Athlete's foot is a fungal infection of the foot that mainly infects the spaces between the toes. It is caused by a fungus called trichophyton rubrum. These are tiny plant like cells found on the skin of all humans. When these multiply out-of-control, due to moisture build-up in the spaces between the toes, they lead to athlete's foot. The conditions which aggravate this problem are warm, damp and moist environment, which serve as a perfect breeding space for the fungus cells. It mostly occurs in teens and adult males, whereas women and children are somewhat less affected.
The symptoms of Athlete's foot
The common symptoms of athlete's foot are scaling and peeling of skin between the toes. If the condition grows severe, cracks may also appear. Redness and itching, along with tiny blisters along the sides and soles of feet, are also seen in some cases. The skin becomes delicate and painful. If not treated at the earliest, it can lead to other complications like toe nail fungus. The main cause of athlete's foot is wearing tight and poorly ventilated shoes and socks, for long hours at a stretch. It can also happen if one comes in contact with infected sources like swimming pools, locker room floors or public showers. Wearing shoes of a person, who has athlete's foot, can also get you this problem.
Treatment and prevention
Athlete's foot can be easily treated with topical medications like antifungal creams, sprays and powders, which are easily available at local medical stores.
Applying tea tree oil, to the affected area, can relieve you of the burning and itching.
A foot bath in a tub of warm water to which vinegar or salt water or bleach has been added can also help. Do this twice a day and see the fungal infection vanish.
Wearing ventilated shoes and absorbent cotton socks is key to prevent this problem. Wear open shoes or flip flops whenever possible. Avoid wearing socks made of synthetic material. Keep your shoes under direct sunlight, for some time, to disinfect them.
When using to public facilities like swimming pools or showering areas, make sure you wear your bathing shoes. Avoid walking bare foot in these areas. Wash your feet daily and especially before hitting the sack. And most importantly, try to keep them dry, especially the area between the toes.
Maintaining personal hygiene and taking few precautions can easily prevent and treat the problem of athlete's foot.
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Article 7
Foods that prevent anxiety and panic attacks
Anxiety - is a mental condition wherein a person gets tense, feels uneasy and has negative anticipations from most things, happenings and persons around him. Panic attacks, which are somewhat similar, bring about sessions of intense fear and apprehension. Anxiety and panic attacks lead to increased heartbeat, palpitations, shortness of breath and sometimes chest pain as well. This happens due to increased secretion of the hormone - adrenalin, in the blood. Anxiety and panic attacks can arise not only due to external factors, but also due to internal factors or due to some medical conditions. What we eat plays a major role in that. Any type of food that is hard to digest or is stripped of its nutrients can cause a rush of adrenaline in the blood and may trigger panic and anxiety.
Caffeine - that is found in beverages like coffee and tea is one of the causes for anxiety and panic attacks, because it increases the heart rate.
Alcohol, nicotine and other habit forming substances also trigger panic attacks and anxiety.
Even sauces and processed foods containing - Sulphur based preservatives and artificial food additives, should be avoided.
Consuming large amount of processed sugar will give you sudden energy bursts which can lead to panic attacks. But these attacks are usually short lived. It's always good to opt for honey instead of regular sugar.
Fats, in meat and cooking oil can lead to anxiety and panic attacks, as well. These thicken the blood. Cholesterol is a major cause of blood thickening which restricts the natural flow of blood and thus the toxins from the body can't be removed easily. The accumulation of these toxins in the body can lead to anxiety.
Having carbonated drinks, sweetened fruit juices or white flour products that have high carbohydrate contents and fewer nutrients can cause blood sugar to fluctuate. This can cause unpleasant side effects in the form of panic attacks and anxiety.
Watching your diet and avoiding foods that trigger panic attacks and anxiety, can be your first step towards fighting these psychological problems. This obviously doesn't promise a complete cure, but it certainly does offer a significant amount of relief.
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Article 8
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Mood swings during puberty
Puberty is the stage, where your body changes from a child to an adult. Both girls and boys, experience certain changes, physical as well as mental. In girls, puberty begins from the age of 9 to 13. During puberty, lots of physical and emotional changes occur in the body. This happens mainly due to hormonal changes in the body. In girls, estrogen is the hormone that is responsible for bringing about these changes.
Menstrual cycles cause disturbances
Most of the girls, start experiencing mood swings as they enter womanhood. These mood swings are overly predominant during their menstrual cycle. Sometimes they will feel very good and the very next moment they may get irritated or depressed. And most of the time they cannot reason out these mood fluctuations. This condition is also known as premenstrual disphoric disorder or simply premenstrual syndrome (PMS). This emotional up and down, is basically due to the hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle. Hormones like estrogen and progesterone have a lot of effect on the mental state. Menstrual cycles cause serotonin level imbalances in the brain, which along with estrogen and progesterone affects the mood. If the serotonin level drops the mood worsens and if it rises you feel happy and good. Daily stress and fatigue during menstrual cycle can also lead to mood swings. Apart from all these, some physical discomfort like abdominal cramps and pain, bloating and body ache can make the girls somewhat irritable during these days.
