Mind Body & Soul

Archive for October, 2009

Scabies is a disease caused by a parasite called Sarcoptes scabiei that is attracted by the human body and that likes to live underneath the skin. Scabies used to be, and in some places it still is, a major problem in large institutions such as the army, where many people live together and if a single individual has scabies then most of the others will also get it because it is very contagious. The mite that causes scabies can be transmitted to others by simply touching an infected individual or by touching an object that was used by him/her, such as a towel or a piece of clothing. Furthermore, the mites that get in the clothes or sheets of those who have scabies can survive for four days without feeding, so you can get the infection by wearing something that was worn by someone with scabies a few days before too.

If you are experiencing any of the scabies symptoms, which are red, itchy and irritated pimple-like spots that appear on the skin, and that itch more and more as days pass, you need to consult a doctor right away. Most doctors can easily recognize scabies just by looking at the infected areas, but usually they take a sample from the surface of the skin and examine it under the microscope to make sure that the scabies mites are causing it.

After the diagnose treatment must begin soon, before the mites spread, because the females lay eggs under the skin, and you can find yourself in a situation where you have hundreds of mites on your skin.

Conventional scabies treatment is done with the help of some creams and lotions that have to be applied on the entire skin and kept there for a few hours. Doctors advise not to use these creams after a bath or shower, when the skin is wet and it can absorb the cream. In order for the lotion to kill the mites you need to apply it daily until the mites are dead, and one or two weeks after to prevent any mites that come from eggs to appear. The red irritation will still be present after the mites die, because the skin is irritated until the dead bodies of the mites disappear too.

Tens of thousands of people deal with chronic pain every day of their lives. Searching for pain relief is sometimes frustrating because there are so many choices. It can be very tricky to discover the right kind of pain supplement that works. Many people resort to taking Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, however they often do not realize that NSAIDs can in fact pose serious risks to health. And it’s not just NSAIDs that can cause health complications. The popular pain reliever Acetaminophen, can also cause major, often irreversible health problems.

Common NSAIDs include Ibuprofen, Naproxen and Aspirin. Ibuprofen, commonly found in over-the-counter pain relievers such as Advil, can cause major health problems including inducing second heart attacks in persons who already have a history of heart disease and heart attacks. In addition, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can damage the stomach lining and cause kidney complications. Asprin has been found to cause gastrointestinal ulcers and other stomach problems. Acetaminophen, a main ingredient in Tylenol, can also pose health risks. Research has found that Acetaminophen can cause major liver problems, even at recommended doses. In fact, acetaminophen is the leading cause of liver failure in the U.S. As a result, many health professionals feel that it’s best to avoid these kinds of pain remedies whenever possible and instead choose more natural pain relief.

One proven pain management method is acupuncture. Acupuncture is the practice of inserting the tips of tiny needles into specific points in the skin in order to treat pain or disease. Chinese medicine practitioners often employ acupuncture to great effect and it has been shown to relieve pain, reduce inflammation and also to promote feelings of wellbeing. This natural pain relief is achieved without any narcotic effects or damage to the stomach lining or kidneys.

Prevention is better than cure but actually, prevention is often the only option for a healthy life. Modern lifestyles don’t leave people with enough time for healthy routines. It then becomes necessary that periodic health assessments be done for early detection of risk factors and diseases. Diabetes, Obesity, Hypertension, Stress, High Cholesterol, Heart Diseases… Most of these diseases are “silent”; we often do not have any early symptoms. Regular health screening is the only reliable way to screen all vital systems to either diagnose the diseases in their infancy and treat them early or assess the vulnerability and susceptibility of the body to save it from attacks of various diseases.

Today’s lifestyle of an individual invariably leads to long-term damage to health. Keeping “Health is Wealth” and “Health is Wealth” in mind, MMH offers one of the most comprehensive preventive health care packages for early detection of lifestyle diseases. The health assessment program of MMH aims a “Healthier Society” to protect and preserve good health, to promote improved human health, to prevent ill health and to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of illness.

Our health assessment program is true to its name. It checks you and your lifestyle assessing it to the risk of silent killer diseases - Diabetes, Heart Diseases & Respiratory Diseases. Health Assessment is designed to give you an idea how your current lifestyle may be affecting your health and well-being. The reports generated after completing the assessment tell you your personal risk for diseases such as Diabetes, Hypertension and Cardiovascular diseases. It provides you with an insight of what these diseases are and how they affect your body. It also provides you with health behavior targets you should set for yourself to reduce your risk and improve your overall health.

Many are confused when they hear the term yoga meditation. They think of a yoga teacher or a monk instructing a group on how to meditate when they hear the term yoga meditation. This is however not the case. In this article we will look at what is yoga meditation and what are the benefits of incorporating this practice in your life. Now there are many different types of yoga meditation but they all lead to the same thing.

You may attend yoga meditation classes where you will be taught by a yoga teacher by doing some form of meditation. You will however develop a favorite method of yoga that you will enjoy. Now your favorite method will be something that will get you results. Yoga meditation cannot be forced, it will happen with some focus and with no effort. The main focus of meditation is being aware of your breathing.

Breathing exercises are taught to most of the beginner yoga and meditation students to get them to realize the benefits of meditation. To breath properly, you have to sit straight in order to align your spine. Your posture is very important in meditation. Yoga students will have to learn to sit straight on the floor without a chair back to lean on. Some cultures have no trouble sitting on the floor while others are use to sitting on chairs so it can be difficult for some students to get used to sitting straight without any back support. You don’t have to use the floor if you want to meditate, you can always use the chair for back support. If you are sitting on the floor and be uncomfortable you won’t be able to get anywhere with your meditation as you will be concentrating on the discomfort.