Get Information About Diabetes Types and Symptpms

Diabetes is a very serious disease. Left unchecked, it can bring serious consequences including death. Fortunately, it is a disease that can be managed. Unfortunately most of the people who have diabetes do not know that they have it and hence do not treat it till it become very late. If you suspect you have diabetes, it is very important that you get prompt professional attention and to determine whether you suffer from this.

Diabetes mellitus arises when insufficient insulin is produced, or when the available insulin does not function correctly. Without insulin, the amount of glucose in the bloodstream is abnormally high, causing unquenchable thirst and frequent urination. The body's inability to store or use glucose causes hunger and weight loss.

The tissues and cells that make up the human body are living things, and require food to stay alive. The food cells eat is a type of sugar called glucose. Fixed in place as they are, the body's cells are completely dependent on the blood stream in which they are bathed to bring glucose to them. Without access to adequate glucose, the body's cells have nothing to fuel themselves with (a process known as metabolism) and soon die.

Diabetes occurs because some people do not make, or cannot respond to, their natural hormone insulin. Hormones help us control the way our bodies work. Insulin's specific job is to regulate the body's use of glucose, our main fuel source. We get glucose, a form of sugar, from the food we eat. It is also made by the liver

What Causes Diabetes

Diabetes (actual name is diabetes mellitus) of any kind is a disorder that prevents the body from using food properly. Normally, the body gets its major source of energy from glucose, a simple sugar that comes from foods high in simple carbohydrates (e.g., table sugar or other sweeteners such as honey, molasses, jams, and jellies, soft drinks, and cookies), or from the breakdown of complex carbohydrates such as starches (e.g., bread, potatoes, and pasta).

The harm caused by diabetes can best be reduced by preventing the onset of Type 2 diabetes. Prevention through the modification of risk factors - particularly through lifestyle changes - is a goal of the National Diabetes Strategy (CDHA, 1999), which was endorsed in 1999 by all State and Commonwealth health ministers. This aim has also been emphasized in the National Service Improvement Framework for Diabetes (NHPAC, 2006a).

Risk Factors for Diabetes Age: All people are vulnerable to the disease throughout their lives. However, the risk is higher as you grow older. There is a gradual increase in susceptibility, with slight peaks at puberty and during pregnancy, until we reach the age of 40. Then there is a rapid jump.

There are several different types of diabetes. Gestational diabetes begins during pregnancy and disappears following delivery. Another type is referred to as juvenile onset diabetes (in children) or Type I (in young adults). These individuals usually develop their disease before age 20. People with Type I diabetes must take insulin by injection every day. Approximately 10 percent of all people with diabetes have Type I (also called insulin dependent diabetes).

Type 2 Diabetes In this type, your pancreas makes some insulin, but not enough. Your cells also can become resistant to insulin's effects, keeping insulin from escorting enough glucose into your body's cells. Type 2 diabetes generally develops after age 40.

By : Peter Sams
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

Hair Care Tips

Proper hair care can stop hair loss and save you from becoming bald. Hair loss may be due to the effect of hormones or hereditary factors. Experts say hair loss occurs owing to ill-treatment of hair, chemical use on hair, illness, lack of adequate vitamins and minerals in food intake and mental stress.
So, do not make your natural hair unnatural by applying hair care products which contain chemical. Know the hair care products before using them. If you neglect your hair, you will face hair loss even in your young age and need hair loss treatment.

Improper washing, combing, brushing of hair will make hair loss. Experts advise to wash hair twice a week. If you have long hair, little more care is needed in washing, combing and brushing.
Balanced diet is also important. If you take nutritional foods, you can prevent hair loss. Besides, little exercise and adequate sleep is required to keep your hair healthy.

Hair loss treatment for men and Hair Loss Treatment for women can be different as women generally have long hair and long hair need more attention.

If you are suffering from hair loss, you can take the help of hair loss treatment after consultation or using some genuine hair care products after understanding the ingredients in them. There are hundreds of products available in the market for hair loss treatment.

New Generation hair care products can stop hair loss as it provides a highly effective environment for strong healthy hair growth. Its Hair Growth Treatment Shampoo, Hair Growth Cleanser and Conditioner, Parula Overnight Hair Care Formula with Palmetto, Hair Dietary Supplement , Hair Grooming Mist are specifically formulated of natural and non-toxic ingredients and do not have after effects. These products have been in the market for nearly two decades and were prepared from the exact original formula developed by Dr. Ilona Schreck-Purola of the University of Helsinki. They are all sold with a money back guarantee and backed by the good name of California Pacific Research.

