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know the muscles are there in a human body
yes our body gets its shape from the skeleton that supports it. The bones give the body strength and the muscles which are around the bones is what gives definition to the body, help in movement and store energy. The various muscles which are intertwined with tendons and nerves make the movement possible for the body.
Different organs and parts need various types of muscles and depending upon the nature of requirement, striated or non striated or voluntary or involuntary type of muscles are present there. Since our whole body is a mass of muscles, their volume is indeed huge.
There are more than 639 skeletal muscles in your body. Some sources will say 640 muscles in the human body. On average, your body weight is 40% muscle. Out of the 639/640 muscles, 30 of them are facial muscles, which help you create all those different faces of happiness, surprise, joy, sorrow, sadness, fright, etc. The muscles surrounding your eye are the busiest muscles in your body. Research indicates that you probably blink them more than 100,000 times a day
muscle is to move your body :
Without muscles you couldn't move your skeleton. There would be no way to animate your physical body or even speak your mind. You wouldn't be able to blink, digest your food, breathe, pump your heart or have one for that matter since your heart is a muscle. You couldn't smile, urinate, defecate or sniff with your nose.
Muscles are a type of tissue that is composed of contractile cells or fibers :
The cells or fibers actually contract! And when they contract, they create movement on the bone that they attached to. The really cool thing about muscles tissue is its ability to shorten (contract). Muscle tissue also has the property of irritability, conductivity and elasticity.
Remember, there are three different types of muscle tissue :
Smooth muscle:
This muscle tissue is called involuntary because it is NOT under conscious control. Involuntary means you do not have to think about it. Involuntary muscle tissue is found in the internal organs; namely the digestive tract, respiratory passages, urinary and genital ducts, urinary bladder, gallbladder, walls of the blood vessels. Yep! Your blood vessel walls are also muscle tissue.
Another great reason to exercise and pump the blood.
Striated muscle :
This muscle tissue is found in all skeletal muscles, and movement is under conscious control. It also occurs in the tongue, pharynx, and upper portion of the esoophagus. Voluntary muscles are under conscious control because you would consciously tell them what to do. If you say, "arm, move" it moves!
Cardiac muscle :
This muscle tissue is only found in the heart. The fibers branch and form a continuous network. At certain intervals, there are prominent bands or intercalated disks that cross the fibers. Some fibers are called Purkinje fibers, and they form the impulse-conducting system of the heart.
Muscles work by contracting and relaxing :
Pump your bicep for a second. Make a fist and bring it up to your ear. Notice how your bicep gets bigger when the muscle tightens and shortens. And when you relax your arm, the muscle gets longer and smaller. Muscles do not push, they pull. The tiny muscle fibers work like a sliding glass door on a track. And these tiny muscle fibers get their energy from the food you eat. Without food to feed the muscles, your muscles couldn't make the energy to contract. The reason you can move your arm back and forth is because muscles work in pairs. One is a synergist, the other a antagonist. It's a support thing and so they can pull in opposing directions.
Have you ever heard the term "Move it or Lose it!" This term can be directly applied to a sarcomere.
A sarcomere is portion of a striated muscle fibril. Tiny pieces of your muscle. If you don't move and exercise those muscles by contracting and relaxing them, you will in fact lose 100 sarcomere's a day. YIKES!
In order for a muscle to work, it has to cross a joint. Connecting from one end of a bone to the other without crossing the joint would be pretty much useless because it wouldn't be able to shorten or lengthen with the movement of the joint. So in order to bend your knee, the muscles in your thigh have to cross over to the other side of the knee joint and attach. Then when you tighten the muscle, the knee bends. Cool huh?
The muscles that are voluntary get their signals from the peripheral nervous system, and it's because of this that the skeletal muscles are under conscious or voluntary control. The involuntary muscles (smooth and cardiac muscles) receive their nerve supply from the central nervous system and functions involuntarily without conscious control.
It is possible to hurt a muscle because they can become pulled, hence "pulled muscle." You can actually tear a muscle the same way that a ligament or tendon gets torn or a bone gets broke. And the cool thing is, they can heal themselves with rest and time.
Tag :
General Health,
People at a stroke
A stroke is serious - just like a heart attack. A stroke is sometimes called a "brain attack." Most often, stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain stops because it is blocked by a clot. The brain cells in the immediate area begin to die because they stop getting the oxygen and nutrients they need to function.
What causes a stroke?
There are two kinds of stroke. The most common kind of stroke, called ischemic stroke, is caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel in the brain. The other kind of stroke, called hemorrhagic stroke, is caused by a blood vessel that breaks and bleeds into the brain.
Anyone can have a stroke, but there are some things that increase your risk
What should you do?
Because stroke injures the brain, you may not realize that you are having a stroke. The people around you might not know it either. Your family, friends, or neighbors may think you are confused. You may not be able to call on your own. That's why everyone should know the signs of stroke - and know how to act fast.
Don't wait for the symptoms to improve or worsen. If you believe you are having a stroke - or someone you know is having a stroke - call immediately. Making the decision to call for medical help can make the difference in avoiding a lifelong disability.
Streetsign image with text: Trouble Walking
What causes a stroke?
There are two kinds of stroke. The most common kind of stroke, called ischemic stroke, is caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel in the brain. The other kind of stroke, called hemorrhagic stroke, is caused by a blood vessel that breaks and bleeds into the brain.
