Treatment For a Boil – Is Heat Application Helpful?

Boils are induced by bacterial infections and may most frequently come about at a hair follicle. They arise in areas that are prone to sweat and friction, such as the armpits and buttocks. The good thing, however, is that just about all simple boils can be taken care of at home. There typically is no need to go to a doctor to get it treated.

They tend to occur where there are germ-friendly conditions: warm, damp areas that are susceptible to friction. This combination helps germs travel down the hair follicle into the shaft, where it takes root.

For the first few days after an infection, you may notice the area getting hard, red, and swollen. Once the infection sets in in earnest, the area starts to swell, filling with pus as white blood cells approach the area to fight the infection, and then die. The dead cells, bacteria, and fluid all collect at the top of the boil, creating a head on the top of it.

Antibiotics are frequently used to assist in caring for possible related bacterial infection. Whenever there may be an infection of the encompassing skin, a doctor may frequently prescribe antibiotics, however, these are generally not required in the majority of situations. Most cases may only require a topical bactericide emollient be used. There are also many very effective homeopathic boil remedies on the market that can fend off a boil from the start.

What to Do
1. Immediately upon the appearance of a pimple which appears severe enough to develop into a boil – if it is not deep-seated ad has a small yellow spot in the center – dip the point of a needle into tincture of iodine or carbolic acid and open the pimple by thrusting the needle sideways through the yellow spot and lifting the needle. Do not press or squeeze. Wipe off the small amount of pus with a bit of sterile gauze or absorbent cotton. Apply 2 percent tincture of iodine to and around the opened pimple at once. This may abort the boil.

2. If the pimple is deep-seated, or if it does not have a definite yellow center, do not attempt to open it, but paint it and the surrounding skin twice a day with 2 percent tincture of iodine. Let the solution dry on the skin and apply no dressing of any kind for one hour. This will help to protect the surrounding skin from infection.

3. After the skin has been left dry for an hour, apply dressings of several layers of gauze kept wet with a warm saturated solution of Epsom salts on a repeat schedule of two hours on and one hour off. The dressings may be covered with waxed paper, oiled silk, or plastic to prevent their drying out. It is helpful to keep them warm by covering with a hot-water bottle with a layer or two of Turkish toweling between dressing and bottle.

4. The pain of the boil will be considerably relieved if the treatment outline in (2) and (3) is followed, and the boil will probably come to a head and break within a few days. If instrumental opening becomes necessary, it is better to have a physician do it.

5. Penicillin injections and sulfadiazine by mouth are recommended for a carbuncle or a severe boil. The use of these requires the supervision of a physician.

6. It is wise to keep a wide area of skin surrounding the boil disinfected by frequent application of rubbing alcohol or mild tincture of iodine, as described in (2), to prevent the germs in the pus from getting a foothold in the skin and starting new boils.

7. A “run of boils” should always lead to consultation with a physician. If diabetes is a factor, it must be treated. It may be advisable to build up resistance to the special strain of staphylococcus germ causing the boils by giving a course of injections of “autogenous vaccine,” which the physician can have made. Frequent changes of clothing, alcohol sponging, and frequent baths are also important.
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Brazil Nuts Health Benefits

Health Benefits of Brazil Nuts

We can get Brazil nuts from (surprise, surprise!) Brazil. In fact, Brazil nuts are found on the tall Bertholletia excelsa tree that is known to thrive in the South American Amazon River Basin.

Brazil nuts are actually seeds and are covered in a tough outer shell and a flesh that resembles that of an orange’s. We, however, call it a nut and therefore in the US, it is popularly called the “Brazil nut”.

These Brazil nuts taste rather “earthy” and can be bought at your local grocery stores, supermarket and health food sores.

Health Benefits of Brazil Nuts

Here are some of the Brazil Nuts Health Benefits:

• Brazil nuts are found to contain high amounts of calories and a fair amount of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. As a matter of fact, the Brazil nut has been a staple diet of Amazonians for hundreds of years.