For dry hair, you can use a shampoo with a rich emollient that will clean and soften your hair. You can also use a conditioner for softening your dry hair.
While shaving pubic hair, little caution is required. Improper use of razor may cause irritation. It is advisable to trim pubic hair before applying razor. Also, soak and lather the pubic part by using a shaving cream before shaving. You can moisturize the freshly shaven pubic area, but avoid moisturizers that contain fragrance and colors since they may cause irritation. Shave as per the need as over shaving may cause infection or irritation. Shaving pubic hair may be uncomfortable for women during their periods, so they should shave around their menstruation cycle.

By : David Ciglar

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

Sex is Good for Your Health

Sex with someone you love is the best prescription for good health. It keeps you young, keeps your sexual organs in good working order, and it boosts your self-confidence. Nothing else stimulates all the senses quite like sex. It just puts a glow on you that no other activity does.” - Dr. Ava Cadell.

I believe that regularly occurring and frequent sex will produce certain emotional and physical health benefits. It’s long been established that there are myriad of health benefits related to sexual activity. This awareness has been recorded in our culture for centuries in the form of old wives tales such as “Use it, or lose it.” Just as if you don’t use your common household appliances regularly, they’ll also become rusty and break down.

A consistently active sex life can be directly beneficial for the cardiovascular system, particularly for men. The increase in heart rate is directly beneficial to the circulation, and can reduce the likelihood of a heart attack. The British Medical Journal published an article in 1997 that reported that men who had the highest number of orgasms had a better quality of life and lived the longest.

Sexual activity can also regulate and exercise the respiratory organs. In short, that heavy breathing with someone you love is healthy. Sex benefits neck and back muscles which increases blood flow to the brain and can alleviate certain types of headache…so, the next time your partner says, “I’ve got a headache, ” you can say, “Good, let’s make love and get rid of it.”

In the post-coital phase of sex, the relaxation of muscles can even alleviate insomnia. The release of tension can lead to a deeper, quicker sleep.Believe it or not, sex can work as a laxative, toning and controlling the lower abdominal muscles.

Sex as pain medication may sound far fetched, but consider this: Just before the point of no return, high levels of oxytocin flood the body and release endorphins that relieve pain. Sexual activity can also help to relieve menstrual cramps by providing a natural decongestion.

No more flu or pesky colds is a good reason to have sex at least once or twice a week. That’s what research showed at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania. They discovered that people who had regular sex had 30% higher levels of immunoglobulin A, an antibody which boosts the immune system.

If you think you’re overweight, there’s no better way to lose it than with increased sexual activity. It not only burns calories, but can also help turn fat into muscle more quickly than any other forms of exercise. Sex will burn a significant amount of calories but over eating will still cause weight gain. The most concise research shows that the act of sexual intercourse burns of about 200 calories, which is equal to running on a treadmill for half an hour.

Having sex keeps your organs healthy. Just as exercising the other muscles of your body contributes to your well being, sexual activity contributes to the flow of blood to your organs and helps to keep everything in good working condition from top to bottom.

There are also many wonderful psychological benefits. Sexual activity releases pleasure endorphins from the brain, which flood the body and literally de-stress it.

Sex can be an effective anti-depressant because it releases feel-good neurotransmitters from the brain called Dopamine. The physical and emotional aspect of sex can work together in improving self-esteem and adds to a sense of confidence.

Sex can help to get those creative juices flowing. Since sexual fulfillment also involves your brain, it can improve a variety of mental functions, including your concentration. Sex can make the mind more active and an imaginative approach to sex can not only spice up your love life, but it can create that wonderful feeling of sexual anticipation.

One of the most important psychological benefits of an active sex life is that it can reduce anxiety. The sedative effect of sexual activity is conducive to fighting the effects of daily tension. The emotional fulfillment that comes from an intimate sexual encounter results in the relaxation of your muscles in your brain.

Better sex life can improve your sense of smell because after lovemaking, prolactin, a hormone, flows to the brain and develops new neurons in the olfactory bulb, which is the brain's smell center.The unique sense of intimate connection with the person you love cannot be duplicated by any other activity. Nothing else stimulates all the senses quite like sex.

