Eye allergy triggers

Allergens that may be present indoors or outdoors can cause eye allergies. The most common outdoor airborne allergens are grass, tree and weed pollens. People who are sensitive to these allergens suffer from seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, the most common type of eye allergy.

Pet hair or dander, dust mites and molds are the most common indoor allergens. These indoor allergens can trigger symptoms for some people throughout the year, resulting in perennial allergic conjunctivitis.

Cigarette smoke, perfume and diesel exhaust may inflame your eyes. They can act as irritants that cause non-allergic symptoms, or they can make your allergic response worse.
Eye allergy causes
Just like hay fever and skin rashes, eye allergies develop when the body's immune system becomes sensitized and overreacts to something that is ordinarily harmless. An allergic reaction can occur whenever that "something" - called an allergen - comes into contact with your eyes. The allergen causes certain cells in the eye (called mast cells) to release histamine and other substances or chemicals that cause blood vessels in the eyes to swell, and the eyes to become itchy, red and watery.
Can eye allergies harm my eyesight?
Eye allergies, specifically allergic conjunctivitis, can be extremely annoying and uncomfortable, and they may disrupt your day-to-day activities, but they usually do not harm your eyes. However, there are rare conditions that are associated with atopic dermatitis (eczema) and other diseases can cause inflammation that may affect the eyesight. Chronic forms of eye allergy may also be caused by application of eye drops and creams, or even cosmetics

Understanding Heartburn

Heartburn has nothing to do with your heart. It's a burning feeling behind your breastbone, along with a bitter, sour taste in your mouth.

How heartburn happens:

When you eat, food goes from your mouth down a tube called the esophagus into your stomach. In between the esophagus and the stomach is an opening called the lower esophageal sphincter. This muscular valve acts like a door to let food into your stomach. It normally closes quickly behind the food to keep stomach acids -- which break down the food -- from backing up into your esophagus.

If that valve doesn't close all the way, stomach acid backs up, or refluxes, into the esophagus. Stomach acid irritates the lining of the esophagus and causes a painful burning sensation. The feeling may be worse after bending over or when you lie down.

Certain foods and drinks -- like tomato products, alcohol, citrus, coffee, and fatty or spicy foods -- may be more likely to irritate the lower esophageal sphincter and make heartburn worse. Being overweight, eating big meals, wearing clothes that are tight around the waist, and smoking also raise your risk for heartburn.

Learning what triggers your heartburn can help you ease the burn.

Common Adult Skin Problems

Shingles (Herpes Zoster)

Shingles starts with burning, tingling, or very sensitive skin. A rash of raised dots develops into painful blisters that last about two weeks. Shingles often occurs on the trunk and buttocks, but can appear anywhere. Most people recover, but pain, numbness, and itching linger for many -- and may last for months, years, or the rest of their lives. Treatment with antiviral drugs, steroids, antidepressants, and topical agents can help.

Hives (Urticaria)

A common allergic reaction that looks like welts, hives are often itchy, and sometimes stinging or burning. Hives vary in size and may join together to form larger areas. They may appear anywhere and last minutes or days. Medications, foods, food additives, temperature extremes, and infections like strep throat are some causes of hives. Antihistamines can provide relief.

Psoriasis

A non-contagious rash of thick red plaques covered with white or silvery scales, psoriasis usually affects the scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back. The rash can heal and recur throughout life. The cause of psoriasis is unknown, but the immune system triggers new skin cells to develop too quickly. Treatments include medications applied to the skin, light therapy, and medications taken by mouth, injection or infusion.

Eczema

Eczema describes several non-contagious conditions where skin is inflamed, red, dry, and itchy. Stress, irritants (like soaps), allergens, and climate can trigger flare-ups though they're not eczema's exact cause, which is unknown. In adults, eczema often occurs on the elbows and hands, and in "bending" areas, such as inside the elbows. Treatments include topical or oral medications and shots.

Rosacea

Often beginning as a tendency to flush easily, rosacea causes redness on the nose, chin, cheeks, forehead, even the eyes. The redness may intensify over time, taking on a ruddy appearance with visible blood vessels. In some cases, thickened skin, bumps and pus-filled pimples can develop. Rosacea treatment includes medications as well as surgical procedures such as laser therapy, dermabrasion, and electrocautery to reshape affected areas.