Anyone can have a stroke, but there are some things that increase your risk
Your age
The largest number of people who have strokes are aged over 55, and the risk increases as you get older. This is because our arteries naturally become narrower and harder as we get older.
Your ethnicity
If you are South Asian, black African or black Caribbean you are at a higher risk of stroke than other people in the UK. It isn’t completely understood why this is, but it’s probably connected to the fact that you are more likely to have conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes.
Family history
If a close relative (parent, grandparent, brother or sister) has had a stroke, your risk is likely to be higher.
Genetic conditions
Certain genetic conditions can cause strokes. Sickle cell disease, for example, is a genetic disorder that affects your red blood cells and makes them more likely to block your blood vessels.
None of these factors mean that you will necessarily have a stroke, but it’s important to be aware of them and do what you can about the factors you can change.What should you do?
Because stroke injures the brain, you may not realize that you are having a stroke. The people around you might not know it either. Your family, friends, or neighbors may think you are confused. You may not be able to call on your own. That's why everyone should know the signs of stroke - and know how to act fast.
Don't wait for the symptoms to improve or worsen. If you believe you are having a stroke - or someone you know is having a stroke - call immediately. Making the decision to call for medical help can make the difference in avoiding a lifelong disability.
Streetsign image with text: Trouble Walking
Tag :
General Health,
The negative effect of cholesterol on the heart
Cholesterol is a fatty substance carried around the body by proteins. When cholesterol and proteins are combined, they are called lipoproteins. There are two
main types of lipoproteins:
Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) is known as the bad type of cholesterol. LDL carry cholesterol from your liver to the cells that need it.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is known as the good type of cholesterol. HDL carry cholesterol away from the cells and back to the liver to be broken down.
Too much bad cholesterol (LDL) in your blood can cause fatty material to build up in your artery walls. The risk is particularly high if you have a high level of bad cholesterol and a low level of good cholesterol.
If you need to have your cholesterol measured, it will be in units called millimols per litre of blood (mmol/l). You should aim to have a total cholesterol level under 4mmol/l especially if you are at risk of, or already have, heart and circulatory disease. You should also aim to have your LDL under 2 mmol/l and your HDL above 1 mmol/l.
- High cholesterol can create a bile imbalance, leading to gallstones. According to the National Digestive Disease Information Clearinghouse, more than 80 percent of gallstones are cholesterol stones.
A buildup of plaque in your arteries can also block blood flow to your kidneys and stomach. Intestinal ischemic syndrome is when there’s a blockage in arteries leading to the intestines or bowel. Symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and bloody stools.
- causes high cholesterol
There is no one single cause for high cholesterol. Many different factors can contribute to high cholesterol such as:
eating a diet that is high in saturated fat
smoking
lack of physical activity
high alcohol intake, or
kidney or liver disease.
Having an inherited condition known as familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) can also cause exceptionally high cholesterol even if you have a healthy lifestyle.
"If you want to see what it looks like in a solidified form, go get yourself a can of Crisco at the grocery store," says Gregory Dehmer, MD, director of the division of cardiology at the Texas A&M College of Medicine. "If you open up a can of Crisco, its this white, lard-like substance."
main types of lipoproteins:
Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) is known as the bad type of cholesterol. LDL carry cholesterol from your liver to the cells that need it.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is known as the good type of cholesterol. HDL carry cholesterol away from the cells and back to the liver to be broken down.
Too much bad cholesterol (LDL) in your blood can cause fatty material to build up in your artery walls. The risk is particularly high if you have a high level of bad cholesterol and a low level of good cholesterol.
If you need to have your cholesterol measured, it will be in units called millimols per litre of blood (mmol/l). You should aim to have a total cholesterol level under 4mmol/l especially if you are at risk of, or already have, heart and circulatory disease. You should also aim to have your LDL under 2 mmol/l and your HDL above 1 mmol/l.
- High cholesterol can create a bile imbalance, leading to gallstones. According to the National Digestive Disease Information Clearinghouse, more than 80 percent of gallstones are cholesterol stones.
A buildup of plaque in your arteries can also block blood flow to your kidneys and stomach. Intestinal ischemic syndrome is when there’s a blockage in arteries leading to the intestines or bowel. Symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and bloody stools.
- causes high cholesterol
There is no one single cause for high cholesterol. Many different factors can contribute to high cholesterol such as:
eating a diet that is high in saturated fat
smoking
lack of physical activity
high alcohol intake, or
kidney or liver disease.
Having an inherited condition known as familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) can also cause exceptionally high cholesterol even if you have a healthy lifestyle.
"If you want to see what it looks like in a solidified form, go get yourself a can of Crisco at the grocery store," says Gregory Dehmer, MD, director of the division of cardiology at the Texas A&M College of Medicine. "If you open up a can of Crisco, its this white, lard-like substance."
His Heart Almost Stopped
How cholesterol can clog arteries
Not all cholesterol is created equal. It's a fatty substance, so cholesterol can't dissolve in the blood to be carried to where it's needed in the body. "Your body is mostly water, and fat and water don't mix," says Dr. Dehmer.
So cholesterol is packaged into proteins that can shuttle the fatty stuff around your body. One is high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or good cholesterol) and another is low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or bad cholesterol).
What's the difference? LDL can stick to the smooth lining of the blood vessels, where it is absorbed. HDL appears to do the opposite—it actually mops up excess cholesterol and removes it from the blood vessels.
The amount and type of cholesterol in your blood are determined by genetics, age, diet, and exercise. When you eat a diet that's rich in saturated and trans fats, or dietary cholesterol (which is found in animal products such as eggs, milk, and meat), LDL cholesterol levels go up.