The mental changes
During puberty, the thought process also changes. You don't feel like yourself or how you were as child; all this leads to confusion and it ultimately shows up as irritation. Many girls develop acne or pimples on the face, due to hormonal imbalances, which makes them conscious and they shy away from their friends and family. Also the development of breasts makes the girls conscious during puberty. These changes bring in a feeling of aloofness. Under such circumstances, even small and casual talks can turn into big fights.
As parents you cannot ignore these mood swings, that your daughter is experiencing during puberty, instead offer her emotional support and counsel her, so that things get easier for her and she experiences fewer mood swings. Meditation, a healthy lifestyle and regular exercise can really do wonders. Talk to your daughter and help her to understand the changes that are taking place in their body.
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Article 9
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Healthy dietary changes for renal failure patients
Renal failure, also known as Kidney failure, is a condition in which the kidneys fail to function properly. In this condition, the kidneys can't expel the waste from the body, which is necessary to maintain the electrolytic balance in the body. With proper diet, it is possible to retard the progress of this condition and prevent further complications.
Cut down on Sodium
High intake of salt, which contains sodium, puts a lot of pressure on the kidneys. In patients with renal failure, drinking water to flush out the excess salt doesn't help. In fact, it worsens the condition of people who are on dialysis. Thus any eatables that contain sodium should be avoided. This includes meats like ham, sausages, bacon and corned beef. Cheese, pickles, fast foods, soy sauces and Chinese food are high on sodium and are thus not advisable for renal failure patients. Canned food and the eatables with preservatives should be avoided. Fresh and naturally low salt food should be preferred. White cheese, unprocessed meats and fish, fresh fruit juices are also safe for consumption. Certain canned food, vegetables and meat can be reduced in sodium content by washing thoroughly.
Avoid Potassium and Phosphorus
These are two more minerals you need to cut-out from your diet. Potassium, which is found in nuts, packaged foods, oranges, avacadoes, lentils, peaches, pumpkin, kiwi and apricots, plays havoc on the health of renal failure patients. As far as possible, these foods must be avoided. Phosphorous is another mineral which must be avoided in the diet. Dairy products, whole grains, coconut, figs and soft drinks are rich sources of phosphorous.
Bank on iron
Patient with kidney failure need extra iron as sometimes they can develop anemia. Include green leafy vegetables in your diet.
Lower your protein intake
Protein intake is another factor that should be monitored. For people with renal failure, the protein intake should be minimized to preserve kidney strength.
Check on your fluids
If you are on dialysis, you must check your fluid intake as there can be fluid built up in your body. If the fluid intake is high, the stress on the kidneys increases. Your fluid intake should be between four to eight glasses, a day. Check with your doctor for the fluid quantity that you should be taking.
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Article 10
Title - Switch to soy milk if you have lactose intolerance
Lactose intolerance is a condition when your body cannot metabolize lactose, a type of sugar that is found in milk. This happens because the digestive system lacks an enzyme called lactase which is necessary to break down the sugar lactose. In such cases, this sugar moves directly to the colon and the bacteria present in the colon starts breaking it down and fermenting it, which causes production of huge amount of gases like methane, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. This causes discomfort in the abdominal region leading to stomach pain, cramps and bloating. It also raises the osmotic pressure of the colon. Lactose intolerance is not a disease and doesn't pose any threat to human life but it can be troublesome and uncomfortable many times. To minimize this problem, milk alternatives should be used.
Go for soy milk
Soy milk is one such product which can be used as a replacement for milk. Soy milk is similar to normal milk, except that it doesn't contain any lactose. Most of the commercial packs have some extra sweetener added to them, which can make you worried about the calories. If you are calorie conscious then it's better to avoid sweetened soy milk. Additionally you can choose skimmed or fat free soy milk to avoid calories.
Other benefits of Soy milk
The calcium content in soy milk is quite similar to that of normal milk. Since it is plant based, it contains no cholesterol and also is low on saturated fats. This makes it a heart healthy food and doesn't pose any risk of heart diseases. Soy milk is also rich in proteins and isoflavones (which are similar to estrogen). Studies have shown that women who consume soy milk or other soy products have less chances of developing breast, colon and prostate cancer.
With added vitamins and different flavors, soy milk is becoming a popular choice of people. It is readily available in most of the food stores.
Make it at home
Soy milk can be easily prepared at home, as well, by soaking whole dry soy beans or soy flour in water overnight. The next day grind it in a wet grinder and after adding ten cups of water to every cup of this paste, bring it to a boil. Filter it to remove insoluble matter, and its ready. You can also add different flavors and nutrients to increase its nutritional value.
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