Cold Sores (Fever Blisters)

Small, painful, fluid-filled blisters on the mouth or nose, cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus. Lasting about 10 days, cold sores are very contagious. Triggers can include fever, too much sun, stress, or hormonal changes such as menstruation. Antiviral pills or creams can be used as treatment, but call your doctor if sores contain pus, there is spreading redness, you have a fever, or if your eyes become irritated.

Rash From Plants

Contact with the oily coating from poison ivy, oak, and sumac causes a rash in many people. It begins with redness and swelling at the contact site, then becomes intensely itchy with the development of blisters usually 12 to 72 hours after exposure. The typical rash is arranged as a red line on an exposed area, caused by the plant dragging across the skin. The rash usually lasts up to two weeks.

Razor Bumps

Razor bumps are tiny, irritated bumps that develop after shaving. People with curly hair are most affected by them. The sharp edge of closely shaven hair can curl back and grow into the skin, causing irritation and pimples, and even scarring. To minimize razor bumps, take a hot shower before shaving, shave in the direction of hair growth, and don't stretch the skin while shaving. Rinse with cold water, then apply moisturizer.

Skin Tags

A skin tag is a small flap of flesh-coloured or slightly darker tissue that hangs off the skin by a connecting stalk. They're usually found on the neck, chest, back, armpits, under the breasts, or in the groin area. Skin tags appear most often in women and elderly people. They are not dangerous and usually don't cause pain unless they become irritated by clothing or nearby skin rubbing against them. A doctor can remove a skin tag by cutting, freezing, or burning it off.

Acne

At the heart of acne lies a clogged pore from oil and dead skin cells that can become inflamed. When open, it is called a blackhead or open comedo; closed, a whitehead or closed comedo. Often seen on the face, chest, and back, acne can be triggered by hormones and bacteria. To help control it, keep oily areas clean and don't squeeze pimples (it may cause infection and scars).

Athlete's Foot

A fungal skin infection that can cause peeling, redness, itching, burning, and sometimes blisters and sores, athlete's foot is contagious, passed by direct contact, sharing shoes worn by an infected person, or by walking barefoot in areas such as locker rooms or near pools. It's usually treated with topical antifungal lotions or oral medications for more severe cases. Keeping feet and the inside of shoes clean and dry is important in treatment.

Moles

Usually brown or black, moles can be anywhere on the body, alone or in groups, and generally appear before age 20. Some moles (not all) change slowly over the years, becoming raised, developing hair, and/or changing colour. While most are non-cancerous, some moles have a higher risk of becoming cancerous. Have a dermatologist evaluate moles that change, have irregular borders, unusual or uneven colour, bleed, or itch.

Age or Liver Spots

These pesky brown or gray spots are not really caused by aging, though they do become more common as people age. They're the result of sun exposure, which is why they tend to appear on areas that get a lot of sun, such as the face, hands, and arms. Bleaching creams, acid peels, and light-based treatments may lessen their appearance. To rule out serious skin conditions such as melanoma, see a dermatologist for proper identification.

Pityriasis Rosea

A harmless rash, pityriasis rosea usually begins with a single, scaly pink patch with a raised border. Days to weeks later, a scaly rash appears on the arms, legs, back, chest, and abdomen, and sometimes the neck. The rash may appear "Christmas tree" shaped across the body. The rash, whose cause is unknown, isn't believed to be contagious and can be itchy. It often goes away in 6-8 weeks without treatment. Pityriasis rosea is most often seen between the ages of 10 and 35.

Melasma ('Pregnancy Mask')

Melasma (chloasma) is characterized by tan or brown patches on the cheeks, nose, forehead, and chin. Although usually called the "pregnancy mask," men can also develop it. Melasma occurs in half of all women during pregnancy. It may go away after pregnancy but, if it persists, can be treated with prescription creams and over-the-counter products. Use a sunscreen at all times if you have melasma, as sunlight worsens the condition.

Warts

In most cases, common warts appear on the fingers or hands. Caused by contact with the contagious human papillomavirus, warts can spread from person to person or via contact with something used by a person with the virus. You can prevent spreading warts by not picking them, covering them with bandages, and keeping them dry. In most cases, warts are harmless, painless, and go away on their own. If they persist, treatments include topical medications, freezing, burning, surgery, lasers, and chemicals.

