a healthier life

'Make hospitals admit error' call

The system for hospitals to report errors in patient care should be made mandatory, a patients’ group says.

Source:'Make hospitals admit error' call

Doctors save speared Indian boy

A six-year-old Indian boy is recovering after doctors removed a two metre (6ft) iron rod that speared him when he fell from a terrace.

Source:Doctors save speared Indian boy

Signs of Toenail Fungus

Sometimes people have discolored toenails. This is not necessarily a fungal infection. It is necessary to differentiate the common signs of toenail fungus as early as possible because once toenail fungus has taken hold it can be difficult to eradicate. In general, the longer toenail fungus is left untreated the longer the treatment will have to be.

The most common signs of toenail fungus are a yellow or brown discoloration of the nail. This is followed by thickening of the nail, dryness of the nail, and accumulation of layers of material under and along the nail. The nail may become brittle and break or crumble. A health care expert or podiatrist can diagnose toenail fungus almost at a glance.

Your health care provider should be able to help you find the best treatment for your toenail fungus. Depending on how long the fungus has gone unchecked you may be in danger of losing your nail. The other risks of leaving nail fungus unchecked include the possibility of it spreading to other nails on the foot.

Signs of fungal infection usually occur first on the big toe. Many fungal infections are found exclusively in the big toe, and do not affect other toes on the foot. Your health care provider will be able to tell whether the fungus is actually toenail or if it is athletes foot (a common misdiagnosis). After feet and nails are examined your health care provider may trim away as much of the nail as possible to prevent the infection from spreading, and to prepare the nail for treatment.

Fungi can live undetected for many months lying on a nail bed, just waiting for the opportunity to strike, so taking some preventative measures before it actually occurs, including proper inspection of toes, feet and shoes, decrease the chance of developing this or any other fungal infection.

Avoid walking barefoot in public facilities, particularly if they are places with moist conditions, such as showers, locker rooms or pools, and always be aware of the signs of toenail fungus. Always be sure to dry feet thoroughly after showering.

Contact your health care provider as soon as possible if you believe you may have a fungal infection in your toenail, or if you have any concerns about other complaints such as in growing toenails. It is always better to raise your concerns early to avoid prolonged and uncomfortable treatment later on.

For more information visit: How to have healthy looking nails in weeks.

Nano-treatment to torpedo cancer

Nanotechnology raises hopes of destroying hard-to-treat cancers with highly targeted tumour-busting genes.

Source:Nano-treatment to torpedo cancer

A step closer to reading the mind

Scientists say for the first time they have understood someone’s thoughts by looking at what their brain is doing.

Source:A step closer to reading the mind

Leaky blood vessels stroke link

One in five strokes may be caused by a weakening of the tiny arteries in the brain, a new study has found.

Source:Leaky blood vessels stroke link

'Fat neck' a clue to heart risk

The thickness of a person’s neck may provide as many clues to their risk of heart problems as their waist, a study suggests.

Source:'Fat neck' a clue to heart risk

Hair Loss is also a Problem for Women

Start to talk about baldness or hair loss and most people will automatically think that you are talking about a problem for men, but this is not necessarily the case. It has been estimated that as many as 25 per-cent of the women in the United States will experience the problem of hair loss at one time or another during their life time.

Female pattern baldness may not be a topic that is commonly discussed, but, at least in private, it is a problem that will affect the lives of millions of women. Loss of hair can be caused by a variety of factors, but, when it comes to female hair loss, the most frequent causes relate back to hormone levels.

Because an imbalance of hormones is a primary factor of hair loss in women, it is not surprising that two of the times in a woman’s life when she is most likely to experience significant hair loss is around pregnancy and childbirth and at the time of menopause. The reason why these events are most likely to result in thinning hair is because there are times of radical changes in a woman’s hormone levels.

Some women may be concerned that using too hot a blow dryer too often, or abuse of hair colors or perms may cause an adverse reaction involving thinning hair or hair loss, but this is not the case. It is far more likely that the root cause will involve something more basic.

Fortunately, for a woman who is worried that she is losing her lush, beautiful head of hair, there are ways not only to prevent or slow hair loss, but in many cases to restore and re-grow a full, rich head of hair that would rival those women in television shampoo commercials.

Obviously, there are ways to circumvent hair loss for women. The answer that springs most readily to mind is to wear a wig. Unfortunately, the more realistic a wig looks, the more expensive is its price tag. If money is no object, then a hair transplant is a solution that many women have found to be good.

A more health-oriented solution is nutrition. Many products now being marketed as aids for women to restore thinning hair are actually dietary supplements formulated to bring more nutrition to the scalp and its hair follicles. Especially in today’s world of environmental pollution, counteracting toxins with extra vitamins and minerals may not only help solve the problem of female pattern baldness, but it might also be helpful in preventing myriad other health problems.

'Fat neck' a clue to heart risk

The thickness of a person’s neck may provide as many clues to their risk of heart problems as their waist, a study suggests.

Source:'Fat neck' a clue to heart risk

Menopausal sex 'myths' analysed

New research suggests more than 80% of menopausal women want to have an active sex life.

Source:Menopausal sex 'myths' analysed