Health Care & Medical

Baking soda has always been an item in the first aid kit for treating skin injuries and scalding. It is known to prevent blistering and development of scars. When baking soda is mixed with water, the resulting endothermic reaction and its mild antiseptic properties make it useful for treating skin irritations. Baking soda has several medicinal uses, not to mention its easy availability and low cost. This makes it the ideal candidate for home remedies for several skin disorders, teeth whitening and even acid reflux. Eczema is a non-contagious skin disorder that manifests as itchy red patches on the affected parts of the skin. It is a condition that affects people of all age groups, including infants. Eczema treatment focuses on reducing the skin inflammation and providing relief from itching. The antiseptic properties of baking soda are very effective for treating rashes caused by eczema.

Please note: Baking Soda and Baking Powder (used in cake recipes, etc.), are not the same. The product we are referring to, in this article, is baking soda, also known as bicarb soda or sodium bicarbonate. Ensure that you’re buying the correct product as this confusion is widespread.

Certain Precautionary Measures Before Use

Although baking soda is gentle on the skin, please take the following precautionary measures before taking a baking soda bath for the first time.

• Everyone’s skin texture is not the same. If you have sensitive skin that is usually prone to allergies from even mild skin care products, do not use baking soda in your bath.
• Even if you have never had any other skin allergy, the eczema itself can make the affected area sensitive. It is better to test with a dilute mixture on a small part of the rash. If the redness of the rash increases or becomes uncomfortably itchy, it is better not to use baking soda in your bath. This test must be done while bathing babies in baking soda as their skin is naturally sensitive. If you notice an instant reaction while doing the test, dilute the mixture further. Typically, it is not known to make eczema rashes worse, but it is better to be careful.
• Just as you would do with any cleansing product, it is essential to moisturize your skin after a baking soda bath so your skin does not dry out and become scaly.
• If you’re bathing a baby in baking soda, ensure that the baby does not swallow the bath water. Ingestion of baking soda in high quantities is known to cause headache and nausea even in adults. Simply exercise extra care while bathing the baby and ensure to expose only parts affected by eczema to the bath solution. Once done, pat the baby dry quickly so that it does not start to lick the solution off its arms and feet.
• In addition to eczema, if you have a pre-existing heart or kidney condition, ensure you do not accidentally swallow the bath solution as its high sodium content may cause other health problems.
• If you’re a diabetic with a tendency to develop infection or bleeding on the smallest cuts and wounds, do not try baking soda on your eczema patches.

How to Treat Eczema Using Baking Soda

• Method to Make a Baking Soda Bath: Eczema patients can add half a cup of baking soda to a full bath. Ensure that the water is not uncomfortably hot. Also, see to it that you take a brief bath. Prolonged exposure may cause excessive dryness. For bathing babies and young children you might want to start with an even diluted solution and gradually increase the concentration to half a cup, if need be. It is interesting to note, that a baking soda bath also provides relief from diaper rash in babies. Following the bath, ensure to rub the affected areas with a mild moisturizer. Do not use any chemical skin cream or other harsh products. Wear clothing with natural fibers like cotton.
• Applying in Paste Form: Alternatively, make a paste of baking soda and water and apply liberally on the affected areas to relieve itching. Wash off after a few minutes and dab some moisturizer.

You will find several sites on the Internet enlisting remedies for eczema as well as using baking soda for several other ailments (including cancer). It is better to take all this information with a pinch of salt and not blindly try everything you come across. We would advise that you pay attention to the points of caution mentioned above even with using baking soda for external application.

Your body needs cholesterol to function properly, but too much cholesterol can cause health problems. Here are the top five causes of high cholesterol.

Cholesterol is a lipid (fatty substance) that circulates in your blood. Cholesterol is needed by the body to maintain healthy cell walls and to produce vitamin D, certain hormones, and bile acids (which aid in fat digestion).

The two main types of cholesterol are LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol and HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is the bad type that can accumulate on the walls of your arteries and increase your risk for heart disease or stroke. HDL cholesterol is the good type that helps clear LDL cholesterol out of your blood and reduces your risk for heart disease or stroke. The term high cholesterol more specifically means a high level of LDL cholesterol and a low level of HDL cholesterol.