Seborrheic Keratoses

Noncancerous growths that may develop with age, seborrheic keratoses can appear on many areas of the skin either alone or in groups. They may be dark or multicoloured, and they usually have a grainy surface, though they can be smooth and waxy. No treatment is necessary unless irritation develops or their appearance is a concern. Because seborrheic keratoses may be mistaken for moles or skin cancer, see a dermatologist for proper diagnosis.

Credit: webmd.com

Versatile proteins could be new target for Alzheimer’s drugs

A class of proteins that controls visual system development in the young brain also appears to affect vulnerability to Alzheimer’s disease in the aging brain. The proteins, which are found in humans and mice, join a limited roster of molecules that scientists are studying in hopes of finding an effective drug to slow the disease process.

PirB (red) is heavily concentrated on the surface of growing nerve cells. Courtesy of Dr. Carla Shatz, Stanford.

“People are just beginning to look at what these proteins do in the brain. While more research is needed, these proteins may be a brand new target for Alzheimer’s drugs,” said Carla Shatz, Ph.D., the study’s lead investigator. Dr. Shatz is a professor of biology and neurobiology at Stanford University in California, and the director of Stanford's interdisciplinary biosciences program, BioX.

She and her colleagues report that LilrB2 (pronounced “leer-bee-2”) in humans and PirB (“peer-bee”) in mice can physically partner with beta-amyloid, a protein fragment that accumulates in the brain during Alzheimer’s disease. This in turn triggers a harmful chain reaction in brain cells. In a mouse model of Alzheimer’s, depleting PirB in the brain prevented the chain reaction and reduced memory loss.

The research was funded in part by the National Eye Institute, the National Institute on Aging (NIA), and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), all part of the National Institutes of Health. It is reported in the Sept. 20 issue of Science.

“These findings provide valuable insight into Alzheimer’s, a complex disorder involving the abnormal build-up of proteins, inflammation and a host of other cellular changes,” said Neil Buckholtz, Ph.D., director of the neuroscience division at NIA. “Our understanding of the various proteins involved, and how these proteins interact with each other, may one day result in effective interventions that delay, treat or even prevent this dreaded disease.”

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia in older adults, and affects as many as 5 million Americans. Large clumps — or plaques — of beta-amyloid and other proteins accumulate in the brain during Alzheimer’s, but many researchers believe the disease process starts long before the plaques appear. Even in the absence of plaques, beta-amyloid has been shown to cause damage to brain cells and the delicate connections between them.

Dr. Shatz’s discovery took a unique path. She is a renowned neuroscientist, but Alzheimer’s disease is not her focus area. For decades, she has studied plasticity — the brain’s capacity to learn and adapt — focusing mostly on the visual system.

“Dr. Shatz has always been a leader in the field of plasticity, and now she’s taken yet another innovative step — giving us new insights into the abnormal plasticity that occurs in Alzheimer’s disease,” said Michael Steinmetz, Ph.D., a program director at NEI. “These findings rest squarely on basic research into the development of the visual system.” NEI has funded Dr. Shatz for more than 35 years.

During development, the eyes compete to connect within a limited territory of the brain — a process known as ocular dominance plasticity. The competition takes place during a limited time in early life. If visual experience through one eye is impaired during that time — for example, by a congenital cataract (present from birth) — it can permanently lose territory to the other eye.

“Ocular dominance is a classic example of how a brain circuit can change with experience,” Dr. Shatz said. “We’ve been trying to understand it at a molecular level for a long time.”

Her search eventually led to PirB, a protein on the surface of nerve cells in the mouse brain. She discovered that mice without the gene for PirB have an increase in ocular dominance plasticity. In adulthood, when the visual parts of their brains should be mature, the connections there are still flexible. This established PirB as a “brake on plasticity” in the healthy brain, Dr. Shatz said.

It wasn’t long before she began to wonder if PirB might also put a brake on plasticity in Alzheimer’s disease. In the current study, she pursued that question with Taeho Kim, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in her lab, and Christopher M. William, M.D., Ph.D., a neuropathology fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Bradley Hyman, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of neurology at Mass General, was a collaborator on the project.

First, the team repeated the genetic experiment that Dr. Shatz had done in normal mice — but this time, they deleted the PirB gene in the Alzheimer’s mice. By about nine months of age, these mice typically develop learning and memory problems. But that didn’t happen in the absence of PirB.

