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Archive for February, 2008

Ringworm is often mistakenly caused by a worm. However, contrary to its name, ringworm is a fungal infection of the skin. It is contagious and could affect any part of the body. It is characterized by reddish to brownish bumpy patch of skin. It could be lighter at the center that seems to appear like a ring.

The fungi that cause ringworm are feed on keratin that is present in the outer layer of the skin, hair and nails. The fungi could easily thrive and live in a moist skin, hot and hidden from light.

Transmission of Ringworm

Ringworm is a common skin disease that attacks all walks of life regardless of age and race. It is very common especially among children who have a very active lifestyle. Their sweat as they play outside could moist the skin and make it vulnerable to fungi attacks.

Ringworm could be easily transmitted through skin to skin contact and contaminated items such as hairbrushes, slippers, shoes and socks. Ringworm does not only exist in humans but is also a very common disease among domestic animals like dogs, cats and farm animals. Human can contact the fungi that cause ringworm from these animals. Chicken is one of the most susceptible sources of ringworm because it stays in dirty and moist environment.

Those suffering from eczema and other skin problems are more likely to catch ringworms too because their skin’s outer later in no longer intact.

Types of Ringworms

Many species of fungi causes ringworm. However, the most common these are the dermathophytes, which could attack various parts of the body. Tinea pedis affects the feet. This is commonly called as athlete’s food. More than it cause the feet to become itchy, it also gives the feet foul odor. Tinea unguinum attacks the fingernails and toenails. This kind seems to eat the nails. Tinea corposis is responsible for the arms, legs and trunk. Tinea crusis, also known as jock itch, is found in the groin area. Tinea manatum affects the hands and palms. Tinea capitis, which is often mistaken as dandruff, affects the scalp.

Ringworm Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of ringworm are physically visible. When there is already an appearance of one or more itchy patches in the skin with define edges most likely these are ringworms. Ringworms are different with rashes or other patches like those caused by insect bites. Ringworm patches appear like rings because they have lighter centers. When they are found in the nails, usually the nails discolor, thicken and fall.

As part of diagnosis, doctors may take skin scrapping or examine plucked hairs for traces of fungi. Fungi are very tiny beings so they are examined under the help of microscope. However, there are kind of fungi that fluoresce under a black light.

Skin lesions are also signs of the presence of ringworm infection. These lesions are called dermatophytids.

Prevention of Ringworm Infection

Fungi like to thrive in moist areas like locker rooms, swimming pools and skin folds. The prevention of ringworm infection is better than waiting for its attack then curing it. Some of the prevention tips are as follows: Avoid sharing of clothing, always wear slippers especially in moist areas, avoid skin to skin contacts or shower with antifungal soap after a contact sports, dry your feet first before wearing socks and avoid contacts with pets that stay in dirty areas of the house.

About the author: For more helpful information read about Home Remedies at Herbal Remedies website. Also read about Breast Enlargement Products.
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

This term may be the most frighten for every women. Among any other women disease, it seems that breast cancer is the one that happen very frequently and there are grater risk for them to dead or have to get an operation. Even though the current advanced medical technology helps a lot of women to safe from this disease but still it is the one that many of them do not want to get.

When the women who are age of 45 years old, they just start to aware of the disease and usually go to the doctor to get comprehensive check up. However, the trend of using preventive method to let them have minimal chance is now has become widely recognize and many of medical experts are also support on this treatment scheme. It is relevant to the course of action when the women have medical check up for breast cancer. In most case the result of the medical check up would tell them if they have risk of getting breast cancer or not. If they are like to have risk, then the doctor would suggest them to use preventive method first rather than advice on using medical treatment scheme or even immediately obtain the cancer operation. However, it is still depending on the characteristics of the risk, if the doctor can see the risk at the early stage of the cancer, he may advice the patient to obtain an operation.

And that’s what happening in general. Now I would like to talk about the preventive treatment of breast cancer, which now seems to be the most practical way and desirable way for everyone. However, it seems that there is no specific indication in terms of the special method that people have to do to perform effective protection. The advice that we can find everywhere is to eat good food, having exercise and keep the mind fresh and relax.

If we can just look by these advice, it may not very interesting to us because they are very common methods that any one can perform. People tend to look forward to see kind of new alternative ways of treatment rather than these general advice. However, in fact, this general advice looks not interesting, but I believe many people still can not do very effectively, even for the patients who already got cancer but they are unable to follow such easy instruction.

Therefore, I want to repeat again that these simple advice still very important. Even though there are some kind of alternative medicine available and the manufacturers advertise that the medicine has proved by the authority and produced by using natural material, but the way to prevent cancer by following instructions still be the easiest and costless in my opinion.

So if you are the patient who already took a comprehensive medical check up and found the risk of breast cancer and the doctor advice that you should perform or change the way you live in order to minimize those risk for the cancer to expand, I would suggest you to follow those simple instruction very strictly.

About the author: Provide information about breast cancer with major and alternative treatments. Pros and cons of using breast cancer medicines.
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

Do you eat too much, too quickly or stressed? What do you feel after eating? Do you have a sense of fullness after eating even if you only have eaten a small amount of food? These are only some of the questions a doctor may ask during consultation to determine if a person is suffering from indigestion.

Indigestion is different from constipation. This symptom is sometimes called dyspepsia, discomfort after meal or upset stomach. This kind of ailment is often accompanied by nausea, abdominal bloating, belching and vomiting.

Causes of Indigestion

Indigestion could be a symptom or a result of a currently occurring disease. It might be caused by a disease in the digestive system like ulcer or gastroesophageal reflux disease. However, the most common causes among many people are eating too much, eating too quickly, eating highly fatty foods or eating during stressful situations. These factors cause the stomach to not digest the food properly. Fatty foods are really difficult to digest especially those that contain insoluble fats.

Other causes include smoking, drinking too much alcohol, using medications that irate the stomach lining and being tired or stressed. However, there are other people that suffer indigestion that are not related to the previous factors mentioned. This type of indigestion is called functional or non-ulcer indigestion. It is a result of the malfunctioning of the stomach muscle while squeezing or digesting the food in take.

Treatment and Prevention of Indigestion

Other than the routinely physical diagnostic questions that a patient should honestly answer to determine if the patient is suffering from indigestion, there are other diagnosis that some physicians initiate to make sure of the occurrence of the ailment. Some of these require x-rays of the stomach and endoscopy of the small intestines.

As the adage goes, prevention is better than cure, the occurrence of indigestion could easily be prevented when the food intake is monitored. Monitoring food does not only require a person to check the food contents or nutritional values of the food but even the time of eating and the amount of food. It is still better to avoid the foods or situations that can cause indigestion. Smokers can be relieved when smoking is minimized or quitted. Exercising just after eating is also not recommended as it also causes indigestion.

When the problem is functional, consultation to doctors could provide the treatment. They could either give oral medication that may affect stomach motility or prescribe internal diagnosis.

Indigestion could be serious

Since indigestion could be a precursor to a more serious disease in the digestive tract, a person should see a doctor when the indigestion becomes recurrent or the symptoms have become worse or aggravating.

When indigestion already goes with vomiting, weight loss, appetite loss, black tarry stools or blood in vomit, heartburn or severe pain in the upper right of the abdomen, discomfort unrelated to eating, shortness of breathing and sweating, a person is already advised to see a doctor for consultation and diagnosis.

When the symptoms enumerated above last longer than two weeks, the indigestion could have already been elevated to serious disorder.

About the author: For more helpful information read about Home Remedies at Herbal Remedies website. Also read about Breast Enlargement Products.
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com