How to deal with Acne

“Puberty Did Them Well”, a popular phrase on Twitter that best describes the A-list American actresses and female stars who have maintained their perfect pores and clear smooth skin until adulthood. Before you burn with envy and deem yourself a zit factory with peanut coated skin, you have to understand that pimples and acne are normal in your teenage; adolescence and early adulthood stages.

scienceofhealing.blogspot.com

According to health writer Tom Scheve our bodies produce high levels of sex hormones such as androgen and testosterone. These hormones prompt glands in the skin that promote higher levels oil called sebum that clogs up and results in acne. Acne is a disorder that causes outbreaks of skin lesions known to us as pimples, (health.howstuffworks.com).

Why make-up isn’t always the best solution to deal with acne

Make-up doesn’t always have serious negative effects but could cause a few skin allergy reactions. These reactions can come in two types:

1.    Irritant contact dermatitis: an itching or burning reaction to a product irritating the skin

2.    Allergic contact dermatitis: an allergy to specific ingredients that results in swelling, itching or blisters.

Both types are usually caused by fragrances or preservatives in make-up and other skin products.  Acccording to beauty writer, Sarah Kirkpatric , make-up isn’t a great solution to treat or cover-up acne because there are certain oils that can worsen acne. This type of acne is called acne cosmetic which is characaterised by blocked pores, reddened bumps on chin, cheeks and forehead.(blog.zenmed.com)

Dermatologists are able to assist with preventing and treating acne depending on the kind of acne a patient is diagnosed with.

Here are some three basic tips to get rid of acne (health.howstuffworks.com)

·        Wash your face twice a day: washing your face prevents outbreaks and removes all the grease and grime.

·        Take a look at your make-up: buy oil free make-up or buy non-comedogenic make-up (make-up with ingredients that do not clog up your pores). Make sure you wash off your make-up at the end of your day. Do not go to sleep with make- up on your face

·        Buy Benzoyl Peroxide: ask a dermatologist or chemist for a proper prescription. Mostly found in a cream or gel that is applied to broken-out portions of the face. Benzoyl peroxide kills the P. acnes bacteria that causes inflammation in a blocked pore.

Keywords

Acne

Seblum; oil

Clogged pores

Acne cosmetic

References

Kirkpatrick, S. 2014.  Do You Have Acne Cosmetica?. [online] Available at: blog.zemed/do-you-have-acne-cosmetica/ (Date Accessed: 18 August 2014)

Scheve, T. n.d. 15 Ways To Get Rid of Acne. [online]. Available at: health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care-/problems/treating/15-ways-to-get-rid-of-acne.htm.(Date 20 August 2014)

Womens Health.n.d. [online]. Available at:womenshealth.gov/publications/fact-sheet/acne.pdf. (Date Accessed: 20 August 2014)

How to prevent Heart Attack
By Vanessa Lebepe

Many people around us tend to die every day because of heart attacks. Heart attack has become one of the most over populated diseases which is a very big problem. When a woman has a heart attack, her symptoms are different than a man’s. Heart disease is the No 1 killer of women, and they usually think its breast cancer. People need more education about heart diseases. (Deb Peterson)

Heart attack is the death of a segment of heart muscle caused by the loss of blood supply. If some of the heart muscle dies, the person experiences chest pain and electrical instability of the heart muscle tissue. Heart attack is caused by several things; age is the largest risk factor. When a man is over 45 years, and a woman is over 55 year, their risk of having a heart attack starts to rise.www.nhlbi.nih.gov...causes

Apart from all this, heart attack can also be prevented; you can prevent heart disease by following a heart healthy lifestyle. Heart disease may be a leading cause of death, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept it as your fate. There are some key heart disease prevention steps you can take,
Don’t smoke or use tobacco Smoking or using tobacco of any kind is one of the most significant risk factors for developing heart disease.
Exercise for 30 min on most days of the week Getting some regular, daily exercises can reduce your risk of fatal heart disease
Eat a heart healthy diet Eating a healthy diet can reduce your risk of having heart disease.
Maintain a healthy weight Being overweight, especially if you carry excess weight around the middle, ups your risk of heart disease.
Get enough sleep Sleep deprivation can do more than leave you yawning through the day; it can also tend to harm your health.
Get regular health screenings High blood pressure and high cholesterol can damage you heart and blood vessels if you don’t go for screening regularly.read more.......

