The Truth About Your Kidneys

As you know it, you have two kidneys and each kidney has 1,000,000 nephrons (functional unit of the kidney).

A normal kidney removes the metabolic waste products from your blood. It also regulates the acid-base balance, as well as the water content in the body.

The volume of blood delivered to the kidneys is approximately 1200 ml/min.

Low urine volume

In case of increased production of vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone), your kidneys produce low urine volume.

Specimen collection

Improper collection of urine sample is the most common cause of error in the creatinine clearance test.

Disease

Pyelonephritis that resulted from untreated lower urinary tract infection is commonly seen in women.

You might notice that every time you consult your doctor for a certain illness, urinalysis is one of the most requested laboratory tests. This is because almost all diseases, especially kidney problems, can affect renal function.

Other topics of interest:
Fasting Blood Sugar
Significance Of Acidic Urine
Feces Examination—A Specialty Of
Semen Analysis
Elevated Amylase

Acne Remedy

There are several different acne remedies you can choose from. These remedies would include herbal medicines and conventional treatments.

Conventional medicines or treatments usually cause serious side effects. Plus, they are costly. Herbal medicines, on the other hand, may not be as effective as conventional treatments but they do not cause adverse side effects.

One acne remedy I would recommend is Herbal Aloe of Herbalife. This product contains whole leaf aloe, chamomile, calendula extracts and other useful ingredients. The main purpose of this remedy is to provide relief from minor skin irritations.

But when my cousin, who has moderate acne, started using this herbal remedy of Herbalife, I must say that her facial skin was improved. Although her face still has some blemishes, but her acne gradually disappears. Her pimples will still show up every time Aunt Flow comes, but it fades away after her menstrual period.

With liberal amount of Herbal Aloe Everyday Soothing Gel, apply it gently all over your face after facial wash, twice a day.

But then again, this acne remedy is not for everyone. Some patients with acne might have allergic reactions to aloe vera.

Other topics of interest:

Fasting Blood Sugar

Fasting blood sugar is often the requested clinical chemistry test in order to determine your blood sugar level. It is taken after an eight-hour fasting.

Furthermore, fasting blood sugar examination requires fasting for eight hours to ensure that the system is clear. It is said that the most accurate fasting blood sugar result can only be obtained if the patient underwent fasting for at least eight hours before collection of blood.

This clinical chemistry examination is a screening test for diabetes. If the result is above the normal values, physicians would usually request for another fasting blood sugar examination. However, some doctors will immediately request for a glycosylated hemoglobin test as a confirmatory test for diabetes. But this will depend on your doctor's assessment regarding your medical background.

Fasting blood sugar is essential especially for patients with family history of diabetes. As you all know it, diabetes is one of the deadliest diseases worldwide. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease of impaired insulin function.

Other topics of interest:

Acid Reflux Remedy—No More Stomach Acids

Acid reflux is simply described as flowing back of stomach acid to your esophagus. Trouble in swallowing is one of the common symptoms of acid reflux. Physicians would usually recommend a lifestyle change as acid reflex remedy.

Ginger may used as acid reflux remedy. Your grandparents may have used it to treat stomach upsets and to suppress nausea. This remedy for acid reflux may improve digestion leading to treatment of your condition.

But not all cases of acid reflux have been solved using this remedy. Like any other herbal remedies, there is still no scientific evidence to prove its effectiveness.

Large amount of ginger as remedy for acid reflux is not advisable for patients who are also using blood-thinning medication. It may cause some serious medical condition.

Other topics of interest:
How To Survive Deadly Heart Attack When You Are Alone
Cranberries Can Cure Bladder Infection
Mangosteen—A Miracle Cure?
Dry Hair: Don't Let Your Crowning Glory Dry
Fruit And Vegetables For Treating Different Diseases Like Prostate Cancer And Diabetes

How To Survive Deadly Heart Attack When You Are Alone

According to national heart lung and blood institute, heart attack is a condition wherein blood flow to a section of heart muscle becomes clogged. If the obstruction is not restored immediately, it causes damage to the section of the heart muscle because of oxygen deprivation. This would lead to death. Unfortunately, heart attack occurs when we are alone. Hence, we need to know how to survive when heart attack invades us.

Repeated coughing is one way to survive heart attack, advised by a cardiologist. It is said that a deep breath before each cough should be done. It has to be deep and prolonged. It is like producing sputum from deep inside the chest.

It is necessary to take this deep breath and cough method repeatedly every two seconds or until the heart is beating normally, in order to survive from a heart attack.

This method used to survive heart attack follows the principle that taking deep breaths or prolonged inhalation can cause restoration of oxygen from the lungs. Coughing, on the other hand, keeps the blood from circulating and eventually regains normal rhythm.

