ACNE : FACTS ABOUT FINDING A CURE

Acne or Pimples is the most common skin disease affecting young people.The fact that it mostly affects young adults and adolescents across all races makes it one of the most searched health condition online.
I have however seen so many misleading write ups about acne on the internet, some of which will even worsen acne in itself. I have read articles about how fasting could help cure acne...*weird* i guess !. Some have said if you rub in Lemon Juice and take only apples for one whole week, then you would be acne free..*hillarious* you would say. I have read some of this things on blogs, and i have contacted such bloggers, to say Hey!  thats a hell of wrong stuff from you. Health issues, however mild should not be joked with, and thats why i advice readers to double check whatever they read online.

WHAT CAUSES ACNE ? 
Having said so much, i will now describe the mechanism by which acne develops. It occurs when the follicles in the skin clogs up, the follicle is a passage for sebum; which is a oily substance secreted by skin glands. The sebum carries dead skin cells.When this clogging happens, a bacteria called Propionibacter Acnes  acts on the sebum, causing infection, inflammation and swelling around the region.
It usually affect the face, neck,back,chest and shoulder region.The hormone androgen which increases during adolescence is also thought to be responsible for the increase sebum production and increased tendency to have acne after puberty.

THINGS YOU SHOULD AVOID TO PREVENT ACNE

• Avoid the use of greasy cosmetics, such as soaps, body creams and facials.It is adviced that you wash your face with mild soap,that does not irritate your skin and with warm water. You should also avoid scrubbing the affected skin.
• Avoid trying to burst, rub or press the pimples, although there is a pschological tendency to want to do this and it may just be spontaneous atimes.But as much as possible avoid popping or squeezing, because this spreads the bacteria infection to adjoining skin, and even deeper causing worse swelling and redness.
• Avoid touching your face with oily and dirty objects, this may imply cleaning your glasses especially the edges in contact with your skin and also phone edges.
• Avoid tight garments that makes you sweaty and oily, loose clothing are better and ensure your scarfes, caps and headbands are clean if you must wear them.
• Avoid makeups that promote acne and always wash your face free of makeups before going to bed.
• Avoid excessive exposure to sun, because excessive heat will increase sebum production and tendency to have acne.     

TREATMENT OF ACNE
The choice of acne medication would depend on how mild or severe the acne,  most people however have a mild form of acne, but many get disturbed due to the long persistence and the scars it leaves on the kin. Scarring can often be avoided by not popping or squeezing as discussed earlier.
Acne drugs can be in oral form, topical or injectable. Most mild acnes would however respond to topical drugs which can be bought over the counter. Some of the drugs you can buy includes the following;

• Benzoyl Peroxide : It is a topical agent that is effective in treating mild acne, it is available OTC and acts by keeping the skin less oily and also kills the bacteria causing acne.It may however cause bleeching of the skin.
• Sulfur preparation: This is also effective in treating mild acne, it howver causes irritation of the skin.There are several sulfur preparations available in topical form, an example is Nixoderm.
•  Antibiotics: Oral aantibiotics are often prescribed to patients with severe acne,there are however some topical antibiotics that can be applied such as clindamycin gel, erythromycin, Neomycin and Sodium sulfacetamide.
• Topical retinoids: Adapalene, Tazarotene and tretinoin are examples of retinoid that can be used to treat severe acne, this group of drugs should however be used cautiously in women of reproductive age and should be avoided if you are planning to get pregnant, because they are teratogenic and affects developing fetus.
• Salicylic acid
• Azelaic acid  

If your acne is mild, then you can walk into a drug store and pick any of the OTC drugs mentioned, some brands have created a combined preparation of some of this drugs, they may come in form of gels, soaps, pads, creams and lotions.


    

Article was written by DR. Adeyinka Adegbosin,  the curator of this blogs, readers feedback are well appreciated, do not hesitate to ask questions or leave a comment if you find this article useful.

You can invite me to write topics on various health issues for you, i will most likely oblige; send mails to chainblogs@gmail.com

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Can Sweet Juices Cure Diabetes?

 

Type 2 diabetes, which used to be known as non-insulin dependent diabetes, results from the inability of the pancreas to produce sufficient quantities of insulin, or the inability of the body to use the insulin the right way. The majority of those who have diabetes suffer from this type of diabetes.

Diabetes is accepted to be a disease for a lifetime. However, that in itself need not make you feel that it is a completely negative verdict on your life. It is a disease that can be controlled to a large extent by right diet and right exercise. When it comes to diet, it is the raw vegetables and fruits in the diet that will have significant influence in controlling blood sugar levels.