So clearly heart attack risks can also be reduced only if you make sure you maintain your health and stay on the safe side. So if you’re suffering from heart disease know that it can be reduced, avoided and prevented.

key words
heart disease
prevention
healthy diet
maintainance
exercise







Sources consulted
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/151444.php, accessed on 18 august 2014
www.mayoclinic.org/diseases.../heart-disease/...heart-disease-prevention/... accessed on 18 august 2014
D. Peterson, (healthhowstuffworks.com/diseases.../heart/10-ways-to-avoid-heart-attac...)

Spread the word to stop the spread

By Kopano Moeketsi

Over a million women have lost their lives due to a deadly virus known as breast cancer. Before understanding what breast cancer is, it is important to understand, what cancer is? 

According to the MediLexicon website (www.medicalnewstoday.com/infor/cancer-oncology), Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by out of control cell growth.

Spreading the word to stop the spread could be considered as a way of making more women aware. Not only making modern women aware but also taking into consideration women in rural areas aware, getting the message across to them. Breast cancer has claimed a lot of women’s lives and spreading the word can help.

They are certain symptoms that occur that need a woman to pay full attention and should consider going to the doctor to check for breast cancer. The most common signs of breast cancer according to the MedicineNet.com website (www.onhealth.com) , are new lumps or mass in the breast. In addition, the following are possible signs of breast cancer shown on the website such as:

1.    Nipple discharge or redness

2.    Breast and nipple pain

3.    Swelling of part of the breast or dimpling of skin over the breast

Once you recognise these signs, you should consult with your doctor. It might not be anything to worry about but it is better to know than to wonder. It is always said that “prevention is better than cure.”

Preventing breast cancer is very important, which is why the Eating Well website discussed the 8 food for breast cancer prevention by Holly Pevzner (www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/immunity/9-foods-for-breast-cancer-prevention)

1. Broccoli
2. Salmon
3.    Olive oil
4.    Parsley
5.  Coffee
6.     Plums and Peaches
7.     Beans
8.    Walnuts

Jill is a woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999 at the age of 39 and it later came back in 2002 and has spread to the bones, liver and brain. Jill says “I’ve planned all kinds of ways to celebrate my metsiversary over the years. I have decided to dance with cancer” said Jill

Try your best to avoid breast cancer. Join the Pink Drive cancer awareness campaign to learn more about breast cancer and find ways to avoid it. Do not forget SPREAD THE WORD TO STOP THE SPREAD 

Key words

• Breast cancer
• Prevention
• Symptoms
• Dancing with cancer
• Diet

Sources consulted

Jill. 2014. Dancing with Cancer Living with meds, the new normal. Available: www.jillscancerjourney.blogspot.com. Accessed 12 August 2014

MedicalLexicon. Nd  What is cancer? What causes cancer? Accessed 11 August 2014

Medicine.Net.com. nd. Common signs of cancer. Available www.medicalnewstoday.com/infor/cancer-oncology Accessed 10 August 2014

Pevzener,H.2011.9Food For Breast Cancer Prevention. Available: www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/immunity/9-food-for-breast-cancer=prevention  Accessed 10 August 2011

Body dysmorphic disorder

“Imagined ugliness”

By: Nyakallo Tefu

Do you ever look in the mirror and all you see are imperfections? Your eyes are too small, your forehead is too big and your ears are sticking out too much? According to (Barlow and Durand, 2012:186), most people fantasize about improving something, but some relatively normal-looking people think they are so ugly they refuse to interact with others or otherwise function normally for fear that people will laugh at their ugliness. This curious affliction is called “Body dysmorphic disorder” which is also referred to as “imagined ugliness”.

We all have an image in our head of so-called “perfection” and that so-called “perfection” affects our self-esteem hence we feel the need to change our physical appearance. “It is natural for someone to have a low self-esteem and dislike their appearance or an aspect of their body. For example women may wish they had longer legs or men will want toned arms. Body dysmorphic disorder however is a type of mental illness that causes the sufferer to obsess over a specific flaw in their appearance” (Clinic, 2010).

