10 Deadly Skin Diseases

1. Harlequin Ichthyosis

This skin disease afflicts newborn babies. It is a rare skin disease, believed to be caused by a gene mutation, which usually results in death within two days from birth. Harlequin Ichthyosis or HI causes the skin to dry out and from hard plaques shaped like diamonds. When the baby is born, the infant appears to be wearing a coat of armor. The condition severely restricts the newborn's movements.

HI causes complications which are attributed to the newborns deaths. The babies experience feeding problems. These infant are also susceptible to both respiratory diseases and bacterial infections. Fortunately, the level of care has improved substantially which in turn has increased the survival rate for babies born with this devastating skin disease.

2. Epidermolysis Bullosa

Epidermolysis Bullosa is a group of hereditary skin disease. There are three major types with several subsets. The skin disease has a range of severity. The skin disease causes the skin to blister with only a light torch. Individual with more severe case of Epidermolysis Bullosa with suffer with glistering of the mouth and esophagus too. Some types of this disease can cause the toes and fingers to fuse giving the appearance of webbing. Severe scaring in another effect.

There is no cure for this deadly skin disease. Victims of skin conditions have to endure various courses of treatment, dependent on the severity of their conditions. Some afflicted with this skin disease must obtain food through a feeding tube to prevent infections. Surgeries are often performed to dilate the esophagus and to remove the scar tissue from the blistering.

3. Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is a hereditary conditions. It is caused by abnormalities in the collagen. This skin disease causes the skin to be extremely stretchy (hyper elasticity) and lax. Persons afflicted with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome will also suffer with tissue weakness and easy bruising. Weak joints are also characteristic of this skin disease.

As with other skin disease, the severity of the symptoms experienced by an individual afflicted with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome depends on the type the person has. Some types of this disease will cause hemorrhaging and can result in the rupturing of arteries. An occurrence of this type will result in the person's death.

4. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus (AKA MRSA)

MRSA is labeled the "super bug". This potentially deadly skin infection begins as small red bumps. The bumps look similar to pimples or bug bites. These small bumps evolve into deep and painful abscesses. The bacteria are confined into the skin but can gain access into the body. Once in the body, MRSA causes infections in the blood, heart, lungs, bones, and joints.

Treatment options for MRSA include surgery and certain antibiotics. Surgery is performed to drain the wounds that become open abscesses and place the person at risk for life threatening infections. MRSA is resistant to almost all antibiotics. The bacteria have adapted defenses to combat what was once a lethal toxin to the infection. Only two antibiotics are strong enough to combat MRSA, vancomycin and linezolid.

5. Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (AKA TEN)

TEN is identified as a severe allergic reaction. The allergic reaction is usually in response to an infection or a medication. TEN causes flu-like symptoms over a several day period. Inflamation of the mucous membranes then occurs. A rash covers the skin, killing the uppermost layer of skin. The dead skin will shed. This occurs over 30% of the body and can be fatal. More than a quarter of the people afflicted with this painful condition die from some type of infection.

6. Basal cell carcinomas and Squamous cell carcinoma.

Both of these skin diseases are forms of skin cancer. Basal cell carcinomas occur in the basal layer of skin. The cancer damages the tissue and causes scarring. This cancer doesn't metastasize.Squamous cell carcinoma occurs in the squamous cells, hence the name. Squamous cells from the skin surrounding the internal organs. The cancer does metastasize. The cancer can spread to the organs. This type of cancer kill at least 2500 people in the US each year.

7. Scleroderma

Scleroderma causes abnormal growth of connective tissue. The skin hardens and tightens. Scar tissue then forms on the skin and other organs in the body. This condition is believed to be an autoimmune disease. The more severe forms of Scleroderma can cause the lung and heart tissue to thicken also. When this occurs, death often results.

8. Pemphigus

Pemphigus is a group of chronic skin diseases. The skin disease is characterized by open sores caused by blisters. The sores can lead to infections. Severe cases of Pemphigus can cause lesions on the lungs and may lead to lung disease. This skin disease is thought to be an autoimmune disorder.

Pemphigus is treated with medications. Corticosteroids are most often prescribed. Treatments also include antibiotics or immunosuppressants. Some people require hospitalization to care for the wounds. Severe cases of Phempigus can result in death.

9. Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis is reported to have afflicted around 12 million people and is considered to be endemic. The disease is transmitted by sand flies. When the sand fly bites, they transfer the skin disease. A sore usually appears on the bite and scars the skin. The disease then causes skin lesions and ulcers. Tissue damage occurs in the mouth and nose. Infections attack the liver, bone, marrow and spleen. Other organs can also be infected.

10. Herpes Gladiatorum or Scrumpox

Scrumpox is a skin disease caused by a strain of the herpes virus. The skin disease causes cold sores. Sore throats, blisters on the face, arms, neck, and legs. As with many of the other skin disease, infection can be a complication of the blisters and sores. The infection can then lead to death. Scrumpox is spread through skin contact and is extremely contagious.

 

http://www.goocap.com/2013/05/10-deadly-skin-diseases.html

New breathalyser detects marijuana, meth and cocaine

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden have developed a new kind of breathalyser at the detects a lot more than just alcohol on your breath. When Police suspect a driver under the influence, it's a simple matter to administer an on-the-spot breath test that can immediately reveal how much alcohol is in bloodstream. But what if the influence in question is not alcohol?

Rather than subjecting everyone involved in transportation to a facility that can administer an invasive blood test or a messy urine test, researchers at the Karolinska Institute have created a breathalyser that can be used on the spot Called SensAbues, the breathalyser has succesfully detected amphetamine, metamphetamine, cannabis, cocaine, MDMA, buprenorphine, methadone, heroin, benzodiazepines and nicotine.

The team, lead by Olof Beck at the Karolinska Institute's Department of Medicine, collected blood and urine samples from 47 patients who had recently used drugs as a comparison point. The test subjects then breathed into the SensAbues. Tiny particles were trapped in a proprietary filter, in 40 cases of the 47, the substances were positively identified.

Alas, it's not as simple as an on-the-spot reading, however. Once used, the SensAbues breathalyser needs to be package up and sent to a laboratory for liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. This, of course, leaves a problem in its wake what are the police to do with a driver suspected of being under the influence?

There are other applications, for the technoogy, though, drug testing for construction workers or operators of heavy machinery, for example. And, although the laboratory for analysing the filters is in Sweden, the product is already available on the market. It's only matter of the time before SensAbues starts appearing in other countries. You can read the research paper, titled "Detection of drugs of abuse in exhaled breath using a device for rapid collection : comparison with plasma, urine and self-reporting in 47 drug users", on IOP science.

 

http://www.goocap.com/2013/04/new-breathalyser-detects-marijuana-meth.html

1,200 Years Old Egyptian Secrets At Sunken City

Until ten years ago, no body know if Heraclion  believed to be an ancient harbor city, was fiction or real. Now, report the Telegraph, the researchers who found it - 150 feet beneath the surface of Egypt's bay of Aboukir-are sharing some of the amazinf historical artifacts preserved there.

The finds include 64 ships, 16-foot-tall statues, 700 anchors and countless gold coins and smaller artifacts. According to underwater aecheologist Frank Goddio, credited with having discovered the site, the city was probably built sometime around the 8th century B.C, which makes it older than the farmed city of Alexandria.

Over many years, it fell vistim to a number of natural disasters before being swalloewed by the sea, probably around A.D 700. 

The Telegraph reports that researchers are beginning to more fully understand what daily life was like in the city, also called "Thorus." Mainly they describe it has having served as the main hub for sea traffic entering the region, including all trade from Greece. 

"We are getting a rich picture of things like the trade that was going on there and the nature of the maritime economy in the Egyptian late period," Damian Robinson, director of the Oxford Centre for Maritime Archeology at the University of Oxford, told the Telegraph Robinson is part of the team that has been busy uncovering artifacts from Heraclion's sunken remains.

It was the major international trading port for Egypt at this time," Robinson addes "It is where taxation was taken on import and export duties. All of this was run by the main temple."

The city is also believed to have had a rich cultural hstory. Helen was said to have visited it with her lover Pans shortly before the onset of the Trojan War.

http://www.goocap.com/2013/04/1200-years-old-egyptian-secrets-at.html

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A Baby is Born With Certain Reflexes

A baby is born with certain reflexes to protect them during the first few weeks. These reflexes will disappear after a few weeks and be replaced with voluntary movement during baby's development.

Doctors will check these reflexes to ensure his central nervous system is working correctly.