• Brazil nuts have a high caloric content. 100g of these nuts provide the body 656 grams of calories. This high calorie content of Brazil nuts can be attributed to their fat content. However, Brazil nuts are rich in MUFA or mono-unsaturated fatty acids such as palmitoleic acid and oleic acid that is beneficial in lowering levels of LDL or “bad cholesterol”. MUFA also helps increase the levels of HDL or what we call “good cholesterol”. Studies have shown that a diet rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, like the Mediterranean diet, helps prevent the occurrence of coronary artery diseases and strokes.

• Brazil nuts also contain remarkably large amounts of selenium. Selenium is one of the most important factors for anti-oxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase. Eating a Brazil nut or two can provide our body just enough of this element. Having enough amounts of selenium in our diet can help avoid liver cirrhosis, cancers and coronary artery diseases.

• Brazil nuts are also the best source of Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant needed for keeping the skin’s cell membranes from harmful free radicals.

• Brazil nuts are gluten-free just like almonds and pine nuts. They are, therefore, one of the most popular ingredients used in preparing gluten-free food formulas.

• Brazil nuts are also packed with sufficient amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. These vitamins are found to hell cellular metabolism.

• And lastly, Brazil nuts are found to contain sufficient levels of copper, manganese, magnesium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron and zinc. Copper is good for preventing anemia and osteoporosis while Manganese is an important antioxidant.Health Benefits of Drinking Juices Early in the MorningAlmond And Its Super Health BenefitsInformation You Need to Know About Coconut Water Health BenefitsCucumber Benefits For Healthier, Youthful and Energetic You Part-1Benefits Of Fish Oil For Fitness And Health

Why Electronic Cigarette Companies are Receiving Celebrity Endorsement

Home / General / Why Electronic Cigarette Companies are Receiving Celebrity Endorsement

Big name celebs including Charlie Sheen, Katherine Heigl and Trace Cyrus have all been endorsing ecigarettes.
Why? Simple enough surely! The electronic cigarette lets you smoke without any of the bad effects. No horrendous pollutants in the smoke. No burned lungs. No cancer. No nothing except the nicotine hit, which is already in your life if you’re a smoker so there’s no detriment there that wasn’t there already.

The basic point of electronic cigarettes is this:
You can use them to stop killing yourself if you are already a smoker. Claims that the electronic cigarette or ecigarettes are encouraging children to smoke are as ludicrous as claims that cigarettes encourage kids to smoke. You either will or you won’t, same as alcoholism and addiction to heroin. There are probably more people addicted to nicotine than any other substance in the world – except possibly caffeine, the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive drug.

So the electronic cigarette takes the nicotine addict and puts him or her in a place where he or she can kick the habit in a socially acceptable way. That’s really important and probably a big reason for the celebrity endorsements that the ecigarettes are getting. When you can kick your habits in public you stand a much greater chance of kicking them for good. It’s a psychological thing: addictions are shameful (except caffeine addiction and mild alcoholism apparently) and should be hidden. So when you bring nicotine addiction out into the open by endorsing the electronic cigarette, you give people a chance to stand up and say “hey, I’m addicted to nicotine but I’m doing something about it”.

The health benefits of ecigarettes are clear when you draw parallels between consumption of E smoke (it’s actually a nicotine vapour with glycol particles in it) and inhalation of tobacco smoke.

Even second hand inhalation of tobacco smoke can do serious damage to your health. Indeed, tobacco smoke is so poisonous that it can kill some young animals. Kurt Vonnegut, himself a heavy smoker, once pointed out that smoking was the only “socially acceptable form of suicide”.

These days smoking is not a socially acceptable form of suicide.
It’s about as non socially acceptable as you can get and still be legal. Which is why the advent of the electronic cigarette is a boon to every nicotine addict in the world. Because smoking once was socially acceptable it is visible and easy to treat. Ecigarettes ensure that the addict can stop committing suicide in a socially acceptable fashion, by drawing down that E smoke and weaning himself or herself off the cancer sticks.