"The problem is that many individuals—and probably including myself—eat a diet that is very excessive in all the wrong kind of fats, of which we are talking about animal fats and dairy fats, and therefore we get our cholesterol up too high," says Dr. Dehmer.
But when you exercise, HDL cholesterol goes up—and that's a good thing. "The bottom line is that there are some people out there who have fairly high levels of HDL cholesterol," says Stephen Nicholls, MBBS, PhD, a research cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic. "That may drive their total cholesterol to look higher than it actually is in terms of how bad that level is."
How cholesterol affects the heart
If LDL cholesterol is too high, some is absorbed into the artery walls, where it acts like an irritant that triggers inflammation in the body. White blood cells crawl into the artery wall and start "gobbling up fatty particles" in a fruitless effort to heal the damage, says Dr. Dehmer.
The end result is big, fatty deposits in the blood vessels. This causes the vessels to become stiff, narrow, and less responsive to triggers to expand and constrict, a process that ensures a steady flow of life-giving oxygen to the body's tissues. (While you may think of blood vessels as akin to the plumbing in your house, they're more dynamic; they constantly adapt to meet the body's needs.)
open quoteIf you want to see what cholesterol looks like, go get yourself a can of Crisco at the grocery store.close quote
This process can happen all over your body. If the fatty buildup is in the blood vessels in the legs (a condition known as peripheral arterial disease), you may experience cramping and have difficulty walking; if it's in the penis, you can develop erectile dysfunction; and if it's in the neck arteries, it can cut off the blood supply to the brain and cause a stroke.
The biggest danger, however, is to the heart. The arteries that cover the surface of the heart are particularly prone to clogging. Once fatty plaques clog these blood vessels, blood flow to the heart tissue is reduced. This can cause chest pain, or angina.
If plaque ruptures, a clot can form and cause a heart attack—a dramatic decline in the blood supply that causes heart tissue to die. (To find out if youre at risk for having a heart attack, take this test.)
What you can do about bad cholesterol
The artery-clogging process can start early in life. A 2008 autopsy study of adults ages 16 to 64 who died of non-heart-disease-related causes found that 83% had signs of heart disease and 8% had advanced disease. "We're seeing evidence of abnormality of blood vessels and obvious plaque in teenagers," says Dr. Nicholls.
Luckily, there are many things you can do to help prevent this process. "We know that lowering LDL cholesterol, the bad form, is clearly a good thing," says Dr. Nicholls. "The other thing we would highlight is the emerging role of HDL, or good cholesterol, the other player here."
Diet and exercise are critical for lowering LDL and raising HDL, notes Dr. Nicholls. (Click here for specific lifestyle changes that can lower heart disease risk.)
Cholesterol-lowering medication can also help, but you still need to watch your diet and exercise. "You can't just say, 'I'm being treated, so I can therefore not exercise and eat whatever I want,'" says Dr. Nicholls. "It doesn't work that way."
How can I reduce my cholesterol level?
Eat a healthy balanced diet
Eating lots of fruit, vegetables, and wholegrain is better than eating foods high in saturated or trans fats. You can replace saturated fats with the healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as olive, rapeseed or sunflower oils and spreads.
Choose foods that are high in soluble fibre such as oats, beans, pulses, lentils, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Soluble fibre can help lower cholesterol.
Do regular exercise
Regular physical activity can help increase your HDL cholesterol (the good type of cholesterol). Staying active is great way to keep your heart healthy.
Quit smoking
Quitting smoking can help to lower your cholesterol and improve your heart health.
Will I need to take medication?
Whether or not you need to take cholesterol-lowering medicine depends on your overall risk of cardiovascular disease.
Cholesterol-lowering medicines such as statins are prescribed for people who are at greatest overall risk of cardiovascular disease. If you have questions about your medicines, speak with your doctor or call our Heart Helpline on 0300 330 3311. You can also look at our publications for more information.
Will eating sterol-enriched foods help reduce my cholesterol level?
Although the effect varies between individuals, there is evidence to show that plant sterols and stanols can help to reduce LDL cholesterol by levels up to 10-15% when 2g per day is regularly consumed as part of a healthy balanced diet.
But whilst there is an expectation that this would lead to fewer heart attacks, no clinical trials have been undertaken to show this. Sterols and stanols have been added to certain foods, including margarines, spreads, soft cheeses and yoghurts.
Will eating too many eggs raise my cholesterol?
For most people, the amount of saturated fat they eat has much more of an impact on their cholesterol than eating foods that contain cholesterol, like eggs, liver, kidneys and shellfish. Unless you have been told otherwise by your doctor or dietician, if you like eggs, they can be included as part of a balanced and varied diet
How cholesterol can clog arteries
Not all cholesterol is created equal. It's a fatty substance, so cholesterol can't dissolve in the blood to be carried to where it's needed in the body. "Your body is mostly water, and fat and water don't mix," says Dr. Dehmer.
So cholesterol is packaged into proteins that can shuttle the fatty stuff around your body. One is high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or good cholesterol) and another is low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or bad cholesterol).
What's the difference? LDL can stick to the smooth lining of the blood vessels, where it is absorbed. HDL appears to do the opposite—it actually mops up excess cholesterol and removes it from the blood vessels.
The amount and type of cholesterol in your blood are determined by genetics, age, diet, and exercise. When you eat a diet that's rich in saturated and trans fats, or dietary cholesterol (which is found in animal products such as eggs, milk, and meat), LDL cholesterol levels go up.