Walking Reflex

If you hold baby in an upright position with his feet touching the floor, his legs will seem to be trying to walk. This reflex will last for about 3-4 weeks, and he won't actually walk until he is around 12 months.

Preventable Infant Brain Damage On the Rise

A silent attack on the baby’s brain
Here’s the scenario: Your beautiful baby boy is born right on time and receives a clean bill of health from the pediatrician. Your health care insurance only pays for two days in the hospital after the birth, so you and baby go home, with a follow-up doctor’s appointment for when the baby is one week old.

However, after being home for two days you notice your baby is having trouble feeding and seems to be very sleepy. His skin color seems a little odd, too. You call the pediatrician and get an appointment for the next day.

When the pediatrician examines your now five-day-old infant, she sees that the baby is jaundiced. Using a simple test, she discovers his bilirubin level is very high, and admits him to the hospital for treatment with phototherapy. Unfortunately, the damage has been done, and over the next four months your son develops cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and hearing loss.

What kernicterus is
About 60% of newborn babies develop jaundice from a buildup in their bodies of bilirubin, an orange-yellow pigment that results from the natural breakdown of red blood cells. In some babies the level of bilirubin goes so high that it becomes toxic and causes brain damage. This is known as kernicterus.

Symptoms and diagnosis
An infant with very high bilirubin in his body may have severe jaundice (yellowing of his skin), lethargy (excessive sleepiness), and poor feeding. However, jaundice may hard to see in infants with dark skin, and it is difficult to judge how high the bilirubin level is just by looking. There are simple, inexpensive blood and skin tests available to check an infant’s bilirubin level.

If the infant’s condition progresses to kernicterus, he may develop cerebral palsy, uncontrolled involuntary muscle movements (spasticity), mental retardation, hearing loss, and difficulty moving his eyes (gaze paresis).

Treatment
High bilirubin is treated by placing the infant under special lights (called phototherapy). An exchange blood transfusion (infant’s toxic blood is replaced with normal blood) may be necessary. A new drug, Stanate, has been tested which blocks bilirubin production, thus preventing jaundice and kernicterus. The drug is still in development.

Why more cases of kernicterus are appearing
There are several possible reasons why the number of cases of kernicterus seem to be rising:

• Newborns are often discharged from the hospital before blood levels of bilirubin reach their peak (48-72 hours after birth), but don’t see a pediatrician until a week later
• Physicians continue to rely only on visual assessment of jaundice, and may fail to recognize very severe cases, or may fail to respond to parents’ concerns about jaundice
• Newborns who are already jaundiced in the hospital do not have a bilirubin test done before they are discharged home
• Parents don’t know about the symptoms of jaundice, so they don’t call the pediatrician

Prevention
The best way to manage high bilirubin, though, is to not let it get elevated in the first place. This could be achieved by:

• Giving a bilirubin test to all newborns before they are discharged home, to catch the ones headed for trouble
• Provide a follow-up visit with a pediatrician or pediatric nurse within 24 to 48 hours after the infant is discharged home
• Provide parents with educational materials about jaundice

Bottle Feeding Tips

There's more to bottle feeding than you may realize. Get the inside scoop here.

• Change your baby's diaper before the feeding. This helps wake your baby for the feeding and allows for undisturbed sleep after the feeding.

• Prepare your baby's daily amount of formula ahead of time. You can:
  • Mix the desired amount of formula beforehand and put it the fridge. Then when you are ready to use the milk, place it in a bowl of warm water to take the chill off. Prepared powder formula may be kept in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours after mixed.
  • Pre-measure both the powder and water in separate containers (a sealed container for the powder and a baby bottle for the water). Make enough for the day/night. Then, when you are ready to feed your baby, mix the two together. This eliminates the need to warm the milk.
• Use boiled water or bottled water when mixing your baby's formula. When using boiled water, allow for the water to come back to room temperature before mixing with the formula.

• Never warm formula in the microwave. This can cause the milk to be very hot in some areas. Always warm milk by placing the bottle in a bowl or cup of warm water. Be sure to test the milk on the inner aspect of your wrist to ensure temperature safety. Perfect formula temperature is when you are unable to feel hot or cold.

• Discard any unused milk one hour after the feeding. Bacteria from your baby’s saliva begin to rapidly multiply when left at room temperature.