Here are the top 5 causes of high cholesterol:

1. Heredity

Some people are born with a condition called familial hypercholesterolemia, which is an inherited condition passed down through families that causes people to have high levels of LDL cholesterol. Other people, because of their genetics, are more likely to react to negative lifestyle factors that can raise LDL cholesterol.

2. Improper Diet

Most of the cholesterol found in your body is produced in your liver and only a small part of it comes from dietary cholesterol. As long as you don’t have a genetic predisposition for high cholesterol, dietary cholesterol will most likely have minimal effect on your blood cholesterol level. Saturated fat and trans fat are what you really need to avoid. Your body needs some saturated fat for growth, hormone production and other processes, but too much saturated fat can increase LDL cholesterol. Trans fat increases LDL cholesterol and decreases HDL cholesterol.

3. Being Overweight or Obese

Being overweight or obese can increase LDL cholesterol and decrease HDL cholesterol.

4. Being Physically Inactive

Being physically inactive can increase LDL cholesterol and decrease HDL cholesterol.

5. Age and Gender

Cholesterol levels tend to rise with age for both men and women. Prior to menopause, women generally have a lower level of cholesterol than men their age, but after menopause many women experience a substantial increase in LDL cholesterol along with a decrease in HDL cholesterol.

While you can’t control your genetics, age or gender, you are in control when it comes to making the lifestyle changes necessary to lower high cholesterol. Eating a healthy diet, losing weight, and exercising regularly will not only lower high cholesterol, it will also reduce the risk for numerous other health problems.

It is winter right now in Australia, the cold, cloudy weather and short daytime put big challenges on runners to fulfill their workout routines. An option is that to buy a treadmill that enable runners to do their daily exercises inside. However there are large varieties of treadmills on the market which provide different features and functionalities with different prices from hundreds to thousands. To buy the right treadmill, it is necessary to consider the following factors.

First thing to do is that figure out what kind of excise you want to do on treadmill. Walking, jogging and running have different requirements on treadmill motor which is the most importance part of treadmill. More powerful motor means you are capable of doing variety kinds of exercises and also indicates more money you need to put on.

The next step is that to measure the room in your home for treadmill. Large treadmill which needs more space usually has large belt that is more comfortable for users and deducts the chances of injuries. Foldable Treadmill is popular for the owner with limited room as it can be fold up and move out of the way when not in use.

The third thing is that searching the internet or consulting the local experts like personal trainer for suggestion of reputable brand. Good brand treadmill does not only mean the higher quality but also the better warranty and more professional services.

Treadmill is relative cheap home fitness equipment which can provide both convenience and affordability for achieving good health result. Everyone knows how to use treadmill; just simple walking or running can beneficial for burning calories. According to a recent consumer survey of gym equipments, treadmill ranks top one as the most popular gym exercise equipment both at home and gym centre. Although using treadmill is similar as running on the ground, it’s helpful if you can control the speed, incline and condition of ground. The controlling setting of treadmill makes running or walking more effective and consistent for exercisers.

After decide the brand you go to, entertainment system on treadmill could be a factor which affect you finial decision. Advance treadmills have integrated many entertainment features like radio, mp3 player, video and even TV. Those can help runners beat treadmill boredom and achieve their fitness goals.

Also there are many other attractive features that allure you and your fortunes, such as shock absorption which protect runner’s joints from injury which can be resulted by running outdoors. Choose the treadmills base on the fitness goals and surrounding circumstances and features that are suitable for your exercise and health.

Managing asthma is not something your doctor can do for you all by himself. Asthma self help is an important part of treating and managing your condition so that it doesn’t take over your entire life. Your doctor may prescribe both daily medication and medication to take in case of an acute asthma episode, but the task of minimizing risk of asthma attack and taking care of yourself on a daily basis is largely up to you and your family. Learning some key asthma self help tricks can help you keep your asthma under control so that it doesn’t interfere with your daily life.