Once you start smoking electronic cigarettes, you can control your nicotine dose.
Make it smaller gradually and you can become completely nicotine free at your leisure. There’s no longer the same time pressure as when you try to wean yourself off cigarettes by decreasing your intake. The electronic cigarette is so healthy, compared to the tobacco alternative, that you can wean yourself off over years with no ill effects. Indeed, while you are smoking ecigarettes instead of tobacco, you will be healing from all the harmful smoke effects anyway.

The electronic cigarette is receiving celebrity endorsements because it’s a good thing.
It takes one of the world’s largest visible addict populations and makes them feel that they can give up their addiction in public, in a socially acceptable way. Ecigarettes are a boon that should be celebrated and promoted.

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White Sugar, How Bad Is It for You, Really?

You are here: Home / Diet / White Sugar, How Bad Is It for You, Really?
White Sugar is a staple in many homes for cooking and baking as well as a standard ingredient in many of the foods we consume. Refined sugar, as it is also called, is not only added to sweets, it is it also added in many of the foods people eat daily. You may be surprised to learn that refined sugar is included in bread, ketchup, mayonnaise, peanut butter and other foods that we do not consider to be sweets. Since it’s in so many foods, you may wonder how bad it can really be. We eat it every day.

The White Sugar Villain
There is controversy surrounding exactly how bad sugar is on the body. There is research for and against the sweetener. Some claim sugar has a number of negative effects on the body. Among the charges against sugar are that it causes obesity and diabetes, is addictive, makes kids hyper and it suppresses the immune system. It has also been suggested that it is a contributing factor in cancer, osteoporosis, eczema and a host of other medical problems and conditions. You need to find a reliable source to weigh the facts before blaming sugar for all these medical conditions.

Sugar Truths
So, does sugar cause all these ill effects on the body? Sugar is most definitely a contributing factor in obesity. Sugar does not cause diabetes; the precise cause of diabetes is unclear, but there are a number of factors, including genetics that interfere with the normal production and utilization of insulin. While it is true that sugar can suppress immune function because the “bad bacteria” like to eat sugar, studies have not proven sugar to be addictive. It is true that eating sugar does release dopamine in tests with rats, but there is no evidence that it is addictive in humans. Research published in the Journal of the America Medical Association, failed to find a link between foods containing sugar and the behavior or cognitive performance of children.

The Sugar Controversy

A healthy diet is important to a person’s overall health and well being, so reducing your intake of processed foods and eating more whole foods is beneficial, with some sugar now and then. Get in the habit of reading the labels on any processed foods you buy, like cereal or energy bars. If sugar is among the top three ingredients, you are looking at a product that has high sugar content. The American Heart Association recommends that you limit your intake of sugar to no more than six teaspoons a day if you are a woman and nine teaspoons if you’re a man. If you are worried about your health or the health of your family, the best thing to do is reduce processed foods and monitor your sugar intake.Even the medical profession and the researchers don’t agree. While one source will tell you that sugar does not pose health risks, another will give you a long list of health reasons to stop eating sugar and detoxify the body. While the experts continue to debate exactly how bad sugar is for the body, the best thing for people to do is consume sugar in moderation. There is little question that white sugar does not have much in the way of nutrient value; it is what nutritionists call empty calories.

Benefit Of Fish Oils [INFOGRAPHIC]

Oily fish are well known for their health benefits and are full of omega 3 as well as vitamin D and A. However two thirds of the UK population rarely eat oily fish with many eating none at all. Supplements are one way of increasing your daily intake and below is an infographic showing the benefits of each.