Next, the researchers began thinking about how PirB might fit into the Alzheimer’s disease process, and particularly how it might interact with beta-amyloid. Dr. Kim theorized that since PirB resides on the surface of nerve cells, it might act as a binding site — or receptor — for beta-amyloid. Indeed, he found that PirB binds tightly to beta-amyloid, especially to tiny clumps of it that are believed to ultimately grow into plaques.

Beta-amyloid is known to weaken synapses — the connections between nerve cells. The researchers found that PirB appears to be an accomplice in this process. Without PirB, synapses in the mouse brain were resistant to the effects of beta-amyloid. Other experiments showed that binding between PirB and beta-amyloid can trigger a cascade of harmful reactions that can lead to the breakdown of synapses.

Although PirB is a mouse protein, humans have a closely related protein called LilrB2. The researchers found that this protein also binds tightly to beta-amyloid. By examining brain tissue from people with Alzheimer’s disease, they also found evidence that LilrB2 may trigger the same harmful reactions that PirB can trigger in the mouse brain.

“These are novel results, and direct interaction between beta-amyloid and PirB-related proteins opens up welcome avenues for investigating new drug targets for Alzheimer’s disease,” said Roderick Corriveau, Ph.D., a program director at NINDS.

Dr. Shatz said she hopes to interest other researchers to work on developing drugs to block PirB and LilrB2. Currently, no drugs treat the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s disease. Most of the interventions that have reached clinical testing are designed to clear away beta-amyloid. To date, only two other beta-amyloid receptors (PrP-C and EphB2) have been found and are being pursued as drug targets.

Source: nih.gov

Home Remedy:Anorexia

What is Anorexia?

Anorexia (Anorexia Nervosa) is a serious medical condition that leads to problems with eating. People having anorexia, worry a lot about how their body looks and how much they weigh. They avoid eating, taking laxatives or spend many hours exercising. Anorexia patients can die from starving themselves.

Common Causes of Anorexia

• Frightened about getting fat
• Thinking that they are fat
• Always thinking about their weight
• Becoming obsessed with losing weight
• Fear of putting on weight
• Emotional problems
• Dieting
• Wanting to look like models
• Genes and family history
• An imbalance of chemicals in the brain
  
  

Home Remedies for Anorexia

Tip 1:

This results in loss of appetite due to excessive fasting where the activity of the stomach slows down and secretion of gastric juices are reduced.

Tip 2:

Eat 2-3 fresh Oranges a day.

Tip 3:

Eat at least 1 Apple a day.

Tip 4:

Boil 2-3 cloves of garlic in 1 cup of water. Strain. Add the juice of ½ a lime to this and drink 2 times a day, for a week.

Tip 5:

Make a paste of fresh Ginger. Add a pinch of salt and a drop of lime juice to ½ a tspn of the paste. Eat this 2 times a day for 1 week.

- Source: http://m.medindia.net/home-remedies/template.asp?remedy=anorexia#sthash.eM2CC4HQ.dpuf

Laser Therapy for Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy is nerve damage caused by diabetes. If you have had diabetes for many years, you may get symptoms of neuropathy like tingling, burning, and numbness. Up to 70 percent of people with diabetes will experience this problem.

Diabetic nerve damage often occurs when your nerves are exposed to high blood sugar, decreased blood supply, and inflammation. The most common type of diabetic neuropathy is peripheral neuropathy, which is damage to the nerves farthest away from your spinal cord. You are most likely to feel symptoms in your feet, especially in your toes and on the soles of your feet. The condition may also affect your hands, arms, and legs.

The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy are the most common and bothersome symptoms that most diabetics experience. The burning and tingling tends to be worse at night and can make it hard to sleep.

Your doctor can treat diabetic neuropathy, but can’t cure it. You can take drugs that relieve pain, but these treatments are only 40 percent to 60 percent successful. Laser therapy is another choice.

How Does Laser Therapy for Neuropathy Work?

Laser therapy for neuropathy was started in Europe and Russia in the 1960s. This type of laser therapy is called low-level laser therapy, because it is done at low intensity. It doesn’t cause tissue burning or destruction, and it’s painless. Your doctor simply holds the laser device over the area of your body where you feel pain, and low levels of laser energy pass through your skin. Treatments may last about five to 15 minutes and may be repeated two to three times a week for several weeks.

