ActiveHealth

Posts Tagged ‘Disease Illness’

Before you become overly concerned about “bird flu,” there are a few important facts you need to know about this disease.

“Bird flu” is not the same thing as human pandemic flu. “Bird flu”-H5N1 highly pathogenic Asian avian influenza-is a severe disease of birds. All the people known to have gotten it had close contact with infected birds, mostly in rural villages in Asia. Where there is no close contact with infected birds, there’s no human disease.

More good news: The food supply is protected. The poultry industry and the U.S. government take Asian avian influenza very seriously because it can threaten commercial poultry. It’s spread by migratory birds, so the federal government monitors wild birds in areas where there could be contact with Asian birds.

In addition, security on poultry farms is very tight. Poultry are kept away from wild birds. Strict procedures keep the virus from being tracked into the birds’ living space. Poultry farmers’ number one priority is to protect their flocks.

The industry and state governments sponsor extensive testing programs to watch for any signs of Asian avian influenza. Under the National Chicken Council’s program, which nearly all chicken companies follow, each flock is tested. Any poultry flock found to be infected with Asian avian influenza would be destroyed on the farm and would not enter the food supply.

You can also feel confident about your chicken or turkey dinners. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you can’t get “bird flu” from properly handled and cooked food. Just be sure to follow the instructions already printed on each package of fresh meat and poultry sold in the United States. The instructions are the same as they have always been-nothing special is needed. On the remote chance that an infected bird got into the food supply, it wouldn’t affect consumers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends cooking poultry to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This is more than enough to destroy any flu viruses that may be present.

“American consumers don’t have to worry about getting the avian flu virus from eating poultry,” says Dr. Michael Doyle, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia. “We know that if you properly cook poultry, it’s safe.”

The first thing to remember when starting acne treatment is that there is no overnight cure. The duration of treatment can last between a few months to a few years. Another thing to understand is that what may work for one person might not work for another. Each individual is unique and the effectiveness of treatment varies from individual to individual. Also it is always a good idea to follow the dermatologist’s advice, there is no point in trying remedies at home and ending up treating complications due to the home remedies. Let nature run its own course, most acne cases usually settle down over a period of time and treatment can only accelerate the process but there is no substitute for Mother Nature when it comes to healing. How should people go about acne skin care? This article enumerates some basic guidelines to go by. For example, you should clean your skin gently, avoid frequent handling of the skin, avoid sun tanning, and lastly, women should choose their cosmetics carefully and men must shave carefully for good acne skin care. People with acne may try to stop outbreaks and oil production by scrubbing their skin and using strong detergent soaps. However, scrubbing will not help acne skin care; in fact, it can make the problem worse. Most doctors recommend that people with acne gently wash their skin with a mild cleanser for acne skin care, once in the morning and once in the evening. Patients should ask their doctor or another health professional for advice on the best type of cleanser to use for acne skin care. Acne skin care also means washing your skin after heavy exercise. Patients should wash their face from under the jaw to the hairline; rough scrubs or pads should not be used. It is important that patients thoroughly rinse their skin after washing it. Astringents are not recommended for acne skin care unless the skin is very oily, and then they should be used only on oily spots. Doctors also recommend that patients regularly shampoo their hair as part of acne skin care. Those with oily hair may want to shampoo it every day for proper acne skin care. People who squeeze, pinch, or pick their blemishes risk developing scars. Acne lesions can form in areas where pressure is frequently applied to the skin. Frequent rubbing and touching of skin lesions should be avoided if you take your acne skin care seriously. Men who shave and who have acne can try electric and safety razors to see which is more comfortable for acne skin care. Men who use a safety razor should use a sharp blade and soften their beard thoroughly with soap and water before applying shaving cream. Nicking blemishes can be avoided by shaving lightly and only when necessary. A suntan or sunburn that reddens the skin can make blemishes less visible and make the skin feel drier for a little while. But the benefits are only temporary and cannot take the place of proper acne skin care. The sun can seriously damage skin, promote aging of skin, and cause skin cancer. Furthermore, many of the medications used to treat acne make a person more prone to sunburn. People being treated for acne often need to change some of the cosmetics they use. Acne skin care demands that all cosmetics, such as foundation, blush, eye shadow, and moisturizers, should be oil free. Patients may find it difficult to apply foundation evenly during the first few weeks of treatment because skin may be red or scaly, particularly with the use of topical tretinoin or benzoyl peroxide. Lip products that contain moisturizers may cause small, open and closed comedones to form. Hairstyling products that come in contact with the skin along the hairline can cause burning or stinging in people with acne. Acne skin care products that are labeled as noncomedogenic (do not promote the formation of blemishes) should be used for acne skin care; in some people, however, even these products may cause acne.

