. One of the best examples is people forgetting the way back to their house from the grocery store.
  • Dull: These people may suddenly appear dull and lost where they appear detached to everything that is happening around them. They tend to spend more time watching television and sleeping than doing other activities that they used to do.
  • Speech: One of the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s disease is that people forget the words that they were going to use while talking. They stop mid sentence trying to find the correct word.

Few facts of Diabetes Mellitus-Type 1

Last Updated on: January 19, 2024
Edited By: Alfred

Diabetes mellitus is a disorder with biochemical and anatomical consequences. This disease occurs as a result of deficiency of insulin. There are two types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. In the type 1 diabetes, there is no production of insulin due to destruction of beta cells of the pancreas by the immune system of the body. This disease is more prevalent in juveniles but also occur later in life, when people are in their late 30s and early 40s. Diabetes mellitus is a common disorder and is known as the silent killer as it can prove to be fatal, if not controlled.  Salient features of diabetes mellitus

  • It is a catabolic (metabolic break down of complex compounds into simpler ones) disorder. Some of the marked chemical characters of this of disease are
  • Absence or low level of insulin
  • Increase level of plasma glucagons
  • No response of pancreatic beta cells towards insulin.
  • Patients are dependent on external doses of insulin to control the glucose level in the body (hyperglucagonemia), to ensure there is metabolism of lipids and proteins and to prevent ketosis.
  • It is an autoimmune disease in which the immune cells of the body attack the beta cells of the pancreas and destroy them leading to deficiency of insulin in the body.

Facts about diabetes

  • In the United States alone 5 -15 % of cases of this disease are of the type 1. As stated above, it is more common in children than adults. Every year there are 15 cases per 100,000 children (those below 18 years). There are more than 1 million people suffering from diabetes in United States alone with more than 10,000 new cases every year.
  • The highest numbers of diabetes type 1 cases are found in Scandinavia where almost 20 % of the total diabetic cases are type 1 diabetes mellitus.
  • Japan and China have the lowest rates with less that 1 % of diabetes patients suffering from diabetes mellitus type 1.
  • US health expenditures every year has to shell out more than $100 billion only for diabetes.
  • Diabetes is a multisystem disease due to which the patient can develop a number of complications such as ischemic heart disease, renal disorders, visual defects, blindness, gangrene and autonomic and peripheral neuropathy.
  • This form of diabetes is more commonly observed in non-Hispanic whites. Comparing to all other races, Asians are less affected by this disease.
  • Sex: The occurrence of this disease is more in men than women.
  • Age: Diabetes mellitus type 1 is also known as Juvenile diabetes as it affects more children than adults. Among children, it is more common in early adolescence, between the ages 11 ‘ 13 years. However it can also occur in adults, between the age of 30 and 40.
  • Diabetes mellitus type 1 has a genetic onset where a person with a history of this disease in the family is more likely to suffer from it than people who don’t have a genetic link.

Pain Management Practices

Last Updated on: January 19, 2024
Edited By: Alfred

Pain management techniques are practices that most people are looking for in order to get rid of their physical sufferings. In the fast moving era when people are coping with the pace of the time, they are getting prone to various physical disorders. An extensive number of people are suffering from arthritis and other physical inflammation. This makes it daunting form such individuals to focus on other aspects of life. It does not only hinder the physical condition of the victim but also considerably influences the psychological state of the patients. Hence, most people felt the need of techniques and practices to manage pain.? In the same course most victims try various measures to overcome the malfunction, out of which many are ineffective in curing the disorder. However, it should be understood that opting for a particular or set of pain management techniques should be based on the type of pain. So it is essential to understand the root of the cause and then select a management technique.  Medications or Pain relaxants:
Medications such as specific pain relaxants are effective in curing pain temporarily. Your pain may also never return if it is not a chronic inflammation. These medicines are generally prescribed by certified health care practitioner and are available with all pharmacies. These medicines are also known as ‘pain killers’ which denotes their objective of truncating pain from the body. Most relaxants work on spinal cord which is linked with skeletal bones. The active components of these drugs block the nervous signals which are transmitted to the muscles and are responsible for causing pain. Muscle relaxants are suitable for temporary but immediate cure from the pain.? It is also essential to understand that these medicines may have some side effects; hence, it is advised to take these medicines on doctor’s advice.  
Exercises:
One of the widely believed facts is that along with medication, appropriate and effective exercises are also essential for obtaining long term relief from pain. It is known that exercises can also aid in truncating pain and maintain functioning of respective body parts. Doctors may usually suggest exercising techniques to people suffering from arthritis. Some people may find it difficult to exercise due to their painful physical conditions; such people should get in touch with their health advisor and get the issue solved.  
Hydrotherapy:
Hydrotherapy is commonly known technique which is highly adopted by people suffering from arthritis or any another kind of pain. In this therapy a bag filled with sufficiently warm water should be placed on the body part where inflammation is experienced. It helps by reducing or eradicating stiffness of muscles, spasm and pain. This therapy can also be opted through specialized warm water pools, hot tubs, spas etc.  
Sufficient rest:
There are chances that the pain that you are experiencing is due to lack of rest. If you feel that this may be the case, then allow your body to calm down and get recharged by resting for sufficient hours. You must take appropriate rest along with suitable exercises.  
Massage:
Evidently, massage is also considered to be very effective for reducing pain. It can eradicate pain, provide relief to muscles from spasms, relax toned or stiff muscles etc. If you are opting for a massage to reduce inflammation in your body, then it is essential to understand that massage should be performed by a certified massager with sufficient knowledge about body parts and pain.   The above mentioned pain management techniques can help you get some relief out of your pain and may be effective in long run, in some cases.

