Head lice: things you need to know

                                               

 What are head lice?

Head lice are tiny wingless insects that infest the hair on your head, as well as the eyebrows and eyelashes. Tiny louse eggs called nits are tightly attached to individual hairs. Lice are easier to see in bright light and by partying the hair to see close to the scalp.

How do you know you have head lice?

Lice may make your scalp extremely itchy. You may notice small red bumps on the scalp or neck, tiny white nits on the hair close to the scalp that are difficult to remove and a crawling sensation on the head.

Are lice contagious?

Yes. Head lice are extremely contagious especially among school-aged children. Lice cannot jump or fly but are spread by direct head-to-head physical contact, sharing clothing, such as hats or bedding, and sharing combs or brushes with someone who has head lice. Having head lice does not mean you have poor cleanliness. Head lice do not carry diseases.

How is head lice treated?

Treatment for head lice is recommended for people with an active infestation. All household members and other close contacts should be checked. Anyone who has an active infestation should be treated. All infested people and their bedmates should be treated at the same time.

Over-the-counter lotions and shampoos that contain pyrethrin—a common synthetic chemical used as an insecticide—or one-percent permethrin are often the first choice. The package directions should be followed exactly. These products may continue to kill lice for two weeks after treatment; many clinicians recommend a second treatment seven to nine days after the first.

Side effects of permethrin may include burning or stinging, itching, red skin, or numbness. Prescription-strength five-percent permethrin, malathion lotion, or benzyl alcohol lotion may be needed. Lice are becoming resistant to permethrin, so the other medications may be used.

Is there any natural remedy used to remove head lice?

There is no clear scientific evidence that lice can be suffocated by home remedies, such as mayonnaise or olive oil, but they may be suffocated by Cetaphil cleanser. Tea tree oil is another helpful natural remedy.

It is very important that the nits are removed. This can be difficult because they cling tightly to the hair. Special nit combs are available at drugstores. You should do a second combing seven to 10 days after the first. Nits may live for two weeks.

How to prevent head lice? 

Children should be cautioned not to share hats, combs, or brushes with others.

Hats, scarves, coats, and bedding should be washed in hot water and dried in a hot dryer for at least 20 minutes.

Combs and brushes should be washed and the room of the infected person should be vacuumed.

You also should not use kerosene or gasoline for head lice; they are dangerous and flammable.

Regular physical exercise and it benefits

Regular physical exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health. We have all heard it many times before - regular exercise is good for you, and it can help you lose weight. But if you are like many Americans, you are busy, you have a sedentary job, and you haven't yet changed your exercise habits. The good news is that it's never too late to start. You can start slowly, and find ways to fit more physical activity into your life. To get the most benefit, you should try to get the recommended amount of exercise for your age. If you can do it, the payoff is that you will feel better, help prevent or control many diseases, and likely even live longer.

What are the health benefits of exercise?

Regular exercise and physical activity may

• Help you control your weight. Along with diet, exercise plays an important role in controlling your weight and preventing obesity. To maintain your weight, the calories you eat and drink must equal the energy you burn. To lose weight, you must use more calories than you eat and drink.


• Reduce your risk of heart diseases. Exercise strengthens your heart and improves your circulation. The increased blood flow raises the oxygen levels in your body. This helps lower your risk of heart diseases such as high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, and heart attack. Regular exercise can also lower your blood pressure and triglyceride levels.


• Help your body manage blood sugar and insulin levels. Exercise can lower your blood sugar level and help your insulin work better. This can cut down your risk for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. And if you already have one of those diseases, exercise can help you to manage it.


• Help you quit smoking. Exercise may make it easier to quit smoking by reducing your cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It can also help limit the weight you might gain when you stop smoking.


• Improve your mental health and mood. During exercise, your body releases chemicals that can improve your mood and make you feel more relaxed. This can help you deal with stress and reduce your risk of depression.


• Help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age. Exercise stimulates your body to release proteins and other chemicals that improve the structure and function of your brain.


• Strengthen your bones and muscles. Regular exercise can help kids and teens build strong bones. Later in life, it can also slow the loss of bone density that comes with age. Doing muscle-strengthening activities can help you increase or maintain your muscle mass and strength.


• Reduce your risk of some cancers, including colon, breast , uterine, and lung cancer.


• Reduce your risk of falls. For older adults, research shows that doing balance and muscle-strengthening activities in addition to moderate-intensity aerobic activity can help reduce your risk of falling.


• Improve your sleep. Exercise can help you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.


• Improve your sexual health. Regular exercise may lower the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men. For those who already have ED, exercise may help improve their sexual function. In women, exercise may increase sexual arousal.


• Increase your chances of living longer. Studies show that physical activity can reduce your risk of dying early from the leading causes of death, like heart disease and some cancers.

To get the most benefit, the recommendations for how much exercise you need are:

For adults:

Try to get at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity on most days.

• Aerobic activities include walking fast, jogging, swimming, and biking
• Exercise at a moderate intensity. One way to check this is to make sure that you can say a few words in a row while exercising. But you should not be able to sing - that would mean that you are not exercising hard enough.
• You can break your aerobic exercise into segments of ten minutes or more

Also, do strengthening activities twice per week.