There has been an enormous amount of research in the field of psychology focusing on the relationship between sexuality and mental health. Recent medical discoveries by the American Heart Association have confirmed the physical benefits of an active sex life. The American Association of Urologists and significant medical school studies at the University of California and Indiana, just to name two, have documented studies about the health aspects of an active sex life. Forbes magazine did a cover story on why sex is good for your health in 2003 with statistics from major universities and medical journals.

Let’s face it, sex is really an integral part of a healthy life and can help you emotionally, psychologically, and physically. In summation, sex is good for you health in terms of the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, menstrual cramps, acts as a laxative, burns calories, keeps your organs healthy, acts as an anti-depressant, a mild sedative, can stimulate creativity, concentration, reduce stress,…and it feels great!

By : Suzanne

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

Quit Junk Food and Go for Vegges

Junk food is categorized as one of the most tempting &disastrous food item anyone can consume .It causes obesity,heart problems and skin infections too… studies say that too much eating of these kinds of stuff increase the amount of unnecessary fats and calories in our body ,finally making us inactive and obese…over consumption of delicacies like pizzas,noodles,hot dogs, burgers,aerated drinks (and the list is endless)….makes us disabled as we suffer from all sorts of problems including vitamin deficiency….at the same time discourages our mental health and well being.

It is quiet important for people to see the wrong side of these things that seem to an addictive attraction among them as it has not done any good to people.and its not just the people who consume all of this to be blamed as the attractive advertisements with tempting mouthwatering offers that tickle the taste buds of the people are the first ones to spoil our health. The oil and harmful contents in them are the root cause of what people popularly say,a distressing oversized life…

One of the best Ways of overcoming these –ve factors in life is having a healthy and balanced diet consisting of all the essential nutrients,carbohydrates,proteins and minerals in correct proportions…people must cut down on all of their sweet temptations and reserve them for appropriate occasions. Foods rich in fibber,like fruits and leafy vegetables as well as foods rich in iron and calcium like milk,pulses cereals,are very important for good digestion.This not only keeps us fit but also makes our minds fresh and good enough to think…exercise is something recommended for all as along with the right food ,this too is a helping hand in keeping ourselves healthy…it’s said good health is wealth so its not just one or two but everyone who should go ahead and take various beneficial steps in order to stay healthy without any breakdown outside or internally…the masses must certainly be knowledgeable and must be aware of the harmful ways in which junk has been effecting us. Strangely don know why…but what we mostly get to hear from people is that junk food is really cheap and is next-door …and this wrong and immature thinking of people has lead to the cost of our lives…which is not what we want . Its better to improve our lives with good eating habits rather than staying depressed with a load of disabilities…so lets just look out for a better ,healthier and happier life ahead…..

By : Andrea Roggers
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

Women and Their Nutrition...very Important to All of Us!

By : Chuck Arnone
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com


Many of our readers asked for simple nutrition tips for women. Women today are busier than ever before. Their stress is exacerbated by today's fast paced, pre-packaged, convenience based society and the toxins that come from antibiotics and household cleaners. Iron-deficiency anemia is very common in young women. Women need nutrition and they need to be CLEAN from toxins. Here's a nutrition tip for all women -- berries are your friends.

While women's role in the food chain is essential to produce that all-important resource, food, it paradoxically does not guarantee women even minimum levels of nutrition. Women are often responsible for producing and preparing food for the household, so their knowledge  or lack thereof  about nutritions effect on the entire family. Women with adequate stores of iron and other micronutrients are less likely to suffer fatal infections and are more likely to survive bleeding during and after childbirth. Women in developing countries are also regularly deficient in vitamin A, iodine, and energy. Women of child-bearing age are recommended to take folic acid supplements and consume a folic-rich diet. Women are also at higher risk for developing osteoporosis and need more calcium and vitamin D to prevent it. Studies showed that women with vitamin D insufficiency absorb less than 10 percent of available calcium.

However, even among the poor, different groups of women are affected differently by macro development policies, such as the commercialization of agriculture or family planning. The conflict between women's (economic) earning role and (biological and social) mothering role results to some degree in a squeeze on child care, with consequences for child health and nutrition. While women will be mothers too, motherhood is just one part of the inexorable life cycle. We need programs to increase women's awareness, self-confidence, and motivation to act. Men must be educated about the cost to society of neglecting women and the need for affirmative action for women, which arises both from the fact of their greater work burden and their unique reproductive roles. The issue of women's nutrition status and roles is crucial to the proposal for nutrition as a basic right for all in the 1990s, in which human development goals are paramount over economic goals. Programming for women's health must extend beyond their role as mothers to encompass their non-reproductive and work-related energy and health needs.

