Health and Fitness Corner

Most of us are used to getting a cut or scrape and having it heal up without any problem. When we were kids we might run into the house with a bruised knee. Mom would probably wash it out, put a Band-Aid on it, dry our tears and that would be that. We'd soon forget about it and a week later it be completely healed.

Kids heal quickly. For that matter, so do most adults. However, that isn't true for everyone. Some people have major difficulty healing of wounds. This is usually because they have serious medical problems that block the bodies normal ability to heal.

For example, diabetes is well known to interfere with a wound healing. Since all the raw materials required for fighting off infection and healing are supplied by the bloodstream it makes sense that anything interfering with blood flow can slow healing. Hardening of the arteries and heart disease are common sources of this type of problem.

People that have massive swelling of their legs often have difficulty healing a wound on their leg. In fact, in some people the swelling is so severe that the skin breaks down and a wound opens up because of the swelling along.

These are only some of the problems that can prevent a wound from healing.

When it comes to dealing with a wound, there is a range of responses that varies with the severity of the wound, how long it's been there and any other medical problems the person may have.

A healthy person with a minor cut will most likely take care of that themselves. If the cut looks more severe or like it might need sutures they're probably have a doctor check it out. Someone with diabetes or another severe medical problem would be wise to have even relatively minor wounds checked by a physician.

Sometimes, however, a person with a problem wound can visit their doctor, follow all the instructions they are given, and still have a wound that's not healing. That's where a wound care center comes it.

As in many areas, wound care has become a specialty within medicine. A wound care center will have both the staff (physicians, nurses, technicians and supporting staff) and equipment needed to provide the best possible wound care. As you might expect, since all they do is treat wounds they get pretty good at it.

In addition, there are some treatment modalities that require equipment that most physicians just don't have available. After all, it doesn't make much sense to invest tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment if you only going to use it a couple times a year.

So to answer the question "what is a wound care center and who needs one", a wound care center is a practice that focuses on helping people with poorly healing wounds. Anyone who has a wound that has not responded to treatment prescribed by the primary caregiver or who has medical problems that make wound healing more difficult should consider requesting referral to a wound care center.

An example of such a premier practice is the wound care center in Syracuse NY. This center achieves healing in over 85% of their patients (and remember that almost everyone they see as a treated elsewhere for months without success). You can find out more about the center and the techniques they use at:

Wound Care Central NY

Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert

Epidemiological studies have shown that eating foods rich in antioxidants results in a reduced risk of heart attacks,strokes and cancer. Antioxidants reduce damaging oxidative stress caused by highly active free radicals in the blood. These detrimental effects have been implicated as a pathogenic factor in most diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Antioxidant rich foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains. Phytochemicals are strong antioxidants and are naturally present in these foods. For example, soybeans contain genisten, tomatoes and grapefruit contain lycopene, cabbage and brussel sprouts cotain indoles, garlic and onion contain allylic sulfides, tea contains tannins and most fruits and vegetables are rich in flavonoids. A diet rich in these foods is highly protective. This observation has led to the widespread use of synthetic multivitamins and anti-oxidants to prevent cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and increase life span. However taking these supplements have not shown protective benefits, and have actually been harmful in most people.

Dr. Jaakko Mursu and collegues recently presented disturbing data regarding life expentancy with the use of multivitamins and mineral supplements in healthy older women. They found that most supplements in older women were associated with a higher risk of total mortality. These supplements included multivitamins, vitamin B6, folic acid, and minerals such as iron, magnesium, zinc and copper. There was a 3% to 6% increased risk of death with taking vitamin B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, and zinc supplements and an 18.0% increased risk for total mortality with copper supplementation. The increased rates appear when compared to individuals not taking these supplements. This large study involved a total of 38,772 older women, between the ages of 55 to 69 years. Their results were published in the October 10, 2011 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

In an earlier review of 47 studies involving nearly 181,000 participants, Bjelakovic and colleagues reported that taking vitamin A supplements increased the risk of death by 16%, beta-carotene by 7%, and vitamin E by 4%. These findings were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2007.

Meta-analysis of several studies have also documented that antioxidants do not prevent cancer. On the contrary, studies have implicated their intake with a higher incidence of some cancers. In a study by Lawson and associates and published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 2007, the risk of fatal prostate cancer doubled in men who took multivitamins seven days a week, when compared with men who did not take any multivitamin supplements. Their study involed 295,344 men enrolled in the National Institutes of Health Diet and Health Study. Other studies have shown that mortality also appears to be increased in persons with gastrointestinal and lung cancers while ingesting anti-oxidant supplements.