• Make sure to burp your baby frequently during feedings.
  • If your baby does not spit up frequently, wait until your baby stops sucking from the bottle and then burp your baby. The gas bubbles make your baby think that he/she is full and will cause them to stop drinking the milk.
  • Once your baby lets out a good burp, he/she will probably resume eating.
  • If your baby tends to spit up frequently or has colic, try burping your baby more frequently, approximately after every half an ounce or so.
• For a sleepy newborn or preemie:
  • Remove blankets and hat. Babies love to sleep when they are cozy and warm. If that doesn't do the trick, undress your baby.
  • Rub your baby's back along his/her spine.
  • Tickle your baby's feet.
  • Wipe your baby's face and chest with a cool, damp cloth.
  • Hold your baby on your lap with your non-dominate hand supporting your baby's head, neck, and shoulder. Some babies tend to sleep when they are snuggled in mommy or daddy arms during feedings.

Remember, practice makes perfect.

50 Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy

Trying for a baby? Being healthy before, during and after pregnancy involves so many different aspects of your life. So, I've compiled a quick list to help you stay on the healthy side.

1. See your practitioner before becoming pregnant.
2. Start changing your food habits to include a healthy variety of foods.
3. Exercise! Starting now will help you stay in shape during pregnancy, can lower your risk of miscarriage, and has been proven to help reduce labor complications and length.
4. Educate yourself!
5. Eat a new vegetable you've never tried.
6. Check out a book on pregnancy.
7. Figure out what to do about chemical birth control, like the birth control pill.
8. Stop smoking. There are many programs to help you.
9. Take a prenatal vitamin. They can be prescribed by your practitioner or you can buy them over the counter. Ensure it contains 0.4 mg of folic acid.
10. Ask your partner to join you on your new healthy habit changes.
11. Track your cycles. Learning what you can about your cycles will help determine when you ovulate and when you conceived. These make for more accurate due dates.
12. If you need a new practitioner, interview before you become pregnant.
13. Ask your friends about pregnancy and parenthood.
14. Avoid chemicals that could possibly harm your baby. You can find these at work, in your home, and just about anywhere, be environmentally sensitive.
15. See your dentist before you get pregnant and brush your teeth daily.
16. Tell any medical professional that you may be pregnant if you are trying to get pregnant. This can prevent exposure to harmful tests and chemicals if you are pregnant and don't know it yet.
17. Stop changing cat litter.
18. Remember, it can take up to a year to become pregnant. If you have been actively trying for a year or more than six months if you are over 35, see your practitioner.
19. Act pregnant. This includes not drinking alcohol, even while trying to conceive. There is no known safe level during pregnancy and alcohol can cause birth defects.
20. Announce your pregnancy when you are ready.
21. Talk to your parents, what do you want to take from their experiences? How do you want to be different?
22. Rest when you can. Nap!
23. Start a journal or a pregnancy blog.
24. Use non-medicinal remedies for problems like nausea, heartburn, and constipation.
25. Drink six - eight eight ounce glasses of water a day.
26. Read yet another book!
27. Join a prenatal yoga or exercise class.
28. Keep your prenatal appointments with your midwife or doctor. This will help ensure that if you have any problems that they are caught early and kept to a minimum.
29. Take an early pregnancy class.
30. Remember to add 300 - 500 calories a day while pregnant.
31. Tour your selection of birth facilities before making a choice if you are not having a home birth.
32. Review the signs of premature labor and warnings signs for when to call your practitioner.
33. Talk to local doulas and start interviewing. Doulas can help you have a shorter, safer and more satisfying birth.
34. Keep a food diary to ensure that you are keeping up with your daily requirements.
35. If you are decorating your house or a nursery remember to avoid fumes often associated with paint and wall paper. Perhaps have friends do the heavy work while you help make snacks for them. Keep the windows open!
36. Baby sit a friend's baby and learn a bit about caring for a newborn.
37. Take a childbirth class. Sign up early to ensure you get the class and dates that you want.
38. Swimming is great in late pregnancy. It can help relieve a lot of aches and pains and makes you feel weightless.
39. Take a breastfeeding class to help prepare you for the realities of breastfeeding.
40. Stretch before bed to help prevent leg cramps.
41. Continue to exercise, even if you have to slow down. This will help you recover more quickly.
42. Write a birth plan. Something to help you clarify what you want or need for your birth experience. Share this with your practitioners and those you have invited to your birth.
43. Have film and cameras ready!
44. Practice relaxation whenever you can. Try for at least once a day.
45. Do pelvic tilts to help with late pregnancy back pain. It will help relieve your pain and even encourage the baby to assume a good birth position.
46. Pack your bags if you are going to a birth center or hospital. Don't forget your insurance cards, pre-registration forms, camera, birth plan, etc.
47. Review the signs of labor and warning signs.
48. Take a picture of yourself before the baby comes!
49. Read birth stories.
50. Kiss the baby!