The nutrition tips for women broadcast on the news often imply that nutrition may magically cure all kinds of diseases. The role of nutrition is to feed our bodies. 1 nutrition tip for women is to regularly include iron-rich foods such as meat, shellfish, beans and enriched cereals in your diet. The effects of high levels of protein-energy malnutrition and anemia among women. The nutritional handicap accumulated in the life of a woman is passed on to the next generation through low birth weight, which considerably reduces survival and jeopardizes growth. The ultimate constraint of time affects the extent to which women can acquire nutritional goods and services and allocate them to improving their own well-being or that of their families. The best way to give your body the balanced nutrition it needs is by eating a variety of nutrient-packed foods every day. In some respects, men and women have different nutritional needs, largely due to differences in male and female hormones.

"If you look at the current federal dietary guidelines for kids, there is no difference in nutritional needs for males and females until age 9," says Elaine Turner, PhD, RD, associate professor in the department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Pregnancy drives the role of women and nutrition. If you need fewer calories, the calories you take in need to pack a lot of nutritional punch. One way that traditionally-minded woman can continue to keep their strength and health within the cycles of the creation,is through the use of berry plants. Remember, too that although berry plants have much nutritional value, they are only meant to supplement and enhance a well-balanced diet.

Anemia is the most common form of malnutrition, afflicting an estimated 47 percent of women worldwide, and anemia in pregnancy is one of the leading causes of maternal death. For maximum effect, improving women's nutrition should begin long before pregnancy. Improving nutrition by maintaining a healthy diet before and during pregnancy and also during lactation can help to ensure adequate gestational weight gain, prevent weight loss during lactation, help strengthen the immune system, and delay HIV disease progression. Good nutrition is important for all pregnant and lactating women irrespective of their HIV status. Ignorance about the symptoms of malnutrition, such as the lethargy and depression caused by iron deficiency, may be dismissed as "normal" or unimportant, further exacerbating the problem. Addressing women's malnutrition has a range of positive effects because healthy women can fulfill their multiple roles  generating income, ensuring their families' nutrition, and having healthy children  more effectively and thereby help advance countries' socioeconomic development. Well-nourished mothers are more likely to have infants with healthy birth weights, and such children are less likely to ever suffer from malnutrition. For reasons including women's reproductive biology, low social status, poverty, and lack of education, they suffer from nutritional imbalances. After the first year of life adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition.

Dermatitis…causes, Types and Treatments

Dermatitis is basically skin inflammation. It is usually caused by direct contact with an irritating substance. Men are more prone to it than women and the peak age of onset is 55-65 years.
Sometimes the terms “dermatitis” and “eczema” are interchangeable since eczema can also be due to both internal (endogenous) and external (exogenous) factors.
Types of Dermatitis:

Irritant dermatitis – Caused by substances which irritates the skin, for example prolonged contact with water, soaps and detergents, chemicals, acids, abrasives, oils, solvents and alkalis. The rash is usually limited to the contact area.

Allergic Dermatitis – Where the skin reacts adversely to the offending substance (allergen) - this is a cell-mediated immunological reaction. In this case, dermatitis will be the result every time the person comes into contact with the allergen, notwithstanding the quantity of the allergen or the time period of contact.
Common allergens are usually in glue, adhesive tape, cement, paint, varnish, polish, dyes, plastics, cosmetics, creams, soaps, detergents and rubber chemicals including rubber gloves apart from some other products. In certain cases the rash can affect other parts of the body too.
Irritant dermatitis is five times more likely to occur than allergic dermatitis. As per theory, any irritant which comes into contact with the skin frequently enough and in sufficient concentration will affect the skin causing dermatitis. Therefore the efficacy of the skin barrier is the main preventative.

Diagnosing Dermatitis
There is no specific or single symptom or feature used to identify this disease. Though the symptoms of dermatitis can take the form of redness, itching, swelling, blistering, scaling and weeping.
Each person tells a different story of syndromes and the symptoms, and severity of the disease may change over time and vary from person to person. Therefore the practitioner may need to check out the patient several times to make a diagnosis.

