Scratching To Stop an Itch

We all know scratching helps relieves itchiness, but do we actually know why it does that? The physiological mechanisms for how this works are little understood until now. Researchers have discovered that scratching helps relieve an itch by blocking some activity in the spinal cord nerve cells that transmit the sensation to the brain. But this effect only seems to occur during itch itself, scratching at other times makes no difference at all.

Research has suggested that a specific part of the spinal cord, the spinothalamic tract plays a key role as nerve cells in this area have been shown to be more active when itchy substances are applied to the skin. Scratching the skin blocks activity of nerve cells in the spinothalamic tract during itchiness - preventing the spinal cord from transmitting signals from the scratched area of skin to the brain as scientist hopes the work could lead to ways to relieve chronic itch effectively for the first time

Measles And Prebiotics

Summer season is the time when parents are ready to turn their kids loose to play. But summer time is the season of the measles. If your kids still haven't had them, now they have a good chance of getting them now. Measles is a respiratory disease that is caused by a virus that lives at the back of our throat and the linings of the lungs. Within 10 to 12 days upon the initial exposure to the virus, the infected individual gets a prolonged fever that last 2 to 4 days. This fever is accompanied with cough, water nose and pinkeye. The rashes set in 4 days after the fever hits, beginning in the hairline and creeps down towards the rest of the body. If untreated, 20% of cases will lead to more serious complications with the majority affecting children. Adults can acquire measles and is more dangerous compared to infections in children. Complications includes ear infections, pneumonia, seizures, diarrhea and even death.

To prevent measles, children are routinely immunized during their 9th month. Studies has also shown that good nutrition plays a role in strengthening the immune system. Babies that are fed with milk supplements with Prebio 1 have higher antibody titers to measles compared to those using regular milk supplements without Prebio 1. Prebiotics are natural carbohydrates that in turn enhance the growth of bifidus which is good bacteria. Instead of harming the body, bifidus actually straighten the humoral response as well as increasing the production of antibodies. Prebiotic substances are best found in mother's milk so this is why it is still the best for baby. Milk supplements enriched with prebiotics is as beneficial.

Dandruff Skin Condition

Dandruff problems affect millions of people worldwide, although most people treat dandruff as just a mere annoyance, it could lead to more serious conditions like extreme hair and scalp dryness, irritation, hair fall plus a number of other conditions. Dandruff is the abnormally fast shedding of dead skin cells from the scalp of people that is caused by a fungus in humans called Malassezia. This fungus hastens the shedding of the skin cells, which results in visible flaking and itching. Dandruff and Seborrhoeic Dermatitis can lead to low self-esteem and negative social image aside from the dangers to health it poses. The reason why dandruff is constantly an embarrassing problem to most people because it is seen as a hygiene issue can leave a bad impression and even outright indifference regarding your personal cleanliness.

There are treatments for dandruff, most come in the form of commercial shampoos who contain various active ingredients that can significantly reduce the number of flakes. One popular active ingredient in anti dandruff shampoos is Zinc Vitanol, which works as an antimicrobial agent that kills the Malassezia fungus on our scalp. But despite how much we shampoo our hair. We cannot totally get rid of dandruff in our lives or these anti dandruff shampoo companies will go out of business if they are 100% as effective as they claim. The most these shampoos can do if prevent visible flakes from appearing; cleaning our scalp and leaving them comfortably cool. Proper hygiene can effectively control dandruff, but consult your doctor if you continue to experience excessive dandruff and hair fall as this condition will require further medication and treatment.

Myths | Misconceptions | Understanding Leprosy

Several myths and fallacies surrounds leprosy. Many people believe that it is caused by eating spoiled food or by eating certain food combinations like chicken and squash. Others believe that leprosy is a result of pasma, for example, taking a bath after ironing clothes is believed to increase the likelihood of developing the disease. Contacting the disease from bathing in a river where a leprosy patient bathed is another false belief. In some regions of the Philippines, its even believed that merely stepping on the footprints of a patient will cause the transfer of the disease.

Leprosy is a very complex and mysterious disease. Nobody really knows the exact mode of transmission. However, based on studies, the surest and acceptable mode of transmission is through droplet infection. It has been found that millions of the bacillus called Mycobacterium leprae, are found in the mucosa of the respiratory tract, particularly in the multibacillary (MB) patients.

When a person with leprosy who is not taking any form of anti leprosy medication, coughs or sneezes, droplets are released in the air and enter the respiratory tract of other individuals. The skin is less probable route since the bacilli cannot penetrate the intact skin. Leprosy is not carried in the genes, hence not hereditary. Mycobacterium leprae is not a very efficient pathogenic organism. It is easily counteracted by our body's immune system.

Erasing the Stigma of Leprosy

Most people are naturally immune to the disease leprosy. A person can contact leprosy only if he or she belongs to the small segment of the world's populations, which is roughly five to ten percent with the lowest levels of immunity, and has been exposed to an untreated patient constantly and repeatedly. Leprosy is first mentioned in the Bible in the book of Leviticus, Chapter 13. The passage enjoined the Jewish people to regard anyone who has leprosy as unclean and one that should be banished from the company of others. This became, in years later, the rationale for the segregation of known lepers from normal society among the Christians in Europe during the Middle Ages.

Modern scientists however believe that the skin disease described in the Bible is not really leprosy but may instead refer to all kinds of soft skin ailments. in fact, the Hebrew translation of the term used for leprosy means dirty skin. This alone makes leprosy so stigmatized. People who get sick of leprosy are considered sinful and consequently, suffering from the wrath of God. Erasing the stigma of leprosy, which is as old as the disease itself, requires concerted and consistent efforts. Attitudes can be very difficult to change and have caused limitations in the progress of the National Leprosy Control Program. In the Department of Health for instance, health education given to health workers must continuously include facts about the disease in order to erase fears and change attitudes. Even health workers who know that leprosy is only mildly communicable do not want to be near ex-patients to talk about the disease or even mention the illness. So this culture must indeed be changed.