"The problem is that many individuals—and probably including myself—eat a diet that is very excessive in all the wrong kind of fats, of which we are talking about animal fats and dairy fats, and therefore we get our cholesterol up too high," says Dr. Dehmer.
But when you exercise, HDL cholesterol goes up—and that's a good thing. "The bottom line is that there are some people out there who have fairly high levels of HDL cholesterol," says Stephen Nicholls, MBBS, PhD, a research cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic. "That may drive their total cholesterol to look higher than it actually is in terms of how bad that level is."
How cholesterol affects the heart
If LDL cholesterol is too high, some is absorbed into the artery walls, where it acts like an irritant that triggers inflammation in the body. White blood cells crawl into the artery wall and start "gobbling up fatty particles" in a fruitless effort to heal the damage, says Dr. Dehmer.
The end result is big, fatty deposits in the blood vessels. This causes the vessels to become stiff, narrow, and less responsive to triggers to expand and constrict, a process that ensures a steady flow of life-giving oxygen to the body's tissues. (While you may think of blood vessels as akin to the plumbing in your house, they're more dynamic; they constantly adapt to meet the body's needs.)
open quoteIf you want to see what cholesterol looks like, go get yourself a can of Crisco at the grocery store.close quote
This process can happen all over your body. If the fatty buildup is in the blood vessels in the legs (a condition known as peripheral arterial disease), you may experience cramping and have difficulty walking; if it's in the penis, you can develop erectile dysfunction; and if it's in the neck arteries, it can cut off the blood supply to the brain and cause a stroke.
The biggest danger, however, is to the heart. The arteries that cover the surface of the heart are particularly prone to clogging. Once fatty plaques clog these blood vessels, blood flow to the heart tissue is reduced. This can cause chest pain, or angina.
If plaque ruptures, a clot can form and cause a heart attack—a dramatic decline in the blood supply that causes heart tissue to die. (To find out if youre at risk for having a heart attack, take this test.)
What you can do about bad cholesterol
The artery-clogging process can start early in life. A 2008 autopsy study of adults ages 16 to 64 who died of non-heart-disease-related causes found that 83% had signs of heart disease and 8% had advanced disease. "We're seeing evidence of abnormality of blood vessels and obvious plaque in teenagers," says Dr. Nicholls.
Luckily, there are many things you can do to help prevent this process. "We know that lowering LDL cholesterol, the bad form, is clearly a good thing," says Dr. Nicholls. "The other thing we would highlight is the emerging role of HDL, or good cholesterol, the other player here."
Diet and exercise are critical for lowering LDL and raising HDL, notes Dr. Nicholls. (Click here for specific lifestyle changes that can lower heart disease risk.)
Cholesterol-lowering medication can also help, but you still need to watch your diet and exercise. "You can't just say, 'I'm being treated, so I can therefore not exercise and eat whatever I want,'" says Dr. Nicholls. "It doesn't work that way."
How can I reduce my cholesterol level?
Eat a healthy balanced diet
Eating lots of fruit, vegetables, and wholegrain is better than eating foods high in saturated or trans fats. You can replace saturated fats with the healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as olive, rapeseed or sunflower oils and spreads.
Choose foods that are high in soluble fibre such as oats, beans, pulses, lentils, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Soluble fibre can help lower cholesterol.
Do regular exercise
Regular physical activity can help increase your HDL cholesterol (the good type of cholesterol). Staying active is great way to keep your heart healthy.
Quit smoking
Quitting smoking can help to lower your cholesterol and improve your heart health.
Will I need to take medication?
Whether or not you need to take cholesterol-lowering medicine depends on your overall risk of cardiovascular disease.
Cholesterol-lowering medicines such as statins are prescribed for people who are at greatest overall risk of cardiovascular disease. If you have questions about your medicines, speak with your doctor or call our Heart Helpline on 0300 330 3311. You can also look at our publications for more information.
Will eating sterol-enriched foods help reduce my cholesterol level?
Although the effect varies between individuals, there is evidence to show that plant sterols and stanols can help to reduce LDL cholesterol by levels up to 10-15% when 2g per day is regularly consumed as part of a healthy balanced diet.
But whilst there is an expectation that this would lead to fewer heart attacks, no clinical trials have been undertaken to show this. Sterols and stanols have been added to certain foods, including margarines, spreads, soft cheeses and yoghurts.
Will eating too many eggs raise my cholesterol?
For most people, the amount of saturated fat they eat has much more of an impact on their cholesterol than eating foods that contain cholesterol, like eggs, liver, kidneys and shellfish. Unless you have been told otherwise by your doctor or dietician, if you like eggs, they can be included as part of a balanced and varied diet
Tag :
General Health,
Identify the causes of visual impairment
This can be caused by many different things, including abnormalities in the development of the eye or injury to eye structures from things like prematurity related retinopathy or infections or by developmental problems or injury to the parts of the brain responsible for vision. Some of the factors placing an infant, toddler, or child at significant risk for visual impairment include:
- Prematurity, low birth weight, needing to be treated with oxygen at birth, or bleeding in the brain
- Family history of retinoblastoma, congenital cataracts, or metabolic or genetic disease
- Infection of mother during pregnancy such as rubella, toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus, HIV, and some sexually transmitted infections including herpes, gonorrhea and chlamydia)
- Problems with the central nervous system such as developmental delay, cerebral palsy, seizures, or hydrocephalus.