The most valuable diagnostic tool in the hands of the practitioner is a thorough examination of medical history of the patient which provides valuable information such as family history of allergic diseases, any food that causes skin problems, previous treatments for skin, use of steroids, effect of stress, career or social life.
Sometimes a biopsy or patch testing is required to understand reactions of the skin or overreactions of the immune system.
If not properly treated in time, skin can crack and bleed and the dermatitis can spread all over the body. It is important to know that dermatitis cannot be passed from one person to another as it is not infectious.

Treatment of Dermatitis

1. Bathing – if water is the problem, reduce the frequency of bathing.

2. Replace your standard soap with a mild soap-free cleanser.

3. Clothing - Wear soft smooth cool clothes; avoid wool, pure cotton or linen are great options.

4. Use the emollient liberally and often, particularly after bathing, and when itchy.

5. Use a topical steroid cream or ointment on the itchy patches over a 5 to 15 day course. Steroids should usually be applied once or twice daily to the problem areas.

6. Apply Pimecrolimus cream. It is a new anti-inflammatory cream, and is very effective for atopic dermatitis.

7. Antihistamine tablets may help in irritation, and are very useful at night.

8. Creams containing hydrocortisone or wet dressings that can provide moisture to the skin may help relieve redness and itching.

I hope the above information helped you, but it is not enough by any means. For detailed and exhaustive information on dermatitis visit www.dermatitisfacts.com

By : Charles Browwn

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

All Types of Vitamins

Vitamins (combination of two words: Vital Amines) are the complex organic substance essential in small quantities to the metabolism (nutrition) in most animals. These are found in minute quantities in food, in some cases are produced by the body, and are also produced synthetically. The human body needs them to work properly, so that we can grow and develop just like we should. Their deficiency results in many serious disorders.

Vitamins are divided into two major groups: the 'fat-soluble vitamins' designated as vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K, and the 'water-soluble vitamins' which include vitamin C and the group of molecules referred to as the vitamin B complex. Each of them has its own special role in the development of human body.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin, plays a really big part in eyesight and helps us to see in dim light and also at night. Vitamin A is also involved in the formation and maintenance of healthy skin, hair, and mucous membranes. In addition, it is necessary for proper bone growth, tooth development, reproduction and for the development of epithelial cells (that line any opening to the body e.g.; nose, throat, lungs, mouth, stomach, intestines and urinary tract). Vitamin A can be found in eggs, milk, carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, fish oil, liver (pork, lamb, chicken, turkey or beef), butter, broccoli, apricots, nectarines, cantaloupe, and orange or yellow vegetables or fruits. The deficiency of vitamin A can cause two major disorders like: night blindness and drying of skin.

Vitamin B

Vitamin B itself is a complex of different vitamins like: B1, B2, B6, B12, niacin, folic acid, biotin and pantothenic acid. These B vitamins are very important in metabolic activity and in facilitating the red blood cell (which carry oxygen throughout your body). They also help your body make protein and energy.

The sources of vitamin B are leafy green vegetables seafood, beans, peas, citrus fruits, whole grains (such as wheat and oats), poultry, meats, eggs and dairy products (like milk and yogurt). Some bacteria in our large intestine also prepare some type of B-vitamins. The deficiency of vitamin B can cause the disease "Beri Beri", cracked lips, weak muscles, malformation of red blood cells, affects normal growth and disturbs the nervous system.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is a water-soluble, antioxidant vitamin that is vital to the production of collagen, a protein that gives structure to bones, cartilage, muscle, and blood vessels. It is important for keeping body tissues, such as gums and muscles in good shape and it helps in quick healing of wounds. In addition, it helps protecting the fat-soluble vitamins A and E as well as fatty acids from oxidation.

The vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits (like lemon & orange), cantaloupe, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage and in other fresh fruits and vegetables. The deficiency of vitamin C affects the healthy skin; poor wound healing and can lead to a disease called "Scurvy" which causes bleeding in gums, easy bruising, bumps of coiled hair on the arms and legs, pain in the joints, muscle wasting, and many other problems.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that regulates the formation of bone and the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the intestine. It helps to control the movement of calcium between bone and blood, and vice versa. It is this vitamin you need for strong bones and teeth. In addition it helps your body absorb the amount of calcium it needs.

Vitamin D can be found in fish liver oil, egg yolks, milk and other dairy products fortified with vitamin D. It is also produced in our body in the presence of ultra violet light and sunlight.