Prostate cancer affects an estimated one out of every six males. Therefore it’s understandable that most men want to know at least something about prostate cancer, especially as they are approaching their 40s. This article is going to touch on some of the symptoms and treatments, as well as some of the side effects that come from prostate cancer and prostate cancer treatment. This article is not intended to be a substitution for your doctor’s advice, so make sure that you seek a professional opinion if you feel that you may have prostate cancer.

One thing that’s important to note is that you may not suffer any symptoms at all. That is why it’s very important to be checked for prostate cancer frequently, and especially more so as you get older because they can find the prostate cancer before any symptoms show up at all in most cases. Some men that have prostate cancer may experience some of the following symptoms. Frequent or difficult urination, as well as a weak urine flow, erectile dysfunction as well as painful ejaculation and blood in the urine or semen.

There are many different treatment options for prostate cancer and you will want to discuss these with your doctor or healthcare professional before any decision is made. A few of the choices are active surveillance, radiation or hormone therapy, chemotherapy or surgery. There are also other choices and as I said before you should discuss these with your doctor.

One of the best things that you can do for your prostate is to make sure you take care of it in the first place. This may reduce your risk of prostate cancer. Just knowing some simple things such as taking vitamin E, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and being informed about eating fats and red meat can reduce your risk of prostate cancer.

The experience of sunburn can be a very efficient (i.e. painful) reminder to heed adequate protection on future occasions. However more importantly, it should be a reminder of the long-term effects of sun exposure on our bodies and health – which can include aging of the skin and skin cancer.

In order to more fully understand these consequences, let’s take a look at exactly what sunburn is, its symptoms and its effect on the body.

Sunburn results when the amount of exposure to the sun, or other ultraviolet light source (e.g. tanning lamps and welding arcs etc.), exceeds the ability of the body’s protective pigment, melanin, to protect the skin. Melanin content varies greatly, but in general darker skinned people have more melanin than lighter skinned. (Although fairer skinned people are generally more prone to getting sunburn than darker skinned people, this certainly does not exclude the latter from risk.)

Sunburn destroys cells in the outer layer of the skin, damaging tiny blood vessels underneath. Burns deeper into the skin’s layers also damage elastic fibers in the skin, which over time and with repeated sun overexposure, can result in the appearance of yellowish, wrinkled skin.

The damage to skin cells from UV exposure (either sunlight or tanning lamps etc.) can also include damage to their DNA. It’s this repeated DNA damage, which can lead to a cell becoming cancerous. With the incidence of skin cancer rising dangerously in many parts of the world, and with its ability to develop and establish itself in the body ‘long’ before external signs are detected, — paying attention to this aspect of sun exposure and sunburn should certainly not be ignored if we are serious about preserving our health.

Now while it may be easier to ignore the effects of sunburn occurring at a cellular level, ignoring the external symptoms of sunburn in the days immediately following such exposure is entirely another matter.

While sunburn is usually not immediately obvious, skin discoloration (ranging from slightly pink to severely red or even purplish) will initially appear from 1 – 24 hours after exposure. Although pain is usually worst 6 – 48 hours afterward, the burn can continue to develop for 24 – 72 hours after the incident. Where there is skin peeling, this generally occurs 3 – 8 days after the burn occurs.

While minor sunburns typically cause nothing more than warm/hot skin, slight redness, and tenderness to the affected area, — in more serious cases, extreme redness, swelling and blistering can occur. These blisters filled with fluid may itch and eventually break. This can then cause peeling of the skin, exposing an even tenderer layer of skin underneath.

Severe sunburn can cause very red, blistered skin but can also be accompanied by fever, chills, nausea (in some cases vomiting), and dehydration. In instances of extreme sunburn where the pain is debilitating, medical treatment may be required.

While the immediate effects of sunburn can certainly be painful and cause discomfort, the real deterrent to UV overexposure should be the potential damage to your long-term health – including the risk of premature aging of the skin along with skin cancer.