Common Types Of Respiratory Allergies

Last Updated on: January 19, 2024
Edited By: Alfred

Allergies are medical conditions which are generally seen throughout the world. One of the most common classes of allergies is Respiratory Allergy which can be further segregated into different types. It can be said that respiratory allergy is a major health issue around the globe. Irrespective of the geographical region, this allergy can affect anyone. A person affected by allergy may denote various symptoms such as sneezing, hay fever, conjunctivitis and many more. Allergy can be outcome of various causes; respiratory allergy occurs due to inhalation of allergen components such as pollen etc. Here are some common types of respiratory allergies:  Pollen Allergy:
Pollen allergies are mostly noticed during spring season. Most people enjoy spring, but some allergic individuals have to stay careful during the season. It is studied that approximately 10% of the population are prone to pollen allergic conditions.   Meteorologic modifications influences the amount of pollen exposure, in return it also influences allergic individuals. Pollen can be said as aerophiles, as they are carried miles away through air; these are light substances which makes them easier to be carried through zephyrs.  
A person affected by pollen allergy may general show symptoms such as:

  • Sneezing
  • Nose clogged
  • Hypersensitive Shiners
  • Eye conjunctivitis
  • Watering eyes
  • Hay fever

To cure pollen allergy there are drugs that can be availed through nearest pharmacy. These drugs can be either instructional medications or else-wise, over the counter. It is best to consult you doctor in case you experience any of the above mentioned symptoms.  
House Dust Mite Allergy
Presence of house dust mite can be a matter of concern for those individuals who are victim of allergic conditions. House dust mites are 0.1 mm to 0.6 mm in size, which makes it hard to determine their presence. Droppings of these mites are lighter and can be easily carried by air. These airborne particles are usually breathed by people present in the room. If any individual who is allergic to any such substance inhales these droppings, he may soon be affected by allergic attacks as these miniscule substances may reach to the immune system and result in reaction. Humid areas with approximate 25?? C temperature are perfect for survival of house dust mites, especially, mattress and pillows serves them as an ideal dwelling location.  
Symptoms of House Dust Mite Allergy:

  • Uneasy breathing
  • Asthmatic or wheezing breath
  • Severe coughing
  • Itchy nose exterior
  • Clogged and/ or runny nose
  • Watering eye
  • Eye conjunctiva
  • Eczema
  • Allergic rhinitis


Mold Allergy or Mould Allergy:
Mold or Moulds are fungus that generates kind of shallow growth on different clammy substance. It is also commonly seen on decomposing matters such as putrefying timber, animals bodies etc. These molds can also be present in the human dwellings in form of moulds over long stored bread and other similar eatables. Molds are generally stimulated under warm and clammy conditions. These miniscule matters are airborne and can multiply themselves when present in suitable humid atmosphere such as bathroom, basements, lumber furniture, ceilings etc. When any individual who is sensitive to such allergen inhales these matters, he may get affected as these molds have the capacity to influence immune system of the individual.  

  • Sinus infection
  • Eczema
  • Stomach upset
  • Headaches
  • Clogged nose
  • Stuffy nose

In case any of such sudden symptoms are noticed, especially in case of allergic individuals, it can be said that the person is suffering from allergic attacks. During such scenarios it is, no doubt, a wise decision to meet a health expert and undergo diagnosis to determine the root. Allergies can be severely hazardous; hence, allergic individuals should try to prevent respective allergens, especially in case of respiratory allergy which is common.

Hair Loss Diagnosis

Last Updated on: January 19, 2024
Edited By: Alfred

Hair loss is a gradual process where a person starts losing hair in patches or faces hair fall, hair thinning or premature baldness. The average scalp usually has 100,000 strands of hair of which it is normal to lose 75 ‘ 150 strands daily. Anything more than this needs medical attention and treatment. Hair loss can happen due to physical or psychological conditions. The diagnosis often depends on the doctor who will assess several factors before coming to a conclusion.  