The deficiency of vitamin D can cause weak bones and bowed legs (in children). And its excess can cause loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, headache, depression and deposits of calcium in the kidneys.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin, is essential for the inhibition of oxidation in body tissues, formation of red blood cells, and also prevents breakdown of body tissues. It maintains the body tissues and protects the lungs from becoming damaged by polluted air. This vitamin can be found in whole grains (such as wheat and oat), wheat germ, leafy green vegetables, sardines, egg yolks, nuts, bread, cereals and seeds. The deficiency of this vitamin can cause many diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer's disease.

By : Jake Saab

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

What is Autism and How Can It Be Discovered and Treated

Autism is a general term that is used to cover a number of disorders known as Autism Spectrum disorders. These disorders affect the ones that have them in their interaction and communication with others. Autism was discovered in 1943, but there were very few cases back then. The number of people that suffer from autism greatly increased since it was first discovered, and so did the doctors' and the media's attention on the illness.

Autism can affect anyone, no matter what age, sex, or race they are, and at the moment millions of people, both children and adults are suffering from one form of autism or another throughout the world. If one member of the family has one of the Autism Spectrum Disorders then the whole family will feel the repercussions, financial and social problems will occur and furthermore, it is a great chance that the children of the person who has Autism will also have it because it is transmitted genetically to the ancestors.

The Autism Spectrum Disorder term covers a wide range of affections with different symptoms and manifestations. For example, someone suffering from autism may be a person that doesn't speak and socialize at all. This was encountered in many cases of autism.
Children with autism don't understand what the others are saying, cannot interact with other children and cannot play with them. The affection seriously affects the behavior, some of the patients developed an aggressive defense against anyone who tried to communicate with them, others appeared to develop a special sensitivity to the environment and its changes.

How can autism be detected, does it have any specific symptoms? Well, it's up to the family and the ones around someone with autism spectrum disorders to discover his/her condition. In the children's case the family or the teacher should be the first to notice that a child has a different behavior. These are the signs that can make you suspect a child of autism:
-the child starts to speak at an older age, later than the other children
-he focuses on one single object for hours sometimes
-he can speak words, but until the age of 2-3 years old he does not say a sentence with more than one word in it
-some of the children with autism spectrum disorders don't even respond to their own name when it is called
-the general behavior of the child indicates that he is withdrawn, indifferent and lonely.

A child that was discovered to suffer from autism must follow a special treatment. He must go to a special school where only children with autism learn. There is no known cure for autism, so the only thing that can be done is to help the ones with autism spectrum disorders live a better life.

Unfortunately, the number of people suffering from autism spectrum disorders is continuously increasing. Until the doctors discover a successful treatment, society and family must do anything they can to help them integrate. There are many websites and support groups that try to help the ones with autism.

More informations about autism causes or about child autism can be found by visiting http://www.autism-info-center.com/

By : Groshan Fabiola

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

Detox Your Nails: Pick Nail Care Products Without Harmful Chemicals

Nail polish and nail treatments, like many other cosmetics, are made up of dozens of chemicals that work together to make a product that is colourful, shiny, hard, and chip-free. When we paint these chemicals onto our nails, they interact with our bodies. Most chemicals are harmless. Some aren’t. In fact, many brands of nail polish contain chemicals that are known to be harmful—toxic, actually.

But you don’t have to give up having gorgeous nails to avoid being exposed to these toxins. Instead, you can send your nails to rehab and say no, no, no to toxic chemicals.

Pick products like those from Nail-Aid that are specially formulated to be effective without the nasty additives.

Shiny Nails Can Cause Headaches (Literally!)

For years, nail products, including nail strengtheners and other treatments, included chemicals that manufacturers knew were probably not great for us. But it was believed that because nail treatments didn’t expose users to large quantities of these chemicals, the effects would be minimal. Also, manufacturers couldn’t find a way to avoid using those chemicals without negatively impacting the formula (or the price): the harmful chemicals were cheap, and they kept nail polish bright, glossy, and chip-free.

Until recently, many brands of nail polish contained three major chemicals we know to be harmful to humans. These are:

• Toluene
  
  
• Formaldehyde
  
  
• Dibutyl phthalat
  

So if you’ve used nail polish at all in the last ten years, you’ve definitely been exposed to these. That’s the bad news. The good news is that your body has probably already processed out most of the toxins, and it’s also much easier nowadays to find nail products that don’t contain these awful chemicals.

Why You Should Avoid Toxic Nail Product Chemicals

Scientists are great—they’ve given us life-saving medicine, the Internet, and air conditioning. They can also warn us about the dangers hidden in our make-up bags. While we don’t know everything about every chemical, studies have shown definite harmful effects from toluene, formaldehyde, and dibutyl phthalate that mean it’s worth your while to find out whether they’re in your favorite shade of polish or that miraculous peeling nail treatment you’re using.