This information was sent to me by a friend who's working abroad as a nurse. I have not tested its effectiveness, but it may save someone's life.

Other topics of interest:
Fruits And Vegetables For Treating Different Diseases Like Prostate Cancer And Diabetes
Lipid Metabolism And Its Associated Diseases
Hormonal Imbalance Linked To Acne Problem
The Tic Of Tourette Syndrome
How A Sexually Inactive Child Maybe Infected With Chlamydia

Vasectomy Reversal—Wanting To Have More Babies?

After you underwent vasectomy, you have realized you want more babies and now you like to undergo vasectomy reversal.

Vasectomy reversal is obviously done in men and performed by qualified physicians. This procedure involves restoration of the flow of sperm through the vas deferens. In addition, vasectomy reversal is an out-patient procedure. Hence, you are not required to stay in a hospital for recovery time.

But before the procedure is conducted, patients should be evaluated and be informed about the options and alternatives. Techniques should also be discussed by the physician who will perform vasectomy reversal.

There are a lot of factors to consider if pregnancy is possible. Urologists can determine whether a patient can still pass semen. There are reported cases that pregnancy has not been achieved after vasectomy reversal. This can happen because of several reasons. Blockage in the vas deferens is one. Another reason can be the presence of autoantibodies that can upset semen production. But still, the urologist can decide whether you are a good candidate for this procedure or not.

I think there are only few doctors who are qualified to perform vasectomy reversal here in Davao. And only few people are aware of this kind of procedure.

Other topics of interest:
Mangosteen—A Miracle Cure?
Get Rid Of Unwanted Hair Through Laser Hair Removal
Cranberries Can Cure Bladder Infection
Antioxidants Can Make You Slim
Can Orchiectomy Cure Prostate Cancer?

Mangosteen-- A Miracle Cure?

Mangosteen
There have been a lot of reports about the effectiveness of mangosteen to treat different diseases, including: (1) breast cancer, (2) prostate cancer, (3) lung cancer, (4) stomach cancer, and a lot more.

Mangosteen juice has now been recommended by renowned medical doctors, worldwide. Because of the medicinal values of mangosteen, not just the juice but the entire fruit, this is now used to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, combat against cancer, et cetera.

Mangosteen is undoubtedly a delicious fruit. But I don't want to take mangosteen herbal supplements sold over the counter. It is better to eat the fresh fruit... at least in my opinion.

Other topics of interest:

Get Rid Of Unwanted Hair Through Laser Hair Removal

Laser Hair Removal(Image from Flickr.com)--That is if you have money to undergo laser hair removal. Each session will cost around PHP 5,000 ($100+). The entire treatment will require 8 to 10 sessions. So when you really want to completely get rid of your unwanted hair, you have to prepare at least PHP 50,000 ($700). Whew!

One of the advantages of laser hair removal is permanent hair removal. So you no longer have to prick, shave, or wax your unwanted hair just to get rid of it. It is safe, when it's performed by trained and qualified physician/specialists.

So far in Davao City, the only competent clinics (that I know of) that conduct laser hair removal are OroDerm and SkinDoctors. The treatment is painless. But it would surely hurt your wallet. :)

Other topics of interest:

Cranberries Can Cure Bladder Infection

CranberriesI love cranberry juice. If I have enough money, I usually buy cranberry juice. Some of my favorite foods in a restaurant are flavored using cranberries. Apart from its culinary uses, it is interesting to note that cranberries can cure bladder infection.

Cranberries are acidic. This acidity is thought to combat against urinary infection. Cranberries are rich in fructose and anti-oxidants. The said components prevent the bacteria from harboring the bladder and eventually cure bladder infection.

Cranberries are also rich in Vitamin C. Its richness in Vitamin C boosts cranberry-juice drinker's immune system and may fight against bladder infection.

However, like other home remedies to cure bladder infection, cranberries should not be used as a cure rather as a support for conventional medicine.

Image from Flickr.com uploaded by Lynette_Henderson.

Other topics of interest:

Antioxidants Can Make You Slim

Antioxidant Fruits
Wondering why antioxidant foods/supplements are hot on the market nowadays? This is because of their health benefits that can make wonders to your body, especially when you're trying to slim down and shed off unwanted fats.

Pro-Aging and Pro-Obesity
Free radicals are said to be pro-aging. Furthermore, they are discovered to make you fat. According to a neuroendocrinologist, free radicals can damage specific cells responsible for prompting us that our stomach is already full. Chips, for example, contain free radicals. This is the reason why our appetite is increased when we consume chips or junk foods. In order to fight against free radicals, we must avoid junk foods because they are junk and junks aren’t supposed to be eaten. Also, antioxidants are available to help eliminate oxidizing molecules.