By Healthspan – UK’s largest direct supplier of Vitamins and Supplements

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Information You Need to Know About Coconut Water Health Benefits

Coconut Water Benefits

The coconut tree which can grow up to 30 ft in height and can live for 100 years is widely known as the “tree of life”. This is because coconut forms the very basis of life for so many people. All of its parts are very useful to us human beings. The shell provides domestic utensils and fiber, the leaves for thatch and plaiting, the sap bled from its bud produces alcoholic beverages, and lastly let us not forget the center of our topic, its coconut water, which is not only a tasty treat but also very nutritious that is good for all ages.

Coconut Water Health Benefits

Rumors about false information regarding the water of the coconut have spread which made the cause why some people fear to eat or drink coconut water. Most people believe that coconut water can make us fat and it can cause some bad effects on our body. When in fact it is absolutely the opposite of what the majority believed. Coconut water cannot make you fat, it even helps you lose weight. The water of the young coconut is cooling, useful in fever, and regulates urinary disorders. It is a natural detoxifier which can fight the viruses because of its anti-viral properties. 

Drinking coconut water can help improve the circulation and the function of the different systems and organs inside your body such as the immune system, intestinal health, metabolism, digestion, and other parts of the body as well. This is because of the ingredients or the contents found in coconut water. It also helps prevent hypertension, controls diabetes, and reduces the risk of cancer.

With the many coconut water health benefits that can be contributed to us, obviously it is far much better than the drugs being sold in pharmacies and far much inexpensive too! Not only will you be healthy, you can now also feel confident and great with your body!

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Get Rid of Ingrown Fingernail

Ingrown Fingernail

What are ingrown fingernails? They are common nail diseases that are painful and can cause great discomfort to anyone inflicted with it. The edges of the normal nails stick out outwards and do not usually touch the skin around it. But, with ingrown fingernails, the edges appear to grow in the direction of the skin. These sharp edges try to penetrate the skin as the nails start to grow. This can be very painful and may cause the development of fungal infection around the area of discomfort.

Causes of Ingrown Fingernail

Improper Cutting of Nails

What causes ingrown fingernails then? The most common cause of this disorder is improper cutting of nails. When you don’t clip your nails properly, it develops into soft tissues of the skin. It is a good habit for one to cut nails regularly, BUT trimming it very short can result to future ingrown fingernail infection. Many women cut their nails in a curved manner to make it more attractive. However, this is a wrong way to cut nails, and can expose one to fingernail problems. Fingernail development can be hindered with a trauma such as an accident or injury.

Ingrown Fingernail Treatment

The only plausible solution to this problem is to trim the ingrown fingernail. But, it is important that you soften the nails before you start cutting its corners with a nail clipper. Softening the nails would make it less painful to cut the ingrown part of the nail. One easy way to lessen the toughness of the ingrown nail is to dip the affected finger in a warm salt water and baking soda solution for 10 to 15 minutes. The unnecessary growth around the skin is usually very hard and persistent, so soaking it for a limited time may not necessarily help achieve the degree of softness you want. Typically it takes 4-5 sessions of saltwater therapy to restore softness in the nails. Each session lasts up to half an hour. As soon as the nails become soft, trimming the ingrown part becomes an easy and painless process.

Ingrown Fingernail Relief

As I have mentioned before, ingrown fingernails are painful and can create a lot of pain and discomfort to a person. To reduce the pain that is connected to ingrown fingernails, massage it with olive oil. Massaging warm olive oil on the area can help bring down the pain significantly. Aside from strengthening brittle nails, olive oil also encouragesproper nail growth! To avoid further occurrence of ingrown fingernails, apply coconut oil on it as it increases anti-fungal and antibacterial activity of the body. This will keep your nails safe from any kind of infection. Apply diluted tea tree oil in case of any infection.

Washing hands using soaps that have hash chemicals can increase the pain in the affected finger. Choose mild soaps that protect the sensitive skin near the ingrown fingernail. Keep in mind that trimming the nail correctly is the best way to prevent any ingrown fingernail infection. Treating them with warm olive oil is also an effective home-made remedy to give you healthy fingernails.

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