Here are some of the effects we know about:

Toluene

Toluene is a chemical that contributes to that distinctive “nail polish smell”. Toluene mostly affects the central nervous system if inhaled, causing headaches, forgetfulness, and confusion. If you’re exposed to it at low levels every day—if you work in a nail salon, for example—toluene can also cause fatigue and nausea.

While the symptoms of toluene exposure end once you stop breathing the fumes, it stays in your body for a long time. Your body stores it in places where there is a lot of fatty tissue or a lot of blood: your brain, your liver, and in your fatty deposits. There’s also evidence from animals that exposure to toluene can cause birth defects, usually brain damage, in a developing fetus. So pregnant women especially should avoid using nail polish that contains toluene.

In short, avoiding toluene in chemicals is good for your brain and your baby’s brain if you’re pregnant. If everyone who uses nail treatments demands that toluene be stripped out, that’s good for nail salon professionals too, because they won’t be exposed to it all day.

Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is a chemical you might remember from high school biology—those frogs you had to dissect were floating in it. It’s probably also in your nail polish or your favorite drugstore strengthener, because it’s a preservative. However, it’s also been tagged as a chemical that might cause cancer by the Environmental Protection Agency. Some people also experience irritation of the skin when exposed to products that contain it.

If you’re checking your makeup labels for the word “formaldehyde” you might not see it, but it could still be there. Some other chemicals can release formaldehyde when they break down. These include:

• Diasolidinyl urea
  

• DMDM hydantoin
  

• Imidazolidinyl
  

• Quaternium-15
  

You’re not a pickled frog: be smart and pick nail products and cosmetics without formaldehyde.

Dibutyl Phthlates

Dibutyl phthalate is still being researched, but the evidence points to many disturbing effects. It’s a plasticizing chemical used in nail polishes, topcoats, and strengtheners to make the paint flexible and tough. It’s also been shown to cause birth defects in animals exposed to a lot of it. The concern about dibutyl phthalate is so great that some European countries have completely banned it from cosmetics.

While you aren’t going to get a huge dose of dibutyl phthalate from having your tootsies painted pink, you’re also exposed to it from other sources, such as certain types of plastic packaging. So any time you can eliminate exposure from another source, you’re lowering the overall dose you get hit with. That’s a good thing.

Three Ways To Detox Your Talons

1) Toss Out: Several US manufacturers of nail polish and nail treatments started to eliminate dibutyl phthalate from their formulas in late 2006 (Nail Aid, an industry pioneer devoted to its customers’ health, never used DBP, toluene, or formaldehyde in the first place). So if you’ve got a shoebox somewhere full of old nail polish bottles you still think you might use some day, say goodbye.

2) Read Up: Labeling on nail treatments and nail polish isn’t great. In California, manufacturers have to indicate the presence of DBP, but not necessarily anything else. Use your friendly neighborhood Google to look up the ingredients in products you’re interested in trying—most manufacturers will list them on their websites—and also find out about possible side effects. Try to get your information about health effects from sites that post actual scientific research, such as government agencies. It’s easier than ever to be an informed consumer, but it’s also easier than ever to find a big bad health scare story that doesn’t have a lot of facts.

3) Slap On: Only use nail care products that avoid toxic chemicals, even if the dosage isn’t enough to cause immediate harm. But for many chemicals, we don’t yet know what the long-term health effects for humans will be—little doses over decades could spell trouble. And while you might not be hurt by the occasional mani/pedi, your nail technician has to work with the stuff for hours every day. So show your salon some love: research toxin-free nail treatment products, and spread the word about your favorites.

By : Kate Whitley

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

Bird Flu - Causes and Symptoms

The bird flu virus is dangerous because it is so ever changing in its nature - often mutating within a very short period of time. Originating in Asia, the bird flu virus has spread throughout the world but still remains confined to areas other than the United States. But, it is only a matter of time. Whether you are watching the latest story on Oprah or MSNBC regarding bird flu it will scare you - guaranteed!

So what are you to do? How are you going to prepare you and your family for the bird flu virus pandemic? Americans, including the president are worried about the possibility that we could not be prepared for a stronger, ever changing bird flu virus. It is estimated that anywhere from 2 million to over 50 million could perish if this virus becomes a reality. The only thing you can do now is prepare.