However, free radicals should not be eliminated completely from our body. Even though they can make you look older and they are culprits for your weight problem, they too have health benefits, if consumed at a minimum.

Berries, plum, kiwi fruits are just few of the fruits rich in antioxidants.

Image from Flickr.com uploaded by schoolio.

Related Posts:
Can Orchiectomy Cure Prostate Cancer?
How To Lose Weight? – Feed Your Mind First With Proper Information
Significance Of Acidic Urine

Can Orchiectomy Cure Prostate Cancer?

After we found out almost three years ago that my father is suffering from prostate cancer, his doctor discussed the treatment options. My father could either undergo orchiectomy or hormonal therapy. The latter is more expensive because it is done every month. The former is a one-time treatment.

Treatment for prostate cancer

Orchiectomy is one of the ways to cure prostate cancer. Or if you have enlargement of the prostate glands, then you may opt for orchiectomy. This procedure is the removal of your testis, which produces testosterone. Testosterone is said to be the food of the prostate cancer. So if the food is eliminated, then the cancer cells will eventually die. This explanation is from my father's urologist.

Disadvantages

The drawbacks of this surgical procedure are erectile dysfunction, sterility, weight gain, hot flashes, osteoporosis, larger breasts, and loss of muscles mass and of sexual interest. Insanity is not included.

So the question, can orchiectomy do its job well in treating prostate cancer? My father's urologist says yes. The success rate for orchiectomy is high. But father opted for hormonal therapy.

How To Lose Weight?--Feed Your Mind First With Proper Information

Do you ever wonder why you still have weight problem and you're not losing weight while you exercise regularly and you avoid foods that can cause obesity? Scientists have added genes, viruses and hormonal imbalances as contributing factors to weight problem.

Yes, genes can affect your weight problem. According to a research, there are people who carry fat genes that would cause obesity. If you have this type of genes, then you have more weight problem. But regular exercise may help you lose weight.

What's more interesting is that there are some people who were born to have more fat cells. This is why these people need to work out more to lose more fats.

If you belong to the category of people with fat genes and more fat cells, then you need to start changing your diet and go have some physical activity.

Changing your metabolism is one of the many ways to lose weight. If you can do this, then your weight problem may gradually be solved.

Significance Of Acidic Urine

Urine Content
My mom just had a urinalysis/urine analysis/urine examination yesterday. It was one of the examinations requested to assess her nephrolithiasis (formation of kidney stones). I wasn’t there when the result was released. Due to my father's current condition (underwent TURP for his prostate cancer and treated for other complications), every member of the family is already freaking out. My sister was worried about my mom's urinalysis result, not with the entire result though. To be exact, she's anxious about the pH value; it turned out acidic.

Since the kidneys, along with the lungs, regulate the acid-base balance of the body, the normal pH of a random urine specimen would range from 4.5 to 8.0. But there are no normal values for pH. The acidity of the urine should be evaluated in conjunction with the patient's condition.

In other words, you cannot have a clear picture of your kidneys through the pH of your urine. Hence, acidic urine is just a piece of the puzzle.

However, pH of 9 in a urine specimen indicates an improperly preserved specimen.

Image from scienceblogs.com.

Related Posts:
Feces Examination
Semen Analysis
Elevated Amylase
Protein Urine
First Morning Specimen



Dry Hair: Don't Let Your Crowning Glory Dry

dry hair remedies
I don’t have dry hair but it's less shiny than when I was still in college. I've never dyed my hair but I had used hot oil treatment, once or twice before. I know that a less shiny hair will soon enough lead to a dry hair. For this reason, I take extra care of my crowning glory by avoiding harsh chemicals.

Wash Hair Every Other Day
One of the remedies I've read for dry hair is to wash it every other day. In other words, every day washing is not good since it removes the natural oils. Some experts suggested using a baby shampoo because of its less drying properties. But I just stick with my old shampoo. Then follow it up with conditioner.

Don’t rinse it with hot water
In addition, hot water for rinsing is not recommended because it removes the protective oils from your hair leaving it dry and undesirable.

Honey-and-egg Mask
They also suggested a honey-and-egg hair mask to be applied on hair, regularly. I haven’t tried it yet but the egg yolks are said to have a moisturizing property that is good for the hair and the honey itself provides polishing effect.

These and a lot more natural remedies I can use to prevent my hair from drying.

Image from Flickr.com and uploaded by mindfulgirl

Related Posts:

Pilates Exercise: Is It Effective?


Before, I tried few sessions of Pilates exercise but couldn’t keep up due to my busy work life (uhuh?). Anyway, I want to start another session of Pilates exercise soon to enhance my mental and physical well-being.