The best form of plant raw food is juices of fruits and vegetables. Juices need very little digestion, and the nutrients in them are absorbed directly into the body as soon as they are consumed. Potassium, iron, manganese, vitamin A, vitamin B7, and Vitamin E are some of the nutrients found in many fruits, and all these are helpful in controlling blood sugar. Manganese is especially effective in metabolizing glucose and thus reducing insulin resistance, and it is found in many common vegetables like spinach, carrots, parsley, celery, garlic, broccoli etc.

Vitamin B7, also known as biotin, is found in vegetables like cauliflower and spinach, and fruits like peach, nectarine, and mango. Besides maintaining blood sugar, vitamin B7 stimulates enzymes, aids in digestion, and maintains tissues. It is best to create your own juice recipe by choosing the fruits and vegetables that are available at different seasons, and by matching it to your taste and your body needs, based on your general health.

To get the best result from a juicing regimen, it is best to use home-made fresh juice. Various combinations of juices are available in the market, but preservatives are in most cases added to juices while commercially producing them. Further, juices are pasteurized to destroy bacteria and other unwanted microorganisms, and the heating involved in the process destroys many of its nutrients and essential enzymes also. It is so much better to make your own juice at home with a blender or juicer.

A juicer is slightly better than a blender for juice extraction. However, if you do not have a juicer, a blender will also work well. You can put the chopped fruits and vegetables into the blender and run it on the ‘chop’ option for a few seconds and then run it on the ‘puree’ option for a few seconds to make a good juice.

By taking the juice of fruits and vegetables, you will be getting much more nutrition than eating the stuff raw. When you eat fresh apples, you may eat one or at the most two apples. But when you drink a glass of apple juice, you will be drinking the juice of about four apples, and so would be getting double the amount of nutrition. By being on a regular juice diet, not just your diabetes but also some of your other health issues would vanish over a period of time.

Check out Harvest Nutrition for information about leading a healthy lifestyle.

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What Is Hypertension?

Hypertension is defined as an elevated arterial blood pressure higher than 140/90 mmHg. Blood pressure is a parameter that varies continuosly from individual to individual, similar to parameters like age, weight etc.

There are several factors that predisposes to having a high blood pressure, this includes; Age, weight, ethnic background, diet, lifestyleand a lot more that would still be mentioned in details within the body of this write up.

What different blood pressure values Indicates

  The following are the classification of blood pressure levels according to the British Hypertension Society/WHO and European society of Hypertension:

Less than  120/80 .........................>> Optimal blood pressure

Less than 130/85.......................>> Normal

Between 130-139/85-89.............>> High Normal

140-159/90-99.....................>Mild Hypertension

160-179/100-109...................>>Moderate Hypertension

180/110 and above...................>>Severe hypertension

There can however be an isolated systolic hypertension wherein the systolic blood pressure is high and the diastolic remains normal.If the systolic and diastolic pressures falls into different categories in the classification, then the higher value is taken.

However if you are measuring your blood pressure with a home kit, a BP greater than  135/85 mmHg is diagnostic of hypertension.

Causes of Hypertension

 Majority of hypertension in about 80-90 % of people is due to an unknown cause hence it is called Essential/ primary or idiopathic hypertension

Several facctors however predisposes to development of hypertension, this includes;

1. Genetic Factors : Hypertension tends to run in families

2. Obesity: Fat people tend to have higher blood pressure than thin people

3.Alcohol Intake: Consumption of alcohol predisposes to hypertension

4.Smoking

5.High Salt Intake: Taking diets with high level of salt predisposes to hypertension because salts contains sodium

6. Stress: Excessive stress has been found to trigger hypertension

The other form of hypertension is known as secondary hypertension, this is where blood pressure elevation is the result of a specific and potentially treatable cause.

Some common causes includes:

1. Renal diseases such as chronic glomerulonephritis, renovascular diseases and adult polycystic disease

2. Endocrine causes such as Conn's syndrome, adrenal hyperplasia, cushing syndrome and phaechromocytoma

3.Congenital cardiovascular causes like coarctation of the aorta

4.Pregnancy

5.Drugs such as NSAIDs, oral contraceptives

Management of Hypertension

Once hypertension is diagnosed from consecutive blood pressure measurement, important measures has to be taken to reduce the pressure to a range that is as close to normal as possible, failure of which could lead to several complications such as stroke, damage to the kidney, coronary artery disease and lots more.

