HealthStatus - How is your health? » Volume 53

Diabetic Nail Care

HealthStatus — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:44:04 +0000

For people that have diabetes, it is vitally important that they learn to care for their nails. Your nails protect your fingers and toes from injury and trauma. Diabetics have decreased sensation in the fingers and toes, so it is critical that the nails are kept in good condition.

The condition of your nails can be a great indicator of health problems. Healthy fingernails and toenails will be smooth, slightly curved and somewhat pink. If your nails are not healthy looking, this may indicate some type of underlying disease.

Diabetics are prone to developing a fungal infection known as onychomycosis. This fungal infection accounts for approximately 50% of all nail infections. Onychomycosis will produce thick, brittle nails that can develop sharp points and do injury to the surrounding skin. Unnoticed small cuts on the fingers and toes can be a portal for bacteria that leads to fungal infections.

Natural Remedies to Reduce Skin Pores

HealthStatus — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:39:30 +0000

The problem of large skin pores is caused by over-secretion of oil by the oil glands. Thankfully, a number of medical treatments can help reduce the size of pores, thus making your skin appear firm and healthy. It is also important to follow a certain skincare regime so as to keep this problem at bay. However, before we recommend remedies for reduction of these pores, let us try and understand why this problem occurs in the first place.

Large pores form due to several reasons such as genetic factors, loss of skin elasticity with age, over-secretion of oil by the sebaceous glands, poor skincare routine and your overall health conditions. This condition mostly affects the T-zone, especially in those who have an oily skin. Due to over-secretion of oil, the expanded pores are filled with oil and dead cells, thereby blocking them. This often leads to acne, pimples and zits. To get rid of this condition, it is important to keep your skin as clean as possible.

How Can I Reduce the Size of These Large Pores?

Considering the large number of face scrubs and packs that are available, this skin problem can now be easily treated. There are also a whole range of home remedies that you can try out. However, for pores that are too large, the help of a cosmetic surgeon is recommended; even though it is a rather expensive process.

Quick Tips To Soothe Eye Irritation

HealthStatus — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:33:25 +0000

Eye irritation can be really bothersome. If you are suffering from it, I am sure you would want quick relief from those itchy, tired or blood shot eyes. There are both natural ways and medicines to relieve you from it and give you back your eyes. Depending on the kind of irritation that persists any of the below remedies can be used.

Cold Compresses For Itchy Eyes – To get relief from itchy eyes you can try cold compresses. For it you need a soft cloth or washrag and some cool water. Dip the cloth in cold water and place it over your eyes repeatedly. Then soak the rag or the cloth in the warm water and repeat the process with cold water for around 10 to 20 minutes. This not only relieves the itching but also works well for swelling, sore eyes and pain.

Eye Packs For Itchy Eyes – Another way to deal with the problem is with the help of an eye pack which is available at any local cosmetic store. These are in the form of a gel or mineral oil-filled packs. These should be kept in the refrigerator but never in the freezer. Use them when you need them. These packs help you to get rid of those puffy morning eyes.

Regular Exercising Keeps Your Shoulders Healthy

HealthStatus — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:23:47 +0000

The shoulder is actively used in most hand movements such as picking, pushing, pulling and throwing. The shoulder consists of shoulder joints and shoulder blades.

Straight Shoulders Are Important For A Good Posture

The shoulder joint connects the shoulder to the upper arm. Free movement of this joint is essential for all activities that are done by the shoulder and upper arms like throwing and lifting.

The shoulder blades are the muscles which are located at the upper part of our back, just below the neck region. These muscles are connected to the shoulder joints and are involved in all shoulder movements.

Healthy shoulders means strong and flexible shoulder blades and shoulder joints. This can be achieved by regularly exercising them.

Modern lifestyle is actually very harmful for our shoulders. Since most of us spend long hours sitting in front of the computer, we tend to curve our shoulders forward. This causes our shoulders to become rounded or drawn forwards towards the chest. That is especially if we spend a lot of time typing on the keyboard, our shoulders tend to droop downwards. Also, while driving a car, the hands are always on the steering wheel which causes the shoulders to be drawn inwards. Over a long period of time, this gives the shoulders a very bad posture which can even become permanent.

Stretching The Shoulder Muscles Improves Flexibility

Simple exercises can help the shoulders to stay in good shape and maintain a good posture. They can also reduce pains in the shoulder blades and joints. Pain in the shoulder muscles occur when we do an activity which involves the shoulders like driving and typing for long hours at a stretch without maintaining a good posture. This causes the shoulder muscles to tighten and feel cramped up. While doing such activities, it is essential to take intermittent breaks and relax the muscles. This can be done by tightening the shoulder muscles together backwards and then allowing them to relax.

Pain in the shoulder joints occurs when the joints are not very flexible and are subject to some sudden movements like suddenly pulling up a heavy weight or suddenly throwing with force.

Regular exercise of the shoulder joints helps them to carry out smooth and friction free ‘ball and socket’ movements during all shoulder activities. During long hours of monotonous activity, the shoulder joints should be exercised intermittently by rotating them forwards and backwards and doing other simple upper arm movements which help to relax them.

Warming Up Is Essential Before Specific Shoulder Exercises

Exercising the shoulders is important not only to keep them healthy but also to give the body a good posture. Regular exercising makes the shoulders straight and firm instead of rounded and droopy. Due to poor posture of the shoulders, one can have back pain and also show signs of spondilitis which is stiffness and pain in the area behind the neck.

Some appropriate exercises for healthy shoulders include stretching the shoulder blades and lightly rotating the arms at the shoulder joints. You can also do some light weightlifting with dumbbells which will help to tone the muscles and also make them flexible.

For instance- standing straight, you can gently lift light weights of about 5 pounds and raise your arms above your head. Keep the arms in that position for a few seconds and then bring them down back to position.

Those who are interested in body building need advice from a physical trainer regarding specific exercises which will develop the shoulder muscles. For daily exercises, you can check up the internet which also offers videos to display these exercises.

While doing shoulder exercises, do remember some essential rules. Always do some light warm up exercises like gently rotating the arms at the shoulders. This prepares the shoulders for the specific exercises which are to follow.

Never over exert or over stretch your shoulder muscles and joints. Whether you do stretching exercises or light weight lifting, do the exercises gently and only to the limit that the body allows.

Healthy shoulders are essential for reducing back pains and also to have an attractive posture.

Is Parkinson’s Hereditary?

HealthStatus — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:20:49 +0000

Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of the body’s motor system. This disease affects the nerve cells in the part of the brain that controls muscle movement. Dopamine is a very important chemical in the brain that is responsible for sending signals that help coordinate the movement of your muscles. When Parkinson’s disease is present, the neurons that are responsible for producing dopamine die. The cause behind the death of these neurons is unknown.

The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are trembling in the hands, legs, arms, jaw and face. An individual with Parkinson’s disease may also have rigidity of the limbs and the trunk. Another sure sign of Parkinson’s disease is slow movement and being unsteady on your feet.

Many people who have a relative with Parkinson’s disease will find themselves wondering if Parkinson’s is hereditary. Studies have shown that Parkinson’s disease is not hereditary. There have been a few cases where members of the same family have developed Parkinson’s disease, but this is hardly conclusive to this disease being hereditary.

As Parkinson’s disease progresses, the patient will have difficulty walking and talking. The shaking and tremors of this motor disease will begin to interfere with daily activities. Parkinson’s disease progresses more quickly in some people than in others.