Joseph Pilates
Joseph Pilates, who developed Pilates which is a combination of aerobics and yoga, believed there is some sort of connection between our physical health and our mental health. Through Pilates exercise, we use our mind to control the movement of our muscles.

Extreme Stress
Pilates exercise is especially helpful for people who undergo extreme stress. The goal of the said exercise is to combine the mind and body.

Principles
Breathing is one principle of Pilates. This is helpful in providing better blood circulation thereby releasing stress.

Centering is another principle of Pilates exercise. This is for the coordination of body movements that should come from the center and outward.

Concentration is what I need. With all the stressors surrounding me, I should be able to eliminate them through Pilates exercise.

Another helpful principle of Pilates exercise is precision. Practitioners of this exercise insist that every movement of Pilates, no matter how difficult it is, has a purpose.

The flow of movement is the last principle of Pilates exercise. The continuous movement will help achieve strength and stamina.

A lot of people have tried Pilates exercise and I must say that they've improved their overall health. Furthermore, Pilates exercise is good for the back, especially when you have back pain. Through this exercise, you will achieve core stability that will support back function.

Pilates exercise is able to help individuals, who have poor posture, stabilize their backs thereby eliminating back pain and improving posture. Potential injury can also be prevented through Pilates exercise.

When you combine Pilates exercise with balanced diet, I think it's a good start to boost your general health.

Related Posts:


Feces Examination—A Specialty Of



One of the "specialties" of a medical technologist is to process feces for examination. If you don’t have a strong stomach, then you're really going to vomit… like me.

The collection of fecal specimen is not that easy for the patients. Containers are being provided and patients are needed to be instructed on how to properly collect the specimen from a clean container, like a bedpan for example, to a laboratory container for feces examination.

Patients have to bear in mind to prevent the specimen from combining with urine or defile it with water from the toilet that has disinfectants.

Bacteria, cellulose, gastrointestinal secretions, bile pigments, cells from the intestinal walls, electrolytes and water are the composition of a normal fecal specimen. Most of the bacteria found in normal feces are the normal flora of the intestines that help in the digestive process.

What causes the unpleasant odor of feces?

It’s the metabolism of bacteria that causes the strong odor of feces.
The introduction of pathogenic organisms will disturb the normal intestinal flora that resulted to diarrhea.

During constipation, the absorption of additional water from the fecal material takes longer and as a result small and hard stools are produced.

Hence, in order to avoid constipation, you have to eat a diet rich in fiber and drink plenty of water to facilitate in easy defecation.

Image from Flickr.com by obsessive compulsive photographer

Related Posts:
Semen Analysis
Elevated Amylase
Protein In Urine
First Morning Specimen
Calcium Oxalate in Urine


Fruits and Vegetables for Treating Different Diseases Like Prostate Cancer and Diabetes

My parents and I, together with my brother and his wife, my uncle and aunt, went to the town of Asuncion. It's almost an hour ride from Tagum City and two-hour ride from Davao City.

Why did we go there?
To seek a therapist.

For what?
For my father's prostate cancer and my mom's nephrolithiasis. Siegfred Alingayao, a physiotherapist, is known to his co-barangay as a therapist who can heal almost all kinds of diseases.

There were a lot of malignant stages of cancer, like prostate cancer, and severe cases of kidney diseases that he successfully treated. He also treats diabetics to normalize their glucose, as long as they stay away from foods that are prohibited for diabetics. He doesn’t advise taking synthetic medicines.

His method of therapy is different because he only massages some parts of the body and on the forehead. But I'm still skeptical about it. I may believe him if he could cure my father's prostate cancer and my mom's scoliosis and nephrolithiasis (kidney stones), without taking synthetic medicines and just pure and natural foods.

Right now, my father is taking pure and natural tomatoes and cucumber. If I were to think of it, I don’t think I can manage to either eat pure tomatoes or cucumber or drink their juices.

We are also looking for a guyabano or soursoup because research shows that it has components that can cure cancer. It is like undergoing chemotherapy, but no hair falls. However, it's difficult to find soursoup or guyabano these days.

He also mentioned several fruits and vegetables that are effective in treating diseases, like:
Banana
This is to normalize sugar level for diabetes. He requires two bananas a day.

Cucumber or Pipino
For people suffering from kidney diseases. I had that chance to ask one patient about her experience. And indeed, after eating cucumber for months, her scheduled dialysis was discontinued because her kidneys were already functioning well. She didn’t take any synthetic medicines, just pure natural foods.

Carrots
Carrots are really effective therapy for the eyes.

Mangosteen
Although he approves those mangosteen capsules in the market today, he still recommends eating the fresh ones because he said we cannot be sure where they got these mangosteen fruits to make capsules.