- Macular degeneration deterioration of the central part of the retina
- Cataracts clouding of the lens of the eye
- Glaucoma damage to the nerve connecting the eye to the brain caused by increased pressure inside the eye
- Eye injuries
- Tumors involving the eye or surrounding structures in the head and neck
PREVENTION
- Protect your eyes from sunlight and other ultraviolet (UV) light exposure (such as tanning beds). Wearing UV-protective sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat helps to limit UV exposure to the eyes.
- Wear protective eyewear when working with tools or during recreational activities. Eye injuries are a common cause of vision loss for individuals in the United States.
- Schedule regular eye examinations to detect inadequate vision correction, find cataracts, test for glaucoma, and evaluate general eye health.
- Stop smoking. Smoking has been linked to development of cataracts and macular degeneration in addition to all the other health problems smoking causes.
- Treat chronic diseases, especially diabetes. Good control of blood sugar levels will help reduce your chances of developing diabetic retinopathy, the eye problem caused by diabetes. Regular screening eye examinations for persons with diabetes may help to detect diabetic retinopathy sooner. This may limit eye damage by making earlier treatment possible.
Tag :
General Health,
what is human allergic to cat hair
Cats produce multiple allergens (proteins that can cause allergy). These allergens are found on the fur and skin and in saliva. All cats produce allergens; studies have not shown that cats can be hypoallergenic (meaning that they don’t cause allergy). Homes with more than one cat have higher levels of cat allergens. Characteristics such as the length of a cat’s hair, its sex and the amount of time a cat spends indoors are not associated with cat allergen levels.
If you suspect that you are allergic to cats, see an allergist for proper diagnosis and treatment.
A skin-prick test is the most common way of diagnosing a cat allergy. For this test, a small amount of an extract of cat allergen is placed on your skin. Your skin is then pricked with a small, sterile probe, allowing the liquid to seep under the skin’s surface. You’ll then be monitored for swelling and redness or other signs of a reaction, signaling an allergy. Results typically become evident within 15 to 20 minutes.
Even if you’re sure your symptoms are caused by a cat, it’s a good idea to be tested, since the symptoms may actually be caused by other environmental exposures.
If you or a member of your family is part of the 15% of our population allergic to pets, there are things you can do to help keep allergic reactions under control and make your home a much more comfortable place to live. Even if you do not have allergies, these tips are helpful if you have guests in your home that are allergic to animalsA skin-prick test is the most common way of diagnosing a cat allergy. For this test, a small amount of an extract of cat allergen is placed on your skin. Your skin is then pricked with a small, sterile probe, allowing the liquid to seep under the skin’s surface. You’ll then be monitored for swelling and redness or other signs of a reaction, signaling an allergy. Results typically become evident within 15 to 20 minutes.
Even if you’re sure your symptoms are caused by a cat, it’s a good idea to be tested, since the symptoms may actually be caused by other environmental exposures.
- We spend from one third to one half of our time in our bedrooms. By keeping the animals out of the bedrooms at all times, we can greatly reduce the symptoms of pet allergies.
- Install a good "HEPA" air cleaner.
- Close the ducts to the bedrooms and use electric heaters.
- Clean and vacuum regularly.
- Bathe your pet weekly.
- Do not allow your pet on the furniture.
- Do not allow your pet in your car. (Or use car seat covers when your pet is in the car.)
- Brush your pet daily and use an allergy-reducing spray such as Allerpet.
- Keep your pet's skin healthy by feeding a high quality food and a fatty acid supplement.
- Wash your hands after handling the pet, his toys, bed, etc.
- See your physician and discuss possible immunotherapy or medications.
Tag :
General Health,
beginning of forensic
The term forensic
comes from the Latin and means, simply, having to do with the law. Hence, any discipline that has any ties to the legal system is, in fact, forensic. This is why so many job titles within criminology, such as forensic psychologist, are preceded by the term.
comes from the Latin and means, simply, having to do with the law. Hence, any discipline that has any ties to the legal system is, in fact, forensic. This is why so many job titles within criminology, such as forensic psychologist, are preceded by the term.
With regard to forensic science, the term is now commonly understood to refer to the application of scientific principles to questions of law. In short, it means using science to solve crime.
The rich history of forensic science has led to the development of many tools for analysing the traces of a crime. Do you think you could apply some of these techniques to solve a crime? RiAus is presenting the opportunity to put some of the techniques developed in forensic science into practice at the upcoming “Back In Time to Solve a Crime” event. Travel back to 1901 where a murder has been committed. Explore the Science Exchange, get involved and learn about the application of chemistry in crime scene analysis. Will you be able to catch the killer?
The science of forensics is now recognized as a critical ingredient in law enforcement and the solution of crimes. Protecting a crime scene from contamination and gathering and interpreting evidence accurately have become some of the most critical ingredients in crime-solving.
As a result, advances in technology are being applied to the finite and exacting field of forensic science, a field in which technical competency is achieved only by the synthesis of a number of factors, including training, experience, supervision, continuing education, proficiency and an appreciation of scientific methods and protocols projected against a background of stringent professional ethics.
Now that we are in the 21st century, forensic science must continue to develop and mature. In recent years, the blend of science and technology has enabled police to solve many crimes that once would have been considered beyond resolution.
The State Police Crime Laboratory System is at the forefront of efforts to develop new scientific crime-fighting capabilities and methods, including the use of databanks, high-tech equipment, tele-forensics and training involving the use of simulated crime scenes.