Scientists don’t know exactly how laser therapy helps diabetic neuropathy. Here are some of the possible explanations:

• It releases chemicals (endorphins) that reduce pain.
• It reduces swelling.
• It increases blood flow.
• It stimulates repair and regrowth of nerve tissue.

Pros and Cons of Laser Therapy for Diabetic Neuropathy

On the positive side, there is little risk involved with laser therapy when done correctly. It is also easy to perform. If you do not find other treatments completely effective, you might have improvement from the laser.

On the negative side, although participants in some studies report significant reduction in pain after treatment, other studies show only minimal improvement. According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, treatments like laser therapy, electrical nerve stimulation, magnetic therapy, and light therapy may be helpful, but more research needs to be done before we really know how well they work.

For now, if you have painful diabetic neuropathy that is not responding well to medications or other treatments, ask your doctor about laser therapy.

Key Takeaways

• Painful diabetic neuropathy is a common problem if you have diabetes.
• Symptoms like tingling, burning, andnumbness may affect your sleep and quality of life.
• Current treatments, usually medications, don't cure, and only partially relieve your pain.
• Laser therapy is a relatively new treatment that shows promise in reducing your pain.
• More studies need to be done before we know how well this treatment works.

How will you feel during HIV Treatment

Current combinations of HIV medications have changed the nature of HIV from a terminal illness to one that allows you to live out a nearly normal life. Yet the powerful antiretroviral drugs that help control the virus are known to cause side effects once you start treatment.

Not everyone is affected the same way by the same drugs. You might find the side effects are mild and go away in a few weeks, once your body adapts to the new chemicals. Nausea,diarrhea, and headaches tend to lessen after a month or so.

However, you could find that the side effects are so severe that you need to talk to your doctor about trying a different treatment regimen. Some side effects, such as neuropathy (nerve damage) and lipodystrophy (redistribution of fat), tend not to go away quickly or easily.

Here are some of the common side effects you can expect to feel and how best to manage them:

You May Feel Exhausted

Fatigue is one of several common side effects of any HIV treatment. Fatigue is more than being tired when it’s time to wake up in the morning. When you're fatigued, you can become exhausted from doing simple tasks, such as getting dressed or making dinner. You may need to adjust your schedule and reduce your workload, especially when you first start treatment.

Insomnia is another common side effect. You might have trouble sleeping—even if you are fatigued—when you start treatment. It may help if you stick to a regular bedtime schedule and avoid caffeine, alcohol, and heavy meals close to bedtime. Try to get regular exercise and avoid taking naps late in the day.

You May Feel Sick to Your Stomach

The pills you take for HIV can make you nauseous, and can cause diarrhea andvomiting. You could lose a significant amount of weight and start to loook gaunt. It may help if you eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. Protein drinks might also help boost your energy.

You May Get More Colds

Because HIV therapy suppresses your immune system, it also reduces your ability to fight other infections. You might find that you get more colds and other viruses, and that it takes longer to get over them than when you were healthy. To ward off illnesses, wash your hands frequently, get a yearly flu shot, and do your best to avoid people who are sick.

You May Feel Depressed

HIV treatment can affect your mood. The symptoms of depression are similar to the side effects of some HIV drugs: difficulty sleeping, fatigue, decreased appetite, weight loss, and problems concentrating. Talk to your doctor about whether you need to be treated fordepression. If you need to be treated for depression, ask your doctor how to coordinate additional medications or care.

Work With Your Doctor to Feel Better During Treatment

When you’re being treated with antiretroviral drugs, your doctor needs to check on you regularly to be sure that the medications are working the way they’re supposed to. If you’re feeling fine, you may find this testing inconvenient, but it’s very important.

If you feel that your treatment is making you feel worse, talk to your doctor about adjustments you can make and ways to combat the side effects, without compromising the effectiveness of the drugs.

Key Takeaways

• HIV treatment keeps the level of the virus in your system low, yet the drugs often have side effects.
• Common side effects include extremefatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, and symptoms of depression.
• If these side effects don’t go away in a few weeks, your doctor may be able to change the combination of HIV drugs you’re taking to ease them.
  Source: Bettermedicine.com

A Look at Probiotics and Health

Unlike the bacteria that cause diarrhea, fever, and many other symptoms, probiotics are live microorganisms that may improve your health and boost your resistance to some illnesses. They may also improve intestinal health for some people.