Avian influenza, or bird flu, is a contagious disease that affects chickens, ducks, turkeys, and other birds. Bird flu was first detected over 100 years ago and nowadays comes in a variety of about 20 strains. Most recently, outbreaks of the viral disease have been caused by the H5N1 strain, which is a particularly deadly strain of the virus.

Causes

The virus that causes bird flu appears to be versatile and resilient. Scientists are working on a new vaccine that would be effective against the new strain of the virus that causes Bird flu. There are different subtypes and strains of the virus that causes bird flu, and some cause more severe disease than others. Results of the examinations for the H5N1 virus that causes bird flu are be announced later on Sunday, officials said.

Bird flu (or Avian flu) is currently being used to describe the influenza virus, H5N1, which is producing a highly contagious and rapidly fatal disease, leading to severe epidemics in birds. Bird flu is caused by different subtypes of influenza A virus affecting chickens, ducks and other birds Viruses which cause mild disease can mutate into viruses that can cause serious disease (highly pathogenic).

Symptoms

Doctor’s offices are flooded with visitors all over the world these days from people wondering if they have a bird flu symptom. We are all so terrified of any kind of bird flu symptom that some people have even stopped going out where there might be other people. This is a little extreme since the bird flu symptom has not yet had many cases of moving from one person to another and most of the world is not even affected with bird flu yet but it is still a good idea to have a good grasp about each bird flu symptom and what you can expect from them.

Each flu will have symptoms and a bird flu symptom is not really any different, they can just get worse. If you have the bird flu you will be looking at the same types of symptoms, there will be the sore throat, a cough, perhaps some sneezing, a fever but you may also suffer from a more serious bird flu symptom like respiratory distress or even failure. This type of bird flu symptom could cause death.

By : Sam Michel

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

What is Dyslexia and What are It’s Main Causes?

Dyslexia is a condition of learning disability, causes difficulty with reading and writing. This can happen not due to intelligence of a person, but it is characterized by difficulty or inability to learn adequate reading or writing skills although conventional teaching and social-cultural activities are available. It primarily impacts on the reading and writing abilities. It is a neurological or brain-based condition. People affected by Dyslexia are called Dyslexic or Dyslectic.

It is known to have destructive emotional effects on children, and can leave its scars for the rest of one’s life. Besides long-lasting emotional effects, dyslexia can also lead to unemployment or underemployment. The letter above, posted by a dyslexic on a message board for dyslexics, clearly demonstrates the hardships that await the dyslexic child in the workplace. It is therefore of utmost importance that a child with dyslexia be helped to overcome his problems.

Children seem to learn language skills best during a short "critical period". If they have hearing problems (like an ear infection) during this time, this could affect their language abilities. Similarly, hearing problems when they are learning to read could affect their ability to pick up reading skills.

There are three main types of dyslexia that can affect the child's ability to spell as well as read. Each type of dyslexia has a different cause. The three main types are trauma dyslexia, primary dyslexia and developmental dyslexia.

Dyslexia can go undetected in the early grades of schooling. The child can become frustrated by the difficulty in learning to read, and other problems can arise that disguise dyslexia. The child may show signs of depression and low self-esteem. Behavior problems at home as well as at school are frequently seen.

What are the causes of Dyslexia?

The two most important contributers to dyslexia are an underutilized left-hemisphere, and an out-of-whack central bridge of tissue in the brain, called the corpus callosum. (The bibliography contains technical details from some of the brain-scan research which has documented these two problems.) But why does it matter which side of the brain you use? Because the left-hemisphere is programmed to do the things you need for reading and the right is not.

It is likely that the difficulties seen in dyslexia are due to small differences in the brain. The differences in the brain are most likely inherited from the parents.

Small differences in the brain are likely to cause slight differences in the way a dyslexic thinks, learns and processes information.

The cause of dyslexia is an underdeveloped cerebellum or a fault in the Broca’s area is irrelevant to the question of why the problem exists in the first place. The most likely explanation is genetics.

It is clear that dyslexia is very frequently found in families, and is often accompanied by left-handedness somewhere in the family. This does not mean to say that a dyslexic parent will automatically have a dyslexic child, or that a left-handed child will necessarily be dyslexic.

New research suggests a possible link with a subtle visual problem that affects the speed with which affected people can read. Other experts believe that dyslexia is related to differences in the structure and function of the brain that manifests differently in different people.

By : Peterhutch

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com