Prostate Cancer
He said that either in excess or deficient in sex is the reason why men suffer enlargement of the prostate. He advised eight times per month; twice per week.

Multivitamins
He still commends eating fresh fruits rich in Vitamin C. He didn’t approve taking Centrum Complete because of its completeness. But why it's not good for the body? Because, for example, one of the Minerals in Centrum is zinc. But if you're the person who doesn't need zinc every day, and since, it's in Centrum, your body will then accumulate zinc which may lead to harmful effects to your kidneys (excretion of waste products) or your liver (detoxification).

I think I can learn a lot more from him just by listening. We'll be back next Saturday because he advised my parents to have another session of therapy with him.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm still skeptical about his ways of treating people, but I still hope that he'll be the instrument to heal my father's prostate cancer and my mom's kidney stones and scoliosis.

Additional Information: He can also help someone get pregnant through a series of sessions.

Lipid Metabolism and Its Associated Diseases

Lipid Metabolism and Its Associated DiseasesFats and Cholesterol
Since fats or triglycerides and cholesterol are insoluble with the watery medium of plasma, they are being transported to the blood coupled with a carrier substance known as lipoprotein. Lipoprotein is a group of lipids and proteins that are produced in the liver and cells of the intestinal mucosa.

Types of Lipoproteins
Furthermore, lipoprotein appears in various forms that can be determined through their molecular weight and density. Moreover, each lipoprotein has distinguishing function.

Chylomicrons
Chylomicron, for example, that transports dietary cholesterol and triglycerides from the intestine to the liver and other tissues.

VLDL
VLDL or Very Low Density Lipoprotein is a type of lipoprotein that carries triglycerides from the intestine and liver to the muscle and fatty tissue.

Bad Cholesterol
Another type of lipoprotein is LDL or Low Density Lipoprotein which transports cholesterol to the tissues besides liver, such as walls of the arteries. Therefore, it is considered as the bad cholesterol.

Good Cholesterol
HDL or High Density Lipoprotein, on the other hand, is the good cholesterol because it takes the cholesterol to the liver for excretion in bile.

Abnormalities
People with genetic abnormalities related to synthesis and metabolism of lipoproteins have a high risk of developing artherosclerosis. This is an abnormal condition wherein cholesterol crystals are deposited in the walls of the arteries. Individuals who have total cholesterol level of above 220 mg/dl, LDL level of above 150 mg/dl, fasting triglyceride of above 250 mg/dl or HDL level of below 35 mg/dl are at risk of developing coronary artery disease.

Besides heredity, diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypothrydoidism, renal syndromes and excessive consumption of dietary saturate fat can increase the levels of LDL.

Exericse
It is very important to reduce the LDL levels to avoid congenital problems, like coronary artery disease, stroke and peripheral artery disease. To help normalize the LDL levels, doctors suggest exercise and lifestyle and dietary modification. And it has been reported that cholesterol lowering drugs can also control the lipid levels.

Image from heyokamagazine.com/obese.jpg

Some Facts about Doctors

Dr. House
(Photo from Caricaturas)
"Are You Sure, Doc?"
Sometimes patients have the inclination to ask medical doctors if they are sure about the things they're telling to their patients, which connotes suspicion or lack of confidence to the medical doctor's ability. But it irked some medical doctors when patients do this. More so if patients compare the opinion or diagnosis of their medical doctors from other medical doctors who are less competent.

"I'll leave it up to you, Doc."
The management of one's health shouldn't be placed on the hands of the medical doctors. Health care is the patient's responsibility. Medical doctors are just guide. They should work hand in hand.

Herbal Medicines
Most medical doctors don't believe or accept the effectiveness of herbal medicines. But if you're taking any herbal medicines, it is still important to tell your doctor what other medicines you are taking. They need to know and they have to know in order for them to evaluate you better. Don't keep it under wraps.

Know your signs and symptoms.
If you feel something bizarre about your body, take note of it. List everything you did and the medicines that you took before the odd feeling. Doctors don't know everything. They need to properly know your history of present illness. One miss might aggravate the situation.

Not all diseases can be cured.
Just like arthritis. There's no cure for arthritis. But you can control it by avoiding the foods or activities that would trigger it. Stop asking your doctor to give you a pill to cure arthritis. They will just give you a pain reliever.

Don't self-medicate.
Just because you have mustered medical information about your illness, doesn’t mean you have to self-medicate. Although medical information is available online, it is still necessary to discuss it with your doctor to further understand your illness.

Revealing the truth.
Doctors can feel the pain when they tell their patients they have incurable disease or worse, they only have one month to live. Some medical doctors sympathize with their patients. But they need to show their patients there's still hope, even if there's none.

Doctors don’t know everything.
Unless your medical doctor is Dr. House. Because of ego, perhaps, some doctors can't say to their patients if they don't know their illness. They simply request for additional examination.