Your gut is home to trillions of microorganisms. Although few cause illnesses, probiotics may keep the harmful bacteria in check so that you avoid or shorten a bout of stomach upset.

Foods rich in probiotics may enhance your immune system, reducing your risk for some diseases, according to ongoing research. But preventing diarrhea and other digestive problems is an important reason to add probiotics to your diet. 

To get probiotics’ benefits, eat foods that contain adequate amounts of the live organisms that have been shown to have an effect. Here are some guidelines:

• Head for the market’s refrigerated section. Probiotics are living organisms that must be refrigerated. Fermented dairy products are proven sources you’ll find in the dairy case. The list includes most yogurt, buttermilk, and kefir (a beverage similar to yogurt).
• Try soy yogurt if you don’t like or can’t tolerate dairy foods.
• Start slowly. Eat small amounts, such as a 2- to 4-ounce serving. Work up to 6 to 8 ounces a day.
• Use yogurt or other probiotic products as ingredients in food. Top a baked potato with plain yogurt, use buttermilk in a salad dressing, or add kefir to a fruit smoothie. Don’t cook fermented dairy products. You’ll kill the friendly microorganisms.
• Make probiotics a habit. Probiotics don't become a permanent part of your body flora. That’s why you have to take probiotics every day or every other day.
• Talk with your doctor before you take probiotics if you have an illness. Probiotics are generally thought to be safe, however, there isn't much known about the safety of probiotic use for people with compromised immune systems and for very young children.
  Source:Bennett, Bev (bettermedicine.com)

Tips for Going Gluten-Free

Gluten-free living is receiving a lot of buzz. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and triticale (a wheat-rye cross). Eating even tiny amounts of gluten can damage your digestive tract and lead to symptoms such as:

• Abdominal pain and bloating
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Bone and joint pain
• Irritability
• Fatigue

Recently, it’s been recognized that some people have a less severe condition called gluten sensitivity. Like those with celiac disease, people with gluten sensitivity feel better when they eliminate gluten from their diet.

Whatever your reason for avoiding gluten, the abundance of gluten-free products in the marketplace makes it doable. Here are some tips for developing a gluten-free lifestyle.

Be a Food Detective

Your most important goal is to avoid any food containing wheat, barley, rye, or triticale. This means that most grain products, baked goods, pastas, cereals, crackers, cookies, and snack foods are off-limits.

Check the label on all packaged foods, even those you think are gluten-free. You may be surprised to find some form of wheat or gluten in foods like flavored potato chips, frozen French fries, imitation fish, soups, sauces, bouillon, cold cuts, soy sauce, and beer.

Get familiar with wheat’s many names and forms. These include wheat starch, modified food starch, wheat bran, wheat germ, cracked wheat, bulgur, couscous, farina, malt and malt flavoring, graham flour, durum flour, semolina, einkorn, emmer, farro, kamut, and spelt.

Go for a Healthy Balance

Now that you know what to avoid, what foods should you embrace?

• Base your healthy gluten-free diet around vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, and gluten-free whole grains.
• Low bone density is common in people with newly diagnosed celiac disease. Be sure to get enough calcium from low-fat dairy products, dark green leafy vegetables, and calcium-fortified foods. People who get little sun exposure may need a vitamin D supplement.
• Choose rice and other gluten-free grains. Quinoa, millet, buckwheat, wild rice, and amaranth are delicious. Just cook them as you would rice.
• Corn and oats can be eaten by gluten-sensitive individuals, as long as they’re “pure” and not contaminated with wheat, barley, or rye.
• Try the many gluten-free breads, baked goods, and pastas available in many natural foods stores.
• If you like to bake, experiment with rice flour, bean flours, and gluten-free baking mixes.
  Credit url:http://www.bettermedicine.com/your-guide-to-going-gluten-free/tips-for-going-gluten-free

Clinical Procedure: Ankle Splinting

Ankle Splinting

Overview

Introduction

Splints are primarily used to stabilize injuries to bones until the patient can be evaluated by a consultant, such as an orthopedic surgeon,[1] as well as to achieve immobilization for primary healing or in the presurgical period. All patients with injuries that are splinted should be referred for evaluation by a consultant in a timely fashion (usually within 2-3 d). In general, ankle splints are applied to minimize movement and provide support and comfort by stabilizing an injury at that joint.