The rich history of forensic science has led to the development of many tools for analysing the traces of a crime. Do you think you could apply some of these techniques to solve a crime? RiAus is presenting the opportunity to put some of the techniques developed in forensic science into practice at the upcoming “Back In Time to Solve a Crime” event. Travel back to 1901 where a murder has been committed. Explore the Science Exchange, get involved and learn about the application of chemistry in crime scene analysis. Will you be able to catch the killer?
The science of forensics is now recognized as a critical ingredient in law enforcement and the solution of crimes. Protecting a crime scene from contamination and gathering and interpreting evidence accurately have become some of the most critical ingredients in crime-solving.
As a result, advances in technology are being applied to the finite and exacting field of forensic science, a field in which technical competency is achieved only by the synthesis of a number of factors, including training, experience, supervision, continuing education, proficiency and an appreciation of scientific methods and protocols projected against a background of stringent professional ethics.
Now that we are in the 21st century, forensic science must continue to develop and mature. In recent years, the blend of science and technology has enabled police to solve many crimes that once would have been considered beyond resolution.
The State Police Crime Laboratory System is at the forefront of efforts to develop new scientific crime-fighting capabilities and methods, including the use of databanks, high-tech equipment, tele-forensics and training involving the use of simulated crime scenes.
Tag :
General Health,
yes i will quit smoking
Smoking causes
about 90% of lung cancers. It also causes cancer in many other parts of the body, including the:
mouth
lips
throat
voice box (larynx)
oesophagus (the tube between your mouth and stomach)
bladder
kidney
liver
stomach
pancreas
Smoking damages your heart and your blood circulation, increasing your risk of developing conditions such as:
coronary heart disease
heart attack
stroke
peripheral vascular disease (damaged blood vessels)
cerebrovascular disease (damaged arteries that supply blood to your brain)
Smoking also damages your lungs, leading to conditions such as:
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which incorporates bronchitis and emphysema
pneumonia
Smoking can also worsen or prolong the symptoms of respiratory conditions such as asthma, or respiratory tract infections such as the common cold.
In men, smoking can cause impotence because it limits the blood supply to the penis. It can also reduce the fertility of both men and women.
Health risks of passive smoking
Secondhand smoke comes from the tip of a lit cigarette and the smoke that the smoker breathes out.
Breathing in secondhand smoke – also known as passive smoking – increases your risk of getting the same health conditions as smokers. For example, breathing in secondhand smoke increases a non-smoker's risk of developing lung cancer by about a quarter.
Babies and children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of secondhand smoke. A child who is exposed to passive smoke is at increased risk of developing chest infections, meningitis, a persistent cough and, if they have asthma, their symptoms will get worse. They're also at increased risk of cot death and an ear infection called glue ear.
Read more about passive smoking.
Smoking a cigarette raises the blood pressure by 5-10 mm Hg for about 30 minutes. If this is combined with drinking a cup of coffee, the effects are bigger and last longer.
Despite this, numerous epidemiological studies have found that people with hypertension are not more likely to be smokers than those with normal blood pressure, and conversely, that smokers are not more likely to be hypertensive than non-smokers. One possible explanation for this might be that smokers tend to weigh less than non-smokers, and that the effects of obesity and smoking on blood pressure cancel each other out. But even when smokers and non-smokers of the same body weight are compared their blood pressures are the same. This is probably because the blood pressure measurements are usually made when people are not smoking. If you smoke a pack a day, it will raise your average daytime pressure by about 5 mm Hg, even though your doctor may not detect this during an office visit.
The important thing about smoking is not what it does to your blood pressure, but that it greatly increases your risk of heart disease.
about 90% of lung cancers. It also causes cancer in many other parts of the body, including the:
mouth
lips
throat
voice box (larynx)
oesophagus (the tube between your mouth and stomach)
bladder
kidney
liver
stomach
pancreas
Smoking damages your heart and your blood circulation, increasing your risk of developing conditions such as:
coronary heart disease
heart attack
stroke
peripheral vascular disease (damaged blood vessels)
cerebrovascular disease (damaged arteries that supply blood to your brain)
Smoking also damages your lungs, leading to conditions such as:
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which incorporates bronchitis and emphysema
pneumonia
Smoking can also worsen or prolong the symptoms of respiratory conditions such as asthma, or respiratory tract infections such as the common cold.
In men, smoking can cause impotence because it limits the blood supply to the penis. It can also reduce the fertility of both men and women.
Health risks of passive smoking
Secondhand smoke comes from the tip of a lit cigarette and the smoke that the smoker breathes out.
Breathing in secondhand smoke – also known as passive smoking – increases your risk of getting the same health conditions as smokers. For example, breathing in secondhand smoke increases a non-smoker's risk of developing lung cancer by about a quarter.
Babies and children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of secondhand smoke. A child who is exposed to passive smoke is at increased risk of developing chest infections, meningitis, a persistent cough and, if they have asthma, their symptoms will get worse. They're also at increased risk of cot death and an ear infection called glue ear.
Read more about passive smoking.
Smoking a cigarette raises the blood pressure by 5-10 mm Hg for about 30 minutes. If this is combined with drinking a cup of coffee, the effects are bigger and last longer.