Negotiation
Other doctors can understand their patient's financial status, so it's okay to admit that you don't have enough money to pay them. But some patients are too shy to concede. Funny thing is that those who negotiate of doctor's fee are the people who can afford to pay.

Hormonal Imbalance Linked to Acne Problem

[dermatology.svhm.org.au]

I watched last weekend's "Salamat Dok" episode."Salamat Dok" or if translated in English would mean Thank You Doc. It's a morning show of ABS-CBN, one of the leading TV networks in the Philippines, that tackles medical topics and their guests, usually medical doctors, will try to answer some questions submitted by TV viewers.

Last weekend's topic was about hormonal imbalance. The discussion was in conjunction with the celebration of International Women's Month.

Hormonal Imbalance Linked to Acne Problem
The show's guest was an ob-gynecologist. During the course of the interview, she talked about hormonal imbalance as one of the causes of acne problem in women. This is the reason why most women experience acne problem during, before or after menstruation.

Acne Medications
One of the acne medications that they've featured was the use of contraceptive pills. Although I've heard about it before from a friend whose sister is using a contraceptive pill as acne medication, I was a bit skeptical about it until I've learned it straight from the doctor's mouth.

But of course, using contraceptive pills as acne medication isn't advisable without consulting your doctor first. You will still have to be evaluated for your physical and medical condition to know what contraceptive pills as acne medication suit you. You will, of course, expect some side effects from using this form of acne medication. So it's necessary to have a word with your doctor first before trying anything out.

Another acne medication I know is Isotretinoin. This acne medication is not only for treatment of acne but also used to reduce oil production. However, this is not an OTC acne medication. Further, this type of acne medication is not prescribed for pregnant women and women who desired to get pregnant during the course of treatment. The effectiveness of Isotretinoin for treating acne has been tried and tested by many people I know. Unfortunately, this acne treatment is quite expensive.

Words of Caution
There are a lot of acne medications emerging rapidly in today's market. However truthful they may appear on TV or commercial ads, it is still important to ask for an advice from a certified dermatologist because every person has different body reactions from acne medications. And sometimes, acne medications can do more harm than good.

Proper Way of Hand Washing

Research shows that the hands of women harbor more bacteria than men. According to the researchers, our hands have roughly 150 different species of bacteria. The researchers laid some possible reasons for women having more bacteria (on their hands) than men.

Acidic skin of men
Most bacteria cannot survive acidic environment.

Other Factors
Sweat, hormones, and different use of cosmetics can play important role in bacterial diversity.

Non-pathogens
But let us not worry ladies because most of these bacteria are non-pathogens. Ergo, they are harmless.

Hand Washing
But whether you're a man or a woman, your hands (and my hands) are still the favorite portal of any diseases that surround us. Therefore, hand washing is of the essence in fighting against deadly foes, even though the study revealed that hand washing alone cannot kill bacteria.

Hand washing is the act of cleansing by rubbing both hands with soap and water. Furthermore, hand washing can help obliterate those pathogenic organisms colonizing on the palms of our hands.

There are thousands or even millions of children die each year from diarrhea. But high cases of diarrhea have been reported in the third world country where proper hygiene is neglected.

Escherichia, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, Chlamydia ,just to name a few, are everywhere. Imagine yourself holding them with your bare hands, unknowingly, and then at 6 pm, dinner is served. You forgot to wash those dirty hands for some reason. While eating your scrumptious meal, you are also swallowing the bacteria causing you: to feel nauseated, to vomit, and frequent visit to the bathroom. That is your body's way of telling you, "Goodness gracious, why can't you simply follow proper hygiene."
Proper Hand Washing Technique
Proper Way of Hand Washing
But if you'd ask me, "Is there a proper way of handwashing?" Well, aside from rubbing your hands with soap and water, yes, there is.

The photo on the right (from doh.gov.ph) will show you how to properly wash those dirty hands of yours.

I don’t think hand washing before eating will take too much of your time. Practicing this healthy habit will definitely save you from visiting your cute doctor.

Related Topics:
Why You Should Eat Fruits and Vegetables
Your Basal Metabolic Rate
Dermatologists: Skin Safety Campaign

Symbol of Appreciation

February 2010 Top EC Droppers:
January 2010 Top EC Droppers:
December 2009 Top EC Droppers:
November 2009 Top EC Droppers

September 2009 Top EC Droppers
The Vegan Lifestyle
Curiously Awesome
BuildingBiggerBarns
Creating a Better World
EzGreatLife
Help for anxiety, stress and panic
Klinika Kinetics
Moon Goddess Lae
A Wedding for Ish
After cancer, now what

August 2009 Top EC Droppers
Thank you to:
The Vegan Lifestyle After cancer, now what
Harvesting Dollars
EzGreatLife
A Taste of Both Worlds
Silver Pops
BuildingBiggerBarns
Curiously Awesome
Santos [dot] ph
Nature Blessing

April 2009 Top Droppers
sound of a soft breath

The Tic of Tourette Syndrome

Have you met someone who blinks or winks twice every 30 seconds? Or shouting obscene words every now and then?