Indications

A posterior ankle splint is primarily used for the following injuries:

• High-grade ligamentous sprain of the ankle
• Metatarsal or tarsal fracture
• Distal tibia or fibula fracture

Contraindications

No contraindications to ankle splinting are absolute. The following conditions demand immediate evaluation or intervention by a consultant (eg, orthopedic surgeon), as treatment by splinting alone is inadequate:

• Complicated fracture
• Open fractures
• Injuries with associated neurovascular compromise

Relevant Anatomy

The ankle joint is a hinged synovial joint with primarily up-and-down movement (plantar flexion and dorsiflexion). However, when the ranges of motion (ROMs) of the ankle and subtalar joints (talocalcaneal and talocalcaneonavicular) are taken together, the complex functions as a universal joint (see the image below).

Anatomy of the lateral ankle ligamentous complex and related structures.

The combined movement in the dorsiflexion and plantarflexion directions is greater than 100°; bone-on-bone abutment beyond this range protects the anterior and posterior ankle capsular ligaments from injury. The anterior and posterior ankle capsular ligaments are relatively thin compared with the medial and lateral ankle ligaments.

Credit url:http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/80070-overview#a01

First Aid Tips: Electric Shock

Overview

Injuries caused when electric current passes through body

Source may be natural or man-made 

What happens during electric shock?

• Makes you fall down
• Muscle contraction
• Seizures
• Dehydration
• Burns 
• Fractures
• Clotting of blood
• Tissue death (narcosis)
• Respiratory/Heart/Kidney failure

  Steps to follow

• Do not attempt to move the victim from current source
• First step is to switch off the current source
• Otherwise, move the source using a wooden stick 
• Attend to the victim
• Check for breathing
• No breathing, do Cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
• Call emergency medical aid
• If breathing, do a physical examination 
• Treat for minor burns
• Re-establish vital functions
• Excessive burns may require hospitalization/ surgery
• Supportive care must be provided

  Prevention

• Proper design, installation, maintenance of electric devices 
• Educating the public regarding electrical devices
• Keep electrical gadgets out of children's reach 
• Learn to respect electricity and electrical devices

- See more at: http://m.medindia.net/firstaid/first-aid-info.asp?id=24#sthash.shrTHO3H.dpuf

First Aid Tips: Choking

Overview

• Occurs when foreign object is lodged in windpipe
• This blocks oxygen supply to brain 
• In adults, choking occurs due to food
• In children it also occurs on swallowing an object
• Choking could be fatal, if first aid not given

 Causes

• Swallowing a large piece of food
• Swallowing food that is not well chewed
• Eating food quickly
• Eating and talking
• Consuming alcohol before a meal
• Wearing dentures
• Being careless about children
• Walking / playing with food in mouth

 Symptoms

• Hands will grasp throat
• Breathlessness
• Noisy breathing
• Inability to cough
• Skin, nails and lips may turn blue
• Loss of consciousness

 Treatment

• Heimlich maneuver and CPR –2 techniques
• If person is unable to talk, try Heimlich maneuver
• Forces the diaphragm upto the lungs 
• Creates an artificial cough

Heimlich Maneuver on a standing    person

• Stand behind the person
• Form a fist with one hand
• Place fist below ribcage, thumb inward
• Hold the fist with other hand
• Keep arms off ribcage
• Give four inward and upward thrust
• Repeat till the object is ejected
• Same method is used for a child too

Heimlich Maneuver On an  Unconscious Person

• If person is lying down, straddle the person with your knees
• Place heel of one hand above waistline
• Place other hand over the first
• Give four inward and upward thrust
• Repeat till object is coughed out

Heimlich Maneuver On an Infant 

• Place your forearm over your raised knees
• Place the infant face down over your fore arm
• Give four blows using the heel of your hand
• Repeat till object comes out
• If it does not work, turn the baby 
• Place two fingers an inch below the imaginary line connecting nipples
• Give four thrusts forcefully to bring out the object
• Repeat if required

 Prevention

• While eating, concentrate on the task
• Do not eat quickly, without chewing
• Supervise children while they eat
• Give easily chewable, soft food to children
• Do not leave tiny objects within the reach of children

Read more:Choking - First Aid and Emergency Treatment Guide | Medindiahttp://www.medindia.net/patients/firstaid-choking.htm#ixzz2f30fIiuW