Don’t let sunburn and sun overexposure kill your chances of enjoying youthful skin, and a healthy body. Remember, the easiest way to treat sunburn will always be to avoid it in the first place!

What are the Stats on Psoriasis?

It is estimated that about 2.2 percent of American adults have been diagnosed with psoriasis, confirming that psoriasis is a common disease.1

11 percent of those diagnosed with psoriasis have also been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. This is a prevalence of 0.25 percent of American adults in the general population.

Psoriasis prevalence in African Americans was 1.3 percent compared to 2.5 percent of Caucasians.

The prevalence of psoriasis in Western populations is estimated to be around 2-3%. It affects both sexes equally and occurs at all ages.

And What Causes Psoriasis?

Several factors are thought to aggravate psoriasis. These include stress and excessive alcohol consumption. Individuals with psoriasis may also suffer from depression and loss of self-esteem. As such, quality of life is an important factor in evaluating the severity of the disease. There are many treatments available but because of its chronic recurrent nature psoriasis is a challenge to treat.

Plaque Psoriasis

About 80% of people living with psoriasis have plaque psoriasis, which also is called “psoriasis vulgaris.” “Vulgaris” means “common.”

How to recognize Plaque Psoriasis:

1. Raised and thickened patches of reddish skin, called “plaques,” which are covered by silvery-white scales.

2. Plaques most often appear on the elbows, knees, scalp, chest, and lower back. However, they can appear anywhere on the body, including the genitals.

3. Plaques vary in size and can appear as distinct patches or join together to cover a large area.

In the early stages, the psoriasis may be unnoticeable. The skin may itch and/or a burning sensation may be present.

Plaque psoriasis usually first appears as small red bumps. Bumps gradually enlarge, and scales form. While the top scales flake off easily and often, scales below the surface stick together. The small red bumps develop into plaques (reddish areas of raised and thickened skin).

Now that you know abit more about psoriasis, we urge you to find out more about this!

Sara spends much of her summer near the beach. She lives in a mild climate and is very athletic. She loves to swim, bike, and play games outdoors. Sara knows the dangers of the sun and so she opts for tanning salons to get her ‘golden glow’ while being sure to apply sunscreen every day before heading out.

Joseph lives in a cooler, northern climate. The summers can be very humid, but most of the year is mild or even below freezing during the harshest winter months. The beach has never been much of a draw for him and he spends most of his time doing indoor activities or at his job. Joseph doesn’t worry about sunscreen and only had one sunburn that he can remember and that was when he was a child.

——————–

Which of these examples do you most associate yourself with? Did you know that Sara and Joseph are both at risk of developing skin cancer? We have all heard the warnings about the dangers of sun exposure. We know all about the importance of wearing sunscreen and hats. But are YOU protected from skin cancer? Consider these myths and facts:

- Myth: Tanning Beds are Safer than the Sun

20 minutes of exposure in a tanning bed is roughly equivalent to four hours in the sun. Although sun beds use UVA rather than UVB rays, ‘The Skin Cancer Answer’ states that “UVA penetrates more deeply into the skin than UVB, can cause skin cancer, and may suppress the immune system.”

- Myth: Wearing Sunscreen at the Beach is Protection

85 percent of UV rays can even make it through on cloudy days. That means you are equally at risk in the car, walking the dog or letting your children out to play at any time of year – even when you’re not at the beach. Of course, you are usually less attired at the beach and so covering up is recommended even when wearing sunscreen. Sunscreen also wears off with sweat and water and should always be applied every two hours or after getting wet.

- Myth: Taking Care Of Your Skin Now Will Protect You

Sadly, skin cancer can take 20 or more years to develop. The Skin Cancer Foundation states that most people receive about 80 percent of their lifetime sun exposure before the age of 18. Just one blistering sunburn in childhood is estimated to double the risk of melanoma later in life. Taking better care now will reduce the risk, but not eliminate the damage already done.

- Myth: Having a Tan Means You’re More Protected

Dark skinned individuals are less likely to develop cancer, but tanned skin is actually damaged skin. Repeated tanning injures the skin and increases the risk of skin cancer.

So how do you plan to protect your family this year? Some suggestions are to limit exposure to the sun – especially for infants. Examine your skin for early signs of damage. Use a sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher and apply it at least 30 minutes before exposure and every two hours after that. Teach your children good safety habits and be sure you and they are covered up when outdoors.

Have fun and be safe.