Yes, I have met those people and those winks don’t mean admiration or those obscene words don't mean to disgrace me.

Watch this video to see what I mean.



This boy is suffering from Tourette Syndrome. It is a chronic, familial motor disorder characterized by tics: repetitive, irregular habit spasms. They just feel the urgency to blink, to shout, et cetera.

I know that most of you will find it funny when Tourette patients exhibit tics. That's why it is very essential to think first before you react.

Supportive counseling is also recommended for family members.

Related Topics:

Semen Analysis: Three-Hour Experiment

Laboratory Test: Semen Analysis [Flickr.com by tuffy1973]

The evaluation of infertility cases and postvasectomy cases are the two primary reasons for semen analysis.

I still have a semi-vivid image in my mind when we had a three-hour experiment for semen analysis. The guys had to be absent for one subject because they needed to "concentrate"…if you know what I mean. True man or semi-man, he/half-he had to donate his sperm for semen analysis experiment.

While the men were "away," we, ladies, had to prepare the laboratory equipment for the said activity. And after maybe almost an hour of waiting, the guys arrived sweaty and, surprisingly, in high spirits.

Then, the fun began.

If I could accurately remember, the first thing we did was to sniff the chlorine type smell of the semen. (It wasn’t necessary, but we did it anyway.) And then we measured the volume (normal semen volume ranges between 2 and 5 ml) and its pH (normal is slightly alkaline); and determined its viscosity (normal viscosity will pour in droplets).

Looking at the sperm through the microscope is the most interesting part because we could really see the tadpole-like rapid movement of the sperm. In fertility cases, the actual number of sperm present, the motility of the sperm in a semen specimen, and the sperm's morphology are valid measurements.

We all know that there's only one (or sometimes two) sperm that can successfully penetrate the ovum, but the sperm count normal values are 20 to 160 million sperm per milliliter. Isn't it frustrating when you have countless sperms and only one could get in? (lol)

Furthermore, even though you have enough sperm count but the motility of your semen is not that aggressive, impregnating a woman will be formidable. One male classmate of mine had a grade 4 (excellent rapid movement). No wonder after a year, he's already a father.

And don’t ever think that having a handsome face is already enough because the face or the appearance of his sperm should also count in fertility case. It is essential for the guy's semen to have 70% to 99.9% good looking sperms, like this:
Normal morphology of sperm [baby4you.co.nz]

However, the semen analysis is only a part of fertility test.

Well, that's all folks. We had an exciting three-hour laboratory experiment. Ciao.

Related Topics:

Why You Should Eat Fruits and Vegetables

Why You Should Eat Fruits and Vegetables [flickr.com by miss kim]

The recommended daily serving of eating fruits and veggies in a day is five servings. But why should we eat fruits and vegetables?

According to scientific studies, fresh fruits and vegetables are "fat free, low in salt and an excellent source of fiber." Likewise, fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients. Bananas and spinach, for example, are both rich in potassium which is necessary for proper nerve and muscle functioning.

In addition to that, fruits and vegetables contain phytonutrients and antioxidant. The former helps in protecting our organs and the latter protects our bodies from free radicals which are deleterious to our cellular membranes.

I am fortunate to live in a place where fruits and vegetables are readily available. Banana is not really my favorite fruit, although we have a small farm planted with bananas. Ampalaya or bitter melon is one of my favorite vegetables. My favorite ampalaya dish is salad. I know it's bitter but I consider it as an appetizer. How about you, what are your favorite fruits and vegetables? And how often do you eat them?

Related Topics:

How A Sexually Inactive Child Maybe Infected With Chlamydia

Chlamydia trachomatis infection [services.epnet.com]
Chlamydial Infection

Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common species of Chlamydia and C. trachomatis infection is the most reportedly case of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). A disease of the eye called trachoma is caused by the trachoma strains of C. trachomatis.

For STDs, condoms can prevent possible transmission. But abstinence is still the best choice for STD prevention.

But is it possible for a sexually inactive child to be infected with Chlamydia? Yes.

If for example, a Chlamydia-positive mother is pregnant. The newborn can be infected as it passes through the birth canal. Other modes of transmission are from eye to eye transmission via droplets, hands, contaminated fomites or flies.

As the Chlamydia stays inside the digestive and respiratory tract of the child, the infection can be further transferred through fecal contamination and respiratory droplets.