• Strengthening activities include lifting weights, working with exercise bands, and doing sit-ups and pushups
• Choose activities that work all the different parts of the body - your legs, hips, back, chest, stomach, shoulders, and arms. You should repeat exercises for each muscle group 8 to 12 times per session.

For children and teens:

Get 60 minutes or more of physical activity every day. Most of it should be moderate-intensity aerobic activity.

• Activities should vary and be a good fit for the child's age and physical development
• Moderate-intensity aerobic activities include walking, running, skipping, playing on the playground, playing basketball, and biking

Also, try to get each of these at least 3 days a week: vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, muscle-strengthening activity, and bone-strengthening activity.

• Vigorous-intensity aerobic activities include running, doing jumping jacks, and fast swimming
• Muscle-strengthening exercise includes playing on playground equipment, playing tug-of-war, and doing pushups and pull-ups
• Bone-strengthening activities include hopping, skipping, doing jumping jacks, playing volleyball, and working with resistance bands

Other groups:

Seniors, pregnant women, and people who have special health needs should check with their health care provider on how much exercise they should get and what types of exercises they should do.

People who are trying to lose weight may need to get more exercise. They also need to adjust their diet, so they are burning more calories than they eat and drink.

If you have been inactive, you may need to start slowly. You can keep adding more gradually. The more you can do, the better. But try not to feel overwhelmed, and do what you can. Getting some exercise is always better than getting none.

How can I make exercise a part of my regular routine?

• Make everyday activities more active. Even small changes can help. You can take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk down the hall to a coworker's office instead of sending an email. Wash the car yourself. Park further away from your destination.


• Be active with friends and family. Having a workout partner may make you more likely to enjoy exercise. You can also plan social activities that involve exercise. You might also consider joining an exercise group or class, such as a dance class, hiking club, or volleyball team.


• Keep track of your progress. Keeping a log of your activity or using a fitness tracker may help you set goals and stay motivated.


• Make exercise more fun. Try listening to music or watching TV while you exercise. Also, mix things up a little bit - if you stick with just one type of exercise, you might get bored. Try doing a combination of activities.


• Find activities that you can do even when the weather is bad.You can walk in a mall, climb stairs, or work out in a gym even if the weather stops you from exercising outside.

Everything You Need to Know About Asthma

What is asthma?

Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the lung. It can occur along the entire airway from the nose to the lung. Once the airway becomes swollen and inflamed, it becomes narrower, and less air gets through to the lung tissue. The exact cause of asthma is not known. Researchers think some genetic and environmental factors interact to cause asthma, usually before the age of 5. Asthma often occurs early in life, but it can also occur for the first time in adulthood. Some patients can also “outgrow” asthma at first, but then develop symptoms again later in life.

What are the symptoms of asthma?

Wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and trouble breathing. During an asthma attack, the muscles around the airways tighten up, more mucus is produced, and asthma symptoms become worse.

Are allergies related to asthma?

Yes. Asthma can be triggered by substances in the environment called allergens. Some indoor allergens come from dust mites, cockroaches, dogs, cats, rodents, molds, and fungi. Outdoor allergens include pollen from many trees, weeds, and grass. Even food allergies can cause asthma symptoms.

What about air pollution outside?

Outdoor pollution plays a major role, as does cigarette smoke. Children exposed to pollution are more likely to develop asthma. Asthma patients are more likely to have their asthma flare up when they are exposed to pollution. This is why asthma patients should not exercise outdoors during high-pollution days, for example when there is a code-orange ozone day.

How is asthma treated?

Treatment plans can include taking prescribed medicine and avoiding your asthma triggers. You can breathe in some medicines and take other medicines as a pill. Asthma medicines come in two types—quick-relief and long-term control. Quick-relief medicines control the symptoms of an asthma attack. Long-term control medicines help you have fewer and milder attacks, but they don’t help during an asthma attack.

                       Indoor Allergens & Asthma

What steps can you take to reduce indoor allergens and prevent asthma attacks?

Use HEPA air filtration devices to reduce airborne allergens. Change HVAC filters at least once every quarter, or more frequently if your home has a lot of dust.

Wash sheets and blankets in hot water every week.

Put mattresses, pillows, and box springs in allergen-proof covers.

Vacuum carpets and upholstered furniture every week.

Reduce humidity to under 50% and check for leaks/water damage to reduce mold.

Eliminate pest infestations to reduce cockroach or mouse allergen exposure.

Limit dog and cat exposure in the home.

Sexual problems in men and women

Men

Many men have sexual problems. They become more common as men age. Problems can include

Erectile dysfunction (when a man has trouble getting or keeping an erection)
Reduced or lost interest in sex
Problems with ejaculation
Low testosterone
Stress
Illness
Medicines
Emotional problems
Occasional problems with sexual function.

Women

There are many problems that can keep a woman from enjoying sex. They include

Lack of sexual desire
Inability to become aroused
Lack of orgasm, or sexual climax
Painful intercourse
Occasional problems with sexual function

These problems may have physical or psychological causes. Physical causes may include conditions like diabetes, heart disease, nerve disorders, or hormone problems. Some drugs can also affect desire and function. Psychological causes may include work-related stress and anxiety. They may also include depression or concerns about marriage or relationship problems. For some women, the problem results from past sexual trauma.

If problems last more than a few months or cause distress for you or your partner, you should see your health care provider.