Healthy snacks for kids : 10 child-friendly tips

Keep junk food out of the house

Your child won't clamor for cookies, candy bars or chips if you don't keep them on hand. Set a good example by choosing healthy snacks yourself.

Go for the grain

Whole-grain foods - such as whole-grain pretzels or tortillas and high-fiber, whole-grain cereals - provide energy with some staying power.

Mix and match

Serve baby carrots or other raw veggies with fat-free ranch dressing or hummus. Dip graham crackers sticks or fresh fruit in fat-free yogurt. Spread peanut butter on celery, apples or bananas.

Broden the menu

Offer out-of-the-usual fare, such as pineapple, cranberries, red or yellow peppers, mangoes, tangelos or roasted soy nuts.

Revisit Breakfast

Serve breakfast foods - such as scrambled eggs and whole-grain toast - as healthy snacks for kids in the afternoon. 

Sweeten it up

Healthy snacks for kids don't have to be bland. To satisfy your child's sweet tooth, offer fat-free pudding, frozen yogurt or frozen fruit bars. Make smoothies with skim milk, fat-free yogurt, and fresh or frozen fruit.

Have fun

Use a cookie cutter to make shapes out of low-fat cheese slices, whole-grain bread or whole-grain tortillas. Make fruit kebabs or show your child how to eat diced fruit with chopsticks. Make a tower out of whole-grain crackers, spell words with pretzel sticks, or make funny faces on plate using different types of fruit.

Promote independence

Keep a selection of ready-to-eat veggies in the refrigerator. Leave fresh fruit in a bowl on the counter. Store low-sugar, whole-grain cereal and fruit canned or package in its own juice in an easily accessible cabinet.

Don't be fooled by labeling gimmicks

Foods marketed as low-fat or fat-free can still be high in calories and sodium. Likewise, foods touted as cholesterol-free can still be high in fat, saturated fat and sugar. Check nutrition labels to find out the whole story.

Designate a snacking zone

Restrict snacking to certain areas, such as the kitchen. You'll save your child countless calories from mindless munching in front of the TV. If your child needs to snacks on the go, offer string cheese, yogurt sticks, cereal bars, a banana or other drip-free items.. 

Teaching your child to make healthy snacks choices now will help set the stage for a lifetime of healthy eating. Start today !T

Fruit juice: Good or bad for kids?

While whole fruit is the best choice, certain types of fruit can be a healthy part of your child's diet. Recent studies have confirmed that drinking moderate amounts of 100 percent fruit juice doesn't affect a child's weight. However, fruit juice contains calories. Just like any other food or calorie-containing drink, too much fruit juice can contribute to weight gain.

If you choose to give your child fruit juice, choose 100 percent fruit juice instead of sweetened juice or fruit-juice cocktails. While 100 percent fruit juice and sweetened fruit drinks might have a similar number of
calories, your child will get more vitamins and nutrients and fewer additives from 100 percent juice. Serve juice in a cup - not a bottle - to avoid tooth decay. In addition, serve fruit juice only with a snack or a meal, rather than allowing your child to sip juice throughout the day. If you're having trouble getting your child to eat, don't allow him or her to drink any liquids 30 minutes before meals or snacks.

To ensure that your child isn't drinking too much juice, follow these limits from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association.

• Birth to 6 months : No fruit juice, unless it's used to relieve constipation
• 6 months to 6 years : 4 to 6 ounces (118 to 177 milliliters) a day
• 7 years and older : 8 to 12 ounces (237 to 355 milliliters) a day

About 4 ounces (118 milliliters) of 100 percent fruit juice equals one serving of fruit. Remember, though, juice lacks the fiber and other nutrients of whole fruit. Although a reasonable amount of fruit juice each day is fine for most children, be sure to offer your child whole fruits as well.