Moreover, it has been reported that Chlamydial infection is endemic in communities where there is an inadequate personal hygiene and sanitation and lack of medical care.

Therefore, cleanliness may still play a big part in fighting against this disease. Food safety training can be done in those areas and proper hygiene should be taught.

Related Topics:

Your Basal Metabolic Rate

health, basal metabolic rate, exercise and fitness, exercise tips, fitness exercise [benettontalk.com]
Let's Exercise

I received an email from my sister-in-law about Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Although, the information shared was basically to advertise a product. The explanation of BMR captured my imagination.

Your body is like your car. Think of turning your car engine on in the morning
and just letting it run in the driveway. The car sitting in the driveway burning
fuel is like your BMR. The bigger the car engine, the more fuel it uses. So a
big truck burns lots of fuel and gets maybe eight miles to the gallon while an
economy car uses little fuel and gets 40 miles to the gallon. If you pushed down
on the gas pedal and revved the engine, you would be burning more fuel, which is
basically what you do when you exercise.

In other words, the bigger you are the more calories you have to burn in a day.

But I guess we should love exercising because of the benefits we could get out of it. Just one hour walking, running or jogging perhaps could surely burn some hated fats that we have. We don't really have to go to the gym and use those heavy exercise equipment. Right?

Well, I'd like to end this post by sharing these tips from Luigi Gratoon, M.D., M.P.H

Tips for burning more calories:
• Exercise to increase muscle mass.
• Fuel up with Herbalife nutrition products.
• Rev up your workout routine to
burn more calories.



Related Topics:

Health - Protein in Urine

Forget Me Not

My grandmother had an Alzheimer's disease, but this was not the cause of her death.

Alzheimer's disease is a form of dementia which is caused by low levels of neurotransmitter acetycholine in the cortex of the brain associated with the destruction of neurons.

According to research, enzyme cholinesterase can effectively raise the acetylcholine level in the brain but it cannot reverse the destruction of neurons.

Alzheimer's disease is irreversible and can be inherited.

Related Topics:
Human Diseases (Parkinson's Twitch)
Health (Skin Safety Campaign)

Elevated Amylase

amylase, pancreatitis, Rico Yan, laboratory test, medical technology, health, human diseases, bangungotAfter my uncle suffered from pancreatitis and fortunately, he was immediately brought to the hospital, all of us wanted to have our laboratory test done for amylase, which is used to detect or diagnose pancreatitis. However, according to my uncle's physician, elevated amylase level in the body will only occur if there's an injury to the pancreas.

Last March 29, 2002, Rico Yan, matinee idol, died of pancreatitis (bangungot).

Related topics: Health (Adrenoleukodystrophy), Medical Technology (Protein In Urine), Human Diseases (13's Huntington)

Lorenzo's Adrenoleukodystrophy

health, human diseases, medical technology avenue, adrenoleukodystrophy, Lorenzo's Oil
I know that most of you have already seen Lorenzo's Oil. It's a movie about a child having Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). ALD or Addison-Schilder Disease or Siemerling-Creutzfeldt Disease is a rare disease passed through by the mother. The patients with X-linked ALD are all male.

In this disease, an essential protein, called a transporter protein, is
missing in sufferers. This protein is needed to carry an enzyme which is used to
break down very long-chain fatty acids found in the normal diet. Lack of this
protein can give rise to a build-up of very long-chain fatty acids, (VLCFA) in
the body which can damage the brain and the adrenal gland.
–en.wikipedia.com

Most scientists are still skeptical about the effectiveness of Lorenzo's Oil and up to now, it is still under investigation.

On the other hand, Lorenzo died on May 31, 2008. According to HeraldSun.com:

Lorenzo Odone's battle with the rare Adrenoleukodystrophy, or ALD, a
genetic disease, died one day after his 30th birthday - 20 years longer
than doctors expected him to live.

He died of pneumonia after getting food stuck in his
lungs.

I could not get an accurate figure of ALD cases in the Philippines, but I find aldfoundation.org as a very informative site.


Related Topics: Health (Parkinson's Twitch), Human Diseases (13's Huntington)

Protein In Urine


[vet.uga.edu]
According to Strasinger, the most indicative of renal disease is the protein determination.

In a routine analysis, presence of excess protein in urine does not always signify renal disease but it does require additional testing to determine whether it's pathologic or normal.

Glomerular membrane damage, disorders affecting tubular reabsorption of filtered protein and increased serum levels of low-molecular weight proteins are some of the major pathologic causes of proteinuria (presence of excess protein in urine).

Related Topics: Health (Assessing Consciousness), Medical Technology (First Morning Specimen), Human Diseases (13's Huntington)
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