Leprosy Factoids

Leprosy Factoids

The disease leprosy has made the headlines this week due to the elevation of sainthood to Jozef De Veuster, also known as Father Damien, who worked with leprosy victims on the Hawaiian island of Molokai from 1873 till his death from leprosy in 1889.
To many Americans leprosy is a disease of the Old and New Testaments, however this disfiguring and potentially fatal disease is alive and well in many parts of the world.
Here are some facts about leprosy and its current state in the world and the United States:
1. Leprosy or Hansen's Disease, is a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae (Mycobacterium is the same genus of the organism that causes tuberculosis).
2. It is not very contagious and is likely transmitted person to person via respiratory secretions during close and frequent contacts.
3. It has a relatively long incubation time ranging from 9 months to 20 years till symptoms appear.
4. An early sign of leprosy is typically a spot on the skin that may be slightly redder, darker, or lighter than the person's normal skin. The spot may lose feeling and hair. In some people, the only sign is numbness in a finger or toe. Untreated leprosy can cause some very serious problems with the skin and nerves. Leprosy bacteria attack the nerves in the hands and feet and cause them to become numb. It can also attack the nerves around the eye and damage to the internal lining of the nose.
5. The incidence is declining worldwide due to factors like economic development, BCG immunization and multidrug therapy.
6. The total number of cases reported in early 2009 was 213,036, down from 249,007 the year before.
7. The World Health Organization has targeted the disease for elimination

Measles - Causes-Symptoms and Treatment

Measles - Causes-Symptoms and Treatment

Definition: It is an acute, contagious viral disease, usually occurring in childhood and characterized by eruption of red spots on the skin, fever, and catarrhal symptoms.
Measles , also known as rubeola, is a potentially disastrous disease. It can be complicated by ear infections, pneumonia , encephalitis. The virus is spread easily through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes or by direct contact with infected nose or throat secretions.
It is a highly infectious viral disease characterized by a sore throat and a blotchy red rash that starts on the face and neck, and spreads to the rest of the body.Measles is also known as, five-day measles, or hard measles. A person who has had measles will never get the disease again.
Causes for Measles
Measles is caused by the measles virus i.e- Paramyxovirus. It is mostly seen in the winter and spring. The virus enters the body through the respiratory tract or the conjunctiva. Measles is endemic throughout the world.
Other main causes of measles includes:
• Personal contact is the main cause of measles because it is a contagious disease.
• Droplets from coughs and sneezes
• Immunodeficiency due to HIV/AIDS
• Malnutrition
• Vitamin A deficiency will lead to the condition of measles.

Symptoms of Measles
The symptoms of measles usually begin to develop about 7-11 days after the person first becomes infected.
List of symptoms of Measles:
• Runny nose.
• Sneezing.
• Red eyes.
• Red spots in mouth.
• Red spots inside cheeks.
• Koplik spots - small spots in the mouth.
• Mouth spots with white center and red ring.
• Skin rash.
• Light sensitivity.
• coughing , possibly with a barking cough.
• sore throat - the lymph nodes in the throat may swell.
• at first the spots are very small - a couple of millimetres - but they double in size quickly and begin to join together.
• the temperature, which may run as high as 40ºC, may stay that high for a couple of days. Then it disappears together with the rash, which may leave some brown spots.

Herbal Home remedies for Measles
Here are some Important Herbal and Home Remedies for the Measles:
Garlic Oil: Apply garlic oil to any infected areas to prevent infection.
Drink Saffron: Drink saffron and snake root tea to aid the healing process.
Lobelia: Take lobelia and yarrow for the fastest recovery from measles.
Orange Juice: Fresh Orange juice is very beneficial for the measles treatment.
Barley Water: Barley water should be taken daily to cure from measles.
Lemonade: Lemonade should be taken often.
Chamomile: It will not only helps reduce a fever but stimulates the immune system too. hild hydrated with fluids and give a soothing oatmeal baths to relieve itching.
Ginger Tea: It can be effective against a fever. It is most helpful for the child who tends to feel cold, especially in the hands and feet.
Shiitake Mushrooms: It has immure-stimulating properties. They may be eaten fresh, or taken in capsule form.

Ulcers

Ulcers

What is an ulcer? Basically, an ulcer is an external or internal sore or lesion that is a sign of necrosis (death of the tissues at a cellular level). Most ulcers that plague people are called "gastric" ulcers which are internal in nature. However, there are several kinds of ulcers and they include: decubitus ulcer, peptic ulcer, serpent ulcer, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcers, ulcerative colitis, bed sore, and canker sore (herpes).

Internal ulcers usually occur on the mucous membranes (the internal skin) in the gastrointestinal tract.

Peptic ulcers occur where the lining of the stomach have been eroded away due to extreme acidosis. Like peptic ulcers, duodenal ulcers, gastric ulcers, and ulcerative colitis occur in the digestive tract or gastrointestinal tract. However, gastric ulcers in the stomach are the most common ulcers.

The symptoms of internal ulcers include inflammation (chronic burning), stomach pain, and bleeding (from the rectum). Internal ulcers are the result of ACID, too much acid in the body. And where does this acid come from? Answer: degenerate diet and lifestyle!