Despite this, numerous epidemiological studies have found that people with hypertension are not more likely to be smokers than those with normal blood pressure, and conversely, that smokers are not more likely to be hypertensive than non-smokers. One possible explanation for this might be that smokers tend to weigh less than non-smokers, and that the effects of obesity and smoking on blood pressure cancel each other out. But even when smokers and non-smokers of the same body weight are compared their blood pressures are the same. This is probably because the blood pressure measurements are usually made when people are not smoking. If you smoke a pack a day, it will raise your average daytime pressure by about 5 mm Hg, even though your doctor may not detect this during an office visit.
The important thing about smoking is not what it does to your blood pressure, but that it greatly increases your risk of heart disease.
Tag :
General Health,
get rid of the causes of insomnia naturally
insomnia is
a persistent disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep or both, despite the opportunity for adequate sleep. With insomnia, you usually awaken feeling unrefreshed, which takes a toll on your ability to function during the day. Insomnia can sap not only your energy level and mood but also your health, work performance and quality of life.
How much sleep is enough varies from person to person. Most adults need seven to eight hours a night.
Many adults experience insomnia at some point, but some people have long-term (chronic) insomnia. Insomnia may be the primary problem, or it may be secondary due to other causes, such as a disease or medication.
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1. Avoid caffeine in any form after lunch (coffee, tea, chocolate, cola and some other soft drinks that contain these stimulants, as well as the drugs are sold freely or to be redeemed by prescription, check the ingredients label). This is the last thing needed by insomnia.
2. Do not take a nap, no matter how you sleepy. (nap reduces the quality of sleep a night)
3. Take a bath as long and as comfortable as possible with warm water before going to bed. (This method can reduce the strain the muscles, so you can be relaxed right before bed).
4. Read a book or do something repetitively boring your activities, such as sewing. Try not to watch television or listen to the radio. Disorders such as this will require your attention and cause maintained.
5. Set the bedroom as comfortable as possible. Create a quiet and dark. Use pillows or blankets were clean and fresh and keep the room temperature comfortable as possible (not too hot or cold).
6. Eliminate all anxiety when sleeping. do not let yourself think about mistakes you have done this afternoon. Now you're not working. The point is linked with sleeping cots or mattresses.
7. Counting slowly similar to hypnotic activity. By imagining a continuous monotone image, may make you tired and can finally sleep
8. Step that no less important is the reflection therapy to loosen the tension of routines and have been proven to treat chronic insomnia.
9. Eating cherry. In the evening, try eating some cherry fruit. The experts found that cherry jam has the same function with melatonin, a hormone released by the body that will keep sleep patterns.
10. Dinner with seafood. Dinner with seafood, such as fish, can make sleep more soundly. Cod, tuna, snapper, halibut, and shrimp, contain tryptophan, which is very good to help you sleep soundly. The amount is comparable to the turkey.
11. Avoid consumption of chili. Far-Far from the chili if you want to go to bed. Because eating spicy foods before bed can raise your body temperature and keep you asleep, and also increases the heart rate.
Tag :
General Health,
woman can you relieve menstrual pain
Other menstrual-type cramps can be caused by conditions of the reproductive tract, such as the following:
Endometriosis -- uterine tissue that appears outside the uterus
Fibroids and adenomyosis -- noncancerous (benign) growths in the uterus
Infections in the reproductive organs
Abnormal pregnancy, such as an ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy in the tubes, outside the uterus)
IUD (intra-uterine device) used for birth control
Ovarian cyst
Narrow cervix
If a woman has had menstrual pain ever since her periods started, the condition is classified as primary dysmenorrhea. If a physical condition such as pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis has developed and is causing the pain, this is called secondary dysmenorrhea. Once the medical condition is treated, the menstrual pain usually goes away.
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Tips
Endometriosis -- uterine tissue that appears outside the uterus
Fibroids and adenomyosis -- noncancerous (benign) growths in the uterus
Infections in the reproductive organs
Abnormal pregnancy, such as an ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy in the tubes, outside the uterus)
IUD (intra-uterine device) used for birth control
Ovarian cyst
Narrow cervix
If a woman has had menstrual pain ever since her periods started, the condition is classified as primary dysmenorrhea. If a physical condition such as pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis has developed and is causing the pain, this is called secondary dysmenorrhea. Once the medical condition is treated, the menstrual pain usually goes away.
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Tips
Supplement Yourself
Take calcium and magnesium supplements throughout the month, as these nutrients work in concert to aid muscle relaxation. You should aim for a total of about 1000mg of calcium daily, and up to 500mg of magnesium daily. If you experience loose stools, reduce the dose. (Note: we recommend you use calcium citrate, because it tends to be more easily absorbed into the system than calcium carbonate.)Cinnamon
Cinnamon has antispasmodic, anticlotting and anti-inflammatory properties that can relieve menstrual pain. Plus, cinnamon is an excellent source of dietary fiber, calcium, iron and manganese.- Make cinnamon tea by stirring one-fourth teaspoon of cinnamon powder into a cup of hot water. Let it sit for up to five minutes, add a little honey and then sip it slowly. Drink two to three cups of cinnamon tea one to two days before your period starts to prevent cramps.
- Add one-half teaspoon of cinnamon powder and one tablespoon of honey to a glass of warm water. Drink it three times during the first day of your period to relieve pain.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea has anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties that help relax the uterus and ease the spasmodic contractions that cause pain during menstruation.- Bring one cup of water to a boil. Pour it into a cup containing a chamomile tea bag.
- Cover and let it steep for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Squeeze out the tea bag and add some lemon juice or honey as desired.
- Drink at least two cups of chamomile tea a day during the week before your period.