Diagnosis of the disease causing hair loss

Diagnosis of what is causing hair loss depends on the kind of hair loss one is suffering from. A dermatologist may have to consider many possible kinds and types of recognized hair ailments while diagnosing a patient. Most doctors will come across just twenty types of hair related diseases throughout their careers. Of the twenty just four will be the most common for 95% people suffering from hair loss conditions. These are namely, pattern baldness, telogen effluvium, chemical over processing and alopecia areata. When a patient first consults a doctor for his hair ailment the dermatologist will first collect information through questioning him, after which the use of techniques like the hair pluck test may help to understand diseases causing hair loss or baldness.  
Diagnosis of hair loss diseases by questioning
The initial stages of diagnosis include the process of determining whether the hair loss is congenital, genetically inherited or acquired. The loss of hair by congenital hair disease would mean that the disease is present since birth. A genetically inherited disease is one that happens later in life due to genes that are inherited. The acquired form of hair loss disease is the ones that are due to the environment and its effect on the hair. If the doctor feels that the hair loss is congenital, he may ask a few questions to the patient related to his family members and background like he would like to know who else in the family suffer from the same condition and how are they related genetically. If the hair loss disease is acquired then the questions will be based on health and lifestyle. The questions may get more detailed and intense if the dermatologist suspects something more unusual.  
Identifying loss of hair with tools
Tools like the hair pull test determines about the quantity of hair being shed from the scalp. The pull test is done by grasping some hair between the thumb and forefinger clutching about 50 strands of hair. Firmly pulling of the hair or traction is applied without involving any plucking.  
Mechanism of the hair-pull test
The number of strands pulled gives an idea of the number of hair follicles residing in the telogen state. Telogen hairs are easily pulled out than the anagen growing hair. Hence, in the test while the telogen hairs will come out, the anagen hair will remain rooted in the scalp. Usually 5-15 strands of hair can be pulled out from a normal scalp. More than 15 strands suggest that more follicles are in the telogen area. The hair pull test may also be wrong as the number of pulled hair may vary. The fallen hair also depends on how often the person washes or brushes his hair. All activities like this usually involve the telogen hair.  
Hair pluck test
This test is also known as trichogram. Here hair is pulled to examine the roots. It is done with rubber tipped tweezers that can hold upto 50 strands of hair at a time. This test can be a little painful for the patient but is in brief as the hair is plucked out quickly. The plucked out hair are cut out from the upper end to eliminate the extra length. This cutting needs to be done carefully so that the root is kept intact. The studied hair should be 1 cm in length when measured from the root to end.   This cut-off strand is then soaked in a wet microscopic slide and a dye of 4-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde is applied. This dye will only color the hair root that have the intact internal root sheaths which are present in anagen hair. The telogen hair will not be affected due to this dye as it contains small, unpigmented, ovoid bulbs are do not have healthy internal root sheath. Under the microscope the dermatologist can count the number of telogen and anagen hair strands that are present. He can also identify if there is any abnormality to the roots of the hair that might identify a defect of the hair shaft.  
Laboratory testing to identify hair loss
If the person is suffering from an unexplained hair loss condition, a number of laboratory testing may be recommended. A potassium hydroxide may identify an infectious disease if any and this is specially recommended for people with localized hair loss. Localized hair loss may be Alopecia areata or also might be scalp ringworms. Some skin from the scalp mixed with potassium hydroxide are placed on the slide and tested under a microscope to detect any fungal infection. A positive result confirms ringworms and other tests are carried out by culturing skin in the laboratory to find out what type of bacteria or fungi is present. Other tests may include testing blood looking for viral infections and other inflammations.  
Diagnosis through skin biopsy
Skin biopsies are usually done to diagnose diseases like cicatrical alopecia. A 2-4mm skin is taken from the scalp and put under the microscope for examination. A pathologist then tests the intensity of damage in the hair follicle along with the depth of skin involved and check to see the presence and the location of the inflammation in relation to the hair follicles. Most of the procedures do not take a long time and are straight forward in nature. These tests provide a clear understanding through which the dermatologist can identify the problem. The diagnosis is important to select the route of treatment for the hair loss.   Once the causes of hair loss is determined, treatment is only a while away. Treatments are often successful in the re-growth of hair. The dermatologist will prescribe the best medical option to treat any of the above ailments. Hair should start growing as soon as you start reacting to medication. Diagnosis for hair loss may be intense but not difficult. With modern medical facilities one can dream about getting back the lost hair again. Do make time to visit your doctor as soon as you think you are losing hair, the rest will be taken care by him.