At times we ignore such things, but I mean how would you know if you have never encountered such, if you don’t even know that such disorders exist? According to (Challis, 2013) symptoms include:

• ·         preoccupation with one’s physical appearance,
• ·        excessive use of makeup
• ·         refusal to pose for photographs
• ·         constant comparison of self to others

Take a look at most celebrities lately, they are so obsessed with portraying a perfect image to their fans whereas they resort to plastic surgery. For example Michael Jackson, to us he seemed what we would refer to as “normal”, but clearly he thought otherwise hence he wanted to change the colour of his skin and his nose. “Most common areas of the body that are obsessed about by people with body dysmorphic disorder include nails, hair, skin, complexion, acne, wrinkles, breast size and genitalia” (Clinic, 2010).

This is one of those disorders where you ask yourself “are you serious? Body dysmorphic disorder is seen equally in men and women. Generally there are differences between what they obsess about. Men tend to be more focused on body build and genitals whereas women are more focused on a variety of body parts and women are more likely to suffer from an eating disorder then men are (Barlow & Durand, 2012).

As humans, we need to learn to accept ourselves as we are and remember that no one is perfect. Focusing on our imperfections can eventually lead to distortions about our bodies and going through costly procedures to “fix” what we feel is wrong – procedures which never leave us satisfied anyway. Embrace who you are and your imperfections.

Consulted sources:

·         Barlow, D. H. & Durand, V. M., 2012. Abnormal Psychology: An Intergrative Approach. 6th ed. United States of America: WADSWORTH CENGAGE Learning.

·         Challis, S., 2013. Body dysmorphic disorder. [Online]
Available at:  http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/body-dysmorphic-disorder/#.U_TwJMWSzko
[Accessed 15 August 2014].

·         Clinic, M., 2010. Body Dysmorphic Disorder. [Online]
Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/search/?query=body+dysmorphic+disorder&x=37&y=17&primaryType=mixed
[Accessed 13 August 2014].

Tags:
 Body dysmorphic disorder

imagined ugliness
disorder
Men body dysmorphic disorder
women body dysmorphic disorder

Child Solders of the insect kingdom

Child Soldiers of the Insect Kingdom

Biology has taught us how Snakes are said to be more dangerous when they are young, because of the lack of control they have on their venom. In the kingdom of mammals most creatures aren’t a threat until they grow to be adults. However in the kingdom of insects there is no taking candy away from these babies.

The Bot Fly

Wasps, bees, and hornets come with stingers. Mosquitoes carry and transmit malaria pathogens. The Bot Fly are the stout bodied hairy flies that resemble bumble bees. Unlike its peers that are well equipped with stingers, have different type of ammunition.

The Bot fly’s weapon is its young. The larvae stage of this insect’s life uses its parasitic abilities to feed off a host (which is usually a mammal in most cases human beings). (www.ambergriscaye.com)

The bot fly’s egg is either deposited by the fly itself or by mosquito. Once deposited the larvae grows in the host’s body until it is fairly large. It is only the female bot fly that deposits the egg near the opening of the host, and the larvae itself burrows into your skin.

In human beings once the larvae has entered the skin and you are the host of the parasite it will feed on the tissue and the fluids until it develops into a pupa and burrows out of your skin.

(www.ncbi.gov) Myiasis is the term applied to the infestation of live humans and vertebrae animals with the larvae (maggots) In humans affections may occur on the skin as wounds. Myiasis is traumatic and boil-like, the lesion is termed furuncula. The infestation of bot flies has been an epidemic in west Africa for the last 135 years.

(www.ncbi.gov) reported a case of a woman from South East Nigeria whose name they kept confidential.  She came complaining of a swelling on her right breast. Because the Bot Fly (in this case scenario “Tumbu fly”) is an endemic in the area. Upon the day of diagnosis they extracted 14 matured larvae from her right breast. The larvae had fed on her breast tissue as well as being well nourished by the fluids in the mammary glands.

Prevention

(www.ncbi.gov)  also details how the patient often never ironed her clothes after washing them. Bot flies easily lay their eggs on moist un-ironed material.

As a safety precaution one must always iron their clothes after they have been on the clothesline to dry.

(www.ncbi.gov)  also states how medicines like ampicillin / cloxacillin pills in conjunction with a tetanus toxoid injection can suffiently combat the ailment

Key Words

Bot Fly

Myiasis

Larvae

Ampicillin

Cloxacillin