The exact mechanism behind this harmful effect of multivitamin/anti-oxidant supplementation is not clear. It has been suggested that supplemental antioxidants may decrease free radicals and upset defensive mechanisms necessary to destroy precancerous and cancerous cells. Synthetic antioxidants may also possess pro-oxidant properties.

The American diet provides almost 120% the recommended daily allowances for β-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Except for calcium and prescribed supplementation for documented deficiency (for example Vitamin D), scientific data suggests that most multivitamins and mineral supplements should not be used in otherwise well nourished individuals.

Dr. Shashi K. Agarwal is a Board Certified Internist and Cardiologist with a private practice in New York City and New Jersey. He is also a diplomate of the American Board of Holistic Medicine and the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine.

Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert

If you start having less bowel movements or your stools develop into hard to pass, there is a chance that you are actually suffering from constipation. The condition can certainly be very bothersome and it can provoke troubles to people of all ages, featuring kids as well.

Constipation in children is essentially induced by withholding of stool by the kid. This might possibly be brought about by a number of reasons that consist of embarrassment to relieve oneself, potty or toilet training anxiety, unwillingness to disrupt playtime, or concern of possessing a painful encounter while passing out stool.

If a child delays his or her bowel movements it produces stool to get dry as well as harder. This can certainly make future bowel movements quite painful. In some cases this can lead to even an obstruction in the colon or rectum.

In these types of situations it is possible that the child's underpants are stained due to sudden leakage. From time to time this is incorrectly interpreted as a diarrhea.

Other causes of constipation in kids consist of low fiber diet, unique drugs or prescriptions i.e. opiates, antacids and antidepressants, anatomic abnormalities and particular diseases such as diabetes and Down syndrome.

Signs or Symptoms

- Restrained movements of the child than normal

- Affliction or discomfort in the abdomen

- Loss of appetite

- Unwillingness to pot instruction or avoiding toilet visits

- Blood stains on the toilet paper after a toilet visit

- Vast, dry and hard stools

- Difficult or painful movements of the bowel

- Existence of stool in the inner wear or staining

- Characteristic postures by the child that point towards withholding of stool, for example, scrunching of the buttocks muscles or tip-toeing and then crossing the backs of the heels or any additional unusual movement or behavior.

Treatment Options

There are actually a number of methods in which constipation in children can be cured, yet it is important to note that treatment is dependent on the ruthlessness of the complication. Some of the methods in which the little one can easily be treated consist of:

Pharmaceutical

Laxatives are one choice to treat constipation. However, it is crucial to use laxatives in kids only when a general practitioner prescribes them.

Eating Habits

Make certain that your kid drinks adequate water, juice or some other liquid. Additionally, in order to obtain sufficient fiber, incorporate to his or her diet lots of fresh veges, fruits, along with other high fiber food stuffs. Adjusting your child's diet is one of the best natural remedies for constipation.

Bowel Training

The kid ought to be trained to relieve himself or herself every time he or she obtains a bowel movement urge. The kid can certainly be trained to invest at the very least ten minutes in the toilet every day after a particular meal. The child should be made comfortable while sitting on the bowl of the toilet by having the legs firmly resting on the ground and then he or she should be made to unwind totally.

Rewarding

The kid can easily be rewarded every time she or he sits on the toilet and whenever they obtain a bowel movement, they need to be praised as well as rewarded.

Do you or your child suffer from severe constipation? Luckily, there a lot of home remedies for constipation that can offer relief from the condition.

Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert

The hydroxycinnamic acids are a group of plant based nutrients that can be found in coffee, various fruits and various vegetables. They are not believed to be essential in humans but research has revealed that they can reduce oxygen related damage, keep your body safe from harmful diseases, protect against unnecessary inflammation and much more. In this article I will be looking at 2 key phenolic acids, discussing the richest food sources and providing an overview of their main health benefits.

1) CAFFEIC ACID:

Coffee is the richest food source of caffeic acid with a 10 millilitre (ml) serving supplying you with between 18 milligrams (mg) and 88mg of this hydroxycinnamic acid (depending on the quality of coffee beans used). Some other good food sources of this hydroxycinnamic acid include apples, basil, cauliflowers, oregano, radishes and turnips.