Tag :
General Health,
why White blood cells
the most numerous of the white cells, rid the body of large pathogenic organisms such as protozoans or helminths and are also key mediators of allergy and other forms of inflammation. These cells contain many cytoplasmic granules, or secretory vesicles, that harbour potent chemicals important in immune responses. They also have multilobed nuclei, and because of this they are often called polymorphonuclear cells. On the basis of how their granules take up dye in the laboratory, granulocytes are subdivided into three categories: neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils. The most numerous of the granulocytes—making up 50 to 80 percent of all white cells—are neutrophils. They are often one of the first cell types to arrive at a site of infection, where they engulf and destroy the infectious microorganisms through a process called phagocytosis. Eosinophils and basophils, as well as the tissue cells called mast cells, typically arrive later. The granules of basophils and of the closely related mast cells contain a number of chemicals, including histamine and leukotrienes, that are important in inducing allergic inflammatory responses. Eosinophils destroy parasites and also help to modulate inflammatory responses.
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If you have had your spleen removed, you may have a persistent mild to moderate increase in WBC count.
Intense exercise or severe emotional or physical stress can increase a WBC count, but the test is not used to evaluate these conditions. Pregnancy in the final month and labor may also be associated with increased WBC levels.
In the U.S. population, WBC counts are related to one's age, sex, ethnicity, and smoking status. It is not uncommon for the elderly to fail to develop high WBC count (leukocytosis) as a response to infection.
There are many drugs that cause both increased and decreased WBC counts.
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If you have had your spleen removed, you may have a persistent mild to moderate increase in WBC count.
Intense exercise or severe emotional or physical stress can increase a WBC count, but the test is not used to evaluate these conditions. Pregnancy in the final month and labor may also be associated with increased WBC levels.
In the U.S. population, WBC counts are related to one's age, sex, ethnicity, and smoking status. It is not uncommon for the elderly to fail to develop high WBC count (leukocytosis) as a response to infection.
There are many drugs that cause both increased and decreased WBC counts.
Tag :
General Health,
Why feeling nausea
Nausea and vomiting may occur together or separately. They can be caused by a number of physical and psychological conditions.
You may find that certain smells bring on the feeling of nausea. This is a very common symptom during the first trimester of pregnancy, although it can also occur in people who are not pregnant. Pregnancy-induced nausea usually goes away by the second or third trimester.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common stomach condition that causes bloating, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, fatigue, and cramping. It occurs when parts of the gut becoming overactive. Doctors usually diagnose IBS by identifying symptoms and ruling out other stomach and bowel conditions.
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that commonly affects the intestines, though it can occur anywhere in the digestive tract. Crohn’s disease is an autoimmune condition in which the body attacks its own healthy gut tissue, causing inflammation, nausea, vomiting, and pain. Doctors usually diagnose Crohn’s disease using a colonoscopy, a procedure that uses a small camera to explore the colon. Sometimes they also need a stool sample to help diagnose the condition.
Nausea
The most common causes of nausea are intense pain — usually from an injury or illness — and the first trimester of pregnancy. There are also a number of other relatively common causes, including:- motion sickness
- emotional stress
- indigestion
- food poisoning
- viruses
- exposure to chemical toxins
You may find that certain smells bring on the feeling of nausea. This is a very common symptom during the first trimester of pregnancy, although it can also occur in people who are not pregnant. Pregnancy-induced nausea usually goes away by the second or third trimester.
Vomiting in Children
The most common causes of vomiting in children are viral infections and food poisoning. However, vomiting can also be caused by:- severe motion sickness
- coughing
- high fevers
- overeating
Vomiting in Adults
Most adults rarely vomit. When it does occur, a bacterial or viral infection or a type of food poisoning usually causes vomiting. In some cases, vomiting can also be the result of other illnesses, especially if they lead to a headache or high fever.Chronic Stomach Conditions
Chronic (long-term) stomach conditions can often cause nausea and vomiting, along with other symptoms, such as diarrhea, constipation, and stomach pain. These chronic conditions include food intolerances, such as gluten intolerance (celiac disease), and dairy protein and lactose intolerance.Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common stomach condition that causes bloating, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, fatigue, and cramping. It occurs when parts of the gut becoming overactive. Doctors usually diagnose IBS by identifying symptoms and ruling out other stomach and bowel conditions.
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that commonly affects the intestines, though it can occur anywhere in the digestive tract. Crohn’s disease is an autoimmune condition in which the body attacks its own healthy gut tissue, causing inflammation, nausea, vomiting, and pain. Doctors usually diagnose Crohn’s disease using a colonoscopy, a procedure that uses a small camera to explore the colon. Sometimes they also need a stool sample to help diagnose the condition.
Lifestyle Choices
Certain lifestyle choices can increase your chance of experiencing nausea and vomiting. Consuming a large amount of alcohol can cause damage to the lining of the gut or react with stomach acid. Both of these will cause nausea and vomiting. In some cases, excessive alcohol consumption can also cause bleeding in the digestive tract.Eating Disorders
An eating disorder is when a person adjusts their eating habits and behaviors based on an abnormal body image. It can cause nausea and vomiting. Bulimia is an eating disorder in which a person induces vomiting deliberately to purge the stomach of any consumed food. People with anorexia nervosa may also feel nausea due to starvation and excess stomach acid.Serious Conditions
Though rare, vomiting can sometimes occur as a symptom of a more serious condition, including:- meningitis
- appendicitis
- concussion
- a brain tumor
- migraine headaches
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General Health,