Because asthma can be caused, triggered or worsened by so many things, there are many things that you can do to lessen the frequency and severity of the symptoms. Your doctor will offer important suggestions in addition to medication to help you manage your asthma. Think of those suggestions as a personalized asthma self help plan. A major part of asthma self help involves avoiding asthma triggers. Some ways that you can help yourself if you or someone in your family has asthma include:

1. The first and most important step in asthma self help is to follow your doctor’s orders. Don’t stop taking daily medication just because you feel better. If he’s prescribed daily peak flow measurements, be sure to follow instructions carefully and measure daily to monitor your condition.

2. If you smoke, quit. Whether the asthma sufferer is you or a child in your family, cigarette smoke is one of the most common asthma triggers known.

3. Keep the house dust-free – or as close to dust-free as possible. Dust is another common asthma trigger. Use a cylinder vacuum instead of an upright – preferably one that encloses the vacuum cleaner bag inside a solid canister to minimize pumping dust back into the air.

4. If you can, remove carpets and heavy draperies. They’re dust-catchers that easily breed dust mites. If you can’t remove them, vacuum them frequently using a canister vacuum cleaner.

5. Avoid using down feather pillows and comforters, and use a plastic cover on your mattress. Mattresses and pillows can harbor dust mites. The same goes for stuffed animals and other ‘soft’ decorations.

6. Cover your mouth and nose with a scarf in cold weather. Cold air is another common asthma trigger.

7. If your asthma is triggered by allergens, monitor the outside air quality daily. Avoid open fields and woodsy areas during peak pollen seasons, and take extra care when air quality is in danger ranges.

8. Mold is another common allergen that triggers asthma. Keeping mold down is another important part of asthma self help care. Dry wet laundry immediately, and wash and disinfect bathrooms and showers regularly. Remove houseplants, as mold grows in their soil.

9. Pet dander can also trigger asthma symptoms. If you can’t part with a pet because of emotional ties, at least keep it out of the bedroom to minimize your exposure to dander.

10. Be aware of any food or ingested allergies, and avoid foods, medications and drinks that cause allergic reactions.

When a part of human brain stops working due to insufficient supply of oxygen then this lethal condition is called Stroke. The general stroke symptoms may not be seen in women. Therefore, to provide treatment to the patient on time, it is essential to know about the stroke and its symptoms in women.

In medical terms, Stroke is known as Cerebrovascular Accident and it is a condition when blood supply is episodic to a part of brain. The oxygen is carried by the blood cells that are supplied to several parts of the body that also includes brain cells. Therefore, blood and oxygen are must for the proper functioning of all the body organs and cells. At the time of Stroke attack, the blood supply can be interrupted because of blocking or bursting of a blood vessel present in a part of a brain. Ischemic and hemorrhagic are the two types of the strokes. Ischemic stroke is type of stroke due to a blood clot whereas Hemorrhagic stroke occur because of breaking of blood vessels. It is due to the blood and oxygen shortage, that the brains cells die and this causes dysfunction of that part of brain. However, due to the lack of treatment brain may stop working completely and the delay in treatment may lead to death. Stroke symptom for women is different from the usual stroke symptoms.

The common symptoms of stroke that are seen in both men and women are dizziness and problems with balance and coordination, Sudden speech impairment or impaired comprehension, blurred vision or difficulty with vision, numbness or weakness, usually on one side of the body, onset of a sudden and major headache, mental confusion. All these stroke symptoms occur unexpectedly with a sudden onset. In women, Stroke symptoms may vary from the classic or above-mentioned symptoms of stroke. Generally, the symptoms are considered as quite unclear, when a woman gets a stroke attack. These symptoms are usually diverse from the symptoms of stroke that are generally observed. Because of these distinctive and unclear symptoms, several times, stroke test in a woman goes undiagnosed. Thus, wrong diagnosis of these symptoms leads to wrong treatment and hence causes severe complications. Hence, it is essential to know about the signs and symptoms of stroke in women.

Sometimes, the stroke symptoms in women are so diverse that the physician may misdiagnose the problem and relate it to some other health problem. Atypical symptoms of stroke are also seen in men however, the percentage is higher in women. These symptoms are breath shortness, seizures, fainting, and unconsciousness.