In terms of health benefits, caffeic acid is a powerful anti-inflammatory (a substance that keeps your body's cells safe from unpleasant inflammation) and antioxidant (a substance that keeps your body's cells safe from nasty free radicals). It can also protect your body from a number of nasty health disorders including cancer (a health disorder that leads to your body's cells growing in a rapid, out of control way) and diabetes (a health disorder that causes your blood glucose levels to become extremely high).

2) COUMARIN:

Coumarin can be sourced from apricots, cinnamon, strawberries and tonka beans. Currently, this hydroxycinnamic acid has no confirmed health benefits. Early evidence has shown that it may act as an analgesic (a substance that reduces pain), anticoagulant (a substance that prevents blood clotting), anti-inflammatory (a substance that reduces unnecessary inflammation in the body) and antiseptic (a substance that inhibits the growth of disease causing microorganisms). Additionally, it may fight cancer, fight osteoporosis (reduced bone mineral density), lower high blood pressure and treat asthma (a health disorder that makes it difficult to breathe). However, further research is required before these potential coumarin health benefits can be confirmed.

HYDROXYCINNAMIC ACIDS SUMMARY:

There is still a lot more to learn about caffeic acid and coumarin. However, the provisional evidence on these hydroxycinnamic acids shows that they have a lot of potential and indicates that these natural nutrients may keep the body safe from various diseases and health disorders. So when it comes to food make sure you are eating lots of natural fruits and vegetables. Also when you feel a little thirsty do not stick to just water and green tea - make sure you drink a cup of coffee or 2 as well. By taking this advice you can supply your body with a healthy dose of these hydroxycinnamic acids.

Tom Parker owns Free Fitness Tips - a fantastic source of free, impartial fitness advice. You can learn more about the hydroxycinnamic acids and the many hydroxycinnamic acid benefits by visiting Free Fitness Tips.

Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert

Nail salon air can become unhealthy once chemicals from nail polish, remover, and hardener go airborne and stay there. An effective cleaner should have the 5 features below if it is to make a noticeable difference in how your air smells.

Carbon Filter For Chemicals - This is an essential component. It is recognized as the best type of filter to remove gaseous pollutants including odors and volatile organic chemicals that many salon products emit. Using a cleaner that can effectively absorb chemicals and remove them from the air is one of the most important things to look for in the technical specifications and/or the owner's manual.

HEPA Filtration - HEPA is the term that results from the first letters of high efficiency particle arresting filter. This technology is the best for removing airborne particles. Any indoor space has particulates in the air such as dust, mold and mildew spores, season pollen, bacteria, viruses, and even pet dander brought in by customers who own warm-blooded pets.

Add thousands of pieces of minute pieces of nails that go airborne with grinding and filing and the air can become thick pretty quick. Air thick with particles is unhealthy as well and being able to remove them will keep your air fresh and healthy.

Permanent Split Capacitor Motor - This type of motor is designed to run safely and continuously. Designed for high revolutions per minute (RPM), it doesn't need to be cut off for a certain number of hours each day.

Not having to remember to turn the cleaner on and off means that the air can be filtered continually and the benefit is that the air clean in your shop all the time. Being able to let it filter the air in your salon each night insures that you and your customers walk in to a shop that smells clean and fresh each morning.

Wheels - Air cleaners filter the air that is closest to them first. Sometimes when there is a particularly smelly procedure, it's great to be able to easily roll the purifier closer so that the pollutants that go into the air are removed as quickly as possible. Sturdy wheels on the unit make it easy to roll over all types of flooring.

Variable Filtration Rate - This is invaluable option to have during the busiest time such as evenings and weekends. Doing a lot of manicures and pedicures can make the air smell really awful. Being able to pull air in faster will help remove the chemicals more quickly and limit the amount available to be inhaled. And when the air smells fresh again, it's handy to be able to adjust the filtration speed to medium or low.

Remove unhealthy chemical fumes and particles from your salon air with the Nail Salon Air Purifier from PurerAir.com at http://purerair.com/nails.html.

Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert

Restless Leg Syndrome is a condition where people have an irresistible urge to move their legs and feet, especially when they go to bed at night. It is also classified as a sleep disorder because people have difficulty sleeping because of the symptoms and irritability associated with it. People describe it as an uncomfortable, creepy crawly feeling in their legs. They also often describe having numbness and tingling in their legs and feet.