Eating meat, dairy, and starches all contribute to acidosis, for meat converts into URIC ACID, dairy converts into LACTIC ACID, and STARCH converts into CARBONIC ACID.

And lets not forget about the acidic beverages Americans greatly consume which plays a major role in acidosis - soda pop (which has a pH of 2 - GREATLY ACIDIC!), orange juice (processed and boxed); milk, Kool Aid; coffee and hot cocoa, various fruit punches, beer (devil's brew), wine and other spirits to name a few.

And then there's stress! Stress makes the body acidic. Stress is very detrimental to human health, but many people are under it due to being misaligned or disconnected with God, Nature and the Universe predicated upon finances (the lack thereof), job insecurity and/or unhappiness, marital/relationship problems, living a lie or chronic lying; debt (credit cards, behind on the home mortgage or car note, etc.); living unrighteous (fornicating, adultery, scheming, stealing, etc.), legal situations and litigation (usually as the defendant); and unemployment to list just a few of the things that causes stress.

You see, when you have to digest or process so much stuff in life, it usually results in digestive problems, that's why gastric ulcers are the most common form of ulcers.

Stress creates too much acid in the body. Stress and a very poor diet will undoubtedly lead to stomach or digestive problems and many times this will lead to headaches, bilious or migraine headaches. And what do most people take for headaches? Answer: drugs in the form of aspirin. Aspirin converts into ascetic acid and literally eats up your red blood corpuscles (just like white vinegar does). Aspirin is so caustic on the internal lining in the stomach and digestive tract that it literally burns a hole in the lining of the digestive tract causing gastric ulcers which eventually leads to internal bleeding which many times is manifested in blood in the stools.

And eating and drinking acidic things does not help the situation, but only exacerbates the situation. This is why people with "acid reflux" usually are prescribed "antacids." An antacid is an "anti" acid or that which counteracts acid. And what counteracts acid? Answer: ALKALINITY! Although the antacids are alkaline in nature, they break down into the body as acids and further the problem. Antacids only "mask" the problem (acidosis, ulcers), but does not heal the problem.

So now we have an idea of what causes ulcers, what can be used to heal ulcers?

Healing ulcers naturally

The best remedy for healing ulcers, especially gastric (stomach) ulcers is a diet rich in natural green foods - eating plenty of green cruciferous vegetables and drinking vegetable juice daily or as often as possible. Green foods are very healing! Parsley, kale, spinach, broccoli, cilantro, Roamine and green lettuce, watercress, asparagus, etc. are some of the best green foods available. And remember, green foods are naturally antacid without any adverse or negative side effects such as Tums or Rolaids and other OTC (over the counter) drugs.

Dandruff Cures Available From Antiseptic Scalp Treatments

Dandruff Cures Available From Antiseptic Scalp Treatments

Dandruff is one of the most difficult conditions to get rid of and one many people face daily. Although it is a very annoying situation, having dandruff is hardly ever a very serious health problem. It presents what is typically a socially-based cosmetic challenge because many people who suffer dandruff experience even debilitating embarrassment. The actual appearance of dandruff doesn't cause any physical suffering, but the mental stress can be just as harmful. Fortunately, there are several natural methods a knowledgeable person can employ treating this condition. Choosing the correct treatment for your specific dandruff condition is going to be an important decision determining if you will discover a cure.

Scalp Treatment is Best Option

All dandruff conditions are associated with your scalp health. Therefore, this is the best place to start your journey toward ridding yourself of dandruff. Keep in mind there are a plethora of shampoos on the market claiming they can get the job done. Many do an admirable job for temporarily "hiding" the signs of dandruff yet offer no permanent solution for getting rid of it once and for all. The actually irony is there are many natural antiseptic choices easily found that can be effectively used to treat the scalp putting an end to all that flaky dandruff.

Try One, Try Several Natural Remedies

Nature provides many sources that can be used in the battle against dandruff. There are four common and popular choices - witch hazel, rosemary, eucalyptus oil and lavender - that when used as regular scalp treatments can get rid of the fungus source for what causes dandruff. These natural treatments should have an immediate effect cutting down on the very amount of dandruff you usually see.

Skin Type Adds to Condition

There are other challenges that create favorable situations for dandruff to grow and prosper which includes the type of skin you have. People who possess either dry or oily skin can suffer from varying strengths of dandruff appearing. This makes it quite important for people seeking a natural treatment to determine the cause of your dandruff. Using an antiseptic scalp treatment never causes any harm even if the source for your dandruff condition is not fungus growth.

Just Say NO to Shampoo

Avoid all types of medicated shampoo because repeated use has a tendency to cause a good deal of scalp damage although it may just help control your dandruff condition, using shampoos as a remedy only helps to treat the situation and never cures you from the consistent appearance of embarrassing flakes. After all, it is hard to limit wardrobe choices to white or light colors simply to avoid being noticed as a dandruff sufferer out in public.

Become a self-educated dandruff combatant by taking advantage of the Internet to learn more about the natural treatments available that will have you joyfully wearing that little black dress confidently or your dark, pin-striped suit with pride.

Don't suffer dandruff sitting locked in a room alone when there is help available. Check out the natural dandruff treatments that will brush off your situation for good.

Curt Middleton has been a newspaper/magazine journalist for more than three decades covering wide variety of topics including public health issues.