It is important to present at the hospital as early as possible, where several investigations will be carried out such as;

ECG 

Urine Stix test for protein and blood

Fasting blood sugar

Serum Electrolyte, Urea and Creatinine

Definitive treatment depends on the severity of the BP measurement, once it is not severe, a period of assessment should be provided during which non-drug measures can be used along with repeated BP measurement.

Some useful ways of managing hypertention without drugs are :

• Weight Reduction : BMI should be < 25kg/m sq.
•  Low fat and saturated fat diet
• Low sodium diet < 6g sodium chloride per day
• Limited alcohol consumption
• Increased fruit and vegetable
• Increase oily fish consumption
• Dynamic exercise, at least 30 minutes brisk work per day
• Quit smoking                                                                                                                                     

   
Drug therapy should usually be initiated after a period  of careful assessment and in severe or malignant hypertension.There are various classes of drugs that can be used, and this i plan to elaborate in future.

Article was written by DR. Adeyinka Adegbosin,  the curator of this blogs, readers feedback are well appreciated, do not hesitate to leave a comment if you find this article useful.

You can invite me to write topics on various health issues for you, i will most likely oblige; send email to chainblogs@gmail.com

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How to increase male potency?

 Thirst for increasing in male potency has risen considerably the last 20 years and today the purchase of any medicaments is as simple as buying a toothpaste. How justified is this availability of medicines and supplements, and doesn't it lead to further complications?

 The problems that cause impotence can be divided into two large groups. In approximately 60% of the cases the disease is associated with functional disorders of the nervous system - stress, depression, increased anxiety, unconscious fears and insomnia. In the others - from organic changes in the mechanism of erection, which could be caused by atherosclerosis, diabetes, hormonal imbalance, inflammatory diseases of the genital organs, spinal injuries, radiation.

 As a result of the formation of cholesterol plaques on the walls of veins and arteries, the vessels lose their flexibility and elasticity and become brittle and fragile, which decrease blood flow rapidly and leads to malfunction or erection loss. The excessisve use of alcohol, including beer and also smoking further more enhance the male impotence.

 You can solve the problem all by yourself - there are lots of drugs, sold without a prescription, but before walking the way of shame to the pharmacy, you need to fight the false discomfort and consult an urologist, andrologist or psychotherapist. They have the knowledge to determine the causes of the disease and to prescribe the most adequate therapy to deal with erectile dysfunction without any side effects.

 In front of the doctor's office

 A conversation with a doctor should always be honest and frank. The doctor needs to know the details of your erection problem, what changes have occurred compared to your previous sexual potential, what are the current changes in your life, and even whether you have a lover. The doctor should discuss with you the psychological factors associated with the problem, and could put you through a special physiological test for assessment of ejaculation.

Let's take a look at the origin of the problem

Scientists confidently declare that today there are no unsolvable problems with erectile dysfunction.
The usual treatment is drug therapy, physiotherapy and psychotherapy. Some herbal preparations could be prescribed additioanlly: Ginseng, Eleutherococcus, Golden Root, Aral, Pantokrin – these herbs increase the overall body tonus and the intensity of blood flow in the vessels of the penis.

Libido pills / Erection pills

The most effective male potency medicines are known as inhibitors phosphodiesterases of fifth type. Their action is based on the release of the smooth muscles and dilation of blood vessels in the penis during sexual stimulation. The result is increased blood flow and normal hard erection. The effect of the pills starts after 30-40 minutes and lasts at least four hours after assimilation.

Erection occurs only when there is sexual stimulation. The presence of the beloved woman in suitable intimate setting will certainly help for that. But alcohol, especially in large quantities, could affect the erection adversely and abundant fatty food could reduce the efficacy of the drugs.

For greater certainty

Medical sources warn that healthy men should not experiment with drugs for prophylaxis of their sexual function. And when a problem occurs, it is important to stick to the rule of the “golden middle”. If you constantly experiment with your body and force it, sooner or later it will be exhausted and more serious problems could arise. Some scientists claim that the frequent use of pills leads to dependence on psychological level and in this case you won't be able to live and act without them.

But despite this, we all know that drugs make men much stronger and more confident. Everything that's said or written on the topic denying the use of erection pills or other herbal supplements has no enough scientific proofs and every male body reacts differently while taking any medicines. That's why we can conclude that male enhancement treatments are effective but depend on the specific body characteristics and male organism itsself.

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