It is believed that irritation to the nervous system may be the main cause of this syndrome. Certain diseases that include irritation to the nervous syndrome such as diabetes, Parkinson's disease and peripheral neuropathy often include restless leg syndrome.

There is no specific test to diagnose restless leg syndrome. Diagnosis is usually made from the patient's answer to questions relating to their symptoms, family history, sleep deprivation and medication use. Other diseases or conditions are usually ruled out first.

Lifestyle changes have been found to be beneficial in helping those with restless leg syndrome. These include a regular exercise program including muscle strengthening and exercises. It is especially important to do stretches and strengthening of the low back and pelvis as these have found to be the most helpful.

Since sleep deprivation is correlated with restless leg syndrome, helping people to establish regular sleeping patterns has been shown to be beneficial. It is important to go to bed at the same time each day as much as possible. Avoiding caffeine, tobacco and alcohol has also been shown to be beneficial.

Chiropractors have specific training in the biomechanics of the body and the nervous system. People with restless leg syndrome report great improvement with chiropractic care. Chiropractors help by performing specific adjustments to help stabilize the pelvis and low back. Chiropractors can also prescribe stretches and strengthening exercises for the low back and pelvis.

They can also perform therapeutic modalities to help relax muscles in the low back and legs which are often affected with restless leg syndrome. These modalities might include electric muscle stimulation, Vibromassage or ultrasound. Electric muscle stimulation works to fatigue tight muscles in the low back or other areas of the body. Ultrasound can help to decrease inflammation. Vibromassage is often used to help relax the muscles and help to stimulate blood flow to the area. Cold laser therapy is a newer therapeutic modality which has also shown to be effective. Chiropractic should be considered as an effective approach to restless leg syndrome.

- Nathan Leavitt DC

Dr. Leavitt has been a licensed chiropractic physician since 2003. He currently resides in Knoxville, TN His deepest commitment is to help improve the health and quality of life of others. To learn more effective ways to improve your health naturally go here: chiropractor knoxville

You can also see patient reviews and see where Dr. Leavitt's clinic is located by clicking here: chiropractor knoxville

Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert

Cold sores can be painful and embarrassing. If you are looking for a quick and easy remedy for a cold sore, there are several options. The best way to handle a canker is to prevent them from occurring in the first place.

Get a New Toothbrush

A toothbrush can actually carry a cold sore virus if you used it while you previously had a cold sore. As such, it is important that you regularly change your toothbrush to ensure the most sanitary hygiene tool. If you are sure that your toothbrush came in contact with a cold sore, toss it immediately. Saving a couple bucks isn't worth risking another cold sore or two.

Lip Protection

Fever blister can be caused by the sun. Don't forget to apply sunscreen to your lips if you intend on being out in the sun for long periods of time. Just like the rest of your skin, your lips require protection from the elements.

Hands Off

If you feel a canker sore coming on or already have one, keep your hands away from it. Touching it, squeezing it or picking at it can just cause it to spread. Canker sores are extremely contagious so don't risk passing it on through physical contact or through sharing items like water bottles or lip balm. Always keep some hand sanitizer nearby in case you do accidentally touch your canker.

Pop a Pill

Over the counter pain killers can help you deal with the pain associated with the canker sores. If you simply can't handle the soreness, take a pain killer. Remember to only take the recommended dosage as directed on the bottle. Do not exceed this recommended dosage.

Ice it Up

Ice can also help you cope with the pain of a fever blister. In addition to numbing the pain, it can actually decrease the amount of time a fever blister appears if placed on the affected area at the first sign of a cold sore.

Got Milk?

Milk has many health benefits but this one doesn't involve drinking it. Soak a cotton swab in milk and place it on the affected area. This will not only help reduce pain, but like ice, it can also help decrease how long the cold sore sticks around.

Chill Out

Stress is another cause of the sores. When they are not causing you pain on the surface, they are hanging around waiting for the best time to rear their ugly heads. Usually, this is in high stress situations. This is why you may often get fever blister at times you least want them like before a big social or work event. Stress is a trigger so by keeping your stress levels down, you can actually lessen the appearance of canker sores.

Stay Healthy

Like any virus, the sores thrive when your body is at its weakest. By keeping yourself healthy and your immune system at its best you can help keep the virus at bay. Keep your diet balanced and healthy and you'll see the difference on the surface.

Learn more ways to on how to treat cold sores